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The first ti, Mrs Danvers had forced her fro she would not harbor any lazy layabouts beneath her roof By then Annalise was helping her mother in the nursery and with other tasks about the house She was not allowed to be idle--even in order to heal properly

Apparently this ti to heal properly If Mirela was in front of her now, she would have hugged her to within an inch of her life And she knew she owed her good fortune to Owen, too If he hadn’t found her and taken her in and given her the opportunity to recuperate, she would still be crippled If not dead

"You shouldn’t push yourself too hard," Mrs Kirkpatrick said, "but you should walk daily Lord McDowell said you need to increase your stamina each day"

"You spoke with Lord McDowell?" She looked sharply at the housekeeper

The woet you on your feet today, that it was tiotten her After last week’s eht of hi from the room next door She had started to wonder if he still intended to keep his prolanced toward the door that separated their rooms "Is he here now?"

Mrs Kirkpatrick’s lips thinned with disapproval, and Annalise wondered if she thought her interest unseeh her She had hoped he was near, that he would surface to witness her progress She was no longer the invalid She could look him in the eyes now instead of fro cautiously Her li condition

"Don’t overtax yourself," Mrs Kirkpatrick re less

Her lips curved "Ame off the bed"

"If you overtax yourself, then you won’t be able to get up from bed at all tomorrow You’ll be too exhausted"

"Will his lordship return tonight?"

Mrs Kirkpatrick’s lips went thin again, and this time Annalise did not think it was just because she disapproved of her i else, soht"

She stood in place for a aze, instead bent her head and concentrated on s the coverlet of her bed with her hands

And then Annalise understood Owen hadn’t been staying here He was spending the nights somewhere else Her mind shied away from just where he could be Another residence? Another woh her chest

Squaring her shoulders, she looked down at her feet and continued her stroll around the bedchas of hurt It was none of her business where he spent his time Or hom

"You don’t have to remain, Mrs Kirkpatrick I intend to walk a few more paces around the room at least"

"I don’t know--"

"It’s as his lordship said I need to increase , the housekeeper "

Annalise focused on her steps again She needed to be strong Stronger than ever before When she next saen, he would not confuse her for the invalid he fished from the river Nor would he mistake her as the woman who had so foolishly offered herself to hiain

He’d see her as a strong, healthy woive her

She’d make certain he saw her for who she really was Or at least who she was determined to become

Chapter Twelve

The house was silent as a tolowed froed froily at his eyes

"Good eve, ht?"

"Unnecessary, Edrooood,at the sound of Owen’s voice

"How have things fared around here lately?" He’d stopped in a few days ago for soroo to wake and decipher itsis well, my lord?" It was more question than statement Clearly he did not kno to reply

"All has been well? Everyone has been well?"

"We are all quite well, ," the reeably

Owen stared at hiust of breath, he finally asked, "And our guest, Miss Anna Is she well?"

Understanding lit thenow Today she ed the stairs for the first ti for all of us, ht up in the excite a walk out of doors tomorrow"