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“I can’t You’ll be cross”

“Can you tell me?” Rose pressed the child

Keeping secrets only caused guilt to fester inside She glanced up at Lord Farleigh’s handsome countenance Perhaps she should tell him the truth about her situation, too But no doubt his sense of honour would prevail, and he’d be obliged to offer in daughter

“This is ridiculous” Lord Farleigh threw his hands in the air “You were barely six years old when your ry with you, Jacob”

What reason did he have for keeping the secret? What was so terrible that he couldn’t tell his father?

Rose stood “Does Alice know you stole things fro , they had to discover the truth “Does she know your mother threatened to leave?”

Jacob’s eyes widened “No” Panic infused his tone “Don’t tell Alice”

“What else can we do when you refuse to offer an explanation?” Lord Farleigh said

“Alice ant to read the letters” Jacob gasped and covered his mouth with his hand

“Letters?” Lord Farleigh straightened “What letters?”

>

The boy hit his leg with his fist “I can’t give them to you You can’t see them”

So Jacob said earlier flashed into hera cheat What if the letters contained inforht hurt his father?

Rose turned to Lord Farleigh “With your permission, I’d like to take Jacob to his room Let me speak to him in a place he feels at ease”

“God damn,” he muttered under his breath “What sort of reen eyes that she’d seen sparkle with amusement were dull with pain “You must think me weak and foolish”