Page 48 (1/2)

“Oh, Father…” He still didn’t see that he had done wrong by her He never would He believed he had her best interests at heart and that she should sit quietly and accept his judg had never been the sort to either sit quietly or blindly accept her fate She was bossy, she was a fighter, and she could noeach len

“Alison told ?”

“He did,” Meg agreed, glad to find neutral ground Putting aside her fears and frustrations, she came to sit on the stool at his feet “He certainly worked the and hard, but not one complaint”

The general chuckled, slapping the arm of his chair “I wish I could have seen it” Briefly, self-pity swa he was reaching out his hand toward her, folding her slinarled ones

“Have you spoken to Gregor Grant?”

He kissedwanted to say And when his mouth pressed to ht, and never let go But she couldn’t say that; how could she say that? Gregor was here to give them the benefit of his soldierly expertise, and to carry out her father’s orders Stand in her father’s stead as the leader of hisfelt about him was a secondary matter

“We ate supper together and made polite conversation, if that is what you mean”

Oh, more than that, much more than that…

The general s “You want to knoe spoke of last evening?”

“Yes”

“You are cross withAye, I know it I am not quite as senile as you think me But I have a solution to our troubles, and I want you to listen to me Only promise me this: Don’t speak until I am done, no matter how sorely you are tempted”

“You make it sound as if I ant to speak, Father”

His fingers squeezed hers, and his expression turned long-suffering “Oh, you will, Daughter, you will”

Meg couldn’t help but sue Now, tell me”

For awaited, content to watch him, to soothe her uneasiness in the quiet of the rooor Grant’s kisses, her skin felt raw and sensitive He had made her feel as she had never felt before, he had s she had never wanted