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just as much a victim of this as Max

“Well,” Susannah stood up and smoothed her skirts “This is very nice, but I wish to retire”

She suely and drifted toward the door No one stopped her, Dobson even stepped aside to let her pass, and they listened to her footsteps fading into silence

“All those years,” Max said bleakly, shaking his head in disbelief He looked at his cousin “How could you not know, Harold?”

“I didn’t know,” he insisted “There were times when she was lohen she stayed in her room, but Susannah has always had her reat care not to upset her I did not think it was anything more than melancholy I didn’t realize it was…”

Madness

Harold’s voice took on a new urgency “Max, let me take her home to Jamaica I’ll buy a house for us and she can live there quietly I can find a doctor I can…Please, do this for me For all the years we have been friends”

Max turned and read the same misery and shock in Harold’s eyes as he knew ht, and how could he bla he had not seen himself?

“Don’t let her go to court,” Harold whispered “The scandal It would kill her, and destroy us Max?”

“Yes,” he said, “do as you think best”

Harold stretched out his hand and after a ripped hard

“Do you think she really wanted me dead?” Max asked as if he couldn’t help it

Harold hesitated “She tried so many times and failed I wonder if she really ood shot, Max, and yet she missed you that day”

“Yes,” Max seemed to take comfort from that

“What does it one and the duke will ain You will be Duke of Barwon and live at Valland House It’s your destiny and it seele like a worm on a hook, you can’t escape it”