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He half expected to find hisfor him, as if the last twenty-five years had never occurred

When no one answered his knock, Nick did just that With a push of his hand, the door swung inward The overwhel a hand over his nose to ward off the pervading stink, he surveyed the room, smaller and more pitiable than he remembered Almost as if he summoned her, a woman lay there, curled on her side with her back to hi dark hair It couldn’t be

"Mae and far away to his ears

The woer stared at him Of course it wasn’t his mother His mother was dead Still, in his mind she was forever trapped in this rooard lines of her face told the depravity of a life long accustomed to the abuses of poverty

She extended a hand as thin as a skeleton’s "For the right coin, I’ll be anything you want" Her burst of coarse laughter further reminded Nick this woman wasn’t his mother But she could have been had hisher trade in this slu Better she had died when she did than suffer another day of this life

Perhaps hishim to pursue his own happiness

What kind of fool was he to throay a chance at happiness when true happiness in life was so hard won? Just because his mother suffered-- because the man she had loved destroyed her--

didn’t mean he couldn’t find athis realization, so unfurled deep in his chest and he breathed easier Only one thought e his

Meredith

He’d been lucky enough to find her Lucky enough to win her love Only a damn fool would throw it away

He whirled fro him to run Hopefully his stupidity hadn’t chased her away Sudden self-doubt assailed hi him in his tracks What if she didn’t want him anymore? What if he had succeeded and pushed her completely out of his life?

His future yawned before him, a vast bleak hole at the possibility of life without her With a single hard shake of his head he resolved not to let that happen He would prove his love--or spend the rest of his life trying She didn’t have a choice He was hers whether she wanted him or not

The need to reach Meredith consuures co at hi there, head reeling, the grisly appearance of his attackers took more definite shape The features of one face in particular stood out, and Nick felt the absurd ih Trust life to toss up another hurdle the instant he ca emptiness inside hi sniggered, slapping a slat of wood in the pal the salty trickle of blood froreeted, his gaunt face stretched wide in sht you and your bitch humiliated me Just didn’t think you wouldsneered "Cocks always get them in trouble"

"Is that it?" Skelly asked "Got tired of that bit of lace? Wanted to cohborhood? You should have coirls show you a real good tileam in Skelly’s eyes that he was interested in htening everyawareness When the first blow ca to life as he deflected it and disabled the attacker with a kick to the groin The fists of the others rained blows on his back Turning to looe sense of detach to die Nick vowed it would not be him

Chapter 26

Vicar Browne’s voice droned like a bee in Meredith’s ear She tried to concentrate on his words, but it was pointless Shifting uncoloved hands in her lap and relived her encounter with Nick for the hundredth ti differently She had bared her heart and soul right along with her body on that road The only thing was to beg Or confess to him that she carried his child The irony wasn’t lost on her To find herself with child after everything--

Nick probably wouldn’t even believe her True, he would know soon enough The whole world would, but she wouldn’t use their child as a weapon to hold him to her

Sir Hira on how one viewed it

The church buzzed with titters and disapproving stares this , a testament to the fact that everyone knew Nick had thrashed Sir Hira for London Such did not bode well for her reputation In everyone’s eyes, his actionsHe had cast aside his wife due to her improper relationship with Sir Hiram Yet she didn’t possess the heart to care All she wanted was Nick Not Society’s approval

Felicia Stubblefield sat looking very pleased in her pew She arched an eyebrow in slance in her direction It was evident who had a hand in spreading the ruht to correct theher relationship with Sir Hiram Perhaps If she weren’t so numb

If she couldto the renity and faced the front of the church

Stares penetrated her, burning into her profile, drilling into her back With everyone behaving as though she were so the charity of her fellow churchgoers surfaced in her ht People were fickle Society was fickle Neighbors were quick to conde these people--this life

She was suddenly pulled fros Not by any particular sound but rather the abrupt halt in Mr Browne’s voice A quick look up revealed his startled expression focused on the back of the church The heavy fall of footsteps thudded down the center aisle, ain their wake Her pulse quickened and her right eye began to twitch Still, she could not force herself to turn around

At last, those footsteps stopped beside her pew She waited one long, inter inside her Finally, she risked a glance and sed a cry of disht of Nick’s bruised and battered face He lowered hiainst her htly, drinking in the sight of her face, looking at her in such a way--