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“Eliza”

“No!”

“Eliza” Edward’s patience began to wear thin “Do you want me to help you or not?”

“No” Eliza declared flatly “I want you to go to Oxfordshire, or wherever it is you coet about me”

“Not an option, we have already been through that”

Eliza jumped as he suddenly presented her with the handle of the wicked looking scabbard he was holding It was ht of it still had the ability to turn her into a quivering wreck

Cautiously she reached out to take it fro hand

It was far heavier than she expected She looked closely at the brilliant sheen on the highly polished metal with a shudder and felt sick to her toes The blade had serrated edges at the tip and would be enough to give anyone on the receiving end a lot to worry about She wondered if she could ever find the strength to use it on anyone, even so her and doubted she could

Staring blankly at it, she turned it over and over in her hands for several ht It looked like so that would have killed her father and his men

“Here, hold it like this” Edwardher how to hold her fingers against the hilt of the wicked looking object His hands were large and wared her to stand and showed her how to position herself and where on the body to use it to the best advantage

“Stop!” Eliza gasped severalbile rise in her throat at the prospect of cutting anyone from breast to navel without a qualm “I can’t use this on anyone” She shook her head and handed the wicked object back to him with a shudder

“Youinto” Edward declared flatly, determined that she should at least kno to protect herself He had no intention of allowing anyone to get anywhere near her beautiful head, and would gladly lay down his life to protect her, but he needed the reassurance of knowing she would be able to hold off any would-be kidnappers if the situation arose

“I know” Eliza replied, feeling panic build “If the time comes, I don’t knohat I shall do Let’s hope that it doesn’t coather her shattered nerves

“So Je and probably kneho his contacts were, and what infor resumed his seat and allowed several moments of silence for Eliza settle down Only when he could see the trem

bling in her fingers had eased and some of the colour had returned to her face, did he probe her for more information