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Yes, she wanted to say Yes, we should leave and go into that tiny copse in the cold night air and you will pull up hs His hands pressed on her cheeks now, his fingers hard against her temples and cheekbone

‘Sam You can’t look at me like that and’

‘And what?’

‘God, this isn’t the place Outside in the square wasn’t the place, the blasted Pettifer hall of horrors wasn’t the place What the devil is wrong with me?’

‘I arip slackened, his fingertipsthe curve of her cheek, the heat in his eyes was stillbetween a growl and a groan he turned aandering from miniature to ain Eventually he stopped, picking up a statue of a horse and balancing it in his palm

‘Rafe gave Jacob a horse just like this He told me it was in recoypt with Poppy Guilt is a strange beast’

Sa he offered

‘You and Rafe becae?’

‘Very He said ere very close before I was sent away, but I can’t remember When he returned froone he was furious with me, as if I’d left hi his explorer’s dream while he remained trapped in a life of prohibitions and punishments It took him years to realise I had had no say in the matter We both presumed the other was the lucky one When he paid a duty call at Cheshahly dislike each other, but it was as if we’d never been apart In the end he stayed most of the next two years with us’

‘Does he knohy you were sent away?’

He shook his head, still focused on the horse

‘No He said no one spoke of it, or of anything much at Greybourne for that matter Absurd that we both envied the other, isn’t it?’

She slipped her hand into his ‘I never would have given my child away, no matter what’ She flushed a little at the childishness of her words, waiting for hiestures, but after a h hers, slowly rubbing the back of her hand Then he raised her hand, brushing histhe base of her palm

‘I know you wouldn’t You are like’ He dropped her hand ilanced at the doorway, thinking he’d heard so

‘What is it?’