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to her abdomen with a mixture of emotions a wistful sort
of excitement, hope and fear.
 Well perhaps you should. I ll not be made party to any kind
of games you fancy playing, when you know as assuredly as
I that we will be together. It will be so. When he turned back
to his task, there was no softening to his features.  I have
Helen Dickson 175
come to have a true liking and respect for Henry and would
not just up and leave him. I also have unfinished business to
attend to here at Eden Park and I am not talking about the
horses. When I return, I promise you things will be different
between us. You belong to me, as I belong to you, whatever
you may suppose. I will speak to your father, and after that
we will leave for my home.
Amanda stared at him.  Home? And where is that?
 Cambridgeshire and I can promise you you will be com-
fortable living there.
 But what about this matter you have to resolve? I am ex-
tremely puzzled and concerned, Kit what could there
possibly be at Eden Park that, apart from coming to see me,
brought you here?
 I shall resolve that, too which will be a damn sight more
unpleasant than telling your father about us. I may also bring
Sky back with me I ll hire a nursemaid to look after her
during the day while I m working.
 There will be no need for that. She will find it strange
enough without a stranger looking after her. I know Nan
would love to have charge of her and Sky will remember her,
I m sure. They spent a great deal of time together on the
voyage from America and became close in fact, your
daughter left a lasting impression on us both.
Kit s features softened.  Thank you, but I do not wish to
deprive you of your maid.
 The house is full of maids and my needs are small. Nan
will regard looking after Sky as a pleasure.
 I have to say it will solve the problem. When I came back
to England I thought it was in her best interests to leave Sky
with Victoria while I became reacquainted with my wife, but
as things have turned out I should not have left her we have
been apart too long my daughter and I.
176 Rogue s Widow, Gentleman s Wife
 Kit, you cannot blame yourself.
 I don t. I blame the bastard who set me up for a murder I
did not commit and was prepared to let me swing for it, he
said savagely. The muscles flexed in his cheek, giving
evidence of his constrained anger.  I swore I would not rest
until I found him.
 Because the man who killed Carmen was never caught,
there are many people who doubted I was nowhere near at the
time and thought that Judd s evidence was fixed. Mud sticks,
and I had plenty thrown at me to drown in. The only way, the
surest way, I can claim social acceptability not just for
myself, but for you and Sky is to prove beyond doubt that
someone else committed the murder.
 So the reason for your subterfuge, for the concealment of
your true name, is because of this man?
He nodded.  I could not have come to Eden Park and
claimed you as my wife otherwise, nor could I think of a better
ploy to outwit Carmen s real killer than to alter my name.
Hearing the jingle of harness outside, he went to the window
and looked out.  The carriage is here, he said, seizing his bag.
 I have to go.
Amanda s throat swelled with pain and she felt tears prick
the backs of her eyes. She looked at him with eager tender-
ness. He could not go like this, not with anger in his heart.
 Yes yes, you must, she heard herself saying.  I hope you
have a safe journey and please give Sky my love, won t you.
Tell her I look forward to seeing her. He turned and
walked to the door. Amanda s eyes followed his tall figure
helplessly.
On the point of going outside, Kit stopped and slowly his
dark eyes came back to her. She looked so piteous, so defence-
less, and her eyes begged him to go back to her. With the ir-
rationality of the emotions only she had the power to stir in
Helen Dickson 177
him, the memories of that shared night were reinforced and
compassion moved his heart.
Dropping his bag, he took four long strides back to her and
fiercely caught her to him. Her arms crept around his neck and
she clung to him with all her strength. They stood locked
together in an embrace, which contained longing, peace and
a calm acceptance that eventually they would be together.
After placing his lips against her sweet-smelling hair and
drawing a long breath, Kit released her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]