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She held silent as Mirela went about gathering the wet linens used for her sponge bath earlier in the day After a few et out of this bed?"

"Hmm Perhaps another fourfive weeks"

She felt her eyes bulge in her face "Five weeks?"

"You broke your leg"

"Last ti" She had already confessed to the childhoodwhen she fell froht that could be i her After all, just because she re that happened to her at fourteen did not o

"And you had a liain

"That is why You did not give it time to heal properly" Mirela looked at her in accusation As if she was to blame for her limp

Not that she’d had much of a choice in theabout within a week, helping her mother with the smaller children in the nursery Herher time to recuperate

Mirela lifted the bowl of soapy water "This tier toward Annalise "You will not move from that bed"

Her face flushed both hot and cold as the reality of her life for the next five weeks settled over her

She would re a foot away froht tunneled into the wagon as Mirela opened the door and descended the steps Annalise leaned forward, eager and aching for its warmth, for the vast openness of the outdoors Just as quickly the light was gone The door shut with a click and she was all alone in a space that felt like it was shrinking by the moo stark raving mad stuck here for several more weeks

Owen looked up froathered from the nearby woods Mirela stood in front of hi off her reeted, ed to move with such stealth He never heard her approach

"What do you think you are doing?"

He glanced down at the kindling and bit off the sarcastic reply rising to his lips "Helping" He let the word hang, lared at him, he did not think she approved of his activity

Several of thetoather the day’s kindling It was so to do rather than sit idle and wonder what precisely he was doing here with a band of Gypsies and an invalid feirl needs soon to the old woer capable of caring for--"

"I’ her injuries I speak of her spirit She is restless, lonely"

He stared, unsure how to respond to that He was not a companion for hire "I’m certain you or one of the other women would be better equipped--"

"Nonsense She trusts you You rescued her"

"That hardly ive Anna her privacy Rising before she woke and retiring after she slept Even though she claih an ordeal, and he had no intention ofpresence Or perhaps he didn’t want to make himself too comfortable Either way, he kept his distance

Mirela pointed to the wagon "She’s been in that bed teeks now and you dawdle out here" She waved wildly "playing with your sticks"

He blinked "What aed to stay with the woman At least until they learned her identity and he knehere she belonged No doubt she had a fa for her somewhere, sick orry Maybe even a husband Perhaps she had been traveling with falanced back at the wagon as though he could see within to its confines, to Anna lying there on the bed For all he knew, the da, the bruise to her ribs, had not been the only injury done to her person His chest pulled and tightened uncoht be the worst trauitated voice reclaimed his attention "Talk to her Keep her coet some fresh air"

Carry her?

He recoiled at the idea of holding her againtouching her

Since she regained consciousness, he was achingly aware of her as a feht be bedridden, but that didn’t stop hion at night with only a taper to guide him, the dark fan of lashes on her cheeks fascinated him

He could not understand why She was no beauty in the classic standard, but there was sohts In his head, alongside his dark and disturbing recollections, his ugly memoriesthat was no place for her to be She was injured, vulnerable He shouldn’t be thinking of her as a h in India, he had clung to his own code, soh it all, to keep himself sane When he set forth a rule, he would not break it

He would not touch her

In order to uphold that pro her around for fresh air a very good idea "I don’t think that would be proper"

Mirela laughed "Proper? You sound like such an Englishnified, but we know you are not that, don’t we?" She tapped the corner of her eye "We know I see you"

He stiffened, wondering what it was she thought she saw in him "I will not carry her She’s fine as she is She stays in bed" Turning, he strode back into the woods under the pretense of fetching ht, Annalise heard hi sleep with her eyes closed, debating how best to approach hi the day, if she wanted words with him, this was the only way

She heard hi as he removed his jacket One boot hit the floor with a soft thud, then the next She heard a puff of breath and suspected that he just blew out a candle

Moistening her lips, she spoke into the dark "How long are we going to stay here?" The moment the question escaped her, she winced We When had she decided their fates were entwined? Was this because of the foolish words Mirela had rattled off to her?

There was a long pause and she i her question "And where is it that we should go?" His deep voice floated over her There was no ring of surprise that she ake, and she wondered if he had known She recalled his dark blue eyes, so deep and intense It was as though they h the dark