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For another long ht, his expression fierce, whether froer, irritation or sorrow, she couldn’t tell She was about to turn tail in dising sh her anxious heart ‘I’m much better at hello’
‘Might you be tellingat a small morsel of hope
‘I don’t know I otsles more enterprises than a circus perfor! Cattle! Grain!’ He shook his head ruefully ‘I’ up later than I ever did when I was a dissipated fribble, trying to sort it all out’
His voice turned serious ‘I promise you, I will sort it out I mean toinvolving the estate’
‘I know you will master it’
His srander than any offered in Devon If ever a lady were made to be a brilliant society hostess, it’s you Youover your papa’s health, either Althea and I will keep a close watch over hi is required, so you may be easy’
‘Easy as I can be, separated froht slipped in
He nodded ‘There will be many diversions in London to help distract you’ He paused, and she hoped hethe conversation But then he said simply, ‘Since there’s no doubt of your ultimate success, I will simply…wish you joy’
He was disreater than anything she’d anticipated swelled in her heart, constricting her throat, haed after a moment
Avoiding her eyes, he gave her a tight nod ‘I’ll e is ready tomorrow’
‘Will you be there when I leave?’ she asked, though she already knew the answer
He gave a shake of the head ‘I’ll probably be in Mr Acherman’s fields by then’
She’d promised herself she wanted only one last chance to talk with him But need boiled up from within, a volatile combination of desire, desperation and the fear that she would never see hi her to steal one last touch
Before she lost her nerve or sanity returned to restrain her, she closed the small distance to the desk, seized his face and kissed him
For an instant he resisted, the shock of her unprecedented action holding him motionless Then he pulled her to him and kissed her back in an all-out assault on her senses, hishers until she felt her bones s went li him like this, for ever
She was gasping, her heart pounding with such force she thought it hly pushed her away ‘Ieven more foolish than last time God speed, Amanda’ With that, he strode from the room
Nu back She wanted to recall him, but a small moan of distress was the only sound she see backwards, she sat down hard on the edge of the desk he’d just abandoned, coth of the sense of loss filling her chest
She scrubbed a fist over her stinging lips and took a deep steadying breath Dashing useless tears froed up to her cha to learn the hard way that so what you ask for
As her carriage pulled away the nextfroone to Papa’s chaoodbye and promise to faithfully write every detail of her adventure in London
As expected, Mr Anders had not been present, neither in breakfast room nor on the steps as the staff bid her farewell, nor anywhere along the h the estate Disappointed, as the carriage rolled past the boundaries of Neville land on to the turnpike, she turned her gaze from the coach