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“Look, I’ve done o and start to build ler bashers, not me” Edward’s voice was hard and impatient

“But you know her Edward; we are ers to her She isthe stubborn tilt of his young brother’s chin with frustration

“I said if I found her then I would bring her to you Peter Although I didn’t find Je on You need to tell her what you have found out about Jemima and let Eliza help you search You don’t need ly as he stared at his brother-in-law “I have to get back to start work onI’ve got cattle appearing at the end of the month and nowhere to put them”

Sebastian snorted “You’re clutching at straws brotherto evade so miserably “You’re in love with her”

“No I alare at his brother “She is pretty, I’ll grant you But I don’t love her, or have any attraction to her” He lare defensively at everyone “She is nice, but a bundle of trouble and I have absolutely no intention of getting involved with anyone, let alone someone like Eliza”

Silence descended for several minutes, and Eliza was about to move away from the door when Sebastian’s next question made her pause

“Soent; soes you and makes you reconsider what you want out of life?” Sebastian quirked a brow, thinking of Amelia’s impact on his own life

Edward flinched at Sebastian’s brutally accurate assessment of his deepest emotions

“Have you had her yet?”

Edward sighed and glared at his brother “Of course not, what do you take me for? Just because we have spent much of the past few days alone, doesn’t mean I will sleep with her just for the hell of it I have no intention of getting involved with her; emotionally or physically” His voice was cold and flat, brooking no arguo to Padstow You two have past experience with slers, not me You lot can take her”

Eliza’s heart clenched painfully in her chest and she felt a sense of eh he hadn’t voiced his thoughts directly to her, she felt a sting of humiliation at his lack of interest in her All the while every thought, every feeling, every fibre of her being had been locked on him over the past few days with such intensity she wasn’t sure where he ended and she began

He had fought and killed to protect her With the trouble she had caused hiet away from her as soon as the opportunity arose But to hear his declaration that she wasn’t attractive to him shattered her heart into a thousand tiny pieces As she stood in the darkness of the empty corridor, her heart turned to dust at her feel, she had no doubt it would be best for both of the heard hi to be i familiarity they had shared over the past few days

She could only be grateful he had been a gentlely offered by baring herself so blatantly to hied inwardly at the memory of his aardness, the reasons behind it now perfectly clear

As she slowly moved away froht tears to her eyes By the time she reached the door to her room, steady rivulets scalded the pale coolness of her cheeks Her breath locked in her throat as she tried to suppress the sobs locked there Closing the door to her room behind her carefully, she took a fewdoor too She climbed back into bed without her drink; noto ask Edward Cavendish for anything again

Sleep was a long tiuely she heard heavy footsteps in the corridor some considerable time later as the men went in search of their beds