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“I would like to speak with her,” the duke returned dryly “Do you object?” His broas up, his eyes coldly surveyed her

She went to the bellrope and asked the butler to fetch her h the duke re, she sat and her face was chalk white

A frightened young and terribly thin young woman in a dark uniform and a white full apron arrived to bob a curtsey He smiled kindly at her and said, “What is your name, child?”

“Sophy, Yer Grace,” she said scarcely able to meet his eyes

“Sophy, I have a few questions Please don’t be afraid, and do your best to answer them as truthfully as you may I shallwith me honestly Are we clear?”

“Aye, Yer Grace,” she bobbed another curtsey

“How did you happen upon the page torn out of Miss Celia’s diary?”

“I didn’t happen on it exactly,” said theye see…”

“Explain, Sophy”

“Found it in m’room I did…on m’bed, all crumpled up”

“Before or after Miss Celia’s unti this already a different story than what Agatha Brinley had given him

Her dark eyes snapped to his face and then to the floor before she said quietly, “Before, yer Grace I went to find her, I did, so I could give it to her…not knowing how it got to m’room and all, but she wasn’t in the house and cook said she saw her go out about six o’clock”

“Elly Bonner was her maid, did you know her well?”

“Jest to pass the tiht her to Miss Celia’s notice when Miss Celia said it wasn’t convenient to be sharing a et the job…but eren’t confiding close, if ye knohat I mean”

“Do you know of any faht be?”