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"Then come into my world for a little while and you won’t have to be afraid"

"What…" She looked around "What are you doing in Father Stearns’s bedroom? Hell, in his house?"

"He was called away One of his parishioners is dying The faht not return for a day or hed, a deep, waret away fro The endless decisions I have to ht but his favorite doer My tailor is out of the country, and I need a new suit for the slave auction And I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to properly violate my lovely Juliette in days"

"Juliette?"

"My secretary" He sighed luxuriously with a put-upon air

"Poor you"

He nodded

"My life is difficile I co into the houses of priests?"

"I was invited I am family, after all"

Suzanne’s eyes ith shock

"Harrison…" The pieces started to fall into place "You?" She nearly shouted the question "You’re the French brother-in-law?"

"Oui That box that fascinated you" He nodded at the carved rosewood box "You wish to open it?"

"I do But it’s locked Can you open it?"

Exhaling heavily, Kingsley reached out and took the box from her hands He pulled a small set of keys from a pocket in his vest, stuck one in the lock and turned

"You woh alone, can you? Here" Kingsley gave her the now unlocked box back "There’s the answer to your ers she opened the lid Inside on a bed of bloodred velvet lay two golden bands, one large, one ss?" she asked

He nodded

"That was my sister’s, my Marie-Laure The other one was his"

Suzanne touched the larger band but didn’t take it from its bed of velvet