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At the last moment--as if he felt her stare--he raised his head Their eyesin his gaze Did he feel even a fraction of the tur her a brief nod, he spun his horse about and galloped down the drive

She pressed her fingers against her led sob For days she had prayed for hiht before releasing the drapes They fluttered back, a whisper on the air

In the back of heritself known Don’t go

Chapter 10

Meredith packed the earth tightly around newly planted foxglove, pausing to wipe a hand across her brow Leaning back on her heels, she squinted up at the sun The day was unusually war across her mid-section that Maree had fashioned added to her warht with horse’s hair--attached to her corset and lent her the appearance of a wonancy, but a wonancy no less At first she had wrinkled her nose at using horse’s hair in the padding But then Maree explained horse’s hair was used to stuff furniture cushions and wouldfirmer should someone be so bold as to touch her belly

"My lady?" Nels called, coarden’s pebbled path Meredith shaded her eyes with a hand to look up

"Good , Nels What do you think?" She waved a hand to indicate the tall stalks of lavender foxglove

He nodded, sparing only a quick, distracted glance at the flowers "Lovely, ent here"

Her heart raced and her e of a certain darkly handsoentleman

"Donald saw the fop scuttling about the place, alood He has not approached the house or made his presence properly known"

Disappoint, she slapped her hands together, shaking loose the dirt froentle toward the faloves "I shall find out who he is forthwith"

"I’ll accompany you, ave his ar to relieve his worry

Nels crossed beefy ar to

Meredith’s lips twitched "Oh, very well, Nels Just try not to frighten the ate, which led to the back lawn Froently upward They made their way up the hill to the senerations of Brookshires Edrave, freshlyto seed with grass, was easy to locate It was there she found him

A quick inspection revealed that he was not froray jacket, silver brocade waistcoat, and black trousers No gentleantly, not even when attending an asseht violet of his ied cravat, certain she had never seen such a splendid color

"Good day, sir Might I help you?" Meredith asked in pleasant tones,next to her like a titan

He looked up frorave, his blue eyes moist "Pardon my trespass, I simply wished to pay ood friends" He doffed his head

"Adaiveyou at the funeral How is it you were acquainted with my husband?"

"You are Edaze swept over her, stopping to rest on her swelling belly His eyes flew back to her face with sudden intensity "You are increasing with Edmund’s child?"

Taken aback by his impertinence, she did not irabbed the gentleh to rattle his teeth out "You’ll watch your tongue, young fop, if you want to keep your pretty face, eh?"

Ada at Nels’s fist

She placed a hand on Nels’s shoulder "Nels, release him I’m sure he meant no offense"

He dropped Trelared at Meredith and Nels belligerently, the brightness of his face co with that of his cravat

"Few people are aware of my condition, Mr Tremble Even I did not know at the time of Edmund’s funeral that I carried his child Understandably, the newsher anxiety behind a gracious sh to know the exact nature of their e--

or rather the nonexistent nature That would hardly be the thing two gentlemen would discuss, would it? And even if he did suspect, he could not disprove her She was his legal wife It would take more than one man’s suspicions

"I am sure you are overjoyed, littered with an unidentifiable e, heavy with implication, and Meredith knew that he did not believe her Lifting her chin, shehi hands, she knew he could prove nothing