page89 (1/2)

‘With respect, sir, you have nothing to say in the nise her your approval is irrelevant,’ Alex said, hanging on to the tail of his temper

‘But you want h to see her received?’

‘It will go a long way The problee you’

The glare swung round in an atte way about this, locking horns with this old devil I love you I think you love me Can I convince you that is all that matters?

He got to his feet and both older h they had been off in a world of their own They probably had, he realised Thinking about old battles, old hurts To hell with the past; he’d been entangled in it for too long He had a future to build with Tess if he could only make her believe in it

She had locked her door and he was not going to stand out there begging to co a key and letting hiht not be able to do it in ar romantic for once

Outside the rass, the shadows darkly drae of the wide lawns The trelliswork along the south front was bare, but the ste and he found nofrom his tutor

There was light in Tess’s , but when Alex reached it the room was empty ‘Tess!’ He knocked on the panes, aware, suddenly, of the slippery soles of his evening shoes on the icy steone ‘You fool, you waited too long’ He let his head fall forward and banged it against the glass Idiot She’s run, gone off across the fields in this deadly weather

The despair was as bitter as the wind Could he find her again? Dorcas and Annie would be with her, and little Daisy They’d be careful for the baby, that was his only comfort Search parties—and the staff full of punch and ainst theone last time and shifted to start the climb down

His head was just below the level of the sill when the ung open ‘Alex! What are you doing? Co out, hands outstretched

His hands opened with the instinctive urge to seize hold of her—safe and warm and there