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share their women. Do you understand?”
    Maggie’s eyes widened yet again. Loved one another? Could men…? Well, of course they could, she thought. Just as Phillip frequently loved her from behind, as he said Jonathan would do if they shared her.
    In such a fashion, men could love one another. A compelling thought entered her mind. Had Phillip and Jonathan loved one another?
    Maggie gasped.“Everyone here? Oh God, that means they know what Phillip and Jonathan want!” Her hands rose to cover her hot cheeks.
    Kate’s laughter rang out. “Of course, and they’re jealous as hell. They all hunger for a woman who can accept them as they are, Maggie. They envy Jason and Tony, and now Phillip and Jonathan. They long for love and acceptance like everyone else.”
    “Kate? Maggie?” Tony’s voice interrupted them and they glanced up to see him peeking out the door.
    “I’ve been sent to reconnoiter, as it were. Is everything all right?”
    Maggie smiled at him and beckoned him over. He stepped out onto the terrace with a grin and hurried over, taking her hand and kissing it gently.
    “Are you all right, my dear?” His concern touched Maggie.
    “Oh yes, I’m fine.” She stood up and then rose on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “I believe felicitations are in order.”
    Tony looked surprised and then got the universal smug look of every expectant father, as if he had achieved a great feat.
    “Yes indeed. We’re very happy. But we haven’t told anyone yet, not even Lady Randal. Jason wanted to announce it tonight at dinner.”
    “I shall keep your secret then,” Maggie announced firmly. She tucked her hand in the arm Tony offered as Kate did the same on his other side. “And I’m honored that you have shared yourselves with me.” She took a deep breath for courage, and looking at Tony and Kate’s encouraging smiles, muttered, “Let’s eat.”

Chapter Seven
    Maggie spent the next day in her room again, although this time she was thinking about her conversation with Kate, not deliberately avoiding Phillip and Jonathan. She had a great deal to think about. Kate and Page 35
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    Jason and Tony seemed very happy together. When they announced their good news after dinner last evening, everyone was overjoyed for them. Maggie could see what Kate meant when she’d told her that most of the men there were jealous. They looked sad and envious even as they kissed her cheek and slapped the two men on the back in congratulations. Jason’s mother cried,she was so happy to finally have a grandchild. No one asked who the father was because it obviously didn’t matter to any of them.
    Most of the dinner guests had been reticent with Maggie, unsure of how to treat her and how much to say. They had clearly been told all was not well with the three of them and were torn between wanting to convince her to accept Phillip and Jonathan and treating her like the enemy for finding such a relationship abhorrent.
    Only two people besides Kate had the temerity to speak plainly to her. One was Mr. Brett Haversham , a very sad-looking man with a pronounced limp, the result of a rather bad injury during the war. Even with the limp he was a handsome man, with curly auburn hair, angular features and a well-muscled physique. He was there with the Duke of Ashland, a young man who had inherited his title unexpectedly, being the third son. His older brother and Mr. Haversham were companions during the war, and the brother died in the same incident that had injured Haversham .
    “So you’ve turned your back on Jonathan, have you?” he’d asked quietly in lieu of a greeting. She’d started to protest, but he’d held up his hand to silence her. “Let me finish. I’ve learned that life is indeed very short and often not what we expected. Live today as if it were your last. And each day ask yourself the question, if I or Jonathan or Phillip were to die