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"Clearly, he doesn't want to be found"

"Why not?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," he said, in a tone that said he had a very good idea "Riverdale rather excels at disappearing when he's of a mind to do so"

"I suppose that comes in handy in your line of work"

Blake didn't reply He had no wish to discuss his work for the War Office with her Wola but There was nothing dashing or gla silence "I'o of me now"

"Can you walk?"

"Of course I--Ow!"

She'd barely taken a step before she howled in pain again Blake immediately swept her into his ar room"

"But my books!" she protested

"I believe they are my books," he said with a small smile, "and I'll have one of the servants come and put them back"

"No, no, please don't do that I'll put the so, Miss Trent, you cannot even walk How do you plan to rearrange a library?"

Caroline twisted her head to view the chaos she'd inflicted as he carried her out of the room "Couldn't you leave them this way for a few days? I prorand plans for the library, you see"

"Do you?" he asked doubtfully

"Yes, I thought to put all of your scientific treatises together, and to group the biographies onto one shelf, and, well, I'm sure you see my idea It will be ever so much easier to find your books"

"It certainly has to be easier than it is noith everything on the floor"

Caroline scowled at hirateful, at the very least you could contrive not to be quite so un-grateful"

"Very well, I profess ratitude"

"That didn't sound terribly sincere," she muttered

"It wasn't," he admitted, "but it will have to do Here we are" He set her down on a sofa "Shall we elevate your leg?"

"I don't know I've never twisted an ankle before Is that what one is"It reduces the swelling"