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Jaime tried to leap from the bed, but Malcolm’s firm grip on her arm held her in place.
“Have you gone mad?” she cried.
“I don’t believe so. Do I look mad?”
She shook her head in disbelief. “But you...you’re a widower...”
“You think widowers swear off women when their wives die?”
“But what of your grief? Your loss? You cannot just...just think of such things...such a short time after her death.”
“By the Rood, Jaime, it’s been over a year since Flora died. Under the most tragic of circumstances, a man could not be expected...” As he paused, Malcolm’s face was calm and his gaze direct. “I never even bedded Flora. In the eyes of the law, I suppose we were never truly married. We never consummated our...”
“Please,” she said exasperatedly. “You don’t have to tell me the details. But
