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“I’ll thank you to think and speak of arding his taunt His threat? “Even those I had no idea orking here before I arrived Whether you believe me or not, I had no idea Holland was e the education centre, or that she was filling in for Hugh and Archie’s nanny And by the hat the hell were you thinking, bringing attention to her as you did last night?”

“I was just pointing out who she was Introducing her, if you like”

I shake my head at his bald-faced lie

“There’s such a difference between your stations, don’t you think? The duke and the nanny Sounds like so scene, I seem to remember”

“And you think the barrister and the nanny has a better ring to it?”

“Maybe For a little while, at least Let’s face it,” he adds, his tone mild “It’s not like either of us are about to make her a permanent fixture in our lives”

Callous Cold Perhaps even true, though I flatter myself, my reasons are better than his Maybe that’s just it Maybe it is self-flattery He is just like our father, I findI suppose I should feel sorry for him

But fuck that

“What you do with your life is up to you What you do on this estate, that co you, you’re barking up the wrong tree I had nothing to do with her being at Kilblair”

If I say it enough tiht come to believe it myself Either way, it sounds soGriffin I sent her away from both of us

God knows she deserves better than either of us

He appears to consider aze dips to his shoes

“If I’d known she’d ended up here, I would’ve—” I halt, though my mind races on If I’d known, I would have been here sooner I wouldn’t have dreamt about her all those weeks I’d have enjoyed her instead, exactly as Griffin plans to do Which will happen over my dead body

“You would’ve what? Made sure I wasn’t here?”

“This is not about you” At least, not now it isn’t

“You’re sure?”

I sigh and shake my head Sowhen it isn’t the case at all Because he hasn’t had her I have And I intend to hold on to her

“It’s al that lame horse; Holland and I, here in the Scottish wilderness But when he speaks again, I wish he was as my blood runs cold “I’ve taken a holiday from my chambers,” he says far too carefully as he stares up at the castle battleht stay here for a while And well, she’s here I’ht happen?”

I grityour brother in the face isn’t really an advisable redirection tactic