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Anne’s chin lifted and she looked away "As if I would say anything further I have done nothing wrong"

"What of the incident at the Royal Academy?" Jasper asked with ice in his tone

"Dear God You cannot think we had anything to do with that! We are not h of this" She stood "You have no right to detainyou in to Bow Street," Bell said, rocking back on his heels He was a short and slender rees with you ’Til then, sit down"

"That’s an expensive cape you wear," Jasper noted "And sizable emeralds at your ears and throat Either you cae with ly well"

Unaccustos, Eliza reevaluated the woman’s attire Anne Reynolds’s ensemble did indeed seem far finer than Eliza’s own accoutree ers…"

"You do not deal directly with your tenants Who collects the rents?"

"Mr Reynolds"

"Right," Lynd said "Is it possible what you believe you are charging and collecting isn’t what the tenants are actually paying to Reynolds?"

Eliza paled "I suppose it’s possible, if he was clever enough about it" Which she knew he could have been She looked at Anne, as also wan, if defiant "If he raised the rents over tied for miscellaneous items of which I wasn’t aware We should ask Miss Chilcott and my other tenants Dear God…they are all as much victims as I am"

"That’s likely why Reynolds wanted Bond dead," Bell said "Once you had a husband to assist you, the eht’ve been discovered or Reynolds’ duties reduced I’m sorry I didn’t believe you when you hired me, Miss Martin Let that be a lesson to me in the future"

Jasper remained deadly quiet and expressionless

"This was to be my last Season," Eliza said softly "I intended to retire to the country with Melville, at which point a greater portion of my affairs would have been left in Mr Reynolds’s hands He and his ere so close to achieving their aims that my sudden decision to marry Mr Bond must have made them desperate"

"If you marry him," Anne said coldly, "you deserve what co your wealth Gresham, I am certain, intends to squander it"

Eliza pushed to her feet, unable to bear any more "I shall leave this matter to you, Mr Bell I’m confident you will apprise ave a curt nod "Of course"

"Mr Bond," Eliza h "Would you accompany me, please?"

"In a moment," he said without inflection "I’ll find you"

Elizaif she would, indeed, be found, or if Jasper would now be lost to her Perhaps he’d never truly been hers to begin with For all their promises to be truthful to one another, it seemed they’d kept more secrets than they’d shared