“I don’t think they will bleed further. You must take care not to do anything rough to them for a few days so you won’t excite the cuts again.”
Her scolding tone caught him off guard and shattered the warm bubble of desire around him. “Thank you, ma’am,” he replied stiffly, more from shock than anything. “Pardon my bluntness, but why have you come?” The burning question why still plagued him.
Anne was silent for a long while before speaking. When she did, her hands pulled away from his, severing their contact.
“I am sure you’ve heard about my father.”
“I have,” Cedric said softly. “He was a good man, and I do not say that about most men of my acquaintance. You have my deepest sympathies and condolences.”
Pain lanced through him, sharp and sudden behind his ribs. His own parents’ coffi
