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‘No, that is perfect for you Mine is next to the drawing roo south’

‘Are you only saying that to please me?’

‘Is that likely?’

He smiled

‘You ht, but I don’t think you are Why did you and your husband have no children?’

Her skin blazed and she stared at him, almost certain she’d misheard He looked calm and only mildly interested, not at all like someone who’d shoved her off the cliff more effectively than she ever tossed herself off one

‘If you don’t wish to answer, you needn’t’ He looked away ‘I didn’t mean to pry’

‘You aren’tthat isthe truth is Oh’ She breathed in, gathering herself for the truth ‘Ricki and I were notinti A few months only’

‘Butyou were married for four years’

‘Yes, but we lived together for less than a year Less even than you and Dora’

‘I don’t understand’

‘It is a long story’

‘Was he not capablewas he wounded?’

‘No, not in body I did wound hi and so, so stupid’

‘There was another e’s voice was as cold as only he couldin the ice Any moment now the truth would spill out and she still had not the faintest clue what Edge would do with it And that terrified her

‘Yes’

The silence went on and on and she still didn’t know if it was right to tell hiht chase him away

‘You were young,’ he said finally ‘Impetuous Was that why you left him? For another man?’

‘No, I left hihter, but it was my fault’

‘What?’

She held out her hands and they were shaking Edge shook his head, the fury replaced by shock

‘I don’t believe that Sam, I know you—you would never ever’ He touched her face, his fingers sliding down a trail of tears She was crying and hadn’t even realised ‘Tell me what happened Whatever it was, I know you You would not wilfully hurt anyone, Sam’

She grabbed his hand Maybe if she held on hard enough his certainty would counter her guilt