ied Avery f

r calm acceptance

idn't qu

at her hands befor

rnoon, perhaps we could meet with the solicit

pa

o wait until after the baby'

d in a single afternoon. There would be paperwork, legal

would likely be settled not lo

ession remain

et to decide

t, leaving no roo

simply

derst

e journey pass

*

nd just outside London, an elegant Georgian estate t

sisted they come that evening became

aby's

e's face

onderfu

ckwood laug

y's been overrun wi

ily tree was rema

Charles Blackwoo

boys of his own, while the

ly child of Cathe

st little girl born into the fam

hardly contain

one has already brou

toward he

vering remarkably well ever sin

ckwood, who rarely showed Avery mu

ulations

anked he

tood perfe

ness wasn'

for t

r a velvet jewelry bo

exquisite antique

his belongs

couldn't

nterrupted before Cat

hes you to have it,

sounded po

one d

miled f

you, Gr

over and gently

l, rest well, and give us a h

wil

*

ad been

ian's ph

very happened to glance toward h

ession s

as s

imperce

er seen him s

lo,

mth she'd never once

looked

ar the woman on

drian'

't w

come

't be

ed the

the house, he found Avery

eyes

ppeared from hi

drian Black

o

erv

st

herself to

as looking

before walking past

alone on t

d suddenly fel

zed somet

hildren with the wom

ably be a won

*

drian joined his gran

osed the doo

marriage wasn'

ained

lligent young woman,"

d to this family. Marriage isn't on

ightened almos

ckwood s

Adrian. A divorce now would

ded hi

onged you, there'

l the chil

nodded in

act

be plenty of

lence, Adrian f

derst

r he a

could

*

vening, Catherine stoppe

re of yo

wil

nother

became mor

his family carri

Avery over

never stopped me attending chari

iled k

lf simply because

ood the messa

't criticizing

pearance, confidence, and com

derst

tim

uinely

e wanted Adria

to disappear beneath the w

**

something unex

n cam

ading in the sitting room

ed up in

ou

too much

his tie as h

me something f

eared upstairs

ent, Avery sim

tly walked in

a steaming mug of homemade ging

't even

covered

ion never

nk y

imple

ing

without dis

ing under the

ccupied diff

in the master

o one of the guest

*

ng the house staff

ed something

hadn't be

ks remained

sn't in the

andled those

fro

e's A

nior housekeeper, s

d wakin

n't come d

her room, but she'

rried children while attending charity

expressio

to come d

ourse

*

pen Avery's bedroom

ed up from

asked every

s ignored

kwood is

stood

e looked directly

our behavior beca

e remain

take patience

ues speaking to me disrespectfu

arris

quiet Avery she'

, she muttered, "Brea

*

ining room, Adrian was h

everal se

at her swollen stom

ed for this family fo

to make things d

lmost l

he diffic

ooke

pregnanc

not in

spoon gently

ed anyone to

to Blackwood Manor if

perfectly we

uch wa

when Adrian

ned her

pretended to serve her

brows dre

nformi

ask

owered

you

rence irritated him more th

ucted the staff to stop w

hed to man

co

y accepted

ttle diffe

e leaving s

*

ng, she drove in

lege London, where Professor J

sity's youngest professors in economics and behavioural finance,

d outside hi

a quiet

kno