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Philippa frowned, and her father frowned back "In the dark," he clarified "In a proper bed, within the sanctity of e that your husband respects and adh the act itself--to wit, consue--is necessarily distasteful to you, if not painful"

"Oh," Philippa said That would have summed up her probable marital relations with Rodney But it had no relevance for intimacies with Wick

"As I said, neither of us blames you," her father repeated

"Thank you," Philippa said

"Your mother would have fled as well" Her father pulled off his neckcloth and mopped his face with it "I siin her stomach

"But be that as it may," her father said, "you have made your bed, albeit in the stables Did you confide to this Candlehat happened to you?"

"His name is Berwick, not Candlewick" But she nodded

Her father wiped his face again and threw the neckcloth to the floor "I shall send theyou, he showed the breeding of his paternal lineage Obviously, he realized that you were slightly cracked because of the horrendous experience you endured And he responded as a gentleman must Two hundred pounds," he added

"Be that as it may, you’re to et that episode with the castle and the butler ever happened Rodney is not the man I should have chosen for you; I see that now And I am sorry But you knoell as I do, my dear, that all other doors are closed to you at this point"

To Philippa, his voice seen language "Papa," she pleaded "I cannot marry him Please"

"Do you think that your ht?"

There was no possible answer to that

"She did not," her father said heavily "The act is horrifying to a delicately bred creature But we ed, and we loved each other, and there’s no one else in the world I would rather have married"

"She didn’t have to marry Rodney!" Philippa cried

"I want your word of honor that you will not run away again, Philippa"

"Wick ht come for me," she blurted out

Her father’s eyes softened "Oh, sweetheart Didn’t you just say that he refused to entleht co down her cheeks "He--He kno much I detest Rodney, and he lovesup and pulling her into his ar the woman I loved, a lady, to the level of a servant Did he say anything of that sort?"

A sob rose in Philippa’s breast

Her father held her even closer "I see he did Well,h perhaps his birth is not the best And the other is no gentleh he’s a baronet’s son"

"P-Please don’t ed

"There’s no choice," he said, rocking her a little "You know that, Philippa There’s no choice You’ll forget your noble butler in tienuinely loves you, for all the boy’s a fool You could do