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The hed briefly and with Percy at his back hurried down the stairs to the companionway below

The marquis kicked in the door, and then he and Percy stood a moment in astonishment A man in a turban was curled up in a corner with his hands out as though to ward off a blow Toed, as was Bianca

Sassy stood glaring at them, her cheek red and bruised froown torn, but her spirits high She turned and eyed both Percy and the marquis “Be careful, or you shall find yourselves in the same predicament!” she announced fiercely

The hing The marquis was so overtaken with relief that he bent over his knees and laughed some more

~ Twenty-three ~

AT LENGTH, and after saying he had brought the authorities, the marquis was allowed to approach Sassy He touched her bruised cheek gently and said, “My love, they have hurt you” He looked towards Wheeler, and his voice was a harsh sound “I will cut out their hearts for this”

“No You have hurtof me?”

He silenced her by scooping her into his ar, “Don’t you see? Did you not do the same?”

He didn’t wait for an answer as his kisses covered her face, her eyes, her ears, and finally her mouth

Percy cleared his throat as loudly as he could When the estured with his head and eyes at the yeo thethem above

Mr Dobbs arrived on the scene and saw to it that Wheeler, Abdul, and even Bianca were put in chains and carted off The captain was detained for further questioning

“I don’t understand,” Sassy said to the marquis after she was allowed to catch her breath

“I know, ave you rather a difficult tis I aive me You see, I am a member of the Select Coh various sources that Bristol was being used as a white slave port Nothing was done at first, until Colonel Saunders, a personal friend of hter She was a tutor at Netherby and wentApparently, she’d stu at Netherby She told hial, and immoral, and then she vanished”

“Oh, Justin, she is dead I heard them speak about her and Beth They sold Beth to the awful turbaned man for his emir, and they said she was dead,” Sassy cried

“Yes, I know, but they didn’t kill her She killed herself when they sent her to Tangiers We received her locket and an anonymous letter from someone she had befriended there”