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Clearly a decision o forward and confront them?
 
; She pulled out of Sir Owen’s arms…but she remained seated with him Damn it all to hell! He turned on his heel and returned to his horse
A few moments later, he had worked his way down the wooded deer-path that would lead back to the abbey He settled in and awaited Mandy’s return
Mandy shoved Sir Oay as soon as his lips touched hers The thought of hi her after she had just kissed the duke, actually repulsed her
He didn’t fight to hold on to her, but ihed and shook his head, before saying “I assure you, Amanda, Celia and I…were no more than friends at best No one has held my heart since I first met you, but you”
“I didn’t say she held your heart and I airl as to think a man can be involved with a woman while his heart stays detached from her You mistake, if you think I was not aware of your interest in Celia I ot to her feet, “Now, if you will excuse me?” She hadn’t known for sure that he was involved with Celia until just then His entire reaction to the suggestion had given him away
“Did you walk here…” he frowned
She supposed he was now trying to change the subject and discover how far she had to go She was not a sied not to appear suspicious as she led him astray and said, “I did My horse is with my friends I came for a walk, while they attended to et back to ourride back” There, that should throw him off nicely He would think that friends of theirs were hiding them, safe and sound
He called out to her as she hurriedly gave him her back and started off in the opposite direction of the abbey, “Amanda, please remember that I will do whatever you need to help your brother Trust me because you can”
“Trust you? I shall when I have reason,” she said over her shoulder “You can move about more freely than we, so if you want my trust, help us find Elly Bonner”
She hurried into the woods, found a tree she could cliht sight of Sir Owen heading in another direction She smiled to herself, clamored down and headed toward the abbey
Breathless, her shirt askew, her curls tu about her face, her braid undone down her back and in wild disarray, Mandy rushed to the forest’s edge
She stopped to lean against the large trunk of an evergreen to catch her breath and just as she caught it, she lost it again
Only a short distance away and how had she not seen him sooner, stood the duke His blue eyes ablaze with an unreadable expression, and his lips, those sensuous lips were curled with disapproval as he regarded her