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His second hand joined the first and he tilted her face up so she could not hope to avoid his discerning gaze “Why?”

She licked her lips, wishing again they were not going downstairs for dinner with his father She wished even ular preperiod cramps she had believed them to be when she first went off the pill so they could try for a baby “I spent the wholewith representatives of Isole dei Re’s fore the need for day care services and preschools on the islands”

He frowned as if he couldn’t understand what bothered her about that She’d had one rather well However, all he said was, “I thought Toht between the islands exacerbates Maggie’soff I convinced her to let ates flown to Diamante to meet with her instead”

His hands dropped from her face and she felt an ih she was sure he hadn’t ie share views on this subject You have certainly discussed it enough to cover all the points adequately”

“Not according to the delegates” She grimaced “They felt that a woman without children, , could not co ie is ideal for this endeavor and that I should keep right out of it”

“They said this to you?” He didn’t sound offended on her behalf, merely curious He could have no idea how much the other women’s disapproval had hurt

She felt both exhausted and savaged, especially after the phone call frorew up learning political diploht have upset you if I had told theave a“As if you would”

“Maybe I did”

But he just shook his head “I know you No chance”

“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do” In fact, she knew he didn’t After all, he’d never once latched on to the fact that she’d e of convenience aspect had been a plan hatched in his and her mother’s more mercenary brains

“Did you?” he asked with a sardonic brow raised

She wanted to say yes just to prove hi, but told the truth instead “No, but I wanted to”

“What ant and e allow ourselves to do are rarely the sa And it is a testament to your suitability to your position that you live by this stricture”