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away from his own bedchamber, he went to check on Jason, who was not in his bed. Of course he wasn’t. He was with Jeremiah, neither of whom had ever smoked a cigarillo in Peter’s presence in their lives.
    With a soft curse, Peter crept toward Jeremiah’s bedroom and cautiously tried the door, which was locked. Without allowing himself to think further, he entered the empty guest bedroom beside Jeremiah’s and walked along the upper balcony until he could step in through the open French windows.
    The smell of sex greeted him, and the sight of a fully dressed Jeremiah, not wielding a whip but kneeling on the floor fucking a man with long black hair he held in his fist.
    Peter closed the window and leaned against it until Jeremiah finished and finally looked up.
    â€œMr. Howard!”
    Peter didn’t smile. “Perhaps one of you would like to let me know what in damnation is going on.”

Chapter 6
    â€œI’m grateful for everything that you and Valentin have done for me, Sara, but I do feel it is time for me to take Jamie home to Beecham Hall,” Abigail said firmly.
    She was sitting with Sara in the drawing room of the Sokorvsky town house. It was late in the evening. Valentin had gone out to his club, leaving the ladies to enjoy a quiet night at home.
    â€œAre you quite certain?” Sara sat forward in her chair, her hands clasped together on the roundness of her stomach. “I was hoping you would stay with me until this baby is born.”
    â€œThat won’t be for months, Sara. I’ll come back. I swear it.”
    â€œIt was worth a try.” Sara sighed. “You don’t wish to stay until Peter returns either?”
    â€œWe have no idea if he plans to return at all.” Abby kept her expression and her voice even. “He always wanted to travel the world, and for the first time in his life he has the means and the opportunity to do so.”
    â€œDo you not want him to come home?”
    â€œI want him to be happy.” Abby said it with conviction.
    â€œBut Val and I assumed that his happiness was centered around you.”
    Abby met her friend’s concerned gaze. “Then perhaps you shouldn’t assume such things. Peter deserves to be his own man.”
    â€œYou are very brave, Abby.” Sara shook her head. “I didn’t cope very well at all when Val deserted me to go to Russia. I was almost ready to go after him.”
    â€œAnd he would’ve respected you if you had done so.” Abby hesitated. “I don’t want Peter to feel pursued, or that he has to come back and make things right for me because it is somehow expected. I want him to come back because he chooses to. I want him to want me for myself.”
    â€œI understand.” Sara nodded. “That’s exactly why, in the end, I waited for Val to make up his own mind and come back to me.”
    â€œPeter’s spent the whole of his life having others making choices for him—not all of them bad, and most of them offered with love, but still their choices.” Abby offered Sara a wavering smile. “I want him to be free.”
    The sound of argumentative voices echoed up from the hall below. Sara looked around. “Were we expecting visitors? It isn’t exactly the conventional hour to make a call.”
    Valentin swept into the room and bowed to his wife and Abby.
    â€œLady Beecham? Would you mind coming down to my study for a moment?”
    Abby rose to her feet, leaving her sewing on the chair. “If you wish. Is something wrong?”
    â€œI’ll leave that for you to decide.”
    There was a grim note to Valentin’s answer that made Abby pause and look across at Sara.
    â€œShall I come with you, Abby?” Sara asked.
    Val took hold of Abby’s elbow and steered her rapidly toward the door. “I’d rather you didn’t, my lady. I’m sure Lady Beecham will tell you all about it later.”
    Before