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‘Hehe is dead?’ Janet faltered and Edge s out to take her hand The transformation was so extreme Sam felt herself tense as if she’d just noticed a crocodilein the reeds

‘No, I don’t believe so, Aunt In fact, I have reason to believe that letter was sent by Rafe himself I need to find out why’

‘But you cannot go there,’ Janet said, horrified ‘That whole area is in upheaval You could be killed!’

‘I alad I didn’t stop here on the way, then, Aunt Janet I wouldn’t wish for you to worry’

‘You already went?’

‘Yes There are still skirmishes, but Defterdar Bey has the area well under his brutal thumb I don’t know quite what Rafe is about, but I do know he did not take part in those battles’

‘How do you know? He is a mercenary, is he not?’

‘He is, but for several years now he has chosen to involve himself in financial rather than political concerns More to the point, Ismail was killed in November of last year and I spoke with aan acquaintance of Rafe’s who met him and his valet Birdie in Alexandria only last month before he headed south I followed his trail and there were enough people who recognised my description They call him Nadab’

‘Scar,’ Poppy translated, frowning

‘Yes I never irateful for Rafe’s accident In Syene he was joined by a young uide and cah the western deserts I was several days behind so I decided to try to cut around them by way of the river’

Saotten how blank his face could be People showedof the weather But she knew better—she could see tiny signs, in the dip of his long eyelashes that shielded deep grey-green eyes, the flicker of tension in the lines cut on either side of his mouth

Janet sighed ‘I know he swore not to take a penny of Greybourneas your father lived, but why must he continue in this stubbornness now he is Duke?’

‘I don’t know,’ Edge ado he told land and tried to convince o with him’

‘Were you planning to return?’ Poppy asked and Edge’s smile turned wry