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had no business intruding at the inn, after all, and most certainly not at his home. |
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He pulled open the doorand stood looking down at the woman on his stoop. |
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It was the other one, that Holly Smith, with her pale hair gathered up under a cap and narrow-set eyes that peered up at him craftily, as though she, too, knew his thoughts. Her bruises were fading. |
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"What is it, Miss Smith?" He knew he sounded angry, though the situation merited no such emotion. Still, he felt disappointed. He had been expecting, somehow, Mariah Walker. |
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"René wishes you to come to see what was done," she said. |
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René, was it? Not Mr. Lafont, or even Mr. René. Was this woman merely forward, or was there something brewing between her and the Frenchman? Was she thinking she would remain here, now that she seemed to have recuperated? |
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He followed her through the blazing sun in the compound's clearing and into the shelter of the pleasantly cool forest. |
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At the side of the gurgling stream that sparkled in the sunlight stood René and Mariah. Both had stooped, gathering something, but rose as Thorn said, "What has happened?" |
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He saw then that they were scooping salt into wooden bowls, but the amount was hardly worth the bother. On the ground near the stream lay the small barrel that had held the commodity so precious for the preservation of food, its side bashed in. "Who did this?" |
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"I'll give you three guesses." |
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He did not care for Mariah's sarcasm but understood it; only one of their visitors in the past day was likely to have stooped so low: Maitland. |
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"Why does he dislike you so much?" Her voice was quiet, and as sorrowful as if she had taken his troubles upon her own shoulders. |
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Thorn could have provided her with an earful of reasons: disgust, anger, disdain, hatred. All emotions he had felt against himself. But he chose not to respond. "I believe," |
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