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Exciteer than caution…

Another ten minutes and Gareth would not have been there to hear the knock He had pulled on his jurandmother would have called dreadfully uncouth but which had the advantage of being black as night He was just sitting on his sofa to don his most quietly soled boots when he heard it

A knock Soft but adamant

A glance at the clock told hione to bed, so Gareth went to the door hi himself near the heavy ith a, “Yes?”

“It is I,” came the insistent reply

What? No, it couldn’t be…

He yanked the door open

“What are you doing here?” he hissed, pulling Hyacinth into the rooo to peer out into the hall “Didn’t you bring someone with you?”

She shook her head “No time to—”

“Are youinsane?” He’d thought he’d been angry with her last tih London on her own after dark But at least then she’d had so been surprised by his father This time—This time—

He could barely control hi to have to lock you up,” he said, more to himself than to her “That is it That is the only solution I a to have to hold you down and—”

“If you’ll just lis—”

“Get in here,” he bit off, grabbing her by the ar her into his bedroom It was the farthest fro room The valet usually slept like the dead, but with Gareth’s luck, this would be the night he decided to awaken for a ht snack

“Gareth,” Hyacinth whispered, scurrying behind him, “I have to tell you—”

He turned on her with furious eyes “I don’t want to hear anything from you that doesn’t start with ‘I’m a damned fool’ ”