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Closing his eyes, he iined he could ss for Jane ran an carefully, knowing the answer to his question before he even asked "You care for Jane?"

"Of course," she replied

Shaking his head, he released a deep sigh and rubbed a hand over his face "I suppose that will have to be enough," he muttered

Jane clai her Would _not _ risk his child being raised without him A child of his own The prospect meant more than he had ever realized The chance to be a father--the kind he never had--to do soer than the rage he felt when he considered the feckless female who had duped hi theback, "if Ito the edge of the sofa, a radiant light crawling over her cheeks, re him of how she had looked before the accident Happy, carefree A girl with the world before her "You want to marry Jane?"

Want He let the word roll around his head _Wanting _ Jane had nothing to do with it Obligation drove hiuilt and responsibility that never ceased to gnaw at his insides, that coht

Not a day passed when he did not feel the strainingover the fence Nor would he forget the feel of Julianne’s ar from his waist as she fell to the hard earth

He could not live with rets "Have you proposed? Did she accept?" Julianne scooted forward again, looking dangerously close to falling off the sofa

Staring into his sister’s animated face, the invisible band about his chest loosened, knowing this e would at least please her "Not yet"

"But you intend to propose?"

He dragged a hand over his jaw "Yes"

He would si a woman who affected him in ways that he had vowed his wife never would So she drove him to distraction with lust He could resist

He could slake his lust on other women Women who did not present a threat to the barriers he had erected around his heart

Chapter 18

By the tih the servants’ stairs and hurried to her roo in as thickly as fog The servants were scarce, the house still as a tomb Preternaturally still The quiet before the stor as she ducked into her rooaze landed on the room’s other occupants Dahlia, Iris, and Bryony

Bryony sat at Jane’s desk, rifling through an open drawer, reading old correspondence She glanced up as Jane entered the roo out one of Julianne’s many letters

Jane strode across the rooers "I’ll take that" Stuffing it back into the drawer, she glared at the girls

"Where have you been all day? You forgot about our lessons" Dahlia propped her hands on her skinny hips, her glare hot with accusation

"Father is furious," Iris taunted from where she lay sprawled on the bed, her child’s voice deceptively sweet as she swirled her slippered feet in the air

Jane studied the girls closely, assessing, gauging to see if they knehy _ their father was angry with her

"Is he?" Jane asked with a mildness she did not feel

"Indeed YouThey’ve neglected us all day"

"What else is new?" Iris chi to her feet in aroolinted with mischief "I know they’ll be pleased to hear you’re home"

Jane watched her sca she could not stop her, knowing also she could not pack and flee before Iris alerted theed her to escape, to hide, she forced herself to trail after Iris, shoulders back and hands clasped before her

She stepped into the drawing roo the hang breeze blew in fro her flushed face

Her eyes felt hot and itchy, and she blinked rapidly, horrified to realize that tears burned at the backs of her eyes Tears And not because she had to face Des eyes had more to do with the look on Seth’s face today She had seen that look before, long ago, when half a dozen foot on with a frosty, self-satisfied s to marry me!

His hoarse cry was still burned into her soul Jane had said nothing,silence She had never wanted to see him hurt Not then Not now As much as she had wanted him for herself, she had wanted hi Madeline His expression the moment her sister’s betrayal sank in remained fixed in her ain Today Only this ti that he believed the worst of her, believed that she had schemed to trap him, that she was as manipulative and socially ambitious as her sister

"See! She’s here," Iris cried,to Jane as if she had personally scoured the city to find her

Des in her direction "Leave us, Iris"

"But Fath--"

"Now!" he thundered

Jane ju their hold on each other Bryony turned and fled the rooainst his uneven teeth as he spat, "So the little whore returns"

She flinched Berthe had wasted little ti her suspicions

"Take a seat" Desmond motioned to the sofa Chloris occupied "We have much to discuss"

Jane looked warily at the sofa, not keen at placing herself beside Chloris

"Come, Jane Don’t be skittish Clearly you possess a aze raked her "Had I only known," he murmured