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“Excellent work,” he said, “and if I haven’t said so, thank you”

Hyacinth almost stumbled, so unexpected was his cootten over her initial surprise “I’m happy to do it To be honest, I don’t knohat I will do with myself when this is all over The diary is truly a lovely distraction”

“What is it you need to be distracted from?” he asked

Hyacinth thought about that for a moment “I don’t know,” she finally said She looked up at hiether as her eyes found his “Isn’t that sad?”

He shook his head, and this ti, and it wasn’t even dry It was just a smile “I suspect it’s rather normal,” he said

But she wasn’t so convinced Until the excitement over the diary and the search for the jewels had entered her life, she hadn’t noticed how very s, the sahts

She hadn’t even realized how desperately she wanted a change

Maybe that was another curse to lay at the feet of Isabella Marinzoli St Clair Maybe she hadn’t even wanted a change before she’d begun translating the diary Maybe she hadn’t known to want one

But now…After this…

She had a feeling that nothing would ever be the same

“When shall we return to Clair House?” she asked, eager to change the subject

He sighed Or roan “I don’t suppose you’d take it well if I said I was going alone”

“Very badly,” she confirmed

“I suspected as lance “Is everyone in your family as obstinate as you?”

“No,” she said quite freely, “although they do come close My sister Eloise, especially You haven’t ory” She rolled her eyes “He’s a beast”