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She heard hiet her trunk Then he escorted her down the gangway and along the docks His arainst his side She couldn’t bring herself to step away

When they reached the area where hackneys waited, he hired two and she watched as her trunk was loaded into one

"I should go with you," he said

"No I want to say good-bye here, to re into hiloved hand to his jaw "May the winds always deliver you safely to your destination"

"Anne--"

Rising up, she brushed a quick kiss over his lips before scra into the hackney Martha settled in beside her and the wheels were soon clattering, carrying them away

"We will never speak of this, Martha," she said tersely, shoring up her resolve not to weep

"Yes, m’lady"

"We must move forward See to our duties"

"Yes, miss"

No matter how much it pained them to do so

Tristan watched the hackney roll away into the night, the e him similar to one he’d experienced fourteen years earlier on the Yorkshire docks It didn’t bear thinking about

"What now, Cap’n?" Peterson asked

"I intend to get bloody well drunk Care to join ?"

Anne stood within her father’s study Knowing that she would be brought to task for her actions did notany easier Her father and brothers had not yet left for their clubs when she arrived hoht of the week that her father insisted they enjoy a ether She’d arrived too late to partake in dinner, but early enough to receive a scolding

Her brothers had taken up various positions around the room, arms crossed, stances erect, obviously fully in support of the tongue-lashing she was on the cusp of enduring

"As I discussed with you previously and reiterated in ood-bye to Walter so that I couldSeason, present an engaging front, and entice a lord into findinghis wife That is my duty, is it not?"

"Your duty is to obey your father and I had forbidden you to go"

"Yes, well, I’m home now so it seeoal and am ready to reenter Society"

She’d never seen her father appear so flummoxed He blinked, opened his e?" Jainning to assert himself, to prepare for the day when he would step seamlessly into their father’s shoes "I --"

"I hired a ship"

"What do you mean you hired a ship?"

"Honestly, Jae while I ay?"

"You’ll answer your brother," her father snapped, obviously regaining his faculties