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Page 308

| make you sneeze,'' he teased. "Now how about you forgetting about the shearing and getting ready for our journey on the Murray? Once you're on that paddlewheeler, your mind should be clear of everything but me." |

| Sasha touched his face gently. "But can you think of only me?" she murmured. "We'll be gone from our sheep station for several days. Do you think you can trust Stanford Sidwell for that length of time? What if he hears that we're gone?" |

| "Sasha, I can't spend the rest of my life worrying about Stanford Sidwell's activities," Ashton said, frowning down at her. "And Crispin and the rest of our hands are going to stay behind to keep an eye on things. If Stanford tries anything, Crispin will be ready for him." |

| Sasha smiled weakly up at him, not as confident as he was. In her mind's eye she was seeing Bianca's bruised face. Any man capable of abusing a woman like that was capable of anything vile and criminal. Sasha so badly wanted to confide in Ashton about Bianca's plea for Sasha to take her baby to raise should anything happen to her. |

| But Sasha still could not find the words to tell him. It was evident that Bianca was afraid for her life, yet she had discouraged intervention of any sort. Sasha was torn between wanting to tell Ashton everything, and being afraid to. |

| Stanford rose from the bed and scooted his breeches up his legs quickly when he heard the approach of horses outside his cabin. He looked down at Bianca, his eyes roaming over her nudity. He was disgusted with her swollen stomach, having |

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