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'Can we go?' she broke in sharply 'Annette ought to be in bed'

The men looked at Annette then, and Rick bit his lip and put his ar her eyes Cass turned away

'I'll get the car and pick you up outside'

He spun around and walked away rapidly Sian stared after hi to Rick? Its did Sian o It hadn't been quite as deep or as agonising as this situation must be to William Cassidy, but it had been bad for a while and she had coh it Not that Willia hi about ti all wounds You couldn't bla badly

She allided so sht, and nobody spoke a word all the way to Cass's house

When they pulled up at the end of a winding drive, in front of a big house whose facade she could barely see in the darkness, Rick helped Annette out and Sian stood waiting while William Cassidy unlocked the front door

'If you want a room you're welco

'No, thanks!'

He kissed Annette, who looked up at hi?'

'I'll stay with an old friend See you tomorrow' Rick turned and looked at Sian 'You will take care of her?'

She nodded 'I promise She'll be safe while I'm around'

Rick turned on his heel and walked away, his feet crunching on the gravelled drive, his shape soon sed up in the shadows of the trees lining the drive

'I'll take you straight upstairs,' Cass said, switching on the hall light Annette blinked and gave a stifled sigh, looking around the elegant place with hunted eyes She had fled all this, but fate had dragged her back

She had been here before, she knew the house, but Sian didn't, and in spite of her weariness she couldn't help feeling curious and staring around her as they followed William Cassidy upstairs

He opened a door and gestured 'I leave it up to you—you can either share this room, or one of you can sleep here and the other sleep in the room next door'