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Page 169

| one reason. It seemed as incredible that Bianca would be married as that she was living on a sheep station so close to |

| Then a thought came to her. The only other sheep station she knew of was Stanford Sidwell's. Bianca must be living there. |

| Yet, stillwith a husband? |

| No. It did not ring true. Bianca's reputation was surely too questionable for any man ever to marry her. |

| But at this moment it did not matter at all to Sasha why Bianca was thereor whom she was with. She was another woman in this outback of men! Bianca would be someone to share woman-talk with. Even if Bianca's conversations up to now mainly centered on men and how to please them, Bianca was a woman, and might become a friend! It was not Sasha's place to condemn this beautiful, dark-skinned lady for her past deeds! |

| "I have come to bathe in the river," Sasha explained, showing Bianca her towel and soap. "Would you mind if I share the water with you?" |

| Bianca laughed softly, her eyes alight with a strange sort of relief. "Do come in," she said, pulling up a strap of her undergarment that had slipped from her shoulder. "It is very warm and inviting." |

| "Thank you," Sasha said, curling up her nose at the vile stench of her dress as she drew it over her head. "If you only knew how badly I need one. Ashton was mean to rub his filthy clothes against mine." |

| "Ashton?" Bianca said, her eyebrow forking. "You speak of Ashton York? You have come to the |

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