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Madalene accepted his hand and rose. “Regardless, I am thankful that you are assisting me in finding Miss Hardy.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Lord Hawthorne remarked as she removed her hand from his. “I did warn you not to get your hopes up, especially since there is a good chance we may never find Miss Hardy.”
“You did mention that, but I am choosing to focus on the positive.”
Lord Hawthorne shook his head. “Your eternal optimism is quite irritating.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t intended as a compliment.”
Madalene smiled up at him. “I know, but I decided to take it as one.”
“On my word, it is extremely frustrating to get through a conversation with you,” Lord Hawthorne declared. “I am not entirely sure why I ever agreed to help you in the first place.”
She had been wondering the same thing. “Why did you offer to help me?” she asked.
Lord Hawthorne didn’t speak for a long moment. Finally, he said, “I suppose I felt some compassion towards your plight, and I know my sister would be saddened if anything ever happened to you.”
“Well, I thank you for your assistance.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Lord Hawthorne put his arm out towards her. “Allow me to escort you back inside. I need to return to the House of Lords shortly.”
