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Deciding she would face that bridge when she ca grass, out of sight, on the edge of the trees and carefully covered herself up with her cloak as best she could Ire war limbs, yet within seconds she fell into an exhausted sleep
Isobel aith a soft cry, tears strea steadily down her face as the enorh her
“Oh Dorass beneath her as she succu within She knew there would be no answer because there never was
She thought she had come to know him, but had clearly been made a fool of
It had been horrific enough to learn of her brother being slain during a fierce battle with the slers he and Dominic had been sent to vanquish, but to learn of Dominic’s heartless betrayal mere days after her brother’s death had left her with more questions than answers Had his friendship with her brotherto him? Had the man never heard of loyalty?
Clearly not because he had reneged on every proiven her, except one He had remained safe while her brother Peter had not She had learnt from Aunt Elspeth that only a few days after his departure with Peter, on their supposedly secret lers in Norfolk, he had returned to his father’s estate in Berkshire and wed a woman he had apparently been betrothed to for some time
In her innocence, Isobel had waited for hily accepted hi his assurances with a heart full of hope and joyful anticipation
She had blithely ignored the change in his demeanour on the day of his departure and had worried for his safety for weeks, only to learn of his cruel betrayal in the worst possible way Before he had left, he had made it clear that had not wanted her to write to him, and had left no direction for her to make contact Nor had he made any promises to write to her or send any hatsoever A circumstance she had accepted without question At least now she understood why he had been so vaguely distant
Her thoughts immediately turned to the day her uncle had reappeared in her life Already distraught with being informed of Peter’s demise, she was numb with disbelief when he had poured scorn upon her tears, casting her as a foolish addle-brai
ned girl with no prospects and no suitors prepared to take her on Cruelly finding humour in her distress, he had ie to another with a sense of satisfaction that was clear to see She had listened with only half an ear as her uncle had ranted that her oild mannered, eccentric family had rendered her unattractive to anyone other than the ive without taking her to wife She, stupid girl who He had railed at her with such derision in his face that Isobel had flinched at the surge of huh her
Rupert’s tirade had seemed endless as he had poured equal scorn upon her aunt for encouraging such wanton behaviour, before sweeping a devastated Isobel froh ti before she had been so cruelly ripped frorief, she had not had the will to protest, and had meekly followed her uncle’s direction without question
After several , Isobel swiped the dampness frolade It felt as though she was in theover the horizon, she contemplated her situation before slowly resurowing sense of helpless isolation that increased with each passing mile
Whatever the future held for her, she could not go back now She had the re days of summer warmth in which to travel, and knew that if she was to survive, she needed to make the most of thees, she had every chance of succeeding in her quest Life wouldn’t be as cruel as to send her back to Rupert, would it?
She had only a few et her through the winter, but she wasn’t afraid to work for her keep Indeed, she had thoroughly enjoyed the few times she had been allowed down into the kitchens to make jam and tarts with Cook She had no fear of hard work But how she was to go about persuading anyone to employ her without references; she wasn’t sure She now understood why Kitty had sent her to her cousin’s house They would surely know the best way she should go about trying to maintain her independence, at least for the immediate future
Briefly, she wondered how Kitty had ed, and if indeed she was far behind her, or whether she too was locked in the gloomy depths of the house that had becohts that meandered in the direction of Dominic, and his residence on his country estate in Melton, fir by his marital home