Page 19 (1/2)

He suddenly felt angry with the elder sister for her see’s distress at having her only living relation simply vanish

“Look, I cannot in all conscience agree to you going to Padstow alone Not with the threat of Scraggan and hisbya sense of fait accompli settle over him “I need backup froet you to Padstow and back out again without ruffling a hair on your beautiful head” His boast was si with absolute conviction that they would succeed in their quest

“But I want you to proaze with hard and deter her in no doubt that there was no alternative to the one he was about to suggest “Once you have been to Padstow, you will return to Leicestershire to hile Peter and I go after Jemima”

Eliza felt the prickle of tears in her eyes as she stared at hi to help her search for her errant sibling was overwhel

“Peter must care about Jemima very much” She h her own softly spoken words

“I think heif it was Peter ould be the next one succu to the parson’s trap - or hi it wouldn’t be Peter but was loathed to ad alone and facing the possibility of being kidnapped, od knohat else in between – driven purely by the need to find her relation

“Is that so wrong?” Eliza queried, studying the dark scowl that had settled over his face with a shiver

Edward studied her for several e It wasn’t that he had anything against the institution ofenslaved to anyone His brothers were completely devoted to their wives who had theers and knew it Peter had spent hundreds of pounds andfor someone who had the ability to turn hiht of anyone having such control over him made him shift uncomfortably with the need to protect his independence

“Are you married?” She wasn’t sure where the question ca as the words fell like pebbles on a pond between the heavily in her chest, and her stomach coiled in a tense knot in anticipation of his answer

“Do you really think I would be here if I was?”

“You just seee, I wondered if you were tied into an unhappy union” Eliza was almost defensive as she plucked another apple frolad for the diversion She could feel his penetrating stare studying her carefully yet daren’t raise her eyes to meet his

“I have no intention of getting caught in that foolhardy trap” Edward snapped “Marriage is for fools”

“I thought your brothers were married”

“They are But they paid a significant price to get there” He replied, his voice clipped in the quiet of the room

“They have expensive wives?” She knew that wasn’t what he ood to poke him a little