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Her father stood, answering the unspoken question.

“I have decided to send you away for a time. No doubt Belgrave will spread whatever rumors he can. Your mother and I will weather his accusations and do what we can to discredit the stories. In the meantime, I will arrange for your passage to Bremerhaven, Germany. You’ll stay with our cousins Dietrich and Ingeborg von Kreimeln. ”

Hannah had never heard of the cousins, and uneasiness threaded through her mind. Being sent away was what she’d hoped for, but she hadn’t expected it to be half a continent away.

“When must I leave?”

“In three days’ time.”

Three days? Though her father continued to explain his plans for her temporary exile, she hardly comprehended a word of it.

He cleared his throat, adding, “I sent your cousins a letter yesterday, explaining what happened. I’ve promised to provide a stipend for your care. No doubt they will be glad to take you in.”

“For how long?”

When her father didn’t answer at first, Hannah suspected that he wasn’t certain either.

An unexpected loneliness spread inside her stomach at the thought of being away from her family.

London had been her home all her life, aside from school, and she couldn’t imagine being away for an extended period without knowing when she would return.

“You will stay in Germany until talk has ceased,” her father acceded. “Or until you find another gentleman to wed. Perhaps someone from Germany or Denmark, who doesn’t know of the scandal.”

He wanted her to hide the truth, then. The dishonesty didn’t sit well with her, and Hannah decided that, if she did meet a possible husband, she would tell him exactly what had happened.

“I’ve ordered the servants to pack your trunks in the morning,” the marquess added. “Quentin will escort you to the ship, and after that, the Graf von Reischor has promised to take you the remainder of the journey.”

The ambassador? She recalled Lieutenant Thorpe’s confession that he was accompanying the Graf to Lohenberg. Most certainly her father knew nothing of this.

And neither did Lieutenant Thorpe. Hannah suppressed a shiver, wondering if she dared travel with them.

Even with an army of servants to chaperone her, she was afraid of falling prey to her own weakness.

The lieutenant had awakened something inside her, and she feared that the more time she spent with him, the easier it would be to let go of her strict rules of proper conduct.

The marquess crossed the room and opened the door. “We will speak more about your journey in the morning.”

It was a dismissal, and Hannah bid her parents good night. Once she left the parlor, she returned to her room, where she found another list of reminders from her mother.

1.

Wear the rose silk gown tomorrow morning with the cream gloves.

2.

Supervise the packing for Germany.

3.

Send farewell notes to your friends.

The last reminder was one she hadn’t thought about. She didn’t know when she would see her friends again. It hurt to think of them getting married and going on with their lives, without her there to see it. She would miss Bernadette, her dearest friend from boarding school. And Nicole.

She couldn’t possibly explain everything in a note. No, tomorrow she would pay a few calls and bid them farewell in person.

Her maid began unlacing Hannah’s dress, helping her into a nightgown. “Lady Hannah, I am so dreadfully sorry about what happened yesterday afternoon. I can’t think of the ordeal you must have endured.”

“Yes, well, it’s over now. I won’t have to see Belgrave again.” She didn’t want to dwell upon the past, not any more.

Hannah dismissed her maid and sat down upon her bed, drawing her legs beneath the covers and reaching for a book.

Though she tried to read a bit of Goethe, practicing her German, she couldn’t concentrate on the words.

Her mind kept returning to the lieutenant.

They would spend two nights upon the ship and several days more by coach until she reached her cousins’ home in Germany.

It would be all too easy to ignore the years of proper comportment, letting herself explore the strange yearnings she felt. But, in spite of the forthcoming scandal, she was still untouched. There was no reason to let go of that.

Fluffing her pillow, Hannah rolled over. Beneath it, her fingers brushed against something cold and hard. She lifted up the glittering strand of diamonds, and her heartbeat quickened. The lieutenant had been here, in her room. He’d touched her bed, and no one had seen him. Not even her.

An invisible phantom, keeping her safe, just as he’d promised.

Hannah returned the diamonds to her jewelry chest, wondering how and when he had managed to enter her room. He’d given the necklace back, successfully avoiding her. Once, she’d offered him the jewels as an excuse to return. Now, that reason was gone.

A slight disappointment filled up the crevices of her heart. But then, what had she been expecting? He was a soldier and she, a lady. There was no possible future for them except an illicit affair.

She’d never consider such a thing. Michael Thorpe was not the man for her. It didn’t matter what he’d made her feel when he’d kissed her. Like a decadent chocolate torte, he’d provided nothing but forbidden temptation.

And no matter how badly he provoked her, she would not allow herself to fall beneath his spell. They would be acquaintances, nothing more. On the ship, she simply had to avoid him at all costs.

That night, she dreamed of the lieutenant…of his mouth, arousing such feelings within her. Hannah awoke in the early morning darkness, her skin alive with unspoken needs. Her cotton nightgown was gathered up around her thighs, and she tried to still the rapid beating of her heart.

A beam of moonlight rested upon her coverlet, the silvery light reminding her of the hours she’d spent in his arms only a few nights ago. She rested her hands upon her waist, calming her breathing.

Her hand crept up to her throat, her elbow grazing against her breasts. Instantly, the nipples hardened, provoking the memory of his kiss. She let her hand fall to the curve of her breast, touching herself. The nipples were hard nubs, and the sensation was painfully delicious.

Michael had touched her there, making her body desire so much more.

A swell of arousal filled her up inside, and she drew her legs together, her breath quickening.

She squeezed the tips of her breasts, and the aching sensation made her damp between her thighs.

Never had she felt this way before. She twisted the sheets against her core, craving something she didn’t understand.

God help her, she wanted to know more. Michael had given her a taste of sin, leaving her unsatisfied and curious.

But it was wrong. She knew that, and in time, she would learn to forget about him. There was no alternative.