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‘Tess’ Alex pulled her in closer, apparently careless of the effect of her wet cheeks on his crisp linen ‘If it wasn’t for you this would be a hundred times more difficult I want to rant and hector and lay down conditions My instinct is to give my father an ultimatum, to force him to surrender all the business of the earldo him weak and dependent on me and to kick Matthew out on half his allowance and see how he fends for hi that would make you think less of me’

There was a weight on top of her head, and she guessed he had rested his cheek there What was it that his father had done? Whatever it was it enerate this much resentment and confusion

‘You are a very civilising influence on me, Miss Ellery,’ Alexsteadied

‘The earl hasn’t shown you the door,’ Tess ventured, wondering why his fatherAlex see her It was lovely, but noteasy

‘He knows he needs ainst his prohibitions to write to er he would have had to do it hiht be stubborn, belligerent and bigoted, but he is not a fool and he is devoted to the earldo to cut off his nose to spite his face’

‘It will reat deal of work for you’ It would turn his world upside down, the world that Hannah said he had created for hi to do it, aren’t you? You’ll stay’

‘I don’t see what else I can do This is my duty Not to him, but to the estate, and to my mother, of course I will certainly not be able to concentrate on anything else I’ll have to stop ’

‘But you love it,’ Tess protested, pulling back against his arms to look at him

‘I’ve had ten years of freedoed ‘Now it is tiusted sound ‘Listen toto accept privilege and make some return for it My family needs me, my inheritance needs ood for my mother and sister and for Matthew, if he’ll let me And heaven knows, there should be satisfaction infrom my majority’

‘You are a good man, Alexander Tempest’ Tess lifted her hand to his cheek so she could turn his head and look into his eyes ‘A very good man’

For ato swear at her, throw her hand aside When he spoke his voice was low and angry and fierce ‘No, I aive hiive, I cannot forget and I want tome to do both Does that make me any better than he is? I doubt it’

It cost her an effort of will to keep still, keep her tongue silent with the questions cla for an answer ‘I let myself dream about a life on my own terms,’ he added All the old cynicism was back in his voice, his expression Once she had believed he genuinely did not care Now ‘It was only an illusion, of course This place, this title, was alaiting for me’

‘It is not all bad’ Sheher ‘You will marry now, have a family’

The shadowed face became even starker He turned abruptly, went to the table, picked up the Peerage and sla on the spine as though to trap it there ‘Go to bed, Tess,’ Alex said without looking round

‘I wish I could help’

‘You cannot help, little nun’ His back was still a blank barrier All she had to read was his voice, and that had lost all its flexibility, all its music

She ignored the words, answered only the pain under the spine and held on to the broad shoulders, her cheek against his shoulder blade She could hear his sharply indrawn breath, the hammer of his heartbeat

‘I am not a nun’

‘I wish you were’

‘Why? Why on earth should you want that?’ She stayed wrapped around hi would make him easier to understand