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"Of whom?" she asked in a low voice The stillness in hiht to whisper

His lips curled in a sad sirls with shining black hair, soft gray eyes Claire was the baby, nearly ten, then Karina, as eighteen and preparing to come out to society, Rachel, who had her first season the year before and was a beautiful nineteen-year-old fighting off ardent suitors at every turn" He smiled thinly "I had a devil of a time with her She liked attention and received more than her share

"I loved the of the family fell to me I took to the task without resentment It was the role I had been born to play Until that spring

"There was a duel, fought in Rachel’s honor A young fortune hunter had thought to ruin her reputation by stealing a kiss during a spring fete I did not kill hiht it best I stay out of town for a bit She sent htly "Mother always knows best, hht have stayed indefinitely"

He blinked up at the ceiling "Three years later, influenza hit London Mairls, they fell ill" The thick column of his throat worked "I came as soon as I heard It was too late for Maone and buried by the time I arrived Rachel soon after"

Only the flutter of his lashes betrayed any ht occurred to her "You said you had four sisters, save you named only three…" She trailed off as his eyes lifted, and the anguish in them drove the breath from her body

"Elizabeth…" It was a dry husk of an answer "My twin" Archer closed his eyes "Her mind was my mind We never needed to use words between us I knew her thoughts as my own Mother said we used to turn at the precise h we did not share one She was… I could not…" He broke off with a choked sound and then stared listlessly into the distance

"She died ina li…" A shimmer of tears pooled over his eyes before he blinked them away "Her loss was a pain not easily endured," he said softly "After that, the thought of death terrorizedtolanced down at his stitched side "I am shamed at what I’ve become That she should have to see this horror…" He snapped his mouth shut with a wince

Mirandaand knelt before hiloved hand "Don’t keep this burden to yourself Take off the mask and let reat body stiff "I don’t want your pity"

"Do you believe that is why I ask?" she whispered

A sad shosted over his lips "No," he said after a moment "But I cannot Not even for you, Miranda Fair" The tired resolve in his voice ers curled over her "You look at me Me"

She knehat that meant to him No one looked at Archer They saw only the ray depths of his eyes reflected the painful truth as he spoke eary regret "That would not continue should I indulge you"

"Do you think so little of e light flickered over his golden skin, highlighting the fine grains of black stubble that covered his jaw and the red gash upon his lip "It is not you who falls short of the mark; it is me I am a coward," he whispered thickly, then looked away, his chin set and stubborn

"You are no coward You are so very brave--"

"Everyone pro in his eyes "Always in the beginning But none of the his expression into dispassion with force of will "I cannot risk it with you Not you None of the pretty words your sweet e that so please don’t try"

Chastised, she drew back Though she understood hiray and sweating, and she found herself wanting to fuss over him, wipe his brow, tuck his, she knew She settled for covering hi the pillow under his head He watched her sleepily through the thick fan of his black lashes The boyish vulnerability in his unguarded look side him

"I should not have manhandled you the way I did" His lashes fluttered and then lifted "It was uncalled for"

She sat back on her heels by the couch Thehands upon her returned and with it a heated ache How shocked he would be to kno close she had co him to push up her skirts, to push into her It shocked her more than she cared to admit She tried to find her voice

"It was not an assault, Archer" She flushed but forced herself to look at hiaze warainst the wall…"

"You were angry"

His s hiaze traveled over her hair "You saved my life"

Her smile was tremulous "You savedsht of his bound wound A grave stillness settled over hirew as his eyes lifted to hers They were frozen, flat Winter lakes that chilled her to the bone

"I’ve been a fool," he said in the sa her spine

His expressive ing you into this life" His chest lifted on a breath "Miranda…" Weakly, he tried to touch her hand She dreay "You shouldn’t be here"

Miranda straightened, ignoring the painful rhythm of her heart, and the way her hands shook "Yes, of course You should sleep"

But Archer would not be so easily evaded Pain and wariness bracketed his mouth as he spoke "You shouldn’t be with ained Considering we have never…" He bit down on his lip hard enough to whiten it "Well… as is the case, it can be done Pick a house, wherever you want, in another country if it pleases you, and I shall set it up"

A small chuff of air left her as she fell back on her ruth returned on the waves of anger "Why bring me here, make me care, if you didn’t want me?"

"Not want you?" He lifted his head off the pillow "Not want you?" His eyes flared in the firelight "Christ, Miri, reatest adventure of h her veins, leaving her flushed and just a bit dizzy As are you

He leaned forward, wincing as he bent "If ever amy wife is not safe And I was a fool to think it ever would be"

They stared at each other in the resounding silence, then his head fell weakly back on the pillow Frowning, he blinked up at the ceiling as if it contained soreat secret

"As for why," he said slowly, "I was lonely" His deep voice fell to so doo thugs with nothing save those little fists, and I thought, here is a girl who fears nothing"