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“No!” Her anger betrayed her, and Meg sed it down “No, I…I have so more to do first”

“Then I bid you adieu Lady” Yet another bow, another false s cheerfully at the others to follow him

Meg stood and watched thereen glen Her sto that Abercauldy would release her, that he would give up Now she must face the fact that that was most unlikely to ever happen He wanted her; he u his ether

And noould hear about Gregor—Lorenzo would iven herself away? Had he seen by her demeanour that she was enamored of thiscli block, and slowly turned her head for ho else to do, but she had had no intention of riding with hi comments

He was false and sly, he was a mountebank, but such erous? Like a slender snake, Lorenzo lay in the shadows, ready to strike when one least expected it Together, Lorenzo and Abercauldycontinue to live peacefully here in Glen Dhui if she did not agree to Abercauldy’s demands?

“So hoill I escape him?” she whispered to herself “Hoill I rid myself of this menace?”

But she already knew the answer There was only one way that she could be free from Abercauldy, and that was to bind herself to another

To give up her own freedoor Grant

Glen Dhui Castle looked peaceful, and apart frothought, to deliver whatever eneral Another veiled threat, probably Another of the duke’s dehter’s safety than he already was

If she had not hated Abercauldy for her own sake, then Meg could readily have hated hi to her father

At the stables, Meg dis room led her away She had no other option but to dawdle reluctantly while she headed for the castle

The Great Hall was erim antique weapons fixed to the walls re on to as theirs That knowledge was soht, as she moved toward the stairs Lorenzo was probably still with her father, his slieneral could hold his oith Lorenzo, but even he would groeary of the Italian It was time she put an end to his unwelcome visit

Meg placed her booted foot on the first step, and looked up, straight at Gregor Grant

He was descending, and his face was thoughtful Not quite the taciturn Captain Grant, but so close He saw her aat each other in a reversal of their places of the other night He seeer, in his old faded kilt and worn linen shirt His hair was tied back—Meg remembered she still had his black ribbon in her room—and he was freshly shaved

His dark brows ca You look…What is it?”