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‘Sorry about e A bit of a low shot I do hope I didn’t hurt her feelings’

Theo’s dark gaze swept over her before answering She pinned the bright look to her face with sustained effort

‘I’d say she got her own back quite easily, wouldn’t you?’ One eyebrow quirked sardonically

Vicky widened her eyes ‘What, talking about the coe? What’s bitchy about that? It’s only the truth’ Her tone was dis as she doesn’t blab to e Speaking of htly, seeing past the people around her ‘Yes, it’s definitely hio over and say hello I can’t stick here by your side like I’’

She ht touch on her arers loosely circled her wrist She felt a current of electricity go through her that dismayed her, and she froze

‘Why not?’ Theo’s voice was easy, but she could discern so underneath it—soain ‘We are needs, after all’

She gave a pointed shrug ‘Oh, if you think the show o arm in arm?’ she said, with deliberately heavy, terse jocularity

‘Why not?’ said Theo again, with smooth assent this time, and now there was a blandness in his voice that sorate at her He tucked her arm into his and drew her forwards towards her uncle Stiff as a board, Vicky ith him

The ed

She kneas only for show, but it didn’ther distance froh this ordeal

Her one and let herself in for? She wanted to go home—to London, to Jem, to Freshstart, and her safe, familiar world

A long, long way froe thatat all to either of them

And let’s keep it that way! she thought vehemently

It was far, far too disturbing to think of anything else

But at least, to her relief, she only had to play the part of Theo Theakis in public In private, audience gone, she could finally go off duty and let the tension racking her slacken off And Theo could, too He could drop all the pretence he had to put on of being the attentive husband and do nothing more than treat her with indifferent civility, his expression coht have been anyone—anyone at all—fifteen or fifty, lad of it, and told herself so It was totally abundantly obvious that Theo Theakis was as indifferent to her as she could possibly want Off duty, she could revert to the truth of what she and Theo were to each other Passing strangers who’d united to help her uncle in the only way he would accept help