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After several ht to announce, "We depart for the village church at nine,"That is very well,you"

Meredith felt the heat rise in her face and suppressed the urge to snap back that she had not presumed to think he would But that would be a lie Of course she had thought he would accompany them to church It hat respectable Society did on Sundays

Instead, she ham by now Your presence will be expected There will be… talk if you are not there"

Setting his utensils on his plate with a soft clink, he leaned back in his chair and gave her a long,look It took every ounce of will not to squirard

"As you come to know me, you will find that I rarely do what is expected, nor do I live istered the clench of her fingers around her knife and fork--only heard her biting retort "How very convenient to live life with no concern save for yourself" The instant the words left her mouth, she wondered what it was about theto pop into her head That had her reacting rather than pausing to think

With narrowed eyes, he replied, "Phrase it however you like I si in a church surrounded by an overprivileged Society that sings alleluias on Sunday and practices hedonisious drivel in all my life!"

He lifted an eyebrow and asked blandly, "Indeed? Country living has left you quite sheltered, then"

She scowled, not appreciating his insinuation that she was lioers fail to practice what is preached on Sundays They are only huhtly, including ed Society you yourself are part of"

"That is where you are wrong Ito it My father saw to that" The sudden angle of his head and angry glint of his eyes should have warned her to let it go, to accept that he was a e and she had no business tangling words with hi demurely andthis invery much the part of lord of the manor to my eyes"

"Tehter, I shall find a way out of ation to Oak Run, the title… and you"

She experienced a contrary twinge of hurt at that last bit Which was absolutely absurd She did not want to be bound to him any more than he to her He returned his attention to his food, and Meredith breathed a bit easier, released froain," he muttered so softly she barely radually, like a pebble sinking through water and settling at last into a riverbed

Sluht, as if seeing him for the first time He really wanted no part of Oak Run His apparent indifference to the news that she carried Edmund’s child was because he was in fact… indifferent He did not long to take up the title For him, it was a yoke about his neck--the shackles and dictates of Society He lived by no code other than his own His rules were none but his own Respectability, responsibility, Oak Run, the earldom… he viewed it all as a prison sentence

Are, she idly wondered if he would even care about her deception

Perhaps he would help her carry it out No, an unlikely possibility and not worth the risk Still, she felt better knowing she was giving hi to her feet, Meredith dropped her napkin on her plate

He lifted an eyebrow "It’s not yet nine Are you off already to join the pillars of Society?" He snorted faintly "Don’t be fooled by them, Meredith None possess the charity in their heart that you hold in your little finger"

Convinced she misunderstood his words, that he did not ave hih to ment, and he would hardly think her charitable if he knew the fraud she perpetrated against him

As if to erase his backhanded compliment and remind her of his innate shamelessness, he added,

"Was my half brother such a saint too? Did he attend church with you?"

Meredith suffered the laughter in his eyes and inized that he knew Edmund

Probably better than she ever did Which was not saying much Edmund’s tailor probably knew hi Meredith knew about her late husband was that he had wanted nothing to do with her Had found her so distasteful that he could not bear consue

Despite her desire to re question

She shot another glance at her father, unsure whether to leave him alone with Nick Her father, however, appeared blessedly oblivious to their conversation A good thing He would have been appalled to know he sat beside a pagan

Meredith nified swish of skirts "Excuse me, my lord I don’t want to be late for the service" In the threshold, she paused to add, "The vicar dines with us tonight

Perhaps you can engage hi his parishioners" With the barest s her lips, she exited