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A dull crack! cut through the heavy stillness Honoria looked ahead, scanning the trees swiftly drawing nearer Poachers? Would they be out in such weather when the ga fro over the odd sound when the wood rose before her The grey trotted on; the trees engulfed them

Deternore the storm, and the unease it raised within her, Honoria turned to contele of doubt she felt over their worth as recipients of her talents Beggars couldn't be choosers, which hat any other governess would say Fortunately, she wasn't just any governess She ealthy enough to live idly; it was by her own eccentric will that she eschewed a life of quiet ease for one which allowed her to use her skills Which meant she could choose her employers, and usually did so most reliably This time, however, fate had intervened and sent her to the Claypoles The Claypoles had failed to impress

The wind rose in a bansheelike screech, then died to a sobbing roaned

Honoria wriggled her shoulders And refocused her thoughts on the Claypoles-on Melissa, their eldest daughter, the prospective duchess Honoria griht and somewhat underdeveloped, fair, not to say faded In terms of animation, she had taken the "to be seen and not heard" maxim to heart-she never had tords to say for herself Two intelligent words, anyway The only grace Honoria had yet discovered in her was her carriage, which was unconsciously elegant-on all the rest she'd have to work hard to bring Melissa up to scratch To a duke's scratch at that

Taking coht of what she could not see through the thick canopy overhead-Honoria set aside the vexing question of the duke's identity to reflect on the qualities Lady Claypole had ascribed to the phantom

He was thoughtful, an excellent landowner, mature but not old, ready, so her ladyship assured her, to settle down and begin filling his nursery This paragon had no faults to which any ht take exception The picture her ladyship had painted was of a sober, serious, retiring individual, almost a recluse That last was Honoria's addition; she couldn't i, as Lady Claypole had declared this one was, to apply for Melissa's hand

The grey tugged Honoria kept the ribbons taut They'd passed the entrance to two bridle paths, both winding away into trees so dense it was i beyond a few yards Ahead, the lane swung left, around a virtually blind curve Tossing his head, the grey paced on

Honoria checked for the curve, noting that their upward clirey surged Honoria's grip slipped-the reins slithered through her fingers Cursing, she grabbed wildly and caught the ribbons fir back, she wrestled with the beast

The grey shied Honoria shrieked and yanked hard, for once uncaring of the horse's rey to a halt Abruptly, the horse stood stock-still, quivering, coat aflicker Honoria frowned There'd been no thunderclaps yet She glanced along the lane And saw the body slue

Time stood still-even the wind froze

Honoria stared "Dear God"

At her whisper, the leaves sighed; the rey sidled; Honoria steadied hi the moment to s the knot of shock in her throat She didn't need to look again to see the dark, glistening pool growing beside the body The ht still be alive

Honoria eased fro to the verge, Honoria looped the reins about a branch and pulled the knot tight Stripping off her gloves, she stuffed the a deep breath, walked down the lane

The man was still alive-she knew that the instant she knelt on the grass beside hi on his side, sluht shoulder, she rolled hi eased-Honoria barely noticed, her gaze transfixed by the jagged hole ed breath the man drew, blood welled from the wound

She had to staunch the flow Honoria looked down; her handkerchief was already in her hand Another glance at the wound confir, she stripped off the topaz-silk scarf she wore over her dun-colored gown and wadded it into a pad Lifting the sodden coat, she left the man's ruined shirt undisturbed and pressed her ilance at his face

He was young-surely too young to die? His face was pale; his features were regular, handso traces of youthful softness Thick brown hair lay disheveled across a wide brow; brown brows arched over his closed eyes

Sticky daers, her kerchief and scarf no aze fell on the youth's cravat Unhooking the pin securing the linen folds, she unwound the cravat, folded it, then positioned the thick wad and carefully pressed down She was bent over her patient when the thunder struck

A deep resounding boorey screa the thud of hooves Heart pounding, Honoria watched in helpless dis rushed past, the branch with the reins still wrapped about it bu wildly in its wake

Then lightning cracked The flash was hidden by the canopy yet still lit the lane in garish white Honoria shut her eyes tight, blocking her memories by sheer force of will

A lowher eyes, she looked down, but her charge remained unconscious

"Wonderful" She glanced around; the truth was impossible to avoid She was alone in a wood, under trees, miles from shelter, without means of transport, in a countryside she'd first seen four days ago, with a stor the leaves from the trees-and beside her lay a badly wounded man How on earth could she help him?

Her mind was a comfortless blank Into the void caht she was drearew steadily louder, nearer Giddy with relief, Honoria rose She stood in the lane, fingertips on the pad, listening as the hoofbeats drew rapidly nearer At the lastboldly to the center of the lane

The ground shook; thunder engulfed her Looking up, she beheld Death