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With a shiver of dread, Amelia slowly eased out of the bed, careful not to wake him Quietly she lit the fire and turned toward the dresser With having Sebastian to feed, there was now barely enough to provide a e and purchase soh the next few days, she would have to throw herself on the ise for her absence over the last few days, without revealing Sebastian’s presence in her cottage

Eschewing breakfast, Amelia carefully laid out the last of the bread and cheese on her plate, wishing she had sore repast Reluctantly she added the two re he would eat slowly

Carefully tugging on her cloak and boots, she collected her small pouch of coins froe

Until now he hadn’t contemplated just how much solitude Amelia actually lived in, and wondered how she bore it! He was going quietly mad

Having woken several hours earlier, it soon beca any ti food should he get hungry, but it had tasted like ashes in his e that Amelia needed it, but had starved herself to feed him, stripped him of his appetite

Briefly he considered pulling his boots on and finding this Sir Hubert hiate thehis boots, he reluctantly accepted the fact that, even if he did have the strength to wrestle the the his ribs more injury He couldn’t afford any setback Not nohen he was so close to recovering enough to ot Amelia out of this hovel, and into the wardale House, the better

Instead, he paced and fu helplessly for Amelia to return

By the tihtfall, Sebastian was tearing his hair out He was so angry with her, he could throw so

Where the hell was she? Was she alright? Had Ballantyne gotten her? Had she fallen ill? Been robbed?

He tried to cally frantic He tried to reason out various scenarios to explain why she was so late She was after all, a servant If she had gone to Sir Hubert, she would be working late into the evening She ht made him scowl fiercely

He was, by nature, a man of action Unlikeof his estates to his e and, over the course of tiriht

Despite all of his wealth, he was now living in abject poverty, eating apples, stale bread and cheese, while the woman who had saved his life toiled froh pennies to survive

Life could truly be harsh to those not as lucky as he, Sebastian ain

He was still stewing over his own helplessness, and the unfairness of the circumstances in which Amelia lived, when the latch on the door finally rattled and Amelia entered

A h the door carrying two fully laden baskets