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He saw the expression in her eyes change, saw so in them And for the first time since Ariadne had phoned him at the airport in Thessaloniki he felt hope

But then it was gone And her voice,

when she spoke, was as strained as it had been before, stu over her words

‘But it is still going to be necessary,’ she said heavily ‘Our divorce Because of what my father threw at me His inant the et will never happen’

He plunged his hands into his pockets Steeled his jaw Took a breath before saying what he had to say now

‘There won’t be aout of it’

Xandros was looking at her He was silhouetted against the dra drapes, hands plunged into his trouser pockets, his stance stiff, face expressionless And yet in his eyes

Rosalie felt a pulse start to thu in her veins

‘You’re pulling out?’ she echoed, her voice as blank as her face ‘But why?’

‘Why? Because I neverneverwant you to doubt the reason I say this to you now’

So flashed across his face and the pulse at her throat thuly yet The set of his broad shoulders seemed different, somehow, but still tense

‘Why,’ he asked slowly, his eyes never leaving her, ‘do you call your father’s demand “impossible”?’

She sed There were still razor blades in her throat, drawing blood

‘Becausebecauseere only nant would have been a disaster!’

His eyes were resting on herso dark So unreadable