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“There is no baby?” Isobel whispered shakily, unable to believe her aunt could have been so wrong Was she in cohorts with Rupert?

“There entle s beside her on the bed “But until then, I can assure you that to e there is no wife, and no child” Silence settled between them for mere seconds before his final words dropped like lead between them “Not for me at least”

In her fogged state, it took a few moments for the import of his words to sink in, and she looked at him with a frown “What do you mean?”

He could think of no gentle way to raise the question that was burning inside him “Did you marry Bertram DeLisle?” He couldn’t allow her to see just howher startled look moved to stand before the ith his back towards her He are of the crackling tension within the rooardens blankly All of his senses locked on her lying so tely on his bed His nerves were stretched taut as he waited for her answer

“Dominic, I prohlighted so starkly by the sunlight shining through theThe surrounding halo of light e perfection “Nothing Rupert or DeLisle could threaten e to anyone” Her voice sank to a whisper as the last vestiges of her strength began to wane She desperately didn’t want to sleep yet she needed to continue the conversation There was much to say, so much to discover, but somehow it became so incredibly difficult simply to keep her eyes open

“Doan to pull her down “I wouldn’tthe bed but her eyes were already closed when she felt the bed dip beneath his weight as he sat beside her Her hand was gently clasped between his er ones “I’m so very tired,” her whisper trailed away as she settled once again into slu time

“Rest on my love, we have all the time in the world,” Dominic declared softly, not sure if she had heard hiathered in the corner of his eye and gazed down at her for several moments She was free, and that was all he needed to know

“Thank God,” Doether,” he ently into his ar out of the , he watched the soft flurry of snowflakes gently drift past and began to plan

Soe noise Wincing at the sharp, stabbing discolanced around the rooe, alh the still night air So he had not heard before Quickly, he rose and crossed to the , cursing fluidly at the heavy snowfall drifting past thepane

Drawing the curtains closed, he crossed to the fireplace and stoked the fire, shivering at the ferocious sound of the howling winds outside By the sound of it the storht outside on such a night

Squatting before the fireplace he paused and considered just what implications a storm such as this would have had on Isobel had he not discovered her Already she was seriously ill, without the freezing temperatures and dampness of the snowfall She would have ed to find a warh place to wait out the storm, what then?

He frowned as he listened for the strange noise again It had stopped He went cold all over when he realised what the noise hadtowards the bed, he frantically lit the candles on the table beside the bed, cursing fluidly as their olden colour

“Sweet Jesus,” Dominic whispered, his voice laced with horror as he studied her alabaster features Placing a palers touched her skin It was like cold, damp marble

She had indeed been sweating but noas so very cold, despite the warmth of the room

“Isobel?” Tugging several tihtto the bed