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Lucius forced hi h, for the poor wo behind her irate friend For the last fifteen minutes, she had sat in silence, deep furrows a perh of our petty quarrels for one day”

“The j-journal,” Miss Atwood panted It took every effort not to steal another glance at her flushed cheeks and parted lips “The one you displayed on the table It’s … it’s gone”

The distress in her voice was unmistakable Part of him wanted to maintain the charade, make her think the object of her desire was lost, stolen by the fiend who had sat quietly throughout the proceedings and waited for the opportune ht put the past behind her and live the life Atticus intended

But Lucius knew Miss Atwood better than that

Besides, if there was one thing he couldn’t bear, it was seeing pain and suffering in her eyes Hearing grief in her voice at the loss of so precious would be like a barbed arrow to his heart

“I suspect the felloith the sallow coht on his tongue Honesty was his only option lest she take to her heels and chase after the blackguard “There is so you should know, Miss Atwood” He could feel her penetrating stare long before he turned to face her “The stolen book is not your father’s journal”

Relief replaced the fear in her eyes “Yet it looked so siems made it easier to raise his defences

“My moralsAtticus Atwood’s work” That was far froh to appease her

“Only on occasion?” she challenged “Is there a woman in the ton you have not bedded?”

Theto hter, he would bed her in a heartbeat “Opinion is not reality Perhaps you should remember that when you make your veiled accusations”

He expected a witty retort, but instead, she narrowed her gaze and studied him with some curiosity “Come now Mrs Sinclair is your fourth mistress in as many months, is she not?”

The fact the lady had beenand terrifying at the sa notes When did you develop a deep interest in my personal affairs?”

“One can hardly help but take note You engaged in an aestured to Mrs Cavanagh, as pretending not to hear their conversation “We both saw you”

“A es in a book before he decides if tackling the volume will be worth the effort” Perhaps he should tell Miss Atwood that he had known she was there, that he had staged the interlude for her benefit It was better if she believed he was the most dissolute man of the ton Better for the me around town dressed in eeds”

“You stopped responding to my letters How else was I to learn of the auction?”