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Page 378

| will have a child. Can't you see how blessed we are?" |

| Sighing deeply, Sasha wiped the torrent of tears from her eyes with the back of a hand. "I am suddenly so tired," she whispered. "So very, very tired." |

| Ashton drew her into his embrace and held her close. "Sasha, I'm sorry that I have not been able to make things work out for you," he said hoarsely. "Can you forgive me?" |

| Sasha sniffled back another urge to cry, now feeling guilty for letting Ashton down by her selfish behavior. She eased from his arms and looked up at him. "Ashton, I'm" |

| Her wordsher apologieswere cut short by a sudden burst of gunfire from somewhere close by. They turned with a start and peered through the haze of blowing smoke and sand and made out a movement just ahead. Ashton quickly drew one of his revolvers. |

| "Who can that be?" Sasha asked, grabbing for Ashton's arm. She squinted her eyes, then gasped when the smoke and sand momentarily thinned and she could see two bodies lying on the ground, several feet apart. She felt faint when she recognized them both. "Lord, no," she cried, breaking into a run, ignoring Ashton's warning not to. |

| "I must go to her!" Sasha cried, lifting the skirt of her dress as it threatened to tangle around her legs. "Bianca! Bianca!" |

| Sasha fell to her knees beside Bianca. Ashton twirled his revolver back into its holster and supported himself on a knee as he knelt over Stanford Sidwell. Stanford was sprawled out on his stomach, |

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