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His jaw tightened "Four years"

"Four years?" She stuent when you paid your addresses to me?"

"Yes"

"Damn you" Her voice was a pained whisper "When were you planning on disclosing this to me? Or was I never to know until you came home in a coffin?"

He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest "I don’t see that it much matters now"

She stiffened at his icy tone "All these years I feared reading the banns announcing yourthe obituaries" Turning away, Elizabeth sheltered her racing heart with her hand "Hoish you had stayed far, far away froathered her skirts and hurried away "I wish to God I’d neverof his heels on ht and she was spun about

"The feeling is bloody darowled

He towered over her, his sensualwith so that made her shiver

"How could Lord Eldridge assign you to me?" she cried "And why did you accept?"

"I insisted on taking this asp, his lips thinned further "Make no mistake You fled froed her closer and the air sweltered between the hiled to escape, but his grip was fire on one another?"

"Not nearly" He thrust her away as if the feel of her against hi your late husband so Avery can retire"

Shaking, Elizabeth moved swiftly toward Avery Marcus followed behind her with the predatory gracefulness of a jungle cat

There was no doubt she was the one being hunted

She stopped beside Avery and took a shuddering breath before turning

Marcus watched her with an unreadable expression "I understand you received a book written by your late husband" He waited for her answering nod "Is the sender fa on the parcel was Hawthorne’s It was obviously addressed so was yellowed and the ink faded" She had puzzled over the package for days, unable to deterin or its purpose

"Your husband addressed a package to himself and it arrives three years after his rilles1, any cards with odd holes in the written that struck you as unusual?"

"No, nothing" She reached into her reticule, withdrawing the slio She handed both to Marcus

After a cursory perusal he tucked the book into his coat and then glanced through the letter, a frown gathering between his brows as he read "In the history of the agency only Lord Hawthorne’s murder remains unsolved I had hoped to keep your involvement to a minimum"

"I will do whatever is necessary," she offered quickly "Hawthorne deserves justice and ifto finish this

Marcus folded the er"

Her ee, Elizabeth bristled "So you seek to withholdyour own neck? I am more heavily invested in the outcorowled her na

Avery cleared his throat loudly "It appears you till not ell together I would suggest bringing this difficulty to Lord Eldridge’s attention I’ents who--"

"No!" Marcus’s voice cracked like a whip

"Yes!" Elizabeth nearly collapsed in relief "An excellent suggestion" Her se will see the sense in the request"

"Running again?" Marcus taunted

She glared "I a practical You and I quite obviously cannot associate with one another"

"Practical" He gave a derisive snort "The word you seek is craven"

"Lord Westfield!" Avery frowned

Elizabeth waved him off "Leave us for a aze remained locked on Marcus as Avery hesitated

"Do as she says," Marcus runted, then spun on his heel and ht to it "If I’m forced to ith you, Westfield, I will siency I will handle the situation alone"

"Like hell you will!" The an to tick "I will not allow you to place yourself in jeopardy Atte foolish and see what happens You won’t like the outco to cower in the face of a tehtened most men "And how do you propose to stop ent of the Crown--"

"We’ve established that"

"--on an assigned ation I will view your actions as treasonous and treat you accordingly"

"You wouldn’t dare! Lord Eldridge would not allow it"

"Oh but I would, and he wouldn’t stop me" He came to a halt before her "This volunments and it could be related to his death If so, you are in danger Eldridge will not tolerate that any s toward me are obvious"

He stepped closer, until the tips of his shoes disappeared beneath the edge of her hee if youfor me Tell him about our sordid past and how even the h to overcome your desire"

She stared, and then her ance is stunning" She turned away, hiding the way her hands shook He could have the da

His ance? You are the one who thinks this is all about her"