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"Are you well?" Annalise asked fro those wide brown eyes of hers with their i lashes

Cleo nodded mutely She should ask Annalise the sae for hours couldn’t be that coy or inclination to talk

"I’uerite volunteered

Cleo stared out at her bleakly "Will it?" She wasn’t convinced she’d ever feel well again

Marguerite cocked her head, her gaze sharpening on Cleo "Well, no, actually I’m not convinced you’ll ever be fine You just walked away from your husband And you may be too foolish to realize it, but you love the lared at her husband "What? I won’t sit silently as she does this She needs to hear the truth"

Cleo turned to look out at the taproom She didn’t need to hear it Because she already knew

Yes The word had slipped inside her mind before she could stop it It was the answer she’d been fleeing from when she earlier asked herself if she loved her husband It was there, inescapable Yes

She felt as though she’d left a part of herself with Logan She couldn’t recall ever feeling this wretchedsave for when she buried one of her siblings

So the re herself at all if she was left hurting so ht blink When she opened the couple at the table next to her Two sle bowl of stew She brought the spoon to one child’sonly an occasional sip for herself The husband tore a large loaf of bread into pieces, placing the hunks upon a trencher that already held bits of cheese he’d torn up for the family It wasn’t hed The mother kissed her children, and when she looked at her husband her eyes glowed

They loved each other They were happy Even with their er food and their orn clothes

Her hand drifted to her belly Did a life already grow there? A part of Logan? It dawned on Cleo that she’d like that She would love that In fact, she wanted that She wanted it with Logan

She stood abruptly "I-I have to go"

Ash rose without a word and left the inn Cleo hardly paid him any note She looked desperately at each of her sisters "I o back"

Annalise smiled "Oh, Cleo You do love hio back now At once"

Marguerite uided her back down

"No," Cleo shook her off "You don’t understand I left hiuerite said evenly "And so does Ash He went to fetch the driver to ready the carriage"

"He did?"

Marguerite smiled "We knew you would come to your senses"

"I wish I’d done so sooner" Her shoulders slumped

Annalise scooted close and patted her back "At least you did it before reaching London"

Cleo nodded, feeling only a little an again Until she told him how sorry she was Until she told hi that terrified her any longer was the possibility of losing hi away Hopefully, she wasn’t too late

It ell past dark when they arrived back at McKinney Castle She’d expected a sleeping village, but the lights of countless lanterns glowed through the curtains of her carriage Every cottage as lit, al the road toward the castle, slowing the progress of the carriages

"What’s happening?" Annalise asked, glancing left and right out the carriage

"So

"I’ll find out" Jack opened the door and hopped down froht of hier and their conveyance cla with the light of dozens of torches and lanterns Or at least they advanced as far as they could into the yard People, wagons, and several draft horses blocked the any farther

Unable to wait for her father to arrive with an explanation, she popped open the door and eased herself down, holding her skirts in one hand Ignoring the sound of Annalise calling her naer to see Logan Would his eyes light with joy when he saw that she had returned? Or would they still look as cold and eperhaps he was even glad to be rid of her

She banished the thought, refusing to let it deter her fro her head, she stepped to the side as a wagon loaded with rock and stone rolled past Was it typical for theht? Ahead, she spotted Simon and cut a direct line for hian

"Si around, his hair mussed and wild about him--but not nearly as wild as his eyes She paused, unease taking hold of her as she surveyed him He was covered in dirt Even his dark hair was chalky with it

"Cleo" He took a halting step toward her There were others around hiht her notice because they all stilled unnaturally

"Sian?"

Behind her, she heard her nalance over her shoulder revealed Jack, pushing through the crowd, his expression grave and urgent

She looked back at her brother-in-law He’d moved closer now "Cleoyou came back" His voice faded as he reached for her