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‘Alex! My lord, this is—’

‘Outrageous, I know Stop squeaking, you sound like Noel’ His voice by her ear was definitely ao below and be warm but nauseous, sit up here in chilly isolation or share body heat’ She felt his legseffect ‘There, the kitten’s basket is under the cloak, too Happy?’

‘Ecstatic,’ she muttered Alex’s snort of a isn’t this bad in the surey sea under the darkening, slate sky, the tossing white wave crests, the icy water

‘It can be delightful in the summer,’ Alex confirmed ‘Go to sleep’

‘Huh’ It was her turn to snort She ht as well try to fly

Tess woke craainst so that h the sensations Sone, salt, a seat that shifted slightly beneath her, a world that rocked and heaved A ship A ship and Alex

She sat still for athe essence of warot between the flaps of his coat as well as his greatcoat and her cheek rested on skin-warht on his knees, batting the edges of his greatcoat apart so she could see out

‘Goodone hand on her arlish coast ahead’

‘Thank heavens’ She felt sticky and thirsty, but there was land, the sun was struggling out of the clouds low on the horizon and the long night was over

‘Have soe He passed her an open bottle and then scooped a protesting kitten out of its basket ‘Yes, I know We are cruel and horrible and you want your breakfast You can share mine’ He poured a little milk into his cupped pal furiously while Alex extracted cold bacon one-handed

‘Do you want to eat or shall ait until we can find a decent inn?’