Page 2 (1/2)

She sed against the sudden lump in her throat "I can’t leave you"

Her htly "You o--"

"You haven’t a choice," her stepfather intoned, and for the first tihtly in his hand "It’s already been agreed"

She pointed to the money "What’s that?"

He waved at her father’s h And it was

"You sold asped "It’s not like that He’s your father!"

"Stop saying that I’ve never even met the man"

Roger jostled the bag of coins "Call it whatever you like, but this will keep us for nigh on a year"

She stared, unable to form speech as his words sunk in Her o without None would suffer a hungry belly for a year

Her gaze slid over the roo out from beneath blankets Apparently their voices had woken them Their pallets were only feet away, but usually they slept through allaround in one of his drunken binges

It seemed almost fate that Bess would choose that moment to wake and peer at Cleo with her soulful, too-old eyes Her mop of brown curls fell into her eyes She shook the hair back to better see Cleo Cleo knew that it would be a bear to untangle in theThe lump in her throat thickened She didn’t want to lose Bess to the churchyard Or any of the at Bess as she spoke Without blinking, she er clutched and added, "For twice that a this, she would asped as if she had just asked for the moon, but Cleo didn’t care If her father wanted her, he would have to pay It was only a token of what he owed her uest stared at her with a steady, unflinching gaze

Cleo lifted her chin, feeling very reement of a lifetihtest chink in her armor

With a nod, he reached inside his jacket and withdrew another pouch He’d co sound between his teeth and extended his grasping hand "Gor, Cleo! Aren’t you the cunning ether with happiness Cleo bent down and hugged her, surprised at the strength in which her ed her back

"Take care of yourself Find happiness," Maainst her hair

And Cleo heard what she wasn’t saying Don’t htly, confident that she’d never let a h the s," Ma on the s at her fro this for theht, she could provide for them well into the future She could land thee Away from their father Perhaps she could secure a future for the she would have a need for her only other dress It already bore toowith her Again, the forlorn faces of her siblings drew her eye Not yet at least "Let us go"

With a final farewell to her e, deterain

Chapter Two

Eleven an McKinney stor-room doors

His sister blinked up at him from the letter she penned at the dainty rosewood desk "Feel better?"

"No," he growled, dropping down onto an equally dainty settee roaned in protest, earning hi could make him feel better Not if he had to abide anotherthattime with Fiona She scarcely visited since she’d married He supposed he understood As was custo vows Three babies in five years hlands difficult

Fiona set down her quill and pointed to the still shivering drawing-rooht I remind you that this isn’t McKinney Castle, with its five-hundred-year-old oaken doors?"

"Aye, puny English wood"

His sister arched a carrot-colored eyebrow "Might I relish now?"

He waved a broad hand "Speak not such sacrilege You’re not English You’ve silishrant you, but an Englishman nonetheless"