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Besides, if Jim knehat she suspected, he’d want to protect her, question her, keep her secure, and she didn’t have tiht now The children had to come first For her, they always came first

She opened the back door to the alleyway and released a screech at the sight of the tall, dark figure loohten you," Sterling said as he put his ar you"

"Told you I wasn’t going to let you travel about alone Are you all right? You’re tre"

"Sykes killed Nancy"

"What?"

She nodded at the disbelief in his voice "Jim just told me He doesn’t know Sykes did it They found her body in the Thao back to him I should insisted--"

"Frannie, love, you’re not responsible for every wrong that’s done to soood reason"

"Still, she didn’t deserve what she got Where’s Peter?"

"He was sleeping when I left"

"Did you leave so hi, a child doesn’t understand proet ho the streets, Sterling held Frannie close against his side

"Sterling, I knoould be a great imposition, but could we take him to your country estate?"

"Do you really think that’s necessary? Why would Sykes think we have hiht have told him I don’t know I just…I don’t think he’s safe here"

"Very well then We’ll take him to the country"

She squeezed his hand "And the other children? I want to take them as well"

"How many are there?"

"Thirty-six I know that’s a lot but I’ll "

"Oh, Frannie, I don’t care about all that I’es--your staff could ride in those We have a large wagon we use for carting our belongings here for the Season, then taking them back to the estate I think it’ll hold the children Be miserable for them if it rains, but it’s only a day’s ride if we start with the sun"

She wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed him hard "Thank you ever so much"

"Did you think I wouldn’t help?"

"No, I knew you would"