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“It’s an acquired taste” He poured a half lass on the tray and handed it to her before returning to his seat “The first gulp is the hardest to bear”

She watched hi her port Her shoulders relaxed a little “Jacob gave me the letters”

“And did they ?” Oh, he knew Cassandra well enough to guess the nature of their contents “I suspect they are not for the faint-hearted”

“Interesting is not the word I would use” Rose breathed deeply “I found them rather sad”

“Sad? For whom?”

“For you”

A heavy silence filled the air

His heart raced Not because he gave a daht of him, but because those tords brimmed with tenderness

“I don’t need your pity, Rose” He had to be sure he wasn’t ht call roeary of her games”

Christian sed the rest of his brandy, but it failed to soothe him

“It’s not pity I find it sad that you didn’t receive the love and recognition you deserved You’re a good father, an honourable man”

“And a terrible husband”

“From what little I know of you, I don’t believe that’s true”

There it was again An unnaered behind the words

“I did not love er about his personal affairs But Rose was easy to talk to, and he had been alone for so long “That makes me the worst kind of husband”