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“My name is Sebastian Thorne”

Recognition flickered in her eyes before she could stop it, and so else besides Was it fear? Plenty of people were afraid of him, and often for no other reason than that they’d heard of hiry with hiht?

“I’ll go and get Mr Tre to leave

“He’s already been called,” Francesca told her “He should be down any moment”

“Besides,” Sebastian said smoothly, “you may prefer to answer my questions in private”

She hesitated, and he could see a sharp ed “What is it you want to ask me, Mr Thorne?”

She thought she was superior to him She believed she could outwit him He could read it in her eyes, in the way she held herself He’d met people like her before

“Madame Aphrodite has been poisoned with arsenic,” he said baldly, hoping to shock her into some sort of admission

But she was ready for hireat many enemies Jealous wives, disappointed lovers What can one expect? I hope you don’t think I can help you capture the culprit?”

“No, Mrs March, you misunderstand We already have the poisoner in our custody”

She was rattled, and she greary “Then I suppose it is an ex-lover or a disgruntled client?”

“No, it is a protégée of Aphrodite’s called Maeve”

Mrs March said nothing, waiting, but her eyes atchful

Sebastian er, but Francesca wasn’t used to the game She was too impatient for the truth

“I know you knoho Maeve is, Mrs March,” she said, angry and upset “I saw her here With you Why are you pretending not to know her? What was she doing in this house? You must tell us immediately!”