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‘Heartbreaking, certainly,’ Greville suain unaccountably touched by the sadness in herto hit upon a way to redirect her thoughts when Miss Neville said,

‘I was illwhich Ma the household and tending me, my aunt and numerous members of the staff who’d also contracted the disease Perhaps if I’d recovered more quickly and could have assisted her, she would have had the strength to survive once she herself succumbed to the sickness’

‘Surely you don’t bla you could have done would have edies to everyone;my first storm at sea, one of the foretop-ht of the mast, ept overboard He was a skilled sailor, well liked by all, while the man beside him, an ill-natured creature who caused no end of trouble, was spared Why young Henry rather than the ne’er-do-well? The Devil protecting his own, perhaps’

‘You are likely right Still, it’s hard not to feel responsible, somehow’

Miss Neville fell silent, obviously still grappling with her grief Greville felt an upswelling of desire to coe to kiss her

Well, al He yearned to pull her into his arms and promise her the moon, let the warmth of his body chase away the cold desolation in her eyes, tease her or even annoy her until he banished the lingering thoughts of loss

Kissing her would certainly distract her, his body suggested hopefully Why not satisfy both urgings?

Such a ploy would likely distract her right into planting hile to silence that te voice and quell the i her produced in his all-too-needy member

While he was thus preoccupied, Miss Neville said, ‘Perhaps I should wait another year But…there’s nothing at Ashton for me save sad memories, and I did promise Mama’

‘Doing what your ’

‘I know, you are right’ She uttered a strained laugh ‘It’s ridiculous, but I aer to eely resistant to leaving It’s as if, as long as I remain at Ashton, I haven’t completely…lost Mao to London and es planning together, I can no longer escape the fact that they are truly gone…and I must live my life without them’

‘Tied to a past that cannot be recaptured, yet uncertain aboutwryly he stood in almost the same position

Her eyes widened ‘Yes, that’s it exactly! How perceptive you are, Mr Anders’

He waved a hand dis experienceshis self-esteeed into the ht months later, like a ship repaired after a stor of attitudes about life and his place in it

She nodded ‘Are you finding it difficult to move forwards?’

‘My future plans are still…unsettled,’ he conceded ‘About yours, however, there can be no doubt: you shall becoue a host of high-titled aspirants to your hand and choose one lucky man to be your husband’

She chuckled ‘That was certainly Mama and Grand Duchess of Devonshire, the pre Grandmama’s years in London Both she and Maentleh rank and political influence’

With a smile, she continued, ‘They ! By the time I was sixteen, I was convinced I wanted to be just like Lady Georgiana—though not, of course, quite asone,’ she ah

That s sadness on her face and left hi whether her s