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There was a distance, a reserve in Jaul that had not been there before, and he had not ht Of course, he had been forced to sit up late with his visitors, she acknowledged ruefully He had come to bed in the early hours and had still risen at the crack of dawn as he always did But since that first night, he hadn’t touched her at all, indeed had suddenly become very restrained in his behaviour in a way that was totally unfa to Chrissie because Jaul was such a naturally physical person Last night, for instance, she had shifted over to his side of the bed and he had lain there as rigid as an icicle being threatened by the heat of a fire Chrissie had intended to ht he had murmured had made her pull back from that idea

Maybe, she thought anxiously, now that she was available all the time, as it were, she didn’t have quite the saently, he was sihts and the need for constant courteous diplomacy while he worked with the different factions involved in the talks that were lasting, on average, eighteen hours a day The very last thing she should be doing with Jaul, she told herself urgently, was allowing her i problems in as probably perfectly ordinary behaviour Theirbut the renewed closeness she had fancied she saw during their second wedding night seeain

When they arrived back at the palace, Bandar greeted theently to Jaul Jaul pokered up and a flush mantled his exotic cheekbones, his response to his aide clipped and cool in tone

‘What’s happened?’ Chrissie asked worriedly

A tinyrandmother has arrived in Marwan and has asked to seeat an hotel in the city’

‘My goodness, she e now,’ Chrissie remarked

‘I understand that she is travelling with her daughter, Rose Obviously at sorandfather did not,’ Jaul could not resist re her

‘I suppose, taking into account how he and your father felt about her, it would be an aard and unco for you but—’

Jaul froze and fell still’ I have no intention of agreeing to awith the ladies I have instructed Bandar to send ift’

Chrissie closed a dised hiround-floor hall of the palace ‘You can’t mean that?’

Jaul frowned down at her, his stunning bone structure rigid ‘Please try to understand, Chrissie I have never heard any good of Lady Sophie, only that she is a terrible troubleh to deal with at thethat sort of personality into my life’

Chrissie was disconcerted by the force and strength of his corand the subject by asking hi to deal with that was so onerous that he could not spare an elderly wo even when she had come so far to see him

‘You have to change your mind about this, Jaul’

‘Although I have every respect for your opinion, I will stand fires of his roughened voice ‘This is not your business’

‘Lady Sophie is the twins’ great-grandmother and that makes her my business as well’

Jaul shot her an ilance and compressed his wide, shapely mouth as he took an impatient step closer to the door ‘I refuse to discuss this any further I have told you how I feel and why’

‘I’ll go and see her in your stead’

Jaul swung back lightning fast fro ‘No, you will not I forbid it’

‘You forbid it?’ Chrissie repeated in an al when and where her husband had developed the belief that he had the right to forbid her fro