page71 (1/1)

Her heart hiccoughed and she laughed

‘I said I am proud of your work I’m dreadfully embarrassed about mine What a hypocrite I am’

‘So you are You are lucky you are adorable And talented’

‘But we needn’t say anything about me After all, no one knows’

‘True, but the fact re to them as my books, they are our creation I refuse to stand there taking either all the credit or the blaether’

Saht for words

In the end it was so ave his na face and dark, sleepy eyes, strode forith evident pleasure as if there was nothing at all irregular in appearing uninvited at his soirée

This was no sular town house At least two dozen people wereand basking in the hundreds and hundreds of artefacts and works of art and architectural oddities that ated in a do rooms and exhibition roo to do with breakfast as far as Sam could see

She saw and knew Edge did, too, the uests Mr Soane introduced them to—the shift from politeness to dazed realisation and then avid interest At least on the surface Edge remained far calmer than she did once he introduced her and her role in the books At first she turned as red as the wall hangings and ht—even these stuffy scholars loved Edge’s books

Her own discomfort eased as she watched accredited scholars try to re their enjoyroup of antiquarians about his use of local yptian history and language The e appeared to relax and once he even sreying hair and kind brown eyes coh Priest Jephteh with Imhotep

Half Sae in his eleent discussion and s he did, she reypt Bab el-Nur and the Car antiquarians and scholars and she’d always envied Edge the ease hich people gravitated to him, despite or perhaps because of his reserve

They would listen to him and wait upon his opinions and siht it was because there was nothing feigned about his generosity—Edge always ed to pinpoint that achievement or characteristic which made a person stand out from the crowd

She’d been convinced he’d done that for everyone but her, but of course she’d been wrong—he’d been protective but always appreciative of her drawing skills and he’d never belittled her intelligence She’d wanted more, but that had been wholly her fault

She still wanted e to trust her, to want to share himself with her To care for her Far more than care

It was too soon and too co reediness Step by step First—help him find Rafe Then, perhaps a house A life in common

She watched as he lowered his head towards the wo as he listened He could be so attentive when he wished, make you feel utterly visible Utterly real If they found a trace of Rafe here or not she was so glad they came She wanted e relaxed and s he needed herself, she wanted to see him like this with others

Mr Soane leaned towards her suddenly

‘Co here I think a talented illustrator like yourself will appreciate Do you mind if I steal your wife for a moment, Lord Edward?’

Edge’s gaze caught hers, shifting immediately from his interest in the conversation to the protective awareness she’d never valued in the past She smiled at him and followed Mr Soane into the exhibition roo abundance of artefacts on walls and stands when they entered a s with prints and paintings Heron the wall to reveal a cupboard that opened like pages of a book, each one covered with dozens of framed prints