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Whenever Rose spoke, he forgot other things too: her status, his morals and ethics And so, he resisted the need to offer his arestured for her to proceed first

They walked around theinside the outbuildings, trying the handle on the door to the servants’ entrance

The house was still, silent, though in his roans and wails of the previous patients, the sound of the for release

“Have you always lived at Everleigh?” Rose asked as they wandered over to the stables

“For most of my life, yes” Other than the few years he’d spent in London “I have a house in town but believe it’s better to raise children in the country where the air is clean”

In his youth, he’d been like any other young buck Trailing froe the pretty s, to drink copious a to annoy his father

“Then you must remember when the manor housed patients”

“Yes” The as but a whisper “I remember”

“Was it as dreadful here as they say?”

Christian contemplated her question as he unhooked the latch on the stable door and peered inside “Grih the heavy sadness in the air proved to be theat his shoulders even though the house lay empty

“There’s no one here,” Rose interjected as she glanced over his shoulder It surprised him that she expected to find people in the stables and not horses “Perhaps we should head back to Everleigh”

Christian closed the door and gestured for

them to return to the courtyard “I can write to the owner and explain your situation if it will help clear your conscience”

“That won’t be necessary”

They followed the path back to the spot where Valiant stood waiting patiently