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Being in a hidden roo that manic tickety-tack, tickety-tack--felt so familiar

Mallery whispered, "Do you promise to stay quiet?" she nodded under his hand

"I won’t hurt you," he said, letting go

"I don’t believe you" She hadn’tbloody murder to alert Eddie, but it was hard to talk at all She felt as if she were underwater, her lungs tight, the pressure of the pond pushing her head down

Mallery guided her to a small sofa in the dark and invited her to take a seat Her head brushed a ceiling that slanted down, and she realized they were in the space under the stairs This scarcely qualified as a secret room--more of a secret hole, or nook, or niche even, perhaps a cavity or alcove …

Cohts It’s not distracting me from the fact that you’re stupid

"I a beside her

Uh-huh "Eddie is out there And he’s … he’s arnored this, but the cales "I would not have done what I did if there had been another way Wattlesbrook did not deserve to live He had no respect for woe of Mallery the night Pe to the pond for water and racing back to the fire, tossing bucket after useless bucket on the growing flames He must have been hters had coht But he’d returned to the pond two days later, and then its waters had been very effective at sing a car with a body in the trunk That is, until Charlotte had taken an afternoon plunge

"You know it’s not really 1816, right?" she said "You’re not delusional Pe Mr Wattlesbrook to protect your workplace seems extreme So, why?"

He didn’t answer

"Wattlesbrook burned down the cottage, lost Windy Nook and Bertram Hall because of his incompetence, and planned to divorce his wife and sell off Pembrook Park Why do you, the real you, care sohere, as Neville said? I can believe that You know it’s fantasy, but it’s as real as you can get to being where you feel you belong Maybe killing hi yourself, as you saw it anyway It was practically self-defense"

His voice was a rahisper "Self-defense of the most sublime nature"

"But you tried to killI admire about this era that you love so much is the civility Etiquette is observed, respect e rooy"

"I am sorry I tried to kill you I aret At the time … I … I saw no other way"

His voice did sound sincere, and that, for so to Mary is cruel, you know You don’t really love her"

"She has desires that don’t fit in her world I help her realize them"

"She covered up your deeds She attackedtime"

"I am sorry she was captured, but all she did was her choice"

Charlotte felt his finger touch her cheek