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His throat was so tight he could barely speak “I loved you Why would I have wanted any of those things?”

Time stopped momentarily

A heart-wrenching cry burst from Isabella’s lips “No! Please Lord, no” Her knees buckled; her legs gave way, and she crumpled to a heap on the floor “Please, it cannot be true” She bowed her head, her body shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably

In his dazed state, it took him a few seconds to react He knelt down, put his hand on her shoulder Da in his eyes

“Co he had to remain calm for both their sakes “Let me help you to your feet Let us sit and talk”

Despite the painful eeance flamed to life in his chest Someone would pay At this precise moment, he didn’t care who

He cupped her elbow, brought thegled to support her weight For a time he held her there, rubbed his hand over her back in s slowed

“Tell me it is not true,” she muttered into his chest “I can live with loss but I cannot live with this” She pulled away and looked up at hi the extent of her sorrow “Do you knohat hurts me most of all?”

“No” The as quieter than a whisper

“You went away believing I did not love you”

He sighed as he brushed a lock of ebony hair from her face “I was told you had one, soon discovered you had married”

She closed her eyes briefly as another tear fell “And so … so you ran away to France You’ve spent five years believing I abandoned you to marry another I can understand why you did not want to come home”

He would have done anything to avoid seeing her again He should have had ical behaviour often ste I would have questioned your iven more time”

“Then I aorously “I should have come to you I should have deht My only defence is that I was vulnerable, a young girl without faht she could trust”

“We are not to blauilt was not theirs to bear “Someone ruined our lives for their own purpose, and I will not rest until I discover the reason why”