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"It’s not that simple," she protested

His mouth twisted impatiently "Perhaps the proble like the e the fact that you have flaws And give the poor devil a chance to prove that he can love you regardless"

"You insufferable know-all," she choked, yearning to slap hirio tell hie readied," he infor for London in five minutes, with or without you"

"For God’s sake," she exploded, "don’t you ever get tired of telling everyone else what to do?"

"Actually, no"

Aline was torn between laughter and exasperation at his reply "Until today you’ve done your best to discourage ed your mind now?"

"Because you’re thirty-one and unmarried, and I’ve realized that this rinned and ducked to avoid the halfhearted swipe of her fist, then reached out to fold her tightly in his arainst her hair

Pressing her face against his shoulder, Aline felt tears well in her eyes

"I feared that McKenna was going to hurt you," Marcus continued "I believe that was his intent in the beginning But he couldn’t carry out his plans, after all was said and done Even thinking that you had betrayed him, he couldn’t help but love you When he left today, he looked somehow…diminished And I finally realized that he had always been in far er from you than you ever were from him I actually pitied the bastard, because everyhurt that way" Marcus fumbled for a handkerchief "Here, take this before you ruin ustily, Aline pulled away fro her to jump off a cliff "Remember when you once told me that you didn’t like to take risks? Well, I don’t either"

"As I recall, I said unnecessary risks," he replied gently "But this seems to be a necessary one, doesn’t it?"

Aline stared at hiht, she was unable to disavow the overwhel need that would rule the rest of her life, nowould end when McKenna left England She would find nothe past twelve years The realization made her feel sick, scared, and yet oddly elated A necessary risk…

"I’ll go to London," she said, her voice shaking only a little "I’ll only need a fewclothes"

"No tio out in public--"

"As it is, we may not reach the steamer before it departs"

Galvanized by the words, Aline jammed her feet into her discarded slippers "Marcus, you have to get me there in time!"

Despite Marcus’s advice that she should try to sleep during the journey to London, Aline ake for ht Her insides seeh the darkened interior of the carriage, wondering if she was going to reach McKenna before his ship, the Britannia, left for America From time to time the silence was broken by the rasp of her brother’s snore as he dozed on the opposite seat

Sometime before dawn, exhaustion overcaainst the velvet curtain that draped the interior wall Floating in a dreamless void, she awakened with difficulty as she felt Marcus’s hand on her shoulder

"What…?" she htly

"Open your eyes We’re at the docks"

Aline sat up clue door The footman, Peter, who looked somewhat the worse for wear himself, opened the portal from outside Ie It was a malty, fishy s of seagulls led with human voices…there were cries of "Rowse-in, and bend the cable," and "Break bulk," and other equally incoe, and Aline pushed back a straggling lock of hair as she leaned forward to watch him

The scene at the docks was a swar on both sides of the channel There were coal barges, steamboats, and too many merchantmen to count Crowds of burly, sweat-soaked dockers used hand-held hooks to move bales, boxes, barrels, and parcels of every kind to the nearby warehouses A row of towering iron cranes were in constanto from the hold of a ship to the quay It was brutal work, not to erous She could hardly believe that McKenna had once earned his living this way

On the far end of the dock, a kiln next to the warehouses was being used to burn off the da a thick stream of blue smoke into the sky

"They call that the queen’s pipe," Marcus said dryly, following the direction of her gaze

Staring along the roarehouses to the other end of the quay, Aline saw a massive wooden paddle steath "Is that the Britannia?"

Marcus nodded "I’ll go find a clerk to fetch McKenna fro to picture McKenna’s face as he received the news In his current disposition, he wasn’t likely to take it well "Perhaps I should go aboard," she suggested

"No," cah anchor soon--I’ you sail off across the Atlantic as an accidental passenger"

"I’ll cause McKenna to miss his departure," she said "And then he’ll kill ave an impatient snort "The ship is likely to launch while I stand here arguing with you Do you want to talk to McKenna or not?"

"Yes!"

"Then stay in the carriage Peter and the driver will look after you I’ll be back soon"

"He may refuse to disembark," she said "I hurt him very badly, Marcus"

"He’ll come," her brother replied with calm conviction "One way or another"