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There had to be, surely? Her gaze slid away froain and Tess stared out of theThere was so hiue on the questions It was no concern of his ‘And the convent was not for you?’

Tess shook her head ‘I always kneas not cut out to be a nun’ She ed a very creditable smile

Thereback the query Perhaps the runaway aunt had caused the rift, which was hard on Tess He understood what it was like to be rejected, but he was a man with money and independence, and these days, power of his own He kne to hit back and he’d spentjust that This was a sheltered, penniless young woman

‘Now I know you better I can tell that you’re not suitable for the cloister,’ he drawled, intent on teasing her out of introspection ‘Too ’

Tess blushed, but did not deny the accusation ‘It is so I try to overcoh I should not make excuses’

‘Go on, blah back’ Alex saze Not at all used to men A total innocent with no idea how to flirt Behave yourself, Te novelty

‘I will spend December and perhaps January at the London convent, I expect I do not ioverness or a coe of the rug ‘A pity, because it would be wonderful to spend Christmas with a family But still, it is always a happy season wherever one is’

‘Is it?’ Alex tried to recall the last Christhteen His parents had not been speaking to each other, his batty great-aunt had s had argued incessantly and at dinner on Christivably, lost his temper with Alex

There are so aside as the frustrated outpourings of a short-tes that a sensitive seventeen-year-old can accept with any grace or huedy

Alex had left the table, packed his bags, gone straight back to Oxford and stayed there, taking care to extract every penny of his allowance froht to stop it When the news had reached him of just what his father’s outburst had unleashed he’d settled doith care and ht, to convince his father that he was exactly what he had accused hi his life the way he wanted to

‘You will be going home for Christmas, surely?’ Tess asked