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‘Acting du’

‘What are you trying to insinuate?’ Ophelia took the opportunity to snake past hi to one more nonsensical word!’

As Ophelia thrust open the door of her bedroom Lysander closed a hand like a steel manacle round her narrorist

‘Toe,’ he breathed in a wrathful undertone

Wide-eyed, Ophelia turned back to look at hiotten ‘Did they find out about the tills as well?’

‘No Only that we got married today, which is more than sufficient’

‘But how did it get out? I mean, we’ve taken such care—’

Lysander studied her with sizzling force ‘Stamitos, my head of security, already has a suspect and it isn’t anyone in my employ The story was leaked by soatehouse—your friend…’

‘Paot to do with this?’

‘She has a brother orks on a tabloid newspaper’

‘Yes, but she hardly ever sees him’ But dismay at that reminder had frozen Ophelia to the spot and she had paled Although she had sworn her friend to secrecy, she was painfully aware that Pa scenario, not toNobody loved to talk more than Pamela Could her friend have accidentally let infor quarter?

‘By to the whole world will know that I have taken a wife’

‘I really don’t think the whole world is likely to be that interested’ An uneasy conscience, however, ensured that Ophelia’s cohts were sidetracked by the startling discovery that her bedroom looked unfamiliar—the bed had been stripped and her possessions were no longer in view ‘Where have one?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Half my stuff has vanished from my room!’

‘Wives don’t sleep on the other side of the house’

Her hackles came up, since nobody had consulted her on what she assumed to be a move to another bedroom ‘I’m not a wife’

‘You are now and it’s obvious that the status of being ranite hard, Lysander turned her back to him ‘Clearly you planned the e in the media’

Ophelia discovered that she was fighting a very irrational urge to giggle Just at that instant she didn’t feel she could have planned her way out of an open space The alcohol she had i to eat since breakfast ‘You’re so distrustful—of course I didn’t plan it! Why would I have wanted people to know about this crazy arrangement?’

‘So that you could become my wife in reality’

‘In reality? Meaning?’ Ophelia queried as he strode down the passage, trailing her willy-nilly in his wake

Lysander swung into the Long Gallery ‘Plan B is about to go into operation’

‘Plan B? Where on earth are you taking me?’

Lysander thrust wide the door of Madrigal Court’s principal bedrooe room had not been used by Ophelia’s fa at the back of the house easier to heat Now a fire leapt and glowed in the giant grate below the stone chi over the oak-panelled walls A fabulous four-poster bed, wholly in keeping with the feudal splendour of the new décor, sat centre stage

Ophelia had never been the slightest bit doe the furniture or shop for new curtains, but she had occasionally been conscious of a wistful yearning for her surroundings to be war Now she stared in astonisholden fabric

‘Your e transforarden I haven’t had the chance to keep up with all the i me in here?’

‘This is our room’

‘Our…room?’

Lysander shot Ophelia a long, lingering appraisal that made her skin prickle ‘The marital bedroom’