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“Her father?” he echoed sharply “Mada I need to know…?”

But Aphrodite shook her head “I can say no more, not yet”

“Have you warned Francesca she er?”

A bitter twist of her lips “Mr Thorne, hter does not speak to me She prefers to pretend I do not exist Any fears I have for her must be kept secret She is quite likely to rush into that danger if she discovers I do not want her to do so, just to defy me”

Sebastian s that

“I thank God she is in Yorkshire and far away from all of this!”

He realized what she’d said, and what it hter is in London She and Mrs Jardine traveled down by railway train They are presently staying at the home of Mr William Tremaine in Wensted Square”

If she had been pale before, she hite now “Mon Dieu! She is here? And Mrs Slater is alive and in London, with her…herrooitated “He will strike to save hi you to protect hter!”

He thought of protesting, but he could see she was in earnest Besides, the request suited his own plans “Would she agree to that?” he asked curiously

“Don’t tell her!”

“She does not like me, Madame” Suddenly Sebastian felt uncoaze turned on hiht aeout the physicality of their encounter

Aphrodite fell quiet “My daughter is in danger I thought she was safe at Greentree Manor, and all along she was living a those ished her ill Mrs Slater,” she spat the word, “a buyer and seller of children”

“She was safe,” he assured her “Until I arrived It wasto stop”

She sighed “You did not know, but in a way it is a timely lesson Now you see why I have been so afraid all these years These people have tentacles reaching everywhere, just waiting to pounce”

Her sentiments were heartfelt, despite the mixed metaphors “Look at it this way, noe both have reasons to seek revenge”