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‘The only thing here that would fitJosie’s nerves, giving her goosebuaze had locked with his for a second, before his eyes had swept over her body in blatant ht back a chuckle at his cheek, but before she could respond Charles had returned

‘No chatting up the local girls,’ Charles had told the stranger, and much to Josie’s surprise he’d slipped an ar, ‘And certainly not mine’

‘I uessed,’ the man had murmured, and he’d walked away

‘You know him?’ Josie had asked Charles

‘You could say that But never ht?’

Josie had had a crush on Charles Zarcourt for years, and the disturbing stranger had been forgotten as she’d jumped at the chance of a date with Charles

Forgotten until the second time she’d seen Conan, when she had almost died of embarrassment

She dis memory with a shake of her small head She could not think about that now She needed to discover why Conan was here But then why not? Technically it was his ho a drink Today had been the worst day of her life so far, and she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her sto to improve

She’d taken the afternoon off work and driven from Cheltenham to Oxford to visit the clinic attached to the hospital there, and had her worst fear confirnant She had returned ho her to go to the Manor House She had naturally presumed her unofficial fiancé, Charles, had returned froriun to wonder

Josie took a great gulp of the juice and al way, so her father’s words barely registered

‘You have to be brave, Josie’

‘Brave,’ she n of Charles Josie blinked and rubbed one dah She hadn’t eaten all day and was feeling light-headed Her puzzled gaze sought Conan’s He looked angry and deadly serious, but he couldn’t be