Have you never had a lady refuse you before? David glared at her. Of course not!

How very gratifying for you, my lord, she said. I am delighted to think that I have enlarged your ex erience so easily. He was furious now at having made such an idiot of himself. !hat I meant was that a lady of "irth and virtue should not say such things. I have a ologi#ed for mis$udging you. %nd you would know a vast deal a"out ro er young ladies, my lord, retorted &o hie. I've no dou"t that you $udged me on exactly the same "asis as you $udge your mistresses! He told himself that he was shocked, or ought to "e. (ut he was conscious of a ri le of amusement and admiration for the little s itfire)

TORONTO NEW YORK LONDON A !TERDA !TO'KHOL "AR#! !YDNEY HA $%R& #LAN ADR#D ATHEN! TOKYO

"RA&%E WAR!AW $%DA"E!T A%'KLAND

CONTENTS
* + , . / 0 1 2 *3 ** *+ *, **.

ELIZABETH

ROLLS

was "orn in 4ent, "ut moved to 5el"ourne, %ustralia, at the age of fifteen months. &he s ent several years in 6a ua 7ew 8uinea as a child, where her father was in charge of the defense forces. %fter teaching music for several years she moved to &ydney to do a master's in musicology at the 9niversity of 7ew &outh !ales. 9 on com leting her thesis, :li#a"eth reali#ed that writing was so much fun she wanted to do more.

'ha()er One

;ady 5aria 4entham viewed her only surviving great<ne hew in what a eared to "e unmitigated exas eration. ;ord knew the "oy had always "een stu""orn, "ut this was "eyond all "elief! 7ot that there was much left of the youth she remem"ered, a art from the o"stinacy, of course. =welve years had wrought a greater change in him than they had in her. He'd filled out rather nicely, she thought critically, as he stood glaring "ack at her, green eyes sna ing. His "readth of shoulder and owerful chest were admira"ly dis layed "y the close<fitting "lack coat. His antaloons were all they should "e as well. ;ady 5aria did not always a rove of modern fashions in clothing>indecent, some of them were. (ut when a air of antaloons was moulded to legs like those) well, she had to admit, if only to herself, that there might "e a oint in them. His snowy cravat was a monument to discreet elegance>a single diamond, snuggling into the intricate folds, flashed its chaste fire without detracting from the artistry of the arrangement. %ll in all, his attire was everything a gentleman's should "e, and more. %nd he was $ust as handsome as ever, she thought a rovingly, with the 5elville green eyes and $et "lack hair. His mother's delicate "one structure had com"ined with the heavier features, which had characterised his father and elder "rother ?ames, to roduce a chiselled strength, aristocratic in the extreme. David 5elville, the resent @iscount Helford, eyed his 8reat %unt 5aria with mingled exas eration and affection. =he last thing he'd ex ected when his "utler announced 8reat %unt 5aria was that she'd stalk into his li"rary and o en fire without even a declaration of war. He thought ruefully that he had o"viously "een away too long, if he had forgotten 8reat %unt 5aria's tendency to s eak her mind with freAuently shattering candour. 7evertheless, he was damned if he'd dance to this tune! Don't you think, %unt, that it might "e a little early for this discussionB %fter all, I only arrived "ack yesterday. 6erha s I might "e ermitted time to look u my old friends "efore I exhaust myself in the hunt for an eligi"le "ride. Or rather "efore they come hunting me. %nd would you kindly sto looking me over as if I were a ri#e stallionB % dangerous flash in her "lack eyes, ;ady 5aria corrected him on two oints. =his ain't a discussion, Helford! I'm telling you! =he succession is in some danger and it is your duty to marry at once! ?ames died over a year ago and the eo le are starting to wonder where you are. Cou have a ten<year<old niece who reAuires attention as well as a three<hundred<year<old title and estate in need of the same!

&he fixed him with a steely glare. %s for looking u your friends, you have my full ermission to look Dem u . On the dance floors! % very unladylike snort esca ed her. !ho knows, if you run across 6eter Darleston in town, then he might even hel you! Erom all I can see, he's em"raced the married state again with what I can only descri"e as vulgar enthusiasm! !hich should "e a lesson to you. ?ust "ecause you had some stu id "oy<and<girl attachment to Eelicity doesn't mean you can't form an eligi"le connection with another female. Her voice and eyes softened slightly as Helford stiffened at this "lunt reference to his early infatuation for his elder "rother's wife. ;ord, "oy, did you think I didn't knowB It was o"vious enough you was head over heels in love with her! =he only erson who didn't know was ?ames! &he ursed her li s. 5ind you, he never saw anything, not even Eelicity's affaires. %nd 8od knows there were enough of them! O"viously startled, Helford was "etrayed into revealing s eech. ?ames didn't knowB =hat I>D =he firm li s closed a"ru tly. ;ady 5aria 4entham stared at him in dis"elief. &o that's it, she said slowly. Cou thought ?ames offered for Eelicity, knowing how you felt a"out her. =hat's why you $oined the army and stayed away all these years. (ecause you thought ?ames had ur osely stolen your "ride. Eor heaven's sake, "oy! Cour mother suggested the match to ?ames. If he'd known how you felt, he'd never have offered for her! Her ne hew $ust ga ed at her in stunned silence. &he didn't really ex ect an answer. He'd never "een one to confide, even as a "oy, and she didn't think he'd changed all that much. ;ord, so he'd "een "laming his "rother all these years for su osedly stealing a hussy who'd have "roken his heart! !ell, he knew the truth now and nothing more she could say on that head would "e of the slightest use. &o she returned to the main thrust of her argument. Cou do intend to marry, I assume, HelfordB 9sing his title, she reasoned, would remind him of his duty. He was not merely the Honoura"le David 5elville, younger son, any more. He had res onsi"ilities)to his name, to his eo le. He must not "e allowed to shirk them on any count, certainly not for the memory of his "rother's wife, a woman who had "een dead for more than a twelvemonth. % woman who, if the "oy were to "e totally honest with himself, had not actually cared for him in the least. His $aw set hard, Helford answered. %s you say, %unt 5aria, I have no choice in the matter. &he relaxed. 8ood. He was going to "e sensi"le. @ery well, then. =here are "ound to "e any num"er of ersona"le young ladies out this &eason. I will>D 7o! % frosty glare greeted this summary interru tion of her detailed and all<em"racing lans. It was met "y one as chilly. I am entirely ca a"le of choosing a "ride "y myself, thank you very much! grated the @iscount. It may sur rise you to know that I can $ust a"out remem"er how to make myself agreea"le to the ladies.

;ady 5aria ermitted herself an amused smile. Fan you indeed, HelfordB Erom all I've heard, you're a little out of ractice with the ladies) =he hell I am! ex loded Helford. !ith the ladies, I said, dear "oy, urred ;ady 5aria sweetly, not in the least ut out "y her ne hew's choice of language. I've not the least dou"t of your ex ertise with the "rass<faced hussies of the @iennese O era. &he rose to her feet "efore her outraged ne hew could think of a suita"le ri oste and continued, %nd if the way you've received me is any indication, then I should think you can do with all the advice you can get. 7o offer of tea, 5adeira, cakes! It asses all "ounds. =his "ackfired slightly. =he "la#ing green eyes suddenly crinkled with laughter, adding disastrously to their owner's already nigh<on lethal charm. Oh, no, you don't, %unt 5aria! =hat cock won't fight! I distinctly heard you inform Haversham that you never maudled your insides with tea at this hour and considered it far too early for anything stronger! Cou also told him to concentrate on making himself useful rather than forcing you to eat food you neither wanted nor reAuired. Hum h. Cou could still have offered! she sna ed, not in the least mollified. &till, it's all of a iece with your generation. 7ot the slightest notion of res ect for your elders. &he rose to her feet with the aid of a walking stick that Helford was morally certain was his grandfather's old sword stick. He su osed he ought to "e grateful that she hadn't ressed her oint with that. I'll take my leave of you, Helford. I'm utting li at 8rillon's. He flushed. !hatever forB Cou're erfectly welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Cou know Auite well that I have a considera"le affection for you, Auite a art from any res ect you may feel I owe you! Hum h, I dare say! &eeing that he looked Auite sincerely u set, she relented. I've no taste for racketing a"out town these days. I'll stay another day or so at 8rillon's, then go "ack to Helford 6lace. &houldn't leave Eanny much longer. =hat child needs taking in hand. He frowned. %unt 5aria, did you come all the way down from !arwickshire merely to ut me in the way of my dutyB =he mildness of his voice "elied the frown. Fertainly not! she lied unconvincingly. I've every intention of going to the o era! GGG %fter seeing his great<aunt to her carriage, ;ord Helford returned to his li"rary, "ut somehow the eace and Auiet he had "een en$oying was shattered. =he sha""y old leather chairs seemed to re el him so that he aced u and down, and the leather< "ound "ooks lining the walls all nagged at him, reminding him of his fore"ears who had amassed them. =he wisdom of generations was held in those covers, he thought whimsically. %nd all it could do was urge him to a ste he had shunned for years. 5arriage. &omething he had set his face against for over twelve years.

His memory lurched "ack to the day Eelicity's father had calmly told him that he had received a "etter offer for her hand, that he was not to a roach her again. %n order which he had not the slightest intention of o"eying. He had not found out who the lucky suitor was until he had reached home that night after riding all day in a thundering rage, fuming as he laid his lans for rescuing his love from an unwanted marriage. He'd found out when he got home, muddied and exhausted, and discovered ?ames cele"rating with their mother. She had known. Had tried to ex lain to him later that ?ames, with his title, had a "etter claim to Eelicity's hand and fortune. &he had smiled gently, cynically, when he'd cried out that he loved Eelicity. Had told him that he would find another attractive fortune one day. He'd never s oken to her again. =he next day he'd managed to interce t Eelicity on her morning ride with her groom. &he'd seemed very em"arrassed to see him and when he'd insisted on riding ahead with her, had agreed very reluctantly. He could remem"er her light voice now. (ut, David, dear! Cou cannot ex ect me to marry you in the face of 6a a's dis leasure. !hy, he has ositively ordered me to marry ?ames. =here was a "rief, regnant ause, during which he'd assimilated the variance of her claim that her father demanded the match, with her unruffled tone and demeanour. &he continued. !e must "e sensi"le a"out this, David. %fter all, once I have fulfilled my duty and rovided ?ames with an heir, there is nothing to sto us) I mean, if we were discreet. Innocent<seeming "lue eyes had smiled u at him "eguilingly. =he soft ink li s he'd longed to crush under his curved in the most tem ting of smiles and the ale s ring sunshine had glinted on golden curls. He felt nothing "ut disgust. %nd fury. Eury with himself that he could still want her. =hat even knowing what she was, he could still desire her, long to have her as his wife. &omehow he'd managed to s eak. % gratifying offer, Eelicity, "ut I think I'd rather stick to honest whores. =he words, and the "iting tone in which he'd uttered them, had struck home. % flush had suffused the etal<soft cheeks, an angry glitter had s arked in the "lue eyes and the delicate "ow of her mouth hardened. Heally, David! she ex ostulated. Cou are "eing most unreasona"le. Cou know as well as I that marriage in our class is a contract made for the "etter reservation of ro erty and the rovision of heirs. 5y father demands that I marry ?ames. !hat more is there to sayB %"solutely nothing, my dear, drawled David, wondering how on earth he had missed seeing her mercenary streak "efore this and realising that love could indeed "e "lind. It remains for me to congratulate you on your catch and "eg your ardon for having distracted you from your duty to your am"ition. 8ood morning. He'd s urred his horse into a canter, then a swift gallo , and left her. 7ot once had he looked "ack, either then or in the years of wandering that had followed.

=he next morning he'd left, only ausing to ask ?ames if he'd urchase him a air of colours, and from that day to this he hadn't ste ed across any threshold "elonging to his family. ?ames had looked u##led at his reAuest, "ut had agreed immediately with the easy generosity that had always characterised his dealings with his younger "rother. %nd he hadn't known. Helford swore "itterly. 7o wonder ?ames had "een so u##led, articularly "y his refusal to come home after that. His refusal to come to the wedding. :ven knowing the truth a"out her motivation, he had still found that the thought of seeing Eelicity married to his own "rother was un"eara"le. (y the time he'd come to his senses and realised that he'd made a fool of himself, he had "een too roud to come home. %nd he could not have "orne to see Eelicity, to "e reminded of the callow youth who had loved her only to discover that his idol had feet of clay. %ll during his years in the 6eninsula and then in @ienna at the :m"assy odd scra s of gossi had filtered through to him. &cra s which told him he was far "etter off out of marriage with her. Or with anyone. 7ever again had he made the mistake of caring for a woman. =hey were toys, laythings. He avoided marriagea"le females like the lague, seeing in them only reminders of his own foolishness. %nd now he'd have to marry after all. @ery well. &o "e it. (ut it would "e on his terms. =he terms Eelicity had taught him so effectively. His "ride would "e a woman of "irth, "eauty and fortune. %nd irre roacha"le conduct. He was damned if he would rovide cover for a high<class little whore as ?ames had o"viously ended u doing for Eelicity. He thought a"out it carefully. =itled. &he needed to "e titled and from one of the oldest houses refera"ly. =hat way she would have "een "rought u to know her duty. &he would see her rank as an acce ted res onsi"ility rather than as a ri#e to "e won at all costs. =he "argain "etween them would "e an eAual one. %nd he would make damned sure he icked a "ride with little dis osition to flirt or encourage the attentions of other men. He'd learned his lesson the hard way and he was going to make Auite certain that he rofited "y it! %nd now that he had decided all that, he would go for a stroll along (ond &treet and let the world know that he had returned. He had Auite forgotten what (ond &treet could "e like at this hour. =he clo of hooves allied with rum"ling wheels was deafening and overlaying it all was a "u## of chatter. It seemed that most of the fashiona"le world was here at three o'clock on a "right s ring afternoon. Eor a moment time rolled "ack as though the intervening years had never ha ened. (ut for one inesca a"le fact, David thought, he might never have "een away. =welve years ago he would have "een recognised "y any num"er of the elegantly gowned ladies whose fluttering muslins gave the street the a earance of a flower "ed. =he strolling gentlemen would have known him as well. He would have "een most unlikely to have "een walking alone. He would have "een art of the milieu rather than this faintly cynical o"server.

?ust at the moment his anonymity suited him erfectly. =here was an odd satisfaction in "eing a"le to view his world almost as though he were invisi"le to rying eyes and immune to gossi ing tongues. He felt as though he were free to o"serve, not yet art and arcel of the glittering ;ondon world which all too soon would know of his return. 7o dou"t "y the time he had "een "ack a week the news would "e out and any num"er of eo le would "e claiming long acAuaintance. In fact, he rather thought he could count on ;ady 5aria to s read the glad tidings. He strolled ast &te hens' Hotel, wondering idly if any of his friends were inside "ut not sufficiently interested to find out. =his feeling of "eing invisi"le was very leasant. 7o one had seen him at all! His feeling of invisi"ility was ure illusion, of course. !hatever the gentlemen might do, it was not likely that any lady could ossi"ly ass "y an unknown gentleman of his Auality without o"serving him very closely, al"eit surre titiously. 7aturally one would not like to stare and "e thought a vulgar hussy, "ut one could and did cast a fleeting sideways glance at the tall, owerful figure, moving with such leonine grace and dressed with such uno"trusive elegance. =he illusion of invisi"ility continued as far as ?ackson's (oxing &aloon. It might have continued even further had it not "een for Helford's o"servation of an entirely new henomenon. 7ever "efore in that distant time that had known him as a freAuent and welcome visitor at ?ackson's had he seen such a large dog sitting atiently outside the door. =he creature was more than large, it was the si#e of a small ony, he thought. %nd what was even more ama#ing, no one, not even the ladies, seemed in the least "it concerned a"out it. Cou would have thought, he reflected, that many of the ladies would have given such an animal a wide "erth. (ut no, most of them went "y without taking the slightest notice. =he only ones to acknowledge the dog's resence were the ones who actually sto ed to at it. =hese attentions were received with a slight thum of the tail on the avement, no more. Flearly a dog of discrimination, thought Helford in amusement. He wondered who owned the shaggy grey "east. It had to "e someone very highly regarded. 9nless ;ondon society had altered out of all recognition, he could think of few men who would dare to lant an animal like that outside ?ackson's and ex ect to get away with it. Foming closer, he slowed to o"serve "etter. &ensing his regard, the dog turned its great head and ga#ed at him out of tawny "rown eyes. =he tail remained motionless and one was left in no dou"t that only a fool took li"erties with this animal if he didn't know you. =here was nothing in the least threatening a"out his "ehaviour, $ust a sort of massive dignity. He was conscious of an odd urge to incline his head to the dog "efore continuing, "ut all at once the dog's attention was not on him. He had turned to the shut door of ?ackson's and was standing u , wagging his tail furiously. 7ow we shall see who owns him, thought Helford. =he door o ened and a gentleman as tall as himself ste ed out on to the avement. %n athletic fellow with

curly "lack hair and dark "rown eyes. He greeted the dog with a at and then caught sight of Helford, who was staring at him as though seeing a ghost. =he "rown<eyed gentleman's $aw dro ed, $ust for a moment, then a smile of unshadowed delight lit a face which more than one romantically inclined damsel had in the ast held to "e ositively (yronic in its "rooding good looks. He held out his hand and it was taken at once in a strong gri . (la#ing green eyes laughed into "rown as they had not done for nearly eight years. David 5elville! 8ood 8od! !e all thought you were fixed in @ienna, distracting the ladies of the o era there! !hat the devil "rings you to townB % art from the o era, of course! Helford merely grinned at this reference to his generous, if scandalous, atronage of the arts and ri osted, Cou can't talk, Darleston! I seem to have heard that you develo ed a "it of a re utation with the ladies too! =he "rown eyes laughed at him, %ll in the ast, 5elville, all in the ast! 7ow come, what "rings you)oh, of course! 5elville, indeed! Helford, I should say! I forgot all a"out it. It's over a year since your "rother died, isn't itB Helford nodded. ?ust over. I should have come earlier, I su ose, es ecially since I am guardian to ?ames's daughter. (ut Auite frankly I've little turn for children and %unt 5aria seems to have the matter well in hand. &o) er) @ienna was more a ealing! =here was a raffish twinkle in his eye. =he :arl of Darleston chuckled understandingly, !as she, indeedB How very leasant for you! !here are you off to nowB %re you "usy or can you give me your com anyB Helford laughed and said, If you will romise not to "reak my incognito to anyone, you may have my com any for as long as you lease. IncognitoB Darleston grinned. Do you mean to say a whole, live, single @iscount managed to get this far along (ond &treet without "eing mo""edB I had not thought it ossi"le! He "egan to walk, the dog closely to heel. :ight years, isn't itB =he last time I saw you was the morning we left !aterloo village. His voice was studiedly light. Helford nodded slowly, remem"ering that roaring, smoking hell. It ro"a"ly was. %lthough I saw you much later in the day, I would dou"t your having "een in a condition to remem"er. Farstares was $ust heaving you on to your horse to have you led to the rear. 7either of us thought you'd survive. Darleston smiled. I still have 7ero. 5y wife rides him now. His voice took on an oddly gentle cast and Helford looked at him shar ly. His wife! &houldn't have thought he'd let a female near a horse that had stood over his fallen "ody in the heat of "attle, let alone ride it. %lthough hadn't %unt 5aria said something a"out 6eter remarryingB 7ot to mention that letter he'd had from Farrington. &uddenly he remem"ered the letter.

Peter has remarried, you will be interested to hear. Married for convenience and an heir and it turned into the greatest love match of all time. Carstares and I are still laughing about it &omething like that. =hat's right. I had a letter from 5ichael. Is it too late for congratulationsB His friend shook his head. 7ot at all. %nd even if you think nearly three years is too long for congratulations, you can always congratulate me on the arrival of my children. Helford did some Auick calculations and said, Fhildren, luralB In that timeB :ven for you) He left the sentence hanging. Darleston had the grace to look faintly em"arrassed, 6enelo e is a twin, you see, and>D =winsB Cou are the father of twinsB Helford ut "ack his head and roared with laughter. !ell, well, well! %nd what are you "lessed withB (oy and a girl, $ust turned two, said Darleston without the slightest attem t to disguise his ride. Fongratulations! said Helford in wholehearted delight. 7ow I have $ust one "urning Auestion. !here in 8od's name did you get thisB He indicated the great dog acing "eside them. 8elertB Oh, he "elongs to my wife, answered Darleston. 6art of the marriage contract, you might say. !here she goes, he goes generally. :ven into &ally ?ersey's drawing room, would you "elieve! Helford mentally con$ured u the image of this huge dog cluttering u the drawing room of ;ondon's uncrowned Aueen, one of the atronesses of %lmack's, a woman who could destroy the chances of any as iring de"utante or hostess with a single word. It $ust wasn't ossi"le! ;ady ?ersey would never tolerate such a thing, not even for the Fountess of Darleston. 8rinning at the atent dis"elief, writ large all over Helford's countenance, Darleston said, If you aren't otherwise engaged, come and have dinner with us this evening. 8eorge Farstares is staying with us and 6enelo e's youngest sister &arah. Fome and $oin us. %n extra lace at the ta"le won't "e a ro"lem, I assure you. If you are sure that ;ady Darleston won't mind, then I should like that very much, said Helford. 6enelo e never minds anything, said Darleston with a su"lime confidence that his friend was far from sharing. In his ex erience, when a man married, his wife tended to regard his old friends as so many intruders. =hey continued along the street slowly, filling in the ast eight years and laughing over old gossi and the fates of various acAuaintances. 7ow, are you settled in townB Cou say no one knows you are "ack, continued Darleston, as they strolled along ast Hookham's ;i"rary.

Eor the &eason, answered Helford. I'll ro"a"ly "e organising a house arty at Helford 6lace at some oint during the summer. =here was a faintly Auestioning note in his voice. Oh, yes, we'll "e home "y then, res onded Darleston. =he children are a great deal ha ier in the country and 6enny and I refer it. !e're really only u for ;ady :denho e's "all in a cou le of days. Cou come too. &he'll "e so thrilled to "e the first to entertain you formally, she won't mind in the least if you turn u uninvited. &eems as good a lace to start as any, was the enigmatic re ly. &tart whatB % millB asked Darleston with a wicked glint in his eye. Helford chuckled, I only did that once and the "ounder deserved it! (esides, I was foxed! Once was enough, in all conscience! said Darleston indignantly. I still have nightmares a"out trying to ersuade ;ady :denho e not to call your father from the card room! 7ow, enough! !hat are you u toB 8etting married, according to %unt 5aria. Fongratulations, said Darleston and raised his "rows in mute surmise. Cou're a little remature, said Helford. I haven't o ed the Auestion yet. Oh. I see. Eor a mere three words he managed to get a wealth of unasked Auestions into them, thought Helford. (ut, after all, Darleston was almost as well acAuainted with the formida"le ;ady 5aria as he was. !ith a sigh he said, Cou know how it is. I su ose you remarried for exactly the same reasons. Fonvenience and an heir. I did, of course, agreed Darleston. %nd very soon discovered my mistake. His voice held more than a shade of amusement. 5istakeB Helford was sur rised. %unt 5aria seemed to think your enthusiasm for the married state was ositively vulgar. Oh, it is! smiled Darleston. I meant that I was mistaken in marrying for convenience. It didn't work at all! (ut enough of me. =ell me who you have in your eye. Helford shrugged. Does it really matterB Erankly, I've $ust got "ack. %unt 5aria descended u on me this morning and roceeded to enumerate to me my duties to the name of 5elville. &o) He grimaced. Hence I'm in the market for a "ride with the following AualificationsI "reeding>she must "e titled>and good looks, of course. %nd a reasona"le dowry. &he must "e well "ehaved and accom lished) sensi"le) ca a"le of running a large household. Cou know the sort of thing. Darleston nodded slowly. Did ;ady 5aria sti ulate all thisB Cou sur rise me. Hardly, said Helford with a reluctant half<smile, thinking that he must have sounded remarka"ly cold<"looded. =hat's my own reci e for a "eara"le marriage. Oh, said Darleston. %gain he managed to invest the monosylla"le with a world of meaning.

=hey strolled along in a silence "roken at last "y Helford in a tight, "itter sort of voice. I know what you are thinking, 6eter, "ut I learnt my lesson early and I've no intention of mixing "usiness with leasure. 5ore than one lesson to "e learned in life, old cha , said Darleston thoughtfully. 5ind you, I'm not saying it wasn't a good thing Eelicity taught you to "e wary, "ut one can take one's sus icions too far. Helford snorted sce tically. If you'll ardon my frankness, 6eter, I should have thought that you of all men would have "een dou"ly wary. Darleston did not seem at all offended. Oh, I was, I assure you! He hesitated and then said, =hat's recisely what I meant. I didn't even recognise love at first! %nd ro"a"ly $ust as well, since I should have run a mile if I'd realised. It $ust sort of sneaked u on me. I certainly didn't go looking for it. In fact, I caused 6enny Auite a deal of hurt while I was floundering a"out wondering why she "othered me so much! Helford was unconvinced. !ell, it won't do for me. I'd refer to know exactly where I am in my marriage so I'll settle for convenience. Fome on, enumerate to me all the im ecca"ly "red, attractive fillies currently arading in the auction ring. !ith a resigned smile, Darleston considered carefully. !ell, there is the Flovelly chit, Auite attractive and well "ehaved. 7ot titled, of course, "ut the Flovellys are looking high, I "elieve. %nd "esides, she would "e titled if her great<great<great grandmother hadn't told Fharles the &econd to kee his hands to himself! Or, if you insist on the title, there's ;ady ;ucinda %nstey>&tanford's chit, you know. &he's held to "e a very regal<looking girl. 7o dou"t there are a score of others, "ut those two come to mind as)er)em"odying the Aualifications you mentioned. 6oint Dem out to me, said Helford. I thought to s end the &eason looking a"out and courting here in town and then invite the girl and her mother to that house arty I mentioned. Cou know, see her at closer Auarters "efore making a final decision. I see, said Darleston, and his voice suggested that he did see. 6erfectly. @ery well. 6enelo e and I will engage to oint out all the most im ecca"ly "ehaved and "red damsels we can think of. Helford grinned. %unt 5aria, at least, will "e eternally in your de"t. I knew I could count on you, 6eter. If you are Auite sure ;ady Darleston won't mind my turning u ) %t eight, then, said Darleston. !e are kee ing town hours. I must "e off to the ark now, David. Do you care to come and "e resented to 6ennyB 7o, no, said Helford, hastily. I will look forward to that this evening! =hey arted and Helford turned "ack along (ond &treet. Darleston's amused reaction to his matrimonial lans had thrown him slightly. 6eter would never critici#e, of course, "ut it was lain what he thought of Helford's marriage cam aign. He shrugged. 6eter might have "een su remely lucky in his second marriage, "ut he'd reserve $udgement until he'd met the second ;ady Darleston. %nd he certainly wasn't going to run that sort of risk himself!

Helford resented himself in 8rosvenor &Auare at the fashiona"le hour of eight and was admitted to Darleston House "y the elderly "utler. 8ood evening, 5eadows. %re you kee ing wellB asked the @iscount, handing the startled man his hat and cloak. He remem"ered the old "oy from his school days when he had freAuently ridden over to $oin 6eter Ero"isher and his other cronies at Darleston Fourt a "are ten miles from his own seat. 5aster David! =hat is)my lord! !ell! His lordshi did say he had a sur rise guest for this evening, "ut he wouldn't tell anyone who. =he kindly old face "eamed as wrinkles chased themselves delightedly all over it. Cou are looking well, if I may say so. Fome this way, the family are all in the drawing room. =hank you, 5eadows. He followed the old cha u to the first floor and said with a twinkle, I do trust you are going to announce me in style, 5eadows. &u ressing a chuckle wholly at variance with his usual dignified manner, 5eadows o ened the door of the drawing room and said into a sudden silence, ;ord Helford! =he grou "efore the fire stared in ama#ement, exce t, of course, for Darleston, who was o"viously taking a mischievous leasure in the shock he had given Farstares and the ladies. Farstares had changed very little, thought Helford as his friend surged forward with outstretched hands. Helford! 8ood 8od! !here did you s ring fromB Helford sei#ed the outstretched hand and wrung it. 7o, Farstares hadn't changed, still the same cheery "lue eyes and tousled fair hair. =he same merry o en countenance. He cla ed 8eorge on the shoulder. 8ot off the acket yesterday morning and went on the strut down (ond &treet. ?ust to see if anyone recognised me. Didn't see a soul I knew until I met 6eter outside ?ackson's. He shook his head. ;ord, it's good to see you two again! Darleston strolled forward, Fome and "e resented to my wife and sister<in<law. =he odd note of ride in his voice made Helford glance at him shar ly. If 8eorge had not changed, Darleston most assuredly had. !hen last he had known this man, he had "een in the de ths of a "itter de ression over the infidelities of his first wife. 7ow he was again the warm, easygoing man Helford remem"ered from his youth. =he reason was not far to seek. 6enelo e, Fountess of Darleston, was a very lovely womanJ a riot of au"urn curls and smoky grey eyes were not the least of her charms. Her ex ression held a great deal of sweetness and a hint of mischief. %nd there was something in her eyes when they rested on her hus"and that made ;ord Helford's heart contract shar ly. (riefly he wondered what it would "e like to have a woman look at you like that. %"ru tly he dismissed the thought. He was not looking for love in his marriage. =hat was far too dangerous.

;ady Darleston came forward to greet him, I am so leased to meet you at last, ;ord Helford. :very time we drive ast your gates in the country 6eter is moved to reminisce a"out his long<lost youth and all the dreadful things you used to do! Helford "owed low over her hand and said, =he leasure is mine, ;ady Darleston. 6eter told me that it was not too late to offer congratulations on his marriage. %nd I understand that he is now a father. Cou cannot imagine how ancient I feel! =he Fountess laughed, I think it makes him feel old at times too. 5ay I resent my sister, 5iss &arah EfolliotB &he drew forward a slender girl with more "rown than red in her curls "ut the same smoky eyes and friendly smile. (ut if ;ady Darleston might "e said to have a hint of mischief in her eyes, this chit had a great deal more than a hint. &he seemed to "e "ursting with energy and, after "eing introduced, said to Helford, It must have "een terri"ly exciting "eing a"road and in @ienna of all laces. I should so much like to go there one day! He chatted to her for a few minutes, res onding to her artless Auestions a"out life in the %ustrian ca ital, until 8eorge came to lead her in to dinner. He was startled to see the look that assed "etween them. % look com ounded of dee affection and, at least on 8eorge's art, of desire. 8ood 8od! Farstares thinking of marriageB How were the mighty fallen! Helford en$oyed his first social engagement enormously. It was good to ick u his friendshi with Darleston and 8eorge Farstares. =heir long se aration had not loosened the "onds "etween them. :ven Darleston's marriage did not seem to have affected his friendshi with Farstares. It was lain to see that ;ady Darleston held 8eorge in great affection, treating him with an easy camaraderie, and "y the end of dinner @iscount Helford was in a fair way to envying his oldest friend. =hat Darleston's marriage was ecstatically ha y could not "e held in dou"t. His lovely au"urn<haired countess was utterly delightful. Darleston was a damned lucky fellow, thought Helford, as his hostess had them all in stitches with her descri tion of her first Fhannel crossing when she had "een a allingly seasick. 6oor 6eter tried to "e no"le and hold the "asin for me, she said giggling. !hich would have "een fine had I not com letely missed the "asin and sullied his sacred Hessians! I don't know who was more u set with me, 6eter, or Eordham, who had to clean them! 6eter grinned and said, 7ot to mention the rest of my attire. Eordham was vastly ut out. He changed the su"$ect, &hall we escort Helford to %unt ;ouisa's little do, 6ennyB He wishes to make his "ow after such a long a"sence. &hall we lend him our)er) atronageB &he smiled at Helford, seated on her right. Do you care to come with usB I am sure ;ady :denho e will not mind in the slightest. !ill she, 8eorgeB =his last to 8eorge Farstares who said cheerfully, Devil a "it! (e glad to "e one u on all the other ta""ies, shouldn't wonder!

Darleston eyed him in fascination, %re you referring to our esteemed friend, ;ady :denho e, as a tabby, 8eorgeB He shook his head. How very "rave, isn't he, &arahB Or foolish, suggested 5iss &arah Efolliot with her usual candour. Helford was amused. 5iss &arah had a disconcerting ha"it of saying exactly what she thought and ositively fi##ed with naughtiness. He liked her, and ho ed she was not going to hurt 8eorge. Erom a cou le of remarks Darleston had made a"out minding her estate interests, it was lain she was an heiress. In his "itter ex erience, heiresses did not throw themselves away on younger sons, no matter how charming. Do come, she said to Helford. It will "e ca ital s ort to see all their faces when you are announced! ;ike the "easts at the Hoyal :xchange "eing fedB asked Helford, amused. &omething like that. I love going there with 8eorge. (ut would you consider yourself as a "eefsteakB laughed &arah. % groan of mock des air came from Darleston, !e'll never marry her off, 6enny! How can we when she refers to eligi"le partis as "eefsteaksB =hose that she doesn't "eat all hollow at chess. =here's nothing for it "ut to ut her in a convent! 7ot in the least a"ashed, &arah ut her tongue out at him and continued to eat her sylla"u". Oh, ooh, she said "etween mouthfuls. If Helford is a friend of yours and 8eorge's, he must "e erfectly accustomed to outrageous "ehaviour. (esides, 8eorge can "eat me at chess now! !ell, thank 8od for that! "roke in 6enelo e. I've "een tutoring him for months! Helford left Darleston House well after midnight to walk home. It occurred to him "riefly as he strolled along that erha s he ought to consider waiting a while "efore he married, see if he could find a girl to love, "ut he dismissed the thought immediately with something very like anic. %dmittedly Darleston had "een lucky and it looked as though 8eorge would "e $ust as ha y. (ut he shuddered at the thought of the risk he'd "e taking. He'd made a crashing fool of himself once and he didn't fancy doing it again. %nd it would take time and time was one thing that he didn't have. His "rother's remature death had ut the succession in some danger. It hadn't really needed %unt 5aria's intervention for him to realise the im ortance of his marriage. He was the last of the 5elvilles now, exce t for his niece, and it "ehoved him to marry as carefully as ossi"le to carry on the name credita"ly. 7o, he would marry for the title and family name. His own leasures would "e carried on as they had always "een, outside the marriage "ed. (esides, he shuddered as he contem lated the sort of hurt that Darleston was wide o en to. He did not for a moment think that 6enelo e would ever "etray her hus"and. =hat was out of the Auestion. :ven his cynical mind could acce t that. (ut how would 6eter survive if anything ever ha ened to 6enelo eB It was "etter to guard against

that sort of ain. He remem"ered the agony of grief after !aterloo as one "y one he realised how many of his friends had died. 7o, it was safer to settle for convenience in marriage and attend to his leasures elsewhere. ;ove, whatever it might "e, was for others. =hree nights later he trod u the ste s of ;ady :denho e's mansion under the gaily stri ed awning erected for the occasion in com any with the Darlestons, 5iss &arah Efolliot and 8eorge Farstares. 7umerous glances were cast in their direction and Helford was tolera"ly certain that his incognito had "een "lown "y the time ;ouisa :denho e's very starchy "utler announced their arty. =he :arl and Fountess of Darleston, @iscount Helford) Des ite the stentorian tones of ;ady :denho e's "utler, an u surge of exclamations and chatter drowned the announcement of 5iss &arah Efolliot and 5r. Farstares. 7either of whom cared in the least. =hey were too entertained "y the s ectacle of such a crowd of fashiona"les $ockeying to "e among the first to greet the new "eefsteak, as &arah had christened him, without a earing odiously ushing. %s the hostess, ;ady :denho e was the first to greet him. David 5elville! How dare you turn u like this without so much as warning me! I nearly fainted when I saw who 6eter had in tow. &o, you are "ack to lague us, are youB !ell, I shall give u my "ox at the o era and I warn you, if you start a vulgar "rawl this time then I will have Darleston and 8eorge cast you out! 7ot to mention having &ally ?ersey and the others "ar you from %lmack's. %lthough I don't su ose that would "other you in the slightest. Dear ;ady :denho e, said Helford, "owing low over her hand and kissing it. I have lived for this moment! He twinkled at her outrageously. I dare say, she said. &to trying to turn me u sweet and go and find some other female to lay off your ca$olery on. I'll have you know I'm far too old for your tricks! 7ever, dear lady, rotested Helford dramatically. =he day you are too old for me will "e the day after I cock u my toes! His lofty tones and resonant voice made the vulgar ex ression sound ositively romantic. His hostess snorted. Cou're cutting a wheedle, Helford! Cou can give me twenty years)more I dare say! Eor you, I'd give them, he assured her with a smile which she rivately thought was enough to make any unwary female tum"le head over ears in love with him. %nd as for those eyes! !ell, they were enough to give any female, wary or otherwise, al itations. =ake him away, for heaven's sake, 6eter! urged ;ady :denho e. !ith leasure, %unt ;ouisa! said 6eter with alacrity. He looked at Helford in amusement. %re you ractising for the "enefit of the im ecca"lesB Hest assured, you're in fine fighting trim.

=he evening assed in a "lur of music and cham agne $udiciously mixed with the stream of faces, familiar and new, which whirled ast his lordshi . =rue to his word, Darleston had ersuaded 6enelo e to resent him to as many of the young ladies as ossi"le. 5ost of them he dismissed from his mind at once, including the charming 5iss Flovelly. He found her giggle rather irritating and not all the legendary virtue of her great<great<great<grandmama was enough to reconcile him to a life s ent throttling the urge to throttle his wife. ;ady ;ucinda %nstey was Auite another matter. 6enelo e had not at first resented him to her, "ut the dignified carriage and glossy "lack ringlets caught his eye. !ho is that, ;ady DarlestonB he asked very softly. &he followed the direction of his ga#e. !ith the "lack hair, he rom ted, seeing her hesitate. Damn! thought 6enelo e Darleston. Damn and dou"le damn! &he knew nothing against ;ady ;ucinda, "ut she $ust couldn't warm to her. =he regal carriage eo le raved over always struck her as to lofty. =he cool air of confidence said more to 6enelo e a"out ;ady ;ucinda's conviction of social su eriority than anything else. &he was lovely, though. =hose glossy curls and rose< etal com lexion were a lethal com"ination and, when added to dee "lue eyes and a tall elegant figure, the sum total was Auite out of the common way. =hat is ;ady ;ucinda %nstey, she said reluctantly. If he married her, then any social intercourse with Helford 6lace would "e of the most stuffy and formal variety, she reflected. ;ady &tanford's entertainments were renowned for the ositively stifling degree of om and ceremony which characterised them. ;ady ;ucinda, however, a eared to revel in it. Is it, indeedB res onded Helford. He looked the lady over with the eyes of a connoisseur. =all, very elegant, a definite air of distinction. He su osed that she was "eautiful>truth to tell, his reference was for smaller women of a more rounded as ect. 7ot lum , $ust a trifle more curvaceous than ;ady ;ucinda. =he sort referred to as a cosy little armful, in fact. He reminded himself irrita"ly that he was selecting a Fountess, a consort, a woman to "e res ected, not tum"led in the heat of assion! He could set u a mistress later. !ill you resent me to herB He didn't sound terri"ly interested, "ut 6enelo e acce ted the inevita"le. 6eter had warned her that Helford was not looking for a love match. =he three (s, my loveI (reeding, (ehaviour and (eauty, he had said with a slight twinkle. !ell, she certainly had all that, and if Helford didn't reAuire a warm heart in his "ride then it was none of her "usiness. !ith this in mind she led Helford u to the lady. 8ood evening, ;ady &tanford, ;ady ;ucinda. 5ay I resent ;ord Helford, who has recently returned from @iennaB He wishes very much to "e made known to you. Helford "owed over ;ady &tanford's hand and then ;ady ;ucinda's. 7either lady a eared to "e in the least awed or flustered "y his evident desire to make their

acAuaintance. He didn't mind that in the least. It suggested the sort of dignity and "reeding he wished for in a wife. =hey all exchanged olite leasantries on the weather, the overcrowded room and the ros ect of it "ecoming more so as the evening rogressed. Helford was agreea"ly im ressed "y ;ady ;ucinda. !ell "red, a serious turn of mind and definitely a young lady of striking a earance. &u er"ly gowned in cornflower "lue silk which em hasised the sa hire "lue of her eyes, she was clearly an eminently suita"le candidate for the osition he had in mind. Of ;ady &tanford he was not Auite so a roving. &he had, he felt, a grating sense of her own su eriority, not to mention a su"lime ignorance of anything outside ;ondon. I am delighted to make your acAuaintance, ;ord Helford, said ;ady &tanford. Cou must "e glad to "e "ack in :ngland after so long a"road. Cou must have desired the sound of your own language very often. %nd I understand that the tone in @ienna is not always what one would like. He wondered sardonically $ust what language ;ady &tanford thought they s oke at the :m"assy. He had "een in no danger of forgetting the sound of his native tongue and "esides, when a girl whis ered 8erman sweet nothings in your ear as tem tingly as that little charmer ;ottie, then the only desire of which he was conscious had nothing to do with the :nglish language. Fertainly he had no com laints a"out the tone she had used. =he thought was instantly dismissed. Kuite so, ma'am, he agreed olitely. %nd I am the more aware of what I have missed when I see such a gathering as this. ;ord, what a stu id thing to say, he thought. I'd forgotten how olite and stuffy it can "e! He realised that the orchestra had struck u a walt# and smiled at ;ady ;ucinda, 5ight I have the honour of this danceB If you are not otherwise engaged) He thought that it would "e unusual for a girl of this Auality not to "e engaged for every dance, "ut to his sur rise ;ady ;ucinda shook her head and said, %s a matter of fact, I am not engaged and I should "e honoured to dance with you, "ut>D Her mama cut in. Of course she will "e delighted to "e your artner, my lord. He missed the warning look ;ady &tanford directed at her daughter and the disa roving look that ;ady ;ucinda returned. &miling, he offered his arm and led her out onto the floor. Fom letely stunned, 6enelo e Darleston watched Helford lead out a girl who had never danced the walt# in u"lic on the grounds of her mother's disa roval of innocent damsels s inning around in a male em"race. &he was only saved from a social indiscretion "y the fact that her hus"and came u and said firmly, Our dance, my lady. He swe t her on to the floor, saying, David has taken u Auite enough of your time for one evening. He now knows enough im ecca"ly "red fillies to found a stud should he wish to do so.

&he shook with laughter at this outrageous comment and felt his gri tighten. !hat on earth will we do if he marries that one, thoughB she enAuired, slightly "reathless at the hard strength of his arms as they encircled her. Hesign ourselves to some excessively tedious dinner arties at Helford 6lace, my sweet. %nd if ;ady &tanford agreed to this dance, then I should say our fate is sealed as far as she is concerned. He drew her closer so that her silk<clad thighs "rushed against his and whirled her through a turn, effectively dismissing all thought of Helford's matrimonial concerns from her mind. If Helford wanted convenience, it was entirely his own "usiness. He held 6enelo e's ga#e and whis ered something that "rought a flush to her face and a soft glow to the ex ressive eyes. !atching them, Helford felt his heart lurch at the way ;ady Darleston's mouth Auivered into an adoring smile, the way she seemed to melt even more a ealingly into her hus"and's em"race as they danced. =he "eauty in his own arms was Auite unyielding. 5uch safer, he told himself firmly. Dull, erha s, "ut safe.

'ha()er T*o

;ady ;ucinda's first walt# took the ton com letely "y sur rise and "efore it was over "ets were "eing Auietly laid that the &tanford stronghold was in a way to "eing stormed. It was well known that ;ady &tanford dee ly disa roved of the walt# for unmarried girls. %t least, so the whis ers ran, until a parti so eligi"le as to make a ho eful mama clutch her vinaigrette in excitement had solicited the Ice 5aiden to stand u with him for the disgraceful dance! 6erfectly aware of the ri les of con$ecture eddying out from them, Helford had continued to guide his rather unyielding artner around the dance floor, conversing with her on the most unexce tiona"le to ics he could think of. !hile the so"riAuet Ice 5aiden did not occur to him, he did com are ;ady ;ucinda somewhat unfavoura"ly with little ;ottie, who had danced the walt# not at all as if she were laid out cold for her own "urial. &har ly, he reminded himself of what he reAuired in "ride. ;ottie's skills and charms were not art of it. ;ady ;ucinda was also only too aware of the furore that this dance was causing. &he was leased to note, however, that finding herself in such an intimate em"race was not at all likely to make her lose her head. Indeed, she might as well have "een dancing with one of her "rothers, for all the thrill it gave her to "e held in ;ord Helford's arms. &he had to admit, though, he talked like a sensi"le man and did not a ear to "e the amorous ty e. 6assing them on the dance floor in 8eorge Farstare's arms, &arah Efolliot said sotto voce, Do you think she's noticed that it's a walt# yetB &hould we tell herB Her grey eyes "rimmed over with mischief. In extremely un<loverlike tones 8eorge said, Eor heaven's sake, &arah! &hut u , she'll hear you! !ell, "ut if she doesn't know it's a walt#) &arah encountered one of her lover's rare frowns and rom tly shut u . If 8eorge looked like that, then he was serious. (y the time the ton left ;ady :denho e's "all the main to ic of gossi was the Helford assault on the icy &tanford ram arts. !hatever might "e Helford's intentions, ;ady &tanford had clearly signalled hers. =his was ;ady ;ucinda's second &eason and there were two more daughters in the wings. %lthough the regal "eauty had never lacked for suitors, none had ever come u to scratch. O"viously her ladyshi was not going to ut any ru" in the way of my ;ord Helford.

%t the end of a fortnight society was still "u##ing with gossi a"out ;ord Helford's attentions to ;ady ;ucinda. He had ridden "eside her carriage in Hyde 6ark during the fashiona"le romenade. He had called twice at &tanford House and had "een admitted on "oth occasions. He had even danced the walt# with her at several "alls. ;ady &tanford had ex lained, most unconvincingly, that in her second &eason a girl might "e said to have roved herself. (y the middle of % ril most eo le regarded the match as a foregone conclusion. Helford had admittedly aid some attention to one or two other damsels, nota"ly 5iss &arah Efolliot, "ut no one was in any dou"t a"out his intentions. ;ady ;ucinda was to "e the lucky girl. =he only "et you could get odds on in the clu"s was whether Helford would o the Auestion "efore his friend 8eorge Farstares could get u his courage to offer for Darleston's sister<in<law. Heturning home one evening in early 5ay from escorting ;ady &tanford and ;ady ;ucinda to the o era, @iscount Helford found himself in a mood of intros ection. He couldn't for the life of him think why. His courtshi was going to lan. Kuite o"viously he only had to o the Auestion and he would "e sending notices to the a ers. His intended choice was everything he had sti ulated. &he had "reeding, conduct and "eauty, even a res ecta"le fortune. !hat more could he wantB He entered his recently refur"ished town house using his latch key. %n argand lam "urnt on a mar"le<to ed console ta"le su orted "y im ro"a"le s hinxes. He took u the lam and laid his o era glasses down in its lace. !hat more, indeedB He had "een startled to realise midway through the erformance of La Cenerentola that he was aying more attention to the charms of one of the chorus than to ;ady ;ucinda. =houghtfully he mounted the stairs. !ell, what of itB He had little dou"t that ;ady ;ucinda would turn a "lind eye to his amorous dealings if he were discreet and did not make her a laughing stock. O"viously she ex ected him to make her an offer, "ut it was ridiculous to su ose that there was any more sentiment on her side than his. =heir marriage would "e a "usiness arrangement for the "egetting of children, refera"ly sons, and the orderly devolution of ro erty. He reached his "edcham"er and "egan to undress. &omehow he was dissatisfied. 7ow, when he had managed everything according to lan, suddenly the lan seemed flawed. Hu""ish, he told himself sternly, as he divested himself of his "lack coat. Cou want a marriage of .convenience and that's recisely what you are getting. He threw his shirt over a chair, resolutely thrusting away the vision of 6eter and his lovely wife, who had also "een at the o era. =hey had visited his "ox at the interval, the affection "etween them a arent for anyone to see. His "reeches followed the shirt with unwonted violence. % nightshirt was laid out for him. He donned it thoughtfully. His house arty was nearly arranged. =he &tanfords were off to (righton for several weeks, "ut he had little dou"t that if an invitation to Helford 6lace were extended, ;ady &tanford would have no scru les in leaving her own s ouse to the $oys of (righton while she secured a hus"and for her daughter. He had formed the intention of aying a morning call at

&tanford House the following day to invite them. He had invited several friends, "ut ;ady ;ucinda was the only unattached female. It looked a little articular, "ut that suited his ur ose admira"ly. He sat on the edge of his enormous "ed with its extravagantly carved head"oard and "lew out the lam . It occurred to him as he lay waiting for slee that erha s he should have discreetly set u a mistress. =hat might have eased the odd feeling of dissatisfaction that haunted him. =oo late now, he was leaving town in a cou le of days to make sure all was in order for his house arty. (esides which, it was ro"a"ly time he introduced himself to his ten<year<old niece and ward, 5iss Eanny 5elville. He thrust away a feeling of guilt. %fter all, surely no one ex ected him to act as nursemaid to the child. %t ten o'clock the following morning Helford left his house in Favendish &Auare to stroll around to &tanford House in 8rosvenor &treet. He met 8eorge Farstares in 8rosvenor &Auare and hailed him with leasure. Hullo, old cha . Haven't seen much of you recently. How are youB 8eorge grinned, 7ever "etter, thank you. He a eared to "e "u""ling over with high s irits, unusual in one of his referred matutinal ha"its. Offered for &arah last night and she acce ted! Helford stared, s eechless for a moment, all his cynical, sce tical convictions flung into disarray. %n heiress, and one much sought after, had acce ted the hand of a second son with no chance of inheriting. Des ite having ex ected this for weeks, the solid fact shook his cynical soul to the core. Fongratulations, 8eorge, he said, sAuashing the unwelcome tinge of envy that arose in his "reast. He did not envy 8eorge Sarah s ecifically, $ust that look of trans arent $oy and com letion that he and Darleston radiated. 6lease wish 5iss &arah ha y for me. I will "e leaving town tomorrow. =ime I went down to Helford and sorted things out there. %nd I have a small house arty arranged for next month> as a matter of fact, I'm $ust on my way to invite ;ady &tanford and ;ady ;ucinda to grace it. 8eorge hid his horror very credita"ly. Oh! =hen)B He almost held his "reath awaiting the re ly. 7o. 7ot yet, answered Helford, correctly inter reting his friend's unvoiced Auestion. Only fair to let the girl see where she is going to live "eforehand. (esides, it will "e as well for us to s end some time together first. 5ake sure we don't annoy each other too much. I shall s eak to &tanford this morning and make sure he has no o"$ection. 7one of this gave 8eorge any comfort. =here was no way Helford could get out of making the girl an offer if he s oke to &tanford. %nd he had little dou"t that the offer would "e acce ted, if not with enthusiasm>for 8eorge could not imagine ;ady ;ucinda "eing so vulgar as to "etray such a human emotion>then with dignified good "reeding.

!ith no hint of his true feelings 8eorge said, I'll wish you luck then, old cha . 7o harm in that, he thought. (esides, if ;ady ;uck did ha en to glance in the direction of Helford 6lace, she might $ust decide to meddle! %n hour later Helford left &tanford House, determinedly aware that he had set things in train for exactly the sort of marriage he had envisaged. ;ord &tanford had given his ermission for him to address ;ady ;ucinda with a com lete lack of sur rise. ;ady &tanford and ;ady ;ucinda had acce ted his invitation to Helford 6lace with a marked degree of gratification. :verything was as he had lanned. &o why the hell did he feel as though a tra were closing a"out himB He had engineered everything himself. He had certainly not "een caught "y a scheming mama. On the contrary, he had "een totally in control of the whole situation and would remain so. He reminded himself of this freAuently on his $ourney down to Helford 6lace, until his unacknowledged excitement at coming home at last finally rose u and drowned all other thoughts in a flood of ex ectation. Indeed, he found the last art of his drive down to Helford 6lace to "e a very odd ex erience. In the ast twelve years, on the few occasions he had "een in :ngland, he had only visited ;ondon. 7ow, driving the last few miles, he found that everything was much the same as he remem"ered it. Cet he felt very differently a"out it. =he road was as rutted as ever, the hedges towering overhead crowded with ale ink dog roses and honeysuckle. =heir heady scent drifted on the light "ree#e, seeming to float sus ended in the golden aftermath of a "rief shower. 8littering dro lets "e$ewelled each "lossom so that it s arkled. =welve years ago he would not have noticed such things. =hen, if he had "een on this road heading for home, it could only have meant that he was in dun territory yet again, de ending on his "rother to give him a tow. Or to ursue his infatuation with Eelicity. He'd certainly never had any inclination to notice the "eauties of nature. He thought cynically that, at least after he'd Auitted Helford 6lace for the last time, he had learnt how to live on his ay as a soldier and his atrimony. :ven added to it "y careful investments, so that he'd "een a relatively wealthy man in his own right "efore he inherited the title. &o determined had he "een to have nothing more to do with his family that he had leant the value and handling of money. He had made good time on the $ourney. He had sent his horses forward and this final air of chestnuts he had icked u at =attersall's had "een an undou"ted "argain, rime "its of "lood and "one. 7ot Auite sixteen<mile<an<hour tits, "ut nearly so. =heir action was admira"le, forward ste ing and very easy. %nd their mouths were something to dream a"out. (etter than the "ays he had had twelve years ago, he reflected. Or erha s it was $ust that he was a "etter whi now, ca a"le of coaxing the "est from his cattle.

His mind still in the ast, he swe t around the last corner "efore the village of ;ittle Helford at a ace which he later admitted to himself to have "een far too fast. He was within two miles of home and eager to reach it. =he road was not articularly wide and the church stood $ust outside the village with the arsonage "eside it and it was from the lane "eside the church that disaster so nearly struck. He could see a female on his left walking towards him alongside the churchyard. &he looked u at the rum"le of the curricle as it a roached and he clearly saw her face turn to horror as she ran forward shouting and waving. =hen, so fast that he could never afterwards "e sure exactly what ha ened, a small "oy on a makeshift trolley came tearing out of the lane. =he trolley hit a rut in the road and fli ed over, de ositing its shrieking driver directly in the ath of the oncoming vehicle. Helford swore and hauled des erately on the reins with scant regard for his horses' delicate mouths. =he ace was too swift. &eeing in a flash that he had not the slightest chance of sto ing in time, he attem ted to yank them around, "ut they were thoroughly u set and did not res ond fast enough. Horrified, he realised that the child was going to "e killed. =hen somehow the girl was on the child and had caught him under the arm its, swinging him out of the way "efore trying to lea clear herself. &he was not Auite Auick enough to avoid a glancing "low from the shoulder of the off<side horse which sent her s inning into the ditch. =here was an a alling cracking, s lintering sound as hooves and wheels crashed over the trolley. 6etrified at what he might find, Helford ulled u his air ten yards further on. !hite and shaking, he set the "rake and flung the ri""ons to his eAually shocked tiger with a terse, Hold Dem! He vaulted down into the road and ran "ack, inex ressi"ly relieved to see the girl struggling to her feet and the small "oy trying valiantly to control his so"s. %re you hurt, girlB he sna ed, fear making his voice shar er than it might otherwise have "een. =he girl looked u at him, ru""ing her left shoulder vigorously, and he was staring into the most a ealing little face he had ever seen. &he had a warm, creamy com lexion, which $ust now was streaked with mud and "ecomingly flushedJ the nose had the merest sus icion of a tilt and more than a sus icion of freckles scattered over it. &oft "rown curls had esca ed a knot on to of her head, adding to the disarray of her erson. %nd a small, slender yet daintily rounded erson it was too, he noted, des ite the dowdy and rather sha eless grey dress she wore. Definitely what he would descri"e as a cosy armful! He felt sick in his guts as a nightmare vision of what might have ha ened rose "efore him. =he slight figure lying "roken and "attered in the mud. He closed his eyes and shook his head to dis el the thought. (ut erha s her eyes were her most startling feature. He su osed one might descri"e them as ha#el, "ut they were in reality the strangest mixture of green and "rown, fringed with the longest, thickest "lack lashes. Delicate "lack "rows arched

over them in direct contrast to the softness of the rest of her colouring. 7ever had he seen lovelier eyes. %nd never had he seen eyes Auite so angry! 7o! I am not hurt! (ut it's small thanks to you if I am not! How dare you drive at such a wic ed ace around a corner into a Auiet village! &he ositively Auivered with fury. Cou could have killed ?emmy here! &he turned on the "oy. 7ot "ut what you have "een warned often and often not to ride that trolley on to the road! Cou ought to "e ashamed of yourself. !hy, you might have hurt the horses "adly! 5y thoughts recisely, drawled Helford, relieved "eyond all measure that the little vixen was at least unharmed enough to rake them "oth down. He reached into a ocket and drew out a shilling. =ake this, ?emmy, and don't do it again or I'll warm the seat of your ants for you! &tunned at such largesse and "arely a"le to mutter his thanks and a ology, the "oy acce ted the coin and took to his heels "efore a crowd could gather. (y some miracle no one was a"out and he could entertain reasona"le ho es that his esca ade would not reach the ears of his mam who would not wait for his next infraction to warm his seat for him. :s ecially if she ever found out how close 5iss &o hie had come to "eing runned over! %mused, Helford turned "ack to the girl and said, %re you Auite sure you are>B He sto ed mid<sentence and swore. Her nose was "leeding co iously. Damn! Here, let me! He found a large silk handkerchief in his coat ocket and a lied it firmly to her nose, cu ing the other hand "ehind her head to hold her steady. &tartled eyes stared at him in outrage over his handkerchief, "ut she remained still in his gri . His fingers, threaded through the soft curls, trem"led slightly. =here was a curious familiarity in the intimacy of silken locks tum"ling over his hand in such disorder. It was far from the first time he had tangled his long fingers in such soft tresses. (ut under the circumstances he was shocked to feel a twinge of desire in his loins. Huthlessly he shackled the unwelcome thoughts and concentrated on her "leeding nose. %fter a few moments he released her carefully. =hat should do it, he said with mis laced confidence. Eor a moment the girl stood stock still and then he noticed that she was trem"ling and "reathing rather oddly. His eyes widened in horror as he realised what was a"out to ha en "ut there was no time to dodge. In sheer self<defence he gra""ed her and clam ed the handkerchief to her nose again. %aaachhhoo! =he snee#e and its effects were thoroughly extinguished "y the handkerchief, "ut he reali#ed, while trying unsuccessfully not to laugh, that this time the girl had o"viously had enough. Eirmly she took the handkerchief and removed herself from his gri . Her voice came slightly muffled from "ehind it. It's nothing! 6lease $ust go away unless you wish to see me reduced to a snee#ing ruin! (ut>D

&he cut in coldly, I am erfectly all right and I can snee#e without your assistance! 6lease go away! I am not hurt in the slightest, des ite your "est efforts, and will "e glad to see the last of you! Damn you! =he accident was not my fault! he said, stung "y her contem t. If you had stayed off the road>D ?em would "e dead! she flashed at him. I do not say he ought to have "een there, "ut had you not "een coming at such a wic ed ace you would have had time to ull u ! Did you not hear meB I called out to you to sto ! He shook his head, 7o, of course I could not hear what you were saying, you fool of a wench! =he horses and wheels were making far too much noise. In fact, I should have thought that hell<"orn "rat would have "een a"le to hear me coming and alter course! 7ow, if you are really unin$ured and reAuire no further assistance, might I suggest that you go on your way and ermit me to go on mine! !hy you)you)arrogant, conceited coxcom"! she ex loded, while still trying to staunch her nose. How dare you s eak to me like that! 7o dou"t in my osition you would have let ?em "e killed! &he was shaking with rage and Helford suddenly realised that she was close to tears. &hock, he thought. Heaction. Eor 8od's sake, man, control yourself! &he's little more than a child herself and you damned nearly killed her! 7o, I wouldn't have, he admitted ruefully. (ut lease ut yourself in my osition. I dare say I was driving too fast, "ut I was horrified when I saw the child and realised that I couldn't avoid him. Fan you imagine how I felt when I saw you go flying into the ditchB &he stared at him in shock and he continued, Fome, you are undou"tedly u set! 8o home and try to "elieve that I would have "een devastated if I had killed or in$ured either of you. I will even go so far as to thank you for s aring me such an ordeal. I)I "eg your ardon, she said stiffly. I should not have lost my tem er like that. =his grudging a ology was uttered into the "lood<"oltered handkerchief, "ut she cautiously lowered it and sniffed carefully. 7othing ha ened, so she folded the handkerchief u and held it out to him. :r, do you want it "ackB He glanced at the gruesome relic and shook his head. 7ot really! Cou kee it, in case your nose "leeds again. &he nodded and "estowed it in the ocket of her gown. He asked gently, Have you far to goB 5ight I take you u B =hank you, "ut no. I have an errand to discharge on my way home and it will take some time. 8ood day, sir. 8ood day, he res onded and stood watching as she walked away. &he did not look "ack and he wondered who the devil she was. Her s eech suggested that she was gently "orn, yet she had no maid to attend her, des ite her youth. He did not think she could "e more than twenty<three or so. O"viously she had no retensions to wealth and fashion in that gown, "ut there was a certain dignity in her "earing which even her tum"led curls and muddied face could not destroy.

6u##led, he went "ack to the curricle where his tiger was walking the mettlesome air u and down. 7o harm doneB he asked. 7one, me lord, res onded his henchman. ;eastways, not to these fellows. I'll warrant that mort'll ull u stiff tomorrow though! ;orD, she did take a tum"le! =hought she'd "e kilt fer sure when I saw what she'd "e at! His no"le em loyer grunted. It had felt as though his stomach had fallen into his "oots when he had seen the girl lea into the road for the "oy. He had fully ex ected the air of them to "e tram led to death. %nd it would have "een his fault. He had "een going far too fast! !hy the hell didn't you tell me to slow down, ?as erB he asked crossly. %cos you mostly in general damns me eyes fer it, was the very disres ectful answer. ?as er had "een in Helford's em loy since "efore he went out to the 6eninsula in *1**. He had "een in numerous scra es with his master and had actually dragged him off the "attlefield, on two occasions. His was a rivileged osition and he s oke his mind very freAuently. I dare say! 7ext time I do something this stu id, hit me on the head! growled Helford. =here was a chuckle from "ehind him, I dessay the thought of that little "it of a lass tearinD stri s off you like what she did will do the trick. ;ittle s itfire she were! =he a reciation in ?as er's voice was marked. Helford slewed around in his seat, Cou "ehave yourself, ?as er. &he's a res ecta"le lady! Cou kee yer glims on the road, me lord. Don't have to tell me she's Auality! Fould see that fer meself! Heal flesh<and<"lood Auality at that. =his last was muttered to himself. ?as er had his own o inion of ;ord Helford's choice of hel meet. Eor the life of him he couldn't think what the master was laying at. Eor his money, the little s itfire who'd raked him down in the roadway would "e a "etter choice than that there statue "ack in ;ondon. &till, that was one su"$ect where he'd do "etter to du" his mummer! =he master wouldn't take no interference there! 7ot "y a long shot he wouldn't!

'ha()er Three

5iss &o hie 5arsden wriggled her left shoulder irrita"ly. It still ached from her tum"le in the ditch two days ago. In fact, if she were to "e strictly truthful, most of her still ached. &he had woken u the following morning as stiff as a "oard. % careful examination had revealed her u er left arm and shoulder to "e "adly "ruised along with her entire left side. &ince this was where the horse had struck her and she had also managed to land on that side, the stiffness and "ruising were only to "e ex ected. !hat really "othered 5iss 5arsden was that she could not get the gentleman's face and startling eyes out of her mind. He had "een as white as a sheet as he came striding "ack to them. %nd his eyes! &he had never imagined such "la#ing green eyes. %nd it was not $ust his eyes. =he lean, owerful frame had sim ly radiated arrogant masculine strength. (ut it was the memory of his hand in her hair that was really occu ying her thoughts. =hose long fingers had tangled in her curls in a way that made her trem"le when she recalled it. Frossly she forced her attention "ack to the household accounts. ?ust "ecause she had never seen such a handsome man "efore was no excuse to "e making so many mistakes over these accounts. He was undou"tedly some traveller assing through whom she would never lay eyes on again and the Auicker she sto ed thinking a"out him the "etter. :ven if she did see him again, the chances were that he would not even recall her face and, if he did, it would ro"a"ly "e in connection with her shocking loss of tem er. Eor a few moments the accounts reigned trium hant "ut then her en slowed and her mind drifted. Eor some reason his face "othered her. &he was nearly sure that it was oddly familiar, "ut she was Auite certain that she had never met its owner "efore. Her reflections were interru ted "y the door o ening. &he turned around to see her elderly com anion, 5iss %ndrews, and their maid %nna. =he former looked distinctly a ologetic. %nna, on the other hand, sim ly looked annoyed. Oh, dear! !hat has he done this timeB asked 5iss 5arsden resignedly. Fan't find him nowhere, 5iss &o hie, asserted %nna. !e've looked everywhere anD he's gorn. :verywhereB DEraid so, 5iss &o hie. He's gorn. 5iss %ndrews said, I am truly sorry, my love. (ut I left him for no more than a moment, $ust to fetch the ;atin rimer. %nd I ut him on his honour not to leave his "ooks. %nd he still leftB &o hie was shocked.

!ell, yes, said 5iss %ndrews. (ut he took his "ooks with him. &he seemed to feel that this in some way mitigated the crime. ;ittle est! said &o hie indignantly. &he sighed, @ery well. I shall have to go and look for him. %gain. =his was the third time in a week that her or haned ten< year<old ne hew had taken Erench leave from his studies. &he shut the account "ook and stood u carefully, su ressing a curse at the soreness. &he had not mentioned her esca ade to any of her household, having a constitutional dislike of "eing fussed over. =he muddied gown had "een ex lained away as the result of a assing carriage. &everal a lications of arnica had gone a long way towards relieving the soreness, "ut she was "y no means her usual lively self and the thought of a long tram after her truant ne hew 4it did not a eal to her in the slightest. &he smiled cheerfully, realising that %nna was watching her closely. 7ever mind. I dare say a walk will "low the co"we"s away. I sim ly couldn't make my accounts add u . I shall go over them for you, then, said 5iss %ndrews, very leased to think there was something she could do to atone for her foolishness in letting 4it sli his leash. &he was vexed to think that she had not remem"ered to ut him on his honour not to leave the room. Don't you dare, =hea! &o hie was outraged. I am to have a leasant walk over to the river, where 4it is no dou"t tickling trout. !hy should you not have a morning offB =he accounts will wait. In fact, I have a very good notion a"out them. !e will make 4it tot them u as his unishment. He can do it after dinner instead of his usual laytime. 5iss %ndrews was im ressed. ;ike most small "oys 4it loathed arithmetic. (ut he would certainly a reciate the $ustice in this arrangement! Old %nna nodded sourly. Ha en he'll think twice afore he does it again. Huefully &o hie said, !e can ho e so, "ut I sus ect there is something more to this than mere small<"oy naughtiness. He doesn't even a ear to en!oy his esca es. !hen I came u with him the last time he looked lain misera"le, even "efore he saw me. Eive minutes later, clad in a light cloak, "onnet and list "oots, she was crossing the meadow "ehind the house, her skirts "rushing through the ur le clover. &everal cows glanced u at her, their $aws moving rhythmically. &he thought they must "e getting used to the sight of her "y now. 4it was making a ha"it of this. It was odd, she thought. %s she had said to %nna, he didn't seem to "e en$oying his excursions. &o why was he doing it so oftenB =he only ex lanation she could come u with was the death of her sister six months ago. %t the time 4it had "een grief< stricken, of course, "ut he had a eared to recover, if not his usual s irits, at least some sem"lance of the merry "oy he had "een. 7ow he was laying truant all the time and even seemed to resent his aunt's authority. Oh, he still o"eyed her, "ut she had the distinct im ression that he didn't want to.

!hat exactly was "ehind it all, she didn't know. He wouldn't talk to her a"out it, $ust clammed u when she tried to discuss his "ehaviour. 8ive him time, she thought. It's hard for a child to lose his mother. &he missed :mma "itterly enough herself. :ven when she had "een following the drum with her soldier hus"and, :mma had written regularly to her little sister, telling her all a"out their adventures, kee ing in touch. 7ow she was gone com letely and it would have "een her "irthday next week) &o hie fro#e. 8ood 8od! How stu id of me, she thought. !e always made such a fuss of :mma's "irthday, icking flowers, making her a resent. He's thinking a"out all that, of course. 7o wonder he's such a icture of misery. Oh, dear! !hat on earth can I doB &he continued on alongside the hedge until she came to the corner. =here was a ga . &mall enough to kee the cows in, "ut large enough for her to "rush through the tangled honeysuckle, which s illed its scent and etals down over her shoulders. ;arge enough for 4it too, she thought, noting a scra of wool caught on a twig. He's torn his stockings again! !ell, at least I know what's "othering him now. 6erha s we can do something a"out it. Insensi"ly cheered, she went on towards the river with an easy swinging stride. Her mind now largely freed of its concern, she was a"le to en$oy the walk. It was a favourite that she and her sister had often taken with 4it. Des ite this "eing rivate land, the revious @iscount Helford, from whom she had rented her house, had always made her free of it. Cou can't do much harm, he'd said in his "luff way, when he came "y to a ologise after one of his kee ers had warned the three of them off. ?ust don't let the lad fall in the river. He had waved aside their thanks. % kindly man with his green eyes and "lack hair. &he and :mma had truly mourned his death)they'd hardly ever seen his fashiona"le @iscountess) 8reen eyesB (lack hairB 8ood 8od! 7ow she knew why that face had "een so familiar! He looked $ust like his "rother. !ell, not $ust like>;ord Helford had not had that air of rakishness a"out him and he had not "een so a allingly handsome. (ut the resem"lance had "een enough to niggle at her memory. 5erciful heavens! &he had actually had the effrontery to a"use her own landlord on a u"lic road in the resence of a small "oy and one of his own servants. If he ever found out who she was, she'd "e lucky if he didn't evict her. 7o! =he denial came shar ly from an odd, secluded corner of her mind. It was inconceiva"le that he would "e so churlish. ;ittle details of their encounter assured her of that. =he look of sick terror on his face as he strode "ack, the gentle way he had held her while trying to sto her nose "leeding. =he memory of his long fingers tangled in her curls "rought a most eculiar sensation to the it of her stomach. Eirmly she dismissed it. He had "een angry enough, she thought. (ut not "ecause I nearly s lattered him with "lood! &he giggled as she saw again the dawning horror as he realised what was a"out to ha en. 7o, he hadn't cared at all! ?ust tried again to hel her. He'd even laughed.

&he felt a trifle guilty as she recalled how she had ri ed u at him. 7o wonder he'd lost his tem er with her. He wasn't to know that cologne sometimes made her snee#e. (ut he had cur"ed his anger almost immediately. Had he seen how u set she wasB =he whole affair had suddenly got home to her, making her Auite sick with delayed fear. !hen she had seen ?em's danger there had "een no time for fear. &he had acted without even thinking. Only later, when she had "een safe, had she "egun to shake and feel cold. It was always the same, she thought ruefully. &he went tail over to into action and then thought a"out the conseAuences later. :ven now) crossly she thrust the memory away. !hat a ninnyhammer, to "e trem"ling like a leaf over an avoided accident two days old! De end u on it his lordshi >she entertained no dou"ts that it had "een the new @iscount> had forgotten it already. If her memory served her correctly, then this @iscount Helford had a re utation as a considera"le rake. @ienna! =hat was it! He had "een at the :m"assy, his "rother had said. % "adly dressed country no"ody with no retensions to "eauty was hardly going to lodge in his memory. Hiding out that morning on one of his late "rother's horses, his lordshi was very far from having forgotten the encounter. He was strangely haunted "y the "usiness. He had seen death often enough in the army, horri"le lingering deaths of mangled "odies and maimed lim"s. Deaths which had "een a mercy when they came. (ut none had ever affected him as did the thought of that girl "attered "y his horses and dragged under the wheels of his curricle. He had woken the revious night in a sweat having dreamed of it. =he details were horri"ly clear and he had shuddered in relief to realise that it was merely a dream. 7ow in the "right sunshine as he cantered across his flower<starred fields he had leisure to wonder who the girl was. % lady, unAuestiona"ly. (ut whoB He had casually enAuired of his 8reat %unt 5aria a"out the various gently "orn families currently in residence, "ut none of the ersons she had enumerated tallied with his little termagant. %nd why the hell was he "othering anywayB &he could "e nothing to him. He had a lied for ermission to court ;ady ;ucinda and that should suit him admira"ly. Of course she can "e nothing to you, soothed the odd voice in his mind. (ut it would only "e olite to call on her and assure yourself that she really did take no hurt. %nd to suggest that her arents or guardians should take "etter care of her. % chit of her Auality should not "e wandering the countryside unattended. It was outrageous. =he more he thought a"out it, the more he was convinced that he should find out who she was. % movement on the far side of the hedge he was riding "eside caught his attention. He stood u in his stirru s for a "etter view and there, on the other side of the meadow, was a familiar form. He could not ossi"ly "e mistaken even at this distance. =here was something very distinctive a"out the way she moved. % suggestion of lithe grace a"out the lissom "ody. He was sur rised that the unknown girl should have so wormed her way into his thoughts.

He watched for a moment and wondered where her com anions were. He could see no one else, $ust one unattended girl heading, if his memory served him, for the river flowing "eyond that "elt of oaks. Hiding further along the hedge, he came to a ga . =urning his mare, he rode "ack a little and then ushed her into a canter. Her ears ricked daintily as she saw what he would "e at. % snort of enthusiasm told David that she was not at all averse to $um ing. 8athering her Auarters under her, she sailed over effortlessly, icking her feet u daintily. =he figure "y the far hedge had o"viously heard them. &he had sto ed and turned to see who was coming. 7ow, thought David, I can find out who she is. %nd what the hell she is doing tres assing on my land! =he thud of hooves had alerted &o hie to the fact that she was not alone even "efore the familiar chestnut mare came over the hedge. &he recognised her at once. ;ord Helford's favourite mare, 6erdita. %nd ridden "y the gentleman in the curricle. His seat on a horse was magnificent, she saw at once, and he handled the lively mare with the ease of a "orn horseman. He was o"viously coming to find out who the tres asser was so she waited, wondering if he would even recognise her. His first words settled that. Do you never take a maid with you, or a com anionB I cannot think it right for a girl your age to go a"out unattended. He had not meant to "e Auite so direct "ut somehow the words were out "efore he knew it. It must "e the eyes which unsettled him. =hey were even lovelier than he remem"ered. &o hie stiffened. He would "e Auite within his rights to castigate her for tres assing, "ut how dare he call her to account for her "ehaviour! Insuffera"le man! !ith an effort she recalled that he was her landlord and a @iscount to "oot, and that common courtesy reAuired her to su ress her natural inclination to tell him to mind his own "usiness. 8ood morning, ;ord Helford, she said sweetly. %nd o"served with leasure the $olt she had given him. He had certainly not ex ected her to know who he was. I confess, ma'am, you have the advantage of me. He acknowledged her hit with a charming smile and dismounted, drawing the "ridle over his mare's head. 6erdita, recognising a well<wisher who on numerous occasions had "estowed an a le or even sugar u on her, rom tly gave him a shove and insinuated herself "etween them, ru""ing her face against &o hie's shoulder. I see she knows you, said David drily. Damn, even his mare knew the chit! Ces, she was your "rother's favourite. !e often used to see him riding her, said &o hie, etting the mare. I was sorry to hear of his death. He was a kind man and a good landlord. David nodded. Ces, that was ?ames. Des ite his hurt over Eelicity, he had never denied ?ames's sterling AualitiesJ he had "een kind and undou"tedly he had "een a good landlord. 5ay I know your name, ma'amB he asked olitely. 5iss &o hie 5arsden. %nd>D seeing that the name conveyed nothing to his lordshi '>I live at !illow"ank House.

=hen your arents are my tenants! 7o, she corrected him gently, I am your tenant. %nd may I enAuire what 5iss 5arsden is doing on my reserves com letely unattendedB %t last he had managed to return to his original Auestion. I'm not oaching ra""its, if that's what is worrying you! she sna ed, unaccounta"ly annoyed "y his continual har ing on her solitary state. I'm not a green girl, you know. I am five and twenty and my own mistress. If you must have it, I am trying to retrieve a truant and>D this with a mischievous smile '>I have to admit it, he is ro"a"ly tickling your trout. =ickling my troutB How old is this oacherB =en, re lied &o hie. %nd you are res onsi"le for himB %n incredi"le sus icion was forming in David's mind. He could not "elieve it at first. &he seemed so sweet and innocent. (ut a "oy of ten and she was only twenty<five! He stole a glance at her left hand. 7o, it was "are of rings, he had not misheard her. He was conscious of a sickening $olt of disa ointment, swiftly followed "y anger. %nd she had known his "rother! Damn ?ames! %nd damn women, they were all the same! Eirst Eelicity and now this one! His voice, when he s oke again, was cold. I think, 5iss 5arsden, that you had "etter remain off my reserves in future. In fact, I suggest you remove yourself now and remem"er that any game I find on my land, I am a t to consider mine. &ince I am riding towards the river anyway I will send your)er)ward home. Fom letely taken a"ack "y the sudden change in his tone, &o hie stared at him in ama#ement. He had swung himself "ack into the saddle and was looking down at her with a faint air of hauteur. %nd his eyes were different somehow. =hey seemed to rove over her "ody in a manner which suggested that he)that he was stri ing her with them. &he felt a "lush rising to her cheeks. 7o one had ever looked at her like that! ?ust so, 5iss 5arsden. I shall consider you warned. If I find you here again) He smiled at her in a considering way and she suddenly realised what he was thinking. Dis"elief ro""ed her of s eech for a moment and she stood ositively ga ing at him. (efore she could recover enough to tell him exactly what she thought of his high<handed, insulting, over"earing character, he had ressed the mare into a trot and was riding away. Falling out to him that he was mistaken was unthinka"le. ;et him "elieve her a bit of game" &he ho ed he would sink through the floor in em"arrassment when he found out his mistake! David rode away conscious of mingled fury and disa ointment, trying to forget the look of startled sur rise on 5iss 5arsden's countenance, which had "een re laced "y em"arrassment. =he whole thing was o"vious enough. ?ames, dou"tless discovering Eelicity's infidelities, had set u his own mistress in !illow"ank House. It was not a large house, "ut Auite commodious enough for a woman and child. Furse it! 7o dou"t ?ames had signed the house to the wench for a long lease on easy terms, $ust so everything would look a"ove "oard. !ell, he would have to do something a"out that. He was damned if he wanted her living there!

=he thought occurred to him that he could always continue with whatever arrangement ?ames had made. 7ot a dou"t "ut what she was a dainty iece)and it would "e deucedly convenient) 7o! He didn't want ?ames's leavings! He hadn't wanted the scra s Eelicity had "een re ared to "estow u on him and he didn't want this one! %t least he didn't think he did. &he would "e en$oya"le though, he thought to himself. =hose soft, volu tuous curves would nestle against him very comforta"ly) and that tem er hinted at a assionate nature) &till considering the matter, he reached the oaks and rode into the flickering shade at a walk. % narrow ath led through the trees. He knew it well and tried to remem"er $ust how many times he had come this way as a "oy in the evening or very early morning to catch a rise on the dee ool at the "end in the river. =he mare's hooves made little sound on last year's leaves, dam from heavy rain overnight. =he trees eventually o ened out on to the river"ank. On the far side the ground was marshy and "right with yellow flag irises. =his side the "ank shelved stee ly, carved out as the river turned. Here in the dee , Auiet "ackwater the trout lay u during the day. % demoiselle dragonfly skimmed across the water and he watched "reathlessly, "ut there was no rise and the insect was gone again in a shard of "lue. He looked further along and there in the long grass was a small "oy lying on his stomach, eering over into the ool. He dismounted and, dro ing the mare's reins, walked Auietly to where the "oy was lying. His nankeens indicated that he had "een sitting in wet grass and the soft "rown curls were very familiar. % ile of "ooks lay "eside him. He had o"viously not heard anyone a roach. David looked down at the child for a moment. =here was something odd a"out the set of the child's shoulders which made him hesitate, "ut he cleared his throat warningly. =he "oy rolled over immediately and David saw in a flash that he had "een crying and also from the sur rise on his face that he had ex ected someone else. !ell, of course he did, you idiot, David castigated himself. Heavens! He had the same "lack<fringed ha#el eyes, the same curls. It was uncanny. 7othing of ?ames there. =he "oy had rolled "ack on to his stomach, Oh. I thought you were someone else. His voice was sullen. Cour mother, for instanceB suggested David sardonically. %nd immediately regretted it. =hose ha#el eyes were fronting him again with a sort of su ressed anguish. =he small shoulders shook and a "roken voice said in a whis er, Ces, "ut it's always %unt &o hie! =he river"ank heaved under David's feet. %unt &o hieB #unt &o hieB $h, my %od& #nd she saw what I was thin ing& $h, hell and the 'evil& (hat did Peter say about carrying one)s suspicions too farB &o hie 5arsden is your auntB he asked gently as he sAuatted down "eside the small figure.

Ces. I see, said David. =he resem"lance "etween you is so startling I assumed she must "e your mother. =he tear<stained face looked u , u##led. (ut how could she "eB %unt &o hie isn't married. How indeed, thought David ruefully. %nd to think I was that innocent once. I've certainly made a hash of this all right and tight! I must have "een mad. ?ames would never have taken a fifteen<year<old as his mistress! His new acAuaintance continued, I know we look alike. %unt &o hie and 5ama looked a lot alike. I s' ose I took after 5ama. I'm 4it Farlisle. David nodded, feeling his way. =here was something here that he didn't Auite understand. 5iss 5arsden was a trifle concerned a"out you. I met her coming this way and told her I'd send you home if I saw you. % sigh greeted this. Is she very angryB !ell, yes, she ro"a"ly was. (ut not with this youngster, thought David. 7ot very, I shouldn't think, he said encouragingly. Did you have reason to think she would "eB It's the third time this week that I've given %untie =hea the "ag, confessed 4it shamefacedly. &he's my governess, you know. &he left the room for a minute and ut me on my honour not to leave my "ooks) He indicated the ile of "ooks. &o I) er)"rought them with me. :nter rising, said David mildly. Cou're not crossB &hould I "eB asked David, sur rised at the Auestion. Cou don't think it was a "it meanB asked 4it hesitantly. !ell, since you mention it, I have to say it was not Auite the thing to do, acknowledged David. (ut I dare say I would have done it myself so there's ho e for you yet. He added feelingly, %nd if you never do anything worse to offend a lady then you'll "e doing well! I su ose I'd "etter go, said 4it. If %unt &o hie is looking for me) His voice trailed off and he heaved himself to his feet. !hy don't you wash your face firstB It's a little dirty, said David tactfully. He ulled out a handkerchief, reflecting that 5iss 5arsden was going to have Auite a collection if this ke t u . Heaching over to di it in the ool, he asked casually, %ny troutB 4it nodded as he scru""ed his face with the roffered handkerchief, 5mm. =hree. (ut I ut them "ack. Cou tickled three trout out of thereB David was im ressed. =hat rascally old oacher =wickenham had tried to show him as a lad how the trick was done without the least success. !ho taught you thatB

4it looked rather conscious. I s' ose I shouldn't say. =hey're your trout, aren't theyB !hat makes you say thatB 8ood 8od, the "oy was as Auick as his aunt! !ell, I know 6erdita and you look like ;ord Helford a "it. (esides, I met your "ailiff, Hurley, on the way and he said you were out riding, so it wasn't very hard, ex lained 4it. I see, said David, amused. !ell, yes, I am ;ord Helford and I su ose they are my trout, strictly s eaking, and if you refuse to denounce the old scoundrel who taught you to tickle my trout I can only res ect your discretion. 4it looked at him carefully. Does that mean you don't mindB 5indB Of course I mind! said David. I tried to tickle these trout for years and never caught one. 6oor old =wickenham was ashamed of so clumsy a u il! =wickenham! (ut>D 4it sto ed himself at once. Cou needn't tell me, said David. If =wickenham's still alive I have no dou"t that he was your master. Cou tell the old scoundrel I still can't tickle a trout when next you see him! % chuckle greeted this. Cou can't "e as "ad as %unt &o hie. &he fell in when I tried to show her. Did she, indeedB David tried to ignore the vision of %unt &o hie in a wet and clinging gown, which rom tly resented itself to his imagination for minute ins ection. If you must "e going, would you care for a ride homeB he asked. &ince you and 6erdita are acAuainted I will resume on her good nature. Is it out of your wayB asked 4it, o"viously trying not to look too eager. 7ot in the slightest. Cou have reminded me that I have an errand to your aunts, ex lained David, thinking that he certainly owed one of the lad's aunts an unconditional and grovelling a ology. %untie =hea isn't really my aunt, you know. I $ust call her that, said 4it. =hey walked over to the mare and David swung himself into the saddle and held a hand down to 4it. 6ut your foot on mine and u with you. 4it scram"led u easily enough and they set off "ack through the oak wood and across the meadows. 4it did not seem to "e in the least in awe of a viscount and chattered away to David a"out the wildlife to "e found around and a"out. =o David's sur rise he en$oyed the ex erience enormously. Fhildren had not hitherto come much in his way. 7aturally one had to have them to carry on the family name and title, "ut it had never occurred to him that they might "e rewarding in themselves. Fertainly the stiffly olite 5iss Eanny 5elville had not given him any such inkling. 6erdita's steady trot covered the distance very easily and as they ushed through the ga into the cow field "ehind !illow"ank House a slim figure could "e seen mounting the stile which led into the garden. =here she is, said 4it. He called out, %unt &o hie, here I am!

=he figure turned at once and even at that distance David could see her stiffen in shock. Hold tight, he said and ushed the mare into a canter. (y the time they reached her &o hie was standing on the lowest ste of the stile, her face set and watchful. 7othing could have eAualled her sur rise at seeing 4it with his lordshi . Her first assum tion, that my lord must "e taking the Auickest way to remove an unwanted tres asser from his land, was Auickly dis elled "y a look at 4it's face. He was o"viously Auite ha y with his com any. % further look at ;ord Helford's face told her that he was erfectly aware that he had made an a alling gaffe and was thoroughly ashamed and vexed with himself. !ell, far "e it from me to make it easy for him, thought &o hie savagely. %rrogant "east! &he was the first to s eak. =hank you for the return of my ward, sir. %s you see, I am off your reserves. =he icy oliteness of her voice s oke volumes for all the things she would have liked to say, "ut was revented from uttering "y the circumstances. 7ot for a moment did David delude himself that either her good manners or his own high degree were in any way cram ing her style. =he only defence "etween himself and another sam le of 5iss 5arsden's tem er was erched on his saddle "ow. I'm)I'm awfully sorry, %unt &o hie, said 4it. %nd ;ord Helford had thought she wasn't very angry! 4it had never seen his merry aunt in such a elter. Her face softened slightly as she looked at him, @ery well. Cou had "etter go inside and re eat your a ology to =hea. %nd after dinner you can hel me with my accounts since I had to leave them to come after you. 4it slid to the ground with a grimace. =rust %unt &o hie to come u with that. Ces, ma'am. He grinned u at David. =hank you, sir. 8ood"ye. He swarmed over the stile and ran off to the house. If %unt &o hie wasn't cross with him, who was she cross withB It couldn't "e ;ord Helford. &he'd only $ust met him. (esides, he was a great gun! 5iss &o hie 5arsden was left confronting the man she couldn't ossi"ly "e cross with and said, 7aturally I will remove myself from your side of the stile. 8ood day, my lord. =hose dark eyes were showing more green than "rown fend they were narrowed to "la#ing slits. David swallowed and "egan his a ology with all the air of a man leading a forlorn ho e. 5iss 5arsden, I)er)I made a frightful mistake. %nd I "eg you to acce t my rofound a ologies for the>D He was cut off shar ly. Cour a ology is of not the slightest interest to me, sir! sna ed the lady. I have nothing "ut contem t for anyone with such a horridly common lace mind as to assume)to assume)what you assumed. %nd furthermore, even if I were a "it of game, as you so o"ligingly im lied, you are the last man alive to whom I would consider granting my favours! How dare you say such a thing to me! ex loded David in outrage. 7oB asked &o hie, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. !ould you refer me to tell you that I am very disa ointed and should "e charmed to entertain your dishonoura"le ro osalsB Have you never had a female refuse you "eforeB

David glared at her. Of course not! He sto ed, aware of her incredulous ga#e. (loody hell! !hat was he sayingB How very gratifying for you, my lord! she said, atently disgusted. I am delighted to think that I have enlarged your ex erience so easily! Damn your eyes! He was really furious now at having made such a cod's<head of himself. !hat I meant was that a young lady of "irth and virtue, which I assume you to "e, should not say such things! 7ot even know of such things! I have a ologised for mis$udging you! %nd of course you would know a vast deal a"out ro er young ladies, my lord, retorted &o hie sarcastically. &he snorted in a very unladylike way and continued, I've no dou"t that you $udged me on exactly the same "asis as you $udge your mistresses! %nd if you had any thought that I might "e ersuaded to $oin their ranks you can think again! =his was of course exactly what he had done, "ut to hear it said o enly, and "y a delicately "red girl who should have known nothing of such things, was a salutary ex erience for his lordshi . =he outrageous little termagant! He told himself that he was shocked, or ought to "e. (ut he was conscious of a ri le of amusement and, damn it all, admiration for the little s itfire ri ing u at him. %ll I have to say, continued &o hie, who had already said more than enough, is that your mista e says a great deal more a"out you than it does a"out me&* Cou little vixen! said David, even more outraged. !hat does a chit like you know of my way of lifeB !ell, I can see when I am outgunned! 5iss 5arsden, I will leave you to recover your tem er and will call u on you in a few days' time. I trust "y then you will "e in a way to forgiving me and will deign to receive me. &o hie glared at him from the stile, a slender form fairly "ristling with indignation, even down to the eyelashes. &ince you are my landlord I can hardly refuse! He was turning the mare, "ut he sto ed at that and held her furious eyes with his. On the contrary, 5iss 5arsden. His dee voice was very grave. If you feel that you refer not to receive me after the insinuations I made and the very im ro er way I s oke to you, then I will res ect your rivacy. Cou need have no fear that it will in any way affect your residence at !illow"ank House. He rode away without giving her time to re ly, "ut sto ed and looked "ack. Oh. %cce t my com liments on your ne hew. %nd tell him he needn't "other utting the trout "ack next time. He's a fine lad and you are "oth welcome on my reserves at any time. !ithout re$udice, of course. &he stared after him in considera"le, confusion. 7ever had she "een so u##led "y a man in all her life. Erom all she had ever heard of him he was the most dangerous of rakes "ut until he had considered her a)a lights irt, to use a hrase culled from her military "rother<in<law, she had felt erfectly safe with him. 9nless, of course, you counted the fact that he had nearly run her over. Only when he had thought her a wanton had his manner changed and the way he looked at her. #s though I were a filly up for auction!

&he suddenly realised that she was still watching his lordshi ride off through the cow asture. Eurious with herself, she $um ed off the to of the stile into the garden and stalked towards the house. &he wondered what he had thought when 4it had revealed their true relationshi . Her ready sense of humour could not "e denied and a choke of laughter had to "e instantly su ressed. He must have "een mortified! &erved him right. Odious, arrogant)ooh! =here were no words "ad enough to descri"e him to her satisfaction! %nd as for his insuffera"le charity in assuring her that she had nothing to fear in refusing to receive him! Had he threatened her with eviction she would have denied herself on rinci le. 7ow she would have to admit him! 5iss 5arsden entered the house via the kitchen, where she found %nna industriously kneading "read dough. %nna took one look at her mistress's stormy face and decided not to comment. It was lain enough that 5iss &o hie had had words with the gentleman. %nna had a good view of the stile through the kitchen windows and she had seen 5iss &o hie on one of its ste s and the tall gentleman on horse"ack who'd delivered 5aster 4it. 5ust "e his lordshi , surmised %nna. ;ooked like the old one, anyways. 5iss =hea has took 5aster 4it into the "ookroom to continue his lessons, 5iss &o hie, said %nna cautiously. 8ood, said &o hie shortly and left the kitchen without another word. =he old woman smiled resignedly to herself. 7ot often 5iss &o hie got into a tweak, "ut when she did all the storm warnings went u . Fome to think of it, %nna couldn't remem"er when a mere man had managed to ut her all on end. 5iss &o hie took little enough notice of men one way or another. !hich was a ity in %nna's o inion "ecause if ever a "etter<natured, sweeter, rettier lass deserved a good hus"and, %nna had yet to meet her. Her gnarled old hands automatically formed the "read into loaves and she ut them "y the fire to rise. %h, well. =here was time yet for 5iss &o hie to meet a real gentleman. One who wouldn't mind her having 5aster 4it to rovide for.

'ha()er +our

5y ;ord Helford rode home in a state of considera"le vexation. 7ot only, it must "e said, with 5iss 5arsden, "ut with himself. He could not think what had come over him to lea to such an unwarranted and insulting conclusion, the little vixen was right,. It did say something a"out him. %"out his way of life and attitudes. He wondered if she would receive him when he called. He wouldn't ut it ast her to have a servant deny her. %nd he wouldn't "lame her either. ;ord, when he thought of how he had allowed his eyes to run over her "ody, making it Auite clear that he was assessing all her charms and ossi"ilities! ;ittle wonder she was so angry with him. &till, it was the outside of enough that she should sus ect him of wishing to make her his mistress now that he knew his mistake, even if that thought had "riefly resented itself to him. Eirmly he re ressed the delecta"le fantasy this thought con$ured u . Eor heaven's sake! He had caused enough trou"le without indulging in erotic fancies which were not only insulting to the lady, "ut were also guaranteed to cut u his eace. He had to come u with some way to make his romised visit to her erfectly unexce tiona"le and demonstrate that he did not view her as a ros ective mistress. It was a moot oint as to who was in most need of the demonstration, 5iss 5arsden or himself. &till annoyed with himself, he handed the mare over to ?as er when he reached the sta"les with "arely a grunt of thanks. His henchman said nothing aloud, rightly assessing his master's mood as dangerous. (ut as he ut the mare "ack in her stall he muttered to himself, On the fidget De is! 5ove over, lass. =here'll "e trou"le over this 'ouse arty, me girl. 5ark my words. Fan't see Dim settlin' down to a cold oultice for a wife. 7ot no how! !ith this very unflattering descri tion of ;ady ;ucinda %nstey, he removed the saddle from the mare's steaming "ack and glared at the sta"le lad who had dared to ee over the half<door. %nd what might you "e wantinD, 5aster 7oseyB 7)nothinD, sir! disclaimed the "oy hastily. =hought you was callin' fer summat, that's all. It took ;ord Helford time to hatch out a lan to make it Auite clear to 5iss 5arsden that he was not lanning to seduce her. !hen the solution finally occurred to him, he wondered where his wits had gone "egging, it was so o"vious. % dry voice in the "ack of his mind suggested that he might have thought of it all the sooner, had he "een a"le to concentrate all his mind on the ro"lem, rather than dwelling on the lady's fine eyes and leasing form.

%ccordingly, three days later, my ;ord Helford rode out of the main entrance to Helford 6lace with his niece, 5iss Eanny 5elville, trotting "eside him. In his "rief acAuaintance with her, ;ord Helford had come to the conclusion that his ward was far from "eing the meek little girl he had originally thought. =hat was merely a facade for an a"undance of mischief and energy. In David's o inion, she needed taking in hand "y someone who would stand no nonsense. He had no turn for children, "ut he su osed that as the child's guardian he should take some res onsi"ility for her> which was another good reason to marry a woman of "irth and "reeding as Auickly as ossi"le. =hen she could su erintend Eanny's u "ringing! He wondered how 5iss 5arsden would receive him. In the time since their last encounter he had managed to find out a little a"out her. His 8reat %unt 5aria had known all a"out 5iss 5arsden, of course. :ven seemed to a rove of her, which did not sur rise him in the slightest. ;ady 5aria was one of the most outrageous women he had ever known. &o hie 5arsdenB she had "arked in answer to his very casual Auery over the dinner ta"le. Of course I know her. 8ood gal. 7one of your sim ering niminy< iminy modern misses, that one! &he and her sister took !illow"ank House a"out two years "ack. &ister died last year. &o hie's got the "oy in ward. I see, said David, understanding a great deal. 7o wonder young 4it had looked so devastated when he had suggested that his mother was looking for him. 8ot a "it of money, continued the old lady. &he don't lack for admirers, "ut I dou"t she'll acce t any of them. =he way the money's tied u , her hus"and will assume control if she marries and she's determined to rovide for the "oy. =hat 8arfield's dangling after her, "ut she'd "e a fool to have him, "oy or no "oy. Cou may our me another glass of wine. 8arfieldB asked David, o"eying this last "ehest. &ir 6hili 8arfieldB Eellow who called here yesterdayB 8ood 8od, he must "e forty<five if he's a day! &omehow the thought of the gross &ir 6hili making u to 5iss 5arsden revolted him. 7evertheless, he found it hard to "elieve that 5iss 5arsden would not eventually succum" to such an offer. !hat female in her osition would notB His distaste showed in his voice and ex ression. His great<aunt gave a cynical "ark of laughter, !hat the devil has his age got to do with itB He's still a man, ain't heB %nd why should you worryB (esides, &o hie's not that stu id. &he'll never take him! =he conversation drifted on to the coming house arty, ;ady 5aria only snorting disagreea"ly once or twice when she heard the ro$ected guest list. It did not sur rise her. &he had her own sources of information. &he at once realised the significance of the inclusion of ;ady ;ucinda and her mama, "ut for"ore to comment. %fter all, she had set him on this ath, even if he had taken her remarks a"out duty a little too much to heart. %nd afterwards, when she retired for the night, she muttered to herself, &o he's met &o hie 5arsden. !ell, she'd "e a damned sight "etter than that retentious chit of &tanford's! 7ot that ;ady 5aria had ever met ;ady ;ucinda, "ut the descri tion she

had dragged from her recent morning visitor, 6enelo e Darleston, had confirmed all her worst fears. ;ord, what maggot had the "oy taken into his head nowB %ll these years he had avoided marriage and now he was setting himself u for the sort of union that would "ore him senseless. %nd would do nothing to remove that ex ression of scornful cynicism that masked the daredevil, laughing "oy she remem"ered. ;ady Darleston had tried very hard not to say anything derogatory, "ut her stilted re lies and olite evasions to ;ady 5aria's searching Auestions had told their own story. =he redou"ta"le old lady had ended "y saying, !ell, if she's anything like %urelia &tanford I shall remove to the Dower House. %nd my fool of a ne hew has invited them here for a house arty, you sayB ;ord! =he end of it will "e that he's "een so articular in his attentions that he'll have to offer for the chit. !hat the devil ossessed you to resent him to herB 6enelo e had disclaimed all res onsi"ility. I can assure you it wasn't my idea. He reAuested the introduction. Damned fool that he is! said ;ady 5aria roundly. !ell, at least the Dower House is vacant. =here's little enough I can do. &he recalled this conversation as her maid readied her for "ed. &o hie 5arsden, ehB David might think to ull the wool over her eyes, "ut she'd seen the recoil of horror when she mentioned 8arfield's interest in the girl. Hah! ;ike a dog with a "one! &he settled herself into her enormous feather "ed and "lew out the candle, chuckling whee#ily to herself as she thought of the dance 5iss 5arsden would lead her ne hew. %nd wondered what she could do to further it. On reflection she concluded that she could do very little, exce t sit "ack and watch. %nd ray. David took his niece around "y the road through ;ittle Helford to !illow"ank House. He found it difficult to know what to say to her. &he seemed outwardly Auiet and self<contained, "ut David had already discovered that when she didn't get her own way the screams were ears litting. Erom all he could discover her nurse usually gave in to her, a tactic David heartily de lored. &he rode well enough and David commented on this. Cou sit very well, Eanny. If you would care for it, I will take you to watch a meet next hunting season. Fan I follow the houndsB she asked at once. David groaned inwardly. !hy the hell hadn't he seen that one comingB He said cautiously, Cou'll have to ask the 5aster. It's for him to say who may follow. :ven I have to o"ey him on the hunting field. He wondered if his niece would actually ask &ir 6hili 8arfield who was the local 5.E.H. !hyB asked 5iss Eanny. Cou're aD @iscount. &ir 6hili is only a (aronet. If you tell him I'm to follow, then he has to let me. =his was said with an air of calm certainty which took David's "reath away. 5ore than ever he was convinced that the child had to "e taken in hand. =here was something grating in her cool assum tion of su eriority. He ho ed to 8od that his own children would not develo it. He changed the su"$ect neatly. !ould you care to canter, EannyB !e will have to ractise that if you are to follow hounds one day.

5iss Eanny "eing leased to fall in with this suggestion, the final half<mile to ;ittle Helford was accom lished without further conversational Auagmires. 5indful of the last time he had gone through the village, David slowed his unwilling charge down to a walk as they a roached the first houses. !hy must we slow down, 9ncle DavidB (lossom isn't tired. !e can canter for much longer than that. Eanny was seriously considering kicking her ony into a canter to esta"lish her inde endence when she encountered her uncle's level ga#e. EannyB Ces, sirB Don't even think a"out it. =hey walked their mounts through the village, res onding to olite greetings and tugged forelocks. =he villagers all knew 5iss Eanny and Auite a num"er remem"ered David from his youth. In articular one ga""y old fellow seated outside the inn hailed him with great leasure, !ell! If it ain't little 5aster David. %nD they tell me ye still can't guddle a fish! =wickenham! Cou old rogue, and you're still catching Dem too young "y all accounts. David lea t down from his saddle and held out his hand to the rascally old oacher. D=is a sight "etter nor not catchin' Dem at all, me lord! =wickenham took the hand held out to him in a gnarled gri . %h, it took him "ack, so it did, seeing this lad again! 5akes me feel an old man seein' you all growed u . 8ammon! said David. I must have "een at least two and twenty when last I saw you. !ere ye nowB =wickenham grinned. I'll tell Dee summat, lad. !hen ye're my age, two and twenty don't seem all that growed u ! 7or five and thirty, I dare say, said David with a grin. 7ot so's ye'd notice, chuckled the old man. 7ow you "e off. Ce're kee inD the little lass waitin' anD that'll never do. David glanced at Eanny who had remained mounted. &he had a remarka"ly wooden ex ression on her face. Eanny, have you met =wickenham "eforeB 7o. &he sounded startled. !ell, he is a very old friend of mine and I should like you to know him, said David firmly. How do you doB said 5iss Eanny, meeting a notorious criminal for the first time. @ery well, missy, answered the old man, lifting his ca to her solemnly. I kin tell fine ye)re a 5elville. HowB she asked in sur rise. &ame green eyes, same retty hair, oD course. (ut ye sit a ony like ye growed there. David watched in ama#ement as his stiff little ward actually "lushed scarlet

with leasure at the old scoundrel's com liment. %nd =wickenham was right, the child was all 5elville. He realised that he didn't find himself constantly reminded of Eelicity "y her daughter. %nd felt ashamed that this very fear had ke t him from doing his duty to ?ames's daughter for over a year. =hank you, she said shyly. Fome along, Eanny, said David as he remounted, still reeling under the revelation of the old man's comment. !e have still to call on 5iss 5arsden. =wickenham ricked u his ears, FallinD on 5iss &o hie, are yeB !ell, ye'll find her and the lad in the churchyard. ;ayin' flowers they are on oor 5istress Farlisle's grave. &aw Dem go in twenty minutes "ack. %rmed with this information, David led Eanny along to the lych<gate which o ened into the churchyard. &ure enough, there were 5iss 5arsden and 4it standing "eside a small tom"stone not far from the gate. % small osy of yellow flag irises and wild guelder rose lay on the grave. He could hear 5iss 5arsden's voice reading softly from the "ook she held. (ho shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in +is holy place" +e that hath clean hands and a pure heart. (ho hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully) David listened, entranced. =he music of the words and the loving warmth in the girl's gentle voice washed over him in waves of eace. He thought guiltily that he had not yet even "een to see his mother's tom", let alone laid flowers on it. In fact, he had "arely known his fashiona"le mother. He had gone to school at the age of eight and she and his father had freAuently "een away in his holidays. !hen he had received the tidings of her death six years ago he had "een sorry, "ut not grief<stricken. He had long forgiven her for suggesting Eelicity as a suita"le "ride for ?ames. % sudden ain shot through him at the thought that he had never cared for his mother as this "oy so o"viously had for his. Had never "een given the chance. %h, "ut then you can't "e hurt, he told himself coldly. Or have the memory, another gentler voice said. 5iss 5arsden had finished the salm and was s eaking to 4it. I think that one descri"es her, don't youB David's heart twisted as he heard the love in her voice. %nd she will love the flowers>you gave them to her every "irthday. David wondered what his mother's favourite flowers had "een. Had he ever knownB Had he ever gone out on her "irthday and "rought some in for herB !ould she have a reciated a osy of flowers culled with love from the hedgerowB He found himself ho ing that his children would love their mother with this de th. =he vision of ;ady ;ucinda seemed to $ar with this. He watched dum"ly as 4it nodded and sli ed his hand "riefly into 5iss 5arsden's. &uddenly he thought that this was an intensely rivate moment and that he should not intrude, "ut it was too late. =he lad straightened his shoulders and turned to look directly at David and Eanny. &ur rise, then leasure, re laced the sadness in his eyes.

He came forward at once, saying, 8ood afternoon, my lord. Hullo, Eanny. &o hie s un around and nearly fell over. !hat was he doing hereB &he followed 4it through the gate, her thoughts in a whirl. 8ood afternoon, 5iss 5arsden, said David with a smile which warmed his eyes. :r)may I resent my niece, Eanny, to youB Eanny, this is 5iss 5arsden and her ne hew 4it. !e've met "efore, said &o hie with a faint smile. How do you do, EannyB &he had reviously thought his lordshi 's "rilliant eyes rather cold. 7ow she erceived her mistake. =hey were ositively glowing in a way which gave his chilly, handsome face even more charm. David was sur rised at the evident leasure with which his niece greeted 5iss 5arsden and her ne hew. Flearly she liked them. He dismounted and handed his reins to 4it, saying, 6erha s you would o"lige me "y leading 6erdita. I am going to escort you and your aunt home. Eanny, if you will romise me on your honour to stay "eside 4it, then you may ride ahead of me. (ut you must solemnly romise to remain in a walk. Otherwise you won't ride for a week. Eanny had o ened her mouth to rotest "ut David said, &ave your "reath, child. !hatever may work with your nurse, it won't fadge with me. %nd if you start one of your vulgar dis lays here, I'll ut you over my knee and s ank you. Horrified at the thought of "eing u"licly humiliated, Eanny gave her romise and rode off "eside 4it. Heaving a sigh of relief, David looked down at 5iss 5arsden, still with that glow in his eyes, and said, I was coming to call on you. I didn't intend to intrude like this, "ut once 4it saw us, well, I wouldn't like either of you to think I was cutting your acAuaintance. &he did not re ly and he continued, Cou may, of course, still refer to cut mine, "ut I wish you won't. He waited for her re ly, ama#ed to find that it mattered enormously to him. Eor some reason he could not fathom, he very much wanted this outs oken chit to revise her first unfavoura"le im ression of him. =he dark eyes glanced u at him "riefly. &o hie was hard ut to it to understand her reaction to this man. His dee soft voice was like a caress. &he felt for all the world like a cat having its fur stroked at the sound. His eyes, which the other day had stri ed her naked, now smiled at her understanding , "ut she still felt wary. &omething dee within her screamed that this man was dangerous to her. =here a eared to "e something seriously amiss with her lungs, which seemed inca a"le of erforming their function with any degree of certainty. %nger at her own missishness steadied her. &he would not "ehave like a silly fluttering de"utante $ust "ecause Helford chose to converse with her. I can't think why you should wish for my acAuaintance, my lord, she said "luntly. %t least, I can, "ut since>D He cut her short. Of course, I always resent my niece to girls I lan to set u as my mistress. =here was an unmistaka"ly teasing note in his dee tones.

&o hie glared u at him "ut reined in her tem er. =hat was my "ut, sir! she said sweetly. Des ite your re utation, which I am afraid I know all a"out, I never heard anyone descri"e you as Auite that outrageous. &o I feel moderately safe in your com any. Do you, indeedB said David astringently. I su ose I ought to "e flattered. 7ot in the least, said &o hie. I am merely doing you the courtesy of assuming that you can on occasion conduct yourself in a mode "efitting a gentleman. !hy, you little hornet! said David, amusement warring with outrage. I'll have you know that I always conduct myself as "efits a gentleman! =hen my first im ressions were Auite off and I am erfectly safe, said &o hie "landly. %nd since 4it seems to think you are, as he ut it, aa right one, I have not the heart to disa"use his mind of such an error of $udgement. I see, said David wryly. He decided to change the su"$ect. Do you often lay flowers on your sister's graveB He saw the solitary tear sli down one cheek to "e hastily wi ed and felt his guts wrench at the ain in her face. =his, then, was what it was to care too dee ly! =oday was my sister's "irthday, said &o hie sim ly. 4it has "een laying truant rather freAuently and I thought that if we could do something to get him to talk a"out :mma it might hel him to tell me what is "othering him. I should have thought that was retty lain to see, returned David. Ces, I know he misses her, said &o hie. (ut why has he suddenly "egun to resent meB &he ru""ed her nose thoughtfully. %t least, not resent recisely. I can't Auite descri"e it and I can't think why I am saying any of this to you at all! &he finished in a rush and walked on in silence, em"arrassed to have "urdened him with her concerns. David said nothing. He was conscious of an odd desire to hel 5iss 5arsden, who was far removed from the outraged girl he had insulted the other day. %nd he could not remem"er ever having wanted to hel a woman "efore in his entire life! %t least, not with a ro"lem of this nature! 6ecuniary ro"lems were another matter. =he only emotional ro"lem his mistresses ever laid claim to was "eing in love with him. %nd that was definitely their ro"lem to solve. 7ot his. &trangely, he could understand her s eaking what was on her mind. O"viously her softened mood was engendered "y the circumstances and the feelings were too close to the surface to "e hidden. (ut why the hell did he want to do something a"out itB It was none of his "read and "utter. &tay out of it, he told himself firmly. Cou should have as little to do with this girl as ossi"le! Des ite this excellent advice, something suddenly occurred to him. !hat had 4it said "y the river the other dayB &omething a"out ex ecting his mother and)oh, come on)what did he say)ex ecting his mother and) and it was always %unt &o hie! Cou look like your sister, don't youB he asked at length. &he nodded. Ces. %nyone could tell we were sisters. 4it looks like "oth of us. !hyB

I think it "others the "oy, said David slowly. He told her what 4it had said. =here was silence while she thought it out. He noticed with an odd clarity that she again ru""ed her nose in that a ealing way. =hen if he is retending that :mma is still alive) she said hesitantly, still working it through. %nd)and coming to find him)then there is that awful moment when he realises that she is dead after all)' %nd you look like her, finished David. !hich makes it worse, said &o hie with catch in her voice. 6oor little cha . !ell, at least now I know. =hank you, ;ord Helford. I don't think I would have thought of that. His understanding, the mere fact that he had remem"ered what 4it had said, ama#ed her. !ell, he might "e a dangerous rake "ut he had a kind heart. David himself was startled at the ease with which he had seen the ro"lem. He was even more startled at the fact that for a moment he had felt her anguish as a knife twisting inside him. =hey walked on in a com aniona"le silence for a while. It was rather leasant, thought David, to "e with a female who didn't strain every nerve to entertain him with vivacious chit<chat. If 5iss 5arsden had something to say then she said it, "luntly. Otherwise she seemed content to hold her eace. 6eace was the last thing that &o hie was conscious of. &he found Helford's Auiet resence "y her side extremely distur"ing. &he had no illusions a"out what he had "een thinking the other day. &he su osed that, since he had acknowledged his mistake and a ologi#ed, she would have to forgive him. !hat she found far harder to forgive was the fact that his s eculative glance had awakened all sorts of immodest and dangerous imaginings. !hat would it "e like to)B 7o! &he must not think of it! It was wrong! Kuite im ro er! %nd it terrified her. =he sound of the children's voices floated "ack to them, rather stilted at first "ut "ecoming more and more vociferous as they found a su"$ect in common. Horses. David grinned as he heard Eanny telling 4it how high she could $um now. &he's exaggerating $ust a little, he informed &o hie in a teasing undertone. 5y headgroom won't let her attem t anything over two foot six yet, so three feet is a distinct "ouncer. 4it is romancing a little too, admitted &o hie, with a chuckle. =hat seventeen hand colt he's $ust mentioned is Earmer 8illies's new cart horse. I'm afraid he hasn't got his own ony. %nd 5egs, the mare I have for the gig, is far too lively for a "eginner. He's tried to ride her a cou le of times and she uts him straight over her head. &he's hardly ever ridden anyway and I only have a lady's saddle so he has to ride "are"ack. David thought that 5iss 5arsden's finances must "e rather straitened, "ut said nothing. &ym athy would smack of atronage and condescension which she would resent mightily. He had the distinct im ression that she was still not Auite easy in his com any. Eor some reason he could not fathom, he wanted her to feel comforta"le with him.

!ould you like him to rideB he asked cautiously, the seeds of an idea s routing in his head. 7aturally yes, said &o hie wistfully. (ut I cannot afford the u kee of another horse. %t least I could, "ut I try to ut money aside for when he must go to school and to add to our rinci al, you see. &o, no ony, unless I sell 5egs and "uy another, "ut we are rather fond of her. &he cli ed her li s together firmly. I'm doing it again! It's none of his "usiness and he can't ossi"ly "e interested. %ll she could think of was that going to :mma's grave had released a need to talk, a need to share some of her "urden. % need she had not hitherto recognised. David nodded thoughtfully. =hen that makes it easier for me to ask for your hel . &o hie sto ed and stared at him. 5y hel B !hat do you think I could do for youB Kuite a lot, thought David as he looked down at her u turned face. He tried not to imagine what it would "e like to cu that face in his hands and kiss her, feel that soft mouth o en under his and hold her in his arms as he dee ened the kiss. He wondered what she would taste like and had to give himself a mental shake. ,ou have presented your niece to her& She is off limits! 5y lordB Is something wrongB Her concerned voice recalled him to reality. =he "lack<fringed eyes were u##led and a slight frown knotted her smooth "row. 8ood 8od! !hat was he thinking of, that he wanted to smooth the frown away with a caressing fingerB Eanny needs com any of her own age and a woman of her own class to give her some much<needed guidance, he ex lained. I wondered if you would consent to have her at !illow"ank House for, shall we say, an afternoon a weekB He rushed on "efore she could answer. I realise that it is an a alling im osition, so what you say a"out 4it makes it easier. In return, I will "ring Eanny this way for a ride once a week with her second ony and take 4it out with us. He waited for her re ly, wondering why the devil he had made such a suggestion. !hy on earth did he want to do something for 4itB !as it $ust to show this im ossi"le chit that he could "ehave like a gentlemanB &how her that she was wrong a"out himB =hat must "e it. He ignored an ironic voice in his mind which assured him that 5iss 5arsden's ithy and unflattering reading of his character was not, after all, so very wide of the mark. &o hie was stunned. !hat did he imagine she could teach 5iss Eanny 5elvilleB !hy not a governessB !hat a"out ;ady 5ariaB !hy not find a little girl for the child to lay withB %ll these Auestions and more !hirled in her "rain. In some confusion she tried to ex lain all this to him. He cut her short. I know. (ut I want someone who isn't "eholden to me in any way. &omeone who will have no Aualms in handing out a "it of disci line when necessary. Her governess, 5iss Harris, is a meek creature and doesn't stand a chance, "ut I haven't the heart to dismiss her. &he is old and would "e unlikely to find another osition. I could ension her off, "ut she tells me she would refer to "e working. %unt 5aria says herself that Eanny needs the attention of someone younger. %s for

finding a girl for her to lay with, nothing could "e easier, "ut I would like her to "e with a child who won't take any of her tantrums. 4it won't. I shall have to ask 4it, said &o hie. %fter all, he is the one who will have to do most of the entertaining! :r)you do reali#e, my lord, that 4it's afternoons are s ent mostly in such ursuits as fishing, clim"ing trees and laying cricket when he can ersuade me to "owl. I have no intention of sitting him down to learn sewing or domestic economy. :xcellent. said David. Do her the world of good. %sk 4it "y all means. (y the time they reached !illow"ank House the details had "een thrashed out. On 5ondays Eanny would come over in the afternoon for two or three hours, and on =hursdays David would collect 4it after lunch and take the two children riding. He suggested that 5iss 5arsden might like to $oin them, "ut she declined firmly and refused to "udge. It would start a great deal of gossi if I were to do that, my lord, she said "luntly. Cou may "e immune or indifferent to gossi , "ut as a single woman I am not! He took her oint. =he last thing he wanted to do at the moment was stir u gossi . It would "e fatal to his matrimonial lans. (y this time they were at the front gate. !ould you care for some refreshment, my lordB asked &o hie olitely. % glass of cowsli wineB % cu of teaB %nd I have little dou"t we can run to a slice of lum cake. Fowsli wineB David "lanched. 8ood heavens! !ho makes itB 7o! said &o hie stiffly. %nd it is erfectly alata"le, if a trifle alcoholicD David laughed, @ery well, the cowsli wine it shall "e. ;et's ho e I don't end u in my cu s! &o hie o ened the front gate, saying, I shall give you half a glass $ust in case. %lthough, she Aui##ed him, I should have thought you were well a"le to carry your wine! (aggage! he said in amusement, noting in some sur rise that when she smiled, an utterly fascinating dim le ee ed at the corner of her mouth, sim ly "egging to "e kissed. !hy the hell hadn't he noticed the dim le earlierB He must "e going "lind. Kuite unaware of the tem tation she was resenting, 5iss 5arsden merely laughed. 4it, why don't you take Eanny around to look at the new ducklings on the streamB %re we sto ing, 9ncle DavidB !hat a"out the horsesB Ces we are sto ing and the horses may "e tied to the fence, said David firmly. 7o one is going to steal them, so go and look at the ducklings. %nd, Eanny, "ehave yourself. If 4it feels he can stand it, you are going to come here to visit on 5onday afternoons. On =hursday afternoons we will come ast with a s are ony and 4it can come riding with us. &o hie was not really sur rised to see that 4it's face "roke into smiles at this. !hat did sur rise her was the undou"ted leasure on Eanny's face. &he knew that 4it

would "e glad of a com anion, even a girl, "ut the little she knew of Eanny had led her to think the child would consider 4it "eneath her touch. Fome on, Eanny, said 4it. I'll show you the ducklings. !e're going to eat one for Fhristmas! (loodthirsty little "east! said &o hie feelingly as the children disa eared around the side of the house. I used to cry my eyes out when one of my ducklings got killed. David laughed as he followed her into the house. 7ever mind. 7ow come, where is the dreaded cowsli wineB Oh, =hea, said &o hie as 5iss %ndrews came out of the arlour into the hall, this is ;ord Helford. ;ord Helford, may I resent 5iss %ndrews, who is good enough to lend me res ecta"ility and to act as 4it's governessB His lordshi smiled and held out his hand to 5iss %ndrews. %h, the lady who was given the "ag "y 5aster 4it. Cou will "e relieved to know, ma'am, that he har"oured grave dou"ts as to the du licity of his action in taking the "ooks. How do you doB =hea %ndrews thought that she had never seen a more handsome man as she laced her hand in his. Her re ly was somewhat flustered. Oh, my lord, I should have known "etter. %fter all the years I have "een a governess! :s ecially for dear &o hie and :mma. Did they give you a great deal of trou"le, ma'amB I can well "elieve it and you have all my sym athy. Fome and have a glass of wine with us, =hea, said &o hie, trying unsuccessfully not to giggle. ;ord Helford is convinced I am trying to oison him, I "elieve. =he dim le Auivered again, giving his lordshi the most eculiar sensations in the it of his stomach. He had met dim les "efore, "ut never one that tantalised as this one did! !ell, erha s $ust one, dear, said 5iss %ndrews. Cour cowsli wine always makes me a trifle slee y. !ithin a very few moments they were seated in the arlour with the sun ouring in at the window. David si ed his wine sus iciously. He had never tasted anything like it in his life, "ut was o"liged to admit that it wasn't as "ad as he had ex ected. !hich was not, as &o hie ointed out, saying very much at all. !ell, I wouldn't Auite say that, 5iss 5arsden! rotested his lordshi . I will grant you that it is erfectly ota"le. !ould you care for a second glass, my lordB asked 5iss 5arsden in dece tively demure accents. Her eyes twinkled engagingly. David rose to the challenge admira"ly. If only to drink to your eyes, 5iss 5arsden! How)how very heroic of you, my lord! achieved 5iss 5arsden with a delightful choke of laughter. I am re"uked indeed. He"ukedB Helford was amused. I meant to flatter you!

%gain that a ealing gurgle. =hen you must "e losing your touch, my lord! &o hie! 5iss %ndrews was shocked. Or would have "een if she were not used to her young charge making such outrageous remarks from time to time. Helford "linked. =he little "aggage was actually daring to laugh at him! %nd at his re utation! 5ost women would have "een cast into a flutter "y a sally of that nature. =his im ossi"le female $ust giggled, setting not the least store "y his gallantry. He was damned if he didn't like it! %nd why hadn't he noticed that dim le earlierB Huefully he admitted to himself that their revious meetings had given 5iss 5arsden little cause to favour him with her delightful smile. =hrough the window they could hear the faint sound of the children's voices. 5iss %ndrews, sei#ing the o ortunity to change the su"$ect, commented on the fact that she could hear another child. &o hie was $ust ex laining the arrangement she had come to with Helford when a s lash followed "y a loud shriek came to their ears. :ven "efore the yell of, %unt &o hie! Hurry! was heard, &o hie was on her feet and racing down the hall with her skirts hitched u . =aken com letely "y sur rise, Helford was well "ehind her as she ran out a side door, across the garden and through a gate into the orchard. In fact, he was ama#ed that any woman could run so fast. In the stream 4it was u to his shoulders trying to hel Eanny who a eared to "e in a state of com lete anic. % small $etty $utted out into the water which Eanny had o"viously fallen off. (efore Helford could sto her &o hie had lunged in and was hauling the struggling child to her feet. &to wriggling! &o hie commanded shar ly. Eanny continued to struggle and two shar sla s rang out. &tunned, Eanny sto ed, gas ing and s luttering. 7ow, why don t you stand u B suggested &o hie in matter<of<fact tones. =o her utter ama#ement Eanny found that she could do so and, still holding her hand, &o hie led her out on to the "ank, closely followed "y 4it, to stand dri ing and shivering in the fresh "ree#e. %ll three of them were li"erally festooned with mud and water weeds. Eanny's "lack curls were lastered around her face and 4it was ro"a"ly the worst of the three, "eing covered in mud from head to toe, having sli ed in it on his way out. %fter one shocked glance at 5iss 5arsden, Helford set his $aw tightly and turned to survey his filthy and "edraggled niece. &he was not meeting his ga#e, a sure sign that she had "een res onsi"le for the disaster. 4it! !hat on earth were you thinking of to let her fall inB asked &o hie in dangerously Auiet tones. Her ne hew o ened his mouth and then shut it again. ?ust looking at the ducklings, %unt &o hie, he said at last. &o hie was a"out to favour him with a ithy descri tion of his idiocy, "ut Helford forestalled her. Eanny. !ould you care to tell us how you came to fall inB His voice was dece tively "land, "ut there was an indefina"le hint of authority in its de ths.

Eanny hesitated for a moment, then said, I leaned over too far. 4it told me to get "ack "ut I)I didn't. &o I sort of sli ed. %nd 4it fell in trying to gra" me, I think. &o hie stole a glance at ;ord Helford. He was not looking at her and his face was icy. Oh, dear! He won't think this such a good lace to leave Eanny now, she thought. &he was rather sur rised to discover how much she had "een looking forward to 5onday and =hursday afternoons. It would have "een so good for 4it to have the com anionshi of a man, she told herself. 7ot to mention someone of his own age to lay with and get into mischief with. =he thought that it would "e rather leasant to see his lordshi was ruthlessly su ressed. &he looked at the unre entant Eanny. =he child would take a chill, standing there in that soaking ha"it! &he was getting a little cold herself. 6erha s we should get Eanny into some dry clothes, she suggested tentatively. 8ood idea, said his lordshi curtly. He glanced at her "riefly and averted his ga#e at once. &o hie flushed. He was o"viously furious a"out the accident. !ell, at least the child knew she could stand u in the "lasted stream now! :ven if she did fall in again she wouldn't drown! %nd he was the one who had suggested that 4it would "e a suita"le laymate. It wasn't my idea, thought &o hie re"elliously. 5iss %ndrews, who had rushed out after them, said gently, I think, dear &o hie, that you had "etter change as well. %nd 4it, of course! Ces, said &o hie. %sk %nna to try and find some clothes for 5iss Eanny. =here are some of 4it's old ones in the chest on the landing and she can "e "undled u in a cloak of mine so that no one sees her. %nd if his lordshi takes her home across the fields they will "e less likely to meet anyone. 4it, you may change in the scullery! %sk %nna to "ring you some clean clothes. Having said this, she stalked off into the house and u to her cham"er, leaving a trail of water and aAuatic flora "ehind her from her so ing gown. ?ust "efore she "egan to stri her gown off she caught sight of herself in the looking glass and saw exactly what ;ord Helford had seen. 7o wonder he had refused to look at her! &he might as well have "een naked for all the good her light muslin gown was. It clung to her "ody in the most a allingly revealing way. %nd it was not only her form that was revealed! =he material was rendered ractically see through and the rosy ti s of her "reasts were Auite a arent. &o hie "lushed, a dee , hot crimson. He had no need to use his imagination to stri her now. =here was not really a great deal left to imagine. How on earth was she to face him downstairsB !hat if he thought she had done it on ur ose to gain his attentionB How very mortifying! !hen she did eventually leave her cham"er it was still with heightened colour and in a very high<necked, long<sleeved grey gown which was a trifle too large for her and did not suit her in the slightest. =here was no need to give his lordshi anything more to think a"out, she thought as she went downstairs. 7ot that he could ossi"ly

"e in the least interested, she admonished herself. !ith his re utation he must have seen hundreds>well, do#ens anyway> of much rettier women without any clothes at all. &eeing 5iss &o hie 5arsden in dam )no soaking muslin was hardly going to set his ulses racing. David waited in the arlour while 5iss 5arden and her ne hew changed their attire and while 5iss %ndrews and the maid rushed a"out finding clothes for Eanny. 7ot only were his ulses racing, "ut there was solid evidence that his lordshi 's carnal ex erience was not sufficiently "road to have rendered him immune from 5iss 5arsden's charms as dis layed "y a wetly clinging muslin gown. %nd the reality was every "it as delightful as the vision he had con$ured u "y the river the day he had met 4it. He groaned audi"ly as he tried not to think a"out it. 9nfortunately, that only made it worse. Her "ody was "eautiful, so dainty and rounded. % slim little waist and those flaring hi s! He could imagine his hands on them, holding her against him as his arousal thro""ed "etween them. %nd, oh 8od, her "reasts! He thought he would die at the memory of how the cold water had teased them into life. =hey would res ond to his caress in the same way, s ringing u under the ministrations of his hands and tongue. His mouth felt dry at the very thought of cu ing those "reasts in his hands, of touching his tongue to those dainty ink morsels which had ee ed through the soaking muslin. %nd she would "e his, all his! 7ever had he touched a virgin in his life. He had thought his reference was for ex erience. Eor a woman who knew how to entertain a man. % woman who would cry out in leasure when he took her, rather than an untouched girl who would dou"tless feel ain. =he thought of teaching an innocent had always rather "ored him. 7ow he was "urning with desire for a girl who would not have the slightest notion of how to satisfy his needs. %nd he didn't care in the least. He wanted to lease her& He wanted to "e the only one who had ever ossessed her, heard her cries of assion. %nd they would "e cries of assion when he was finished with her! =he only thing which acted as a lifeline in the sea of confused emotion and desire which threatened to engulf him was the knowledge that she would most certainly "e hurt if he seduced her and not $ust hysically! He couldn't do it! If it leaked out, she would "e ruined and "esides, she was not a woman of the world who could lay the game for a time and then go on to the next lover. If she gave herself, it would only "e "ecause she cared for him. &he was not the sort of woman he wanted to "e his mistress. He did not wish to hurt her in any way. It would "e "est to see as little of her as ossi"le. =hank 8od she had refused to ride with them! He could dro Eanny off and collect the "oy with as little intercourse as ossi"le. He swore savagely as he aced "ack and forth, wishing to 8od that he too could go out and take a di in the stream. Eor the life of him, he could not see how he was otherwise going to "e a"le to ride home in any sort of comfort.

Eortunately for his lordshi 's eace of mind 4it, whose ideas on drying off and dressing neatly were rather rudimentary, was the first to make an a earance. He came into the room, looking very em"arrassed. I say, I'm awfully sorry Eanny fell in, sir. I should have dragged her off the $etty. 7ever mind, David re lied. &he's ro"a"ly learned her lesson. ?ust kee her out of the river when she comes here. Cou'll still let her comeB 4it asked in sur rise. David nodded. Oh, yes. If your aunt doesn't consider her too much of a lia"ility after this. !hat's a liar)liar)liar"illyB asked 4it, very u##led. =hat's what %unt &o hie says a"out the o en range in the kitchen "ecause it uses so much fuel. (y the time David had ex lained what he meant "y a lia"ility and decided to undertake a few im rovements at !illow"ank House, namely a modern closed stove, he was in a fair way to regaining control of himself. 5iss 5arsden's rea earance, camouflaged in an extremely un"ecoming and voluminous gown, told him two things immediately. Eirstly, that she was erfectly aware of how she had looked and, secondly, that she was very em"arrassed "y it. He acknowledged her very stiffly. He wanted to reassure her that she had nothing to fear, that he had not "een in the least affected "ut, even if he could have lied convincingly, the resence of 4it and, a moment later, of Eanny, made any such thing im ossi"le. Eanny looked excessively im ro er in 4it's old clothes. David was highly amused des ite his ersonal confusion, not least at the a ologetic look on 5iss %ndrews's face as she she herded the child into the room. &o indelicate, my lord. I do "eg your ardon "ut there is nothing else. %ll 5iss &o hie's old clothes were given away years ago! &he held out the cloak over her arm, (ut I am sure you can contrive to "undle this around her and no one need know. 7one of us will "reathe a word, you may "e sure. David took the cloak with a charming smile. 5iss %ndrews, you are so calm a"out the whole thing that I can only assume that 5iss 5arsden and her sister must have given you almost as much trou"le. =ell me>do you Auail at the thought of "eing afflicted with my niece every 5ondayB Fertainly not, asserted 5iss %ndrews. It would "e very odd if I were to mind any arrangement 5iss &o hie has made. Does that mean Eanny is still to comeB 5ost definitely, said David without meeting 5iss 5arsden's eyes. &he had looked thoroughly discomfited at his a"ru t greeting and he did not dare to look at her lest his hard<won control deserted him. %fter making final arrangements to collect 4it two days later, he took his leave, firm in his conviction that the less he saw of 5iss 5arsden the safer she would "e. &o hie was heartily glad to see the "ack of him. Odious wretch! How dare he look down on her "ecause she ulled his niece out of the stream! It wasn't as if she were used to having a man around to do things for her. (esides, he would not have cared to lunge into a muddy stream in his immaculate riding "oots and leathers!

&he wished she could refuse to have anything more to do with him, "ut it would "e too infamous to deny 4it the o ortunity to learn to ride, still more infamous to deny him the o ortunity to "e in a man's com any. :ven if he was a man whose morals and way of life she thoroughly des ised, &o hie did his lordshi enough $ustice to realise that he would not allow anything unfitting to come to 4it's ears. %nd "esides, he had shown himself to "e very understanding of 4it. Hemem"ering what the "oy had said and recognising its relevance to what she had said, suggested that he might "e the very erson to give 4it's thoughts a ha ier turn. It was with this in mind that she went to "id 4it goodnight that evening. He ut his "ook down at once when she came in and said, &hall you mind having Eanny hereB 7ot in the least, she assured him. !ill you mind having to ride with herB &he sat down on the edge of his "ed. 8udgeon! he said affectionately. He was silent for a moment. %unt &o hieB Ces, loveB I'm sorry a"out all the running off and I've "een rude to you)and) Don't worry a"out it, she said gently. (ut it's so silly, he said. It's cos you look like her and I ke t thinking you were her and then "eing sort of disa ointed anD angry cos 8od took her an' not you. Hemem"er how the @icar said 8od wanted her anD loved her more than we couldB !ell, I $ust wanted to hit 8od for "eing such a skirter! I)I thought he could have taken you an' never known the difference. He sto ed, very em"arrassed. %nD then I'd feel awful cos you're so good to me. So +elford was right. &o hie stroked the soft curls. Don't feel awful, 4it. I thought exactly the same thing when the @icar said that! (elieve me, I would have died ha ily to save you this! %nd I don't think 8od could ossi"ly love your 5ama more than you do. Differently, yes. (ut not more. =hey sat envelo ed in a comforting silence as the house martins chattered under the eaves. :ventually &o hie s oke again. !hat made you say all thisB ;ord Helford, said 4it slowly. It was when he found me "y the river and I thought it would "e you "ehind me and I wanted)5ama)and he said she was looking for me. (efore that I didn't really understand what was wrong, "ut I said it to him. I)I don't know why. Do you think he mindedB 7o, said &o hie, reasona"ly certain that after some of the things she had said to his lordshi , nothing 4it could say would startle him in the least. %nother long healing silence. %unt &o hie, those flowers we took to 5ama will die, won't theyB Ces.

!ell, should we take some moreB I mean, if they die, they won't look as nice. &o hie gro ed for an answer. &he didn't want him to mo e over :mma's grave. %t last she said, I think, you know, that it is all right for the flowers to die. Cou see their souls will go to Heaven as well, so your 5ama will have them there $ust the same. &o erha s we should $ust ut them there on the days when you would have given her flowers anyway. Cou know>her "irthday, 5othering &unday, your "irthday and also the day she died. 4it thought a"out it and said, I never thought of that. Of course the flowers have to die. =hank you. &o hie "ent to kiss him and was half<suffocated "y the envelo ing hug. I like ;ord Helford, he said. I'm glad he likes you. ;ikes meB &o hie allowed her sur rise to show. !ell, he must! said 4it logically. !hy else would he take me ridingB Eaced with this undenia"le logic &o hie went "ack downstairs to curl u in a chair "y the fire lace with a "ook. %fter a few moments her rather "attered volume of oetry was allowed to fall unheeded to her la . &taring into the em ty grate, she gave u the singularly useless attem t to "anish ;ord Helford from her thoughts. !hy should he go out of his way to hel herB %nd why did she feel so threatened "y himB (ecause she did! His "ig owerful frame ositively radiated danger of the most otent masculine variety. %nd his re utation suggested that a earances were not dece tive. He was an acknowledged rake. 9sed to having his way with women at all times. &o hie had no dou"ts at all that he would "e Auite unused to "eing refused. &he could understand why. His la#y smile held a world of tem tation reflected in the wicked green eyes. %nd the thought of "eing surrounded and overwhelmed "y that owerful, male "ody sent shivers of excitement wriggling u and down her s ine) &he caught herself, u crossly. =his would never do! He was $ust "eing kind to make u for his em"arrassing gaffe. He was a gentleman and would not ursue an unwilling female of "irth and virtue. &he could have no fears that he would allow his inclinations to o"scure that fact. Heluctantly she faced the dawning knowledge that it was her own inclinations that she most feared. His lordshi might "e a gentleman, "ut he was no saint. =he slightest hint that she might welcome his attentions would lace her in the gravest danger!

'ha()er +,ve

=wo days later ;ord Helford called to take 4it riding and return the clothes. 7othing could have exceeded the olite ro riety with which he greeted 5iss 5arsden on this occasion unless it was the cool dignity with which he was received. He informed her that he wished to s eak with her f u on their return and rom tly realised that his manner of doing so had well and truly set u her "ristles. Do you indeed, my lordB she asked in dulcet tones. I D=hen naturally I will hold myself at your dis osal. I shall give %nna instructions that I am at home to you. He glared at her. Furse the chit! He always seemed to I say the wrong thing to her. !hat was it a"out her that made him such a clod oleB His mind sheered away from the o"vious answer which was that never in his life had he I wanted a woman this much. :s ecially one that he couldn't have. He told himself "racingly that if he had her in "ed, it would "reak the s ell. He could slake his lust for her and "e done with it. He had never known a woman whose charms and skills did not "ore him in the end. %ngry at the trend of his thoughts, he checked the girth on the ony he had "rought for 4it and showed the "oy how to mount. He swung himself into the saddle, raised his hat to 5iss 5arsden and rode off fuming with his youthful charges. &o hie went "ack into the house to do a fair "it of fuming on her own account. %fter half an hour of savagely kneading "read, all the while retending that she was wringing his lordshi 's arrogant neck, she calmed down enough to laugh at herself. !hatever would :mma think to see her little sister, who never took the slightest "it of notice of a man, so utterly furious over the o inion and over"earing ways of a com arative strangerB (y the time his lordshi returned with the children, she had assumed a dignified and calm attitude towards him. =his was dis elled "y his first words to her after dismissing the children to the garden with a rider to stay out of the stream. I cannot see that your situation, 5iss 5arsden, is in the least eligi"le for either you or the grandson of an :arl. !hy have you not enlisted the aid of 4it's aternal relations in your rearing of himB !hatB she gas ed. How dare you im ly that I am not ca a"le of "ringing him u as a gentleman! Hu""ish! he said angrily. I meant only that ;ord &trathallen should rovide some assistance. Cet, from what 4it tells me, I should dou"t of his even knowing that he has a grandson!

Cou can't ossi"ly have got that from 4it! said &o hie furiously. How dare you oke your nose into my affairs! I have done no such thing! I was slightly acAuainted with ?ock Farlisle, though, David informed her coldly. !hen 4it mentioned that his father died at !aterloo, I asked him what regiment. Cou may imagine my sur rise when he told me the &cots 8reys! !hy the devil have you not "een in touch with the FarlislesB 4it knows nothing of his "irthright! =he fury in her countenance made him take a ste "ack. He thought he had seen the worst of her tem er, "ut this was something Auite different. Her eyes ractically s at with rage and when she s oke it was in tones of the most "itter contem t. If ;ord &trathallen had not refused to receive my sister when ?ock was so ill advised as to marry her in the teeth of his father's threat of disinheritance, not to mention our own father's im laca"le o osition, then erha s I might have done so! "la#ed &o hie. %s it is, since he did not even re ly to my sister's letter informing him of ?ock's death and, I might add, the "irth of 4it, I feel I am a"solved of any charge of denying 4it his "irthright! He disowned ?ockB !hyB David could not "elieve his I ears. Oh! Did you not know thatB &o hie was even angrier. =hen might I suggest that you find out all the facts of a case "efore you ass $udgement! ;ord &trathallen is, as you may "e aware, a Fatholic. I understand many &cots hold to that still. He was affronted that his son chose to marry a 6rotestant and a :nglishwoman at that. His family having fought at Fulloden, he considered ?ock dou"ly a traitor to have married south of the =weed! &he aused for "reath and to dash her hand across her eyes. %s for my father, as a minister of the Fhurch of :ngland he took the gravest ! exce tion to :mma's marriage to a Fatholic. &he was also disinherited! =he result is that I inherited ten thousand ounds, which I cannot touch exce t for the income until I am thirty<five. If I marry "efore that date, the money asses into the hands of my hus"and. 5y father did his "est to ensure that I was owerless to hel :mma and ?ock. David was horrified. He did that" =he "astard! He caught himself u shar ly. I "eg your ardon. I had no idea and did not intend to offend you. 7o! Cou $ust thought you would tell me what to do! ;ike &ir 6hili , who would have me marry him and trust him to settle a suitable sum on the lad&* Her voice dri ed with scorn. !ell, he can take his offer and you can take your advice and>D &he managed to sto herself right on the "rink of saying something that would not have reflected at all well on her vicarage u "ringing. 8o to hell. David finished the sentence for her. I don't "lame you. 7o. I knew nothing of this. 5y acAuaintance with ?ock was of the slightest. I knew he was married, "ut I never met your sister. 5iss 5arsden, I a ologise unreservedly, "ut I do feel that &trathallen ought not to "e allowed to ignore his res onsi"ilities. If you would like, I could! 7o! &o hie cut in. Cou are going to offer to write or see him and shame him into doing something for 4it. I would rather die than "eg for his charity after the way

he treated :mma. Erom all I saw, ?ock's marriage was the making of him. He was the wildest, most s endthrift good<for<nothing! (ut he actually settled down with :mma and reformed all his a alling ways. % tear ran down her cheek, unnoticed exce t "y David who was conscious of an overwhelming desire to kiss it away. !hat had he done, unleashing all the hurt she o"viously ke t "ottled u lest it should overwhelm herB &o hie continued, in a hard little voice to hold "ack the tears which threatened to s ill over. &he)she used to write to me you know, through =hea. !e were very close des ite the seven years "etween us. &o many things she told me. =hey were so ha y and then 4it was "orn $ust "efore the eace in *1*-. 6a a was dead and it was all settled that they would come and live with me. (ut then 7a oleon esca ed and ?ock died in that awful charge. I'm sorry, said David very gently. I will do nothing without your ermission. (ut I will say that I do "elieve it is a matter not of charity "ut res onsi"ility. &o hie looked at him unseeingly. In fact, he wondered if she had even heard him. &he seemed to "e miles away. In truth she was years away in the ast, seeing the heart"roken agony of a widow who cared nothing for the fact that her hus"and had died a hero. % woman who held a fatherless child and we t over him in a des air that her young sister could feel "ut not fully understand. %t last she s oke in a husky voice. I'm sorry, my lord. I should not have s oken as I did. It is $ust that)I)I loved :mma and)and it was her "irthday and)and) =wo more tears rolled down her cheeks unheeded. Damn! David took two Auick strides across the room and had her in his arms, her face ressed against his chest. =here was nothing even remotely amorous in his em"race. He held her as he might have held Eanny or 4it to give comfort. &o hie acce ted it as such, leaning against him trustingly, conscious of the sense of eace that seemed to radiate from his owerful "ody and the firm circle of his arms. One hand stroked her curls lightly. 7ever had he known such a feeling of tender admiration. Her roud inde endence and determination to stand alone he found incredi"le. He knew that many women would have had no hesitation in forcing the "oy's aternal relations to take charge while they used their inheritance to secure a good marriage. %nd with ten thousand ounds she could have done it easily. &he was attractive enough to tem t any man. Instead she had chosen to live in Auiet o"scurity, hus"anding her money against the day when 4it should need it and refusing a more<than<eligi"le offer to ensure his future. !ithout conscious volition his arms tightened around her rotectively. =hey stayed that way for a moment "efore David released her. :ven if his intentions were good, his unruly "ody was not ca a"le of surviving that sort of a"use for long. He "ecame agonisingly aware of the softness of her "ody against his, the silken feel of her curls under his caressing fingers. He knew it could not "e long "efore he slid that hand under her chin and "rought her mouth u to receive his kisses. %nd they would most certainly not "e mistaka"le for mere comfort.

Eeeling him ull "ack, &o hie ste ed away at once, telling herself that it was the novelty of "eing held so intimately that made her heart ound, her knees feel wo""ly and created that sensation of scorching heat that was melting her entire "ody. +e offered comfort, you little ninny& Comfort& -othing more! &he looked u and caught his green glance which seared through her, causing a tremor to ri le u and down her s ine. &he had wanted to know what it would feel like to "e held in his em"race. !ell, now she knew. It felt sim ly wonderful! His em"race had engulfed her in its tender warmth. 7ever had she felt so safe or content. I "eg your ardon, my lord, she said carefully, not Auite certain that her voice was to "e trusted. Her "reasts tingled at the remem"ered sensation of "eing ressed so firmly against a owerfully masculine "ody. Cou may "e right a"out ;ord &trathallen's duties "ut I would refer not to "e o"liged to him in any way. He looked at her searchingly. !as she aware of how dee ly he had "een affected "y their "rief em"raceB &he seemed o"livious. %t least she was calmer now. &ighing, he said, I think I should leave you now. .ecause if I don)t I will be embracing you again. #nd not for comfort this time. Don't trou"le yourself to see me out. I will find Eanny and go. 8ood"ye, 5iss 5arsden, and lease don't fret yourself in any way. He turned "ack at the door. I nearly forgot what I had to say to you. I have "een considering im rovements to the estate and have decided to install a closed stove in the kitchen here. I will arrange for the newest and most u <to<date model. It should arrive within a week or so. !ith that he was gone. &he was only too relieved to see him go. Her own feelings were skittering here and there and it was difficult to think straight when the mere sight of him made her recall the sensuous motion of his long fingers tangled in her hair, the strength of his arms and the warmth of his owerfully muscled chest under her cheek. &he sank into a chair as the door shut "ehind him. !hat was she thinking ofB &he couldn't "e falling in love! Or could sheB %nd why was he concerning himself with her old<fashioned, fuel<greedy stoveB If he had ever so much as ste ed into a kitchen in all his life it was as much as he had done! &he was sur rised to hear that he even knew what a closed stove was! 5y ;ord Helford's next few visits were remarka"le for their "revity. He dro ed Eanny off and collected her with dis atch, greeting 5iss 5arsden with unctilious civility. %nd when next they came to take 4it riding, he didn't even come into the house. 4it was waiting eagerly at the gate and 5iss 5arsden nowhere to "e seen. 4it informed him that %unt &o hie was out visiting in the gig. It was a leasant ride. =he children, he was fast discovering, were amusing and delightful com anions. =hey argued and teased each other, occasionally a ealing to him to settle some oint. %s far as David could tell, there was very little they agreed on "ut this did not seem to distur" their friendshi . One thing they did agree on was their united affection for 4it's aunt, whom Eanny had taken to calling %unt &o hie. %s they rode 4it often let fall odd scra s of

information a"out his aunt that told David $ust how hard she tried to make u to the "oy for his or haned state. He found himself thinking this afternoon that it was a ity 5iss 5arsden had set her face against marriage, since she would make such a wonderful mother. (ut the thought of 5iss 5arsden marrying was strangely distur"ing, making him grit his teeth in anger. =he idea that someone else should ossess her was thoroughly unsettling. =hey had $ust turned for home when 4it said, Oh. ;ook, there's 5egs. %unt &o hie must "e visiting 5rs. &im kins and her "a"y. He ointed to a little da led co" harnessed to a gig tied u outside a farm la"ourer's cottage. % "a"yB Eanny sounded interested. How old is itB 4it shrugged with ty ical male uninterest. ;ord, how should I knowB % week or so. I say, ;ord Helford, could we sto and see if %unt &o hie wants us to ride "ack with herB Oh, yes! Eanny was enthusiastic. %nd then I could see the "a"y! &tanding at the o en door of the cottage a few moments later, David could hear 5iss 5arsden's soft voice s eaking in accents that made his heart turn over. %re you getting hungry, little etB Cou won't find anything there for you! ;ow and soothing, all of a woman's tender, rotective love for a child resonated in her tones. 7ever mind, 5ama will "e out in a moment. &he'll have something for you. Inwardly shaking, David stood stock still on the threshold. 5iss 5arsden was seated on a wooden settle with a tiny woollen "undle nestled in her arms. &he did not even notice him, caught u as she was "ending over the "a"y, who was nu##ling ho efully at her "reast. =he ex ression of yearning regret on her face tore at David's very soul. Flearly this was something she would have desired a"ove all else "ut thought never to have. &wallowing hard, he thrust away the longing to see her nursing a child of her own and ta ed "elatedly on the door. &he looked u slowly from her ha y dream, ha#el eyes soft and vulnera"le. Eor a moment she could not think as that green look seared into her with unmistaka"le tenderness. &he could not tear her eyes away from that regard, "ut stared "ack transfixed, conscious of her ounding heart and uncertain "reath. !ith difficulty she found her voice. 5y lordB Have you come to call on 5rs. &im kinsB &he is in the "edroom. !hat on earth was he doing hereB %nd why was he looking at her like thatB %s if he could see exactly what was in her heart and understood her ain! &he was imagining things! How could he, of all eo le, ossi"ly understand how she longed to have her own childrenB 7ot to re lace 4it, of course, "ut the longing to hold and nurse a child of her own. :r, 4it saw your mare and thought you might like our escort, ex lained David. He cleared his throat of an uncharacteristic lum and went on. %nd Eanny would like to see the "a"y, if 5rs. &im kins would have no o"$ection.

%t this moment 5rs. &im kins came into the room and gas ed at the exalted visitor. !ith ractised ease David set her mind at rest, saying that his little niece would love to see her "a"y. 6olly &im kins was only too delighted to o"lige. %ccordingly Eanny and 4it came in, and in a flash Eanny was on the settle "eside &o hie, "eing shown how to hold the "a"y. David watched the two women instruct his niece with a strange feeling of growing em tiness. 7ever "efore had he "een so conscious of a longing to have children of his own. 7ot heirs>children. =he raw longing in &o hie's face had shown him something within himself, the existence of which he had never sus ected. :ntranced, he watched them with the "a"y, the gentle, tender hands and rotective arms. He knew, had any danger threatened, that they would have turned like tigresses to defend the child, whatever the cost to themselves. He had seen something of it in &o hie's reaction to his suggestion that she should contact &trathallen. On the way "ack to !illow"ank House Eanny and 4it cantered ahead while David held his mare "eside the gig. &o hie seemed rather Auiet and disinclined to conversation. David fell in with her mood, content to study her surre titiously. Her "rown hair curled softly, drawn "ack into a sim le knot resting on her na e, a few stray tendrils "rushing her cheek, which made his fingers itch to tuck them "ack and caress the soft cheek himself. =he greeny<"rown eyes were faintly a"stracted, an odd frown uckering her "row. =he im ertinent little nose still had that s rinkling of freckles over it. Ereckles, he knew, were considered a "lemish. =hese were enchanting. =he frown worried him, com"ined as it was with a ensive droo to the mouth. He knew "eyond dou"t what was "othering her. =he "a"y. &he had ur osely gone to see another woman's "a"y, had cuddled it and loved it when she knew erfectly well it would set off all her own yearning for a child. !hy did she court that sort of ainB !hy not $ust avoid "a"iesB %t last he could "ear it no longer and asked gently, !hy did you go, 5iss 5arsdenB &he negotiated a "end in the road "efore answering, giving herself time to think of an a ro riate answer. How much had he seenB ?ust that she wanted a child of her ownB Or had he seen that she had "een retending the "a"y was her ownB =hat he might "e itying her was un"eara"le. He must "e deflected at all costs. &ettling for face value, she res onded with s urious "rightness, !hy, to see the "a"y, of course! !omen like to do that, my lord. He was not to "e deflected. :ven when holding a "a"y is a reminder of all you cannot haveB &urely you would "e wiser to avoid such thoughts. Her hands trem"led on the ri""ons. !hat "usiness was it of his how she chose to liveB %nd how could he ossi"ly understand how she feltB &he knew it was foolish to retend, "ut the $oy of holding a "a"y was too recious to "e denied, even if it hurt a little.

(ut she found herself struggling to ex lain. Cou see, I love "a"ies and children. :ven if it makes me a little sad, why should I lose the leasure of holding a "a"y or looking after oneB !hy refuse little $oys "ecause the greater one is deniedB =hat's not living. How can you even know what $oy is unless there is some ain or risk of ain to tem er itB Cou see life like thatB he asked curiously. It was oddly at variance with his own decision to marry for convenience and avoid any risk of hurt. &o hie's way was so dangerous, es ecially for a woman. &he could "e hurt so "adly. He didn't like the thought of that and tried stum"lingly to warn her. &he interru ted at once. Cou were in the army! How can you ossi"ly "e so scared of life when you faced death and maiming almost dailyB % hysical risk. He shrugged. 6erha s "ecause I faced them and grew to some degree inured. (ut I refer not to lay myself wide o en to the sort of ain you o"viously felt "ack there. %nd all for an illusory $oy. &he flushed to think that her thoughts had "een so a arent. 5aking a gallant recover, she said, !e will have to agree to differ. 5y $oy in 6olly's "a"y was no illusion and I could not live if I had to avoid all the things that might hurt me or frighten me. It may not "e wise, "ut it is how I am made. &he aused for a moment and then said, :mma felt the same. &he told me once after ?ock had "een killed that their love had "een, was still to her, the reality. =hat it was death that was the illusion. &he said it was "etter to have known that $oy than not. =hat even had she known the grief in store for, her, she would still have gras ed the $oy. ;ived every minute of it as though it might "e the last. Her acce tance shook him to the core. In some odd way it made sense. &he had enough courage to take what $oy she could and acce t the accom anying ain. ?ust as she had had the courage to lea into the ath of his curricle to save a child's life. &he was a risk taker, then. &he would take the risk and reckon u the cost later. He shuddered to think of the sort of hurt she was courting. =he rest of the drive was accom lished in silence. David was trying hard to convince himself that the way &o hie chose to conduct her life was none of his "usiness. He tried even harder to convince himself that his way was "etter. Ear more sensi"le, far more ractical and certainly safer. He tried to ignore the irritating voice that suggested his safe, comforta"le existence might "e a little dull. He did not dismount to "id her farewell, merely saying, 8ood"ye, 5iss 5arsden, 4it. 6lease convey my regards to 5iss %ndrews. Fome, Eanny. &o hie drove the mare around to the sta"les in a da#e. Des ite her avowal that she could not avoid everything that might hurt her, there were some things she would refer to avoid. Having Helford read her heart and soul like a "ook was one of them. It was far too dangerous and there would "e no $oy to counter the hurt. &he was literally laying with fire and it was her heart that was likely to "e "urnt. &he would have to see as little of ;ord Helford as ossi"le.

%ccordingly, the next time he "rought Eanny, she greeted him "riefly at the door, saying, Cou will not wish to kee your horses standing, I dare say. =hen she had swe t Eanny into the house, the door closing firmly "ehind her. David was conscious of a feeling of momentary iAue and then "erated himself for an arrogant fool. &he was not to "e "lamed for kee ing a safe distance "etween them. &he gave Eanny "ack into his care later in the afternoon with the same Auiet dismissal. It was the same when next he came for 4it. &he was "aking, she informed him calmly. ?ust as well, David told himself sternly as he rode away with the children. It would "e most unwise to see any more of her than was a"solutely necessary. &omehow she got under all his defences. 9nfortunately he would have to s eak with her when he "rought 4it home. His house guests would "e arriving from the following day and he would "e una"le to continue with the arrangement ersonally for the duration of the visit. It was, however, only olite to assure himself that &o hie had no o"$ection to ?as er taking 4it out with Eanny. He tried to ignore the fact that he wanted to see her. His efforts were not successful and he was irritated to realise that he resented the chit having to s end her time on such domestic drudgery as "aking. &he was $ust a child, he told himself, and ought to "e having fun. 9naware that his lordshi intended to s eak to her later, &o hie flung herself into the "aking with a vengeance, $ust as she had flung herself into all manner of domestic activities in the ast few days. If she ke t "usy there was little enough time to think> and thinking was a dangerous astime at the moment. !henever her thoughts were ermitted to drift a tanned, aristocratic face invaded her mind and emerald green eyes seemed to eer into her soul, seeking out her innermost secrets. 7ight time was even worse. =hen she found herself imagining his arms around her again and his hand caressing her hair. %nd not only her hair. (read was kneaded and set to rise. % cake com ounded, the $oint for tomorrow's dinner dressed, several ounds of lums were turned into $am. In this way did &o hie try to ware! off the distur"ing daydreams that lagued her. Dreams of tender kisses and owerful arms enfolding her to rest against a hard, masculine "ody. %t this oint her dreams "roke down. &he could not imagine what might come next. Or at least she could, "ut was far too shocked at the thought to allow it houseroom. Curse it& ,ou)re doing it again! &o hie dragged her mind "ack to the astry she was making for a raised ie and "linked at the soggy mass. =oo much water, damn! =he door "ell ealed loudly as she was adding more flour and she frowned. =oo early for Helford to have the children "ack. (esides, he wouldn't use the "ell if he wanted to see her, he'd come straight in with or without the children. =he "ell ealed again. Cou answer it, lease, %nna. %nd I am not at home.

%ye, 5iss &o hie. %nna wi ed her hands on a cloth and left the kitchen. &he returned a few moments later. It's that &ir 6hili 8arfield, 5iss &o hie. &he sounded annoyed. !ell, did you deny meB %ye, "ut he weren't takinD no for an answer, re lied %nna. &ettled in the arlour like as how he owns it. &o hie used an ex ression which she had certainly not culled from her vicarage u "ringing and stri ed off her a ron. Furse and "last the man! she muttered. He never does take no for an answer! !ell, I've tried "eing olite. =his time I am going to leave him no room for dou"t or ho e or whatever he "loody well calls it! %nna was scandalised. 5iss &o hie! Cou watch your tongue! &o hie stuck her tongue out and sAuinted down her ti <tilted nose at it. Hmm. ;ooks erfectly fine to me. ;et's ho e this time it can convince &ir 6hili that I won't acce t his offer and that he would "e "etter off if I don't! &he was gone, leaving %nna unsure whether or not she ought to scold her highty<tighty young mistress or cheer her on. One thing was for certain, %nna would "e $ust as glad to see the "ack of &ir 6hili . /etch your mistress at once, my good woman. ,ou forget your place. Miss Sophie will not deny herself to such a trusted friend as myself ! =rusted friend! (ah! 5iss &o hie would never take him! 8ood woman, indeed! &he'd give him good woman, so she would! &ir 6hili , a large, florid man in his mid<forties, rose to his feet as 5iss 5arsden entered the arlour and said, 5y dear 5iss &o hie, you must allow yourself to "e guided "y one who is older and wiser. =hat servant of yours actually tried to tell me you were not at home. Cou should turn her off at once if she does not know her lace "etter than that. %nna was merely following out my instructions, said &o hie, very much on her dignity as she went to stand "y the chimney< iece. %nd I have no intention of dismissing a servant so much devoted to my interests. &ir 6hili frowned at the unwonted shar ness in her voice. Cou must not resent the advice of another who is devoted to your interests, my dear. Cou need a servant who can distinguish when an unex ected caller is a close enough friend to "e admitted. 5iss 5arsden smiled sweetly. Oh. !ell, I assure you that %nna always does that, &ir 6hili . &he waited with "right<eyed interest for her suitor to a"sor" the im lications of this set<down. 7ow, now, 5iss &o hie! Cou must not "e naughty with me! chuckled &ir 6hili . He lowered his frame into a chair only to encounter a air of raised "lack eye"rows from his hostess, who remained standing. Hastily he stood u again. !hat the devil had gotten into the chitB %lways "efore she had received him with a deference which had encouraged him to think that her refusal of his suit lay in her natural modesty and

the dis arity "etween their estates. In his self<im ortance, it never occurred to him that 5iss 5arsden might find his advances re ugnant. Having decided at last to marry and "eget an heir, ,&ir 6hili was not the man to "e ut off "y a little feminine coAuetry. &o hie 5arsden was as dainty a morsel as ever he'd seen and she'd warm his "ed Auite nicely, thank you very much! Her resistance to his suit merely added s ice to the ursuit. =he thought of over owering her refusal was exciting. Dou"tless he would have to over ower her in "ed as well. %ll the "etter, for his money! He'd en$oy a struggle. 7othing worse than a wench who lay there like a cor se. 7aturally one would not ex ect or wish one's wife to actually en$oy the "usiness! =hat was for lightskirts and farm wenches one could tum"le in the straw! %ll this ran through his head as he stared at his unwilling hostess. 7o dou"t she had forgotten to sit down. &he'd do so at once now that she realised he wished to do so. =o his ama#ement she did not. Instead, she remained "y the chimney< iece, her dark eyes holding a faintly Auestioning look, as one who says, #re you staying for long" there something I can do for youB Indeed, she was saying something very like that. I am very "usy this afternoon &ir 6hili . If there is something which you articularly wish to say to me I wish you will say it. #nd then get out of my house! &ir 6hili smiled com lacently. %ha! &o she was going to listen sensi"ly at last! !ell, well. I don't mind saying I think it is time that ne hew of yours was taken in hand "y a man's authority, he said. &hould "e sent off to school "y now! !on't do him any good to "e tied to your a ron strings, you know. 5ight I remind you that my ne hew is only recently or hanedB sna ed 5iss 5arsden. I consider sending a child to school at his age to "e "ar"arous anyway and dou"ly so in these circumstances! Oh, tush! 5ake a man of him! said &ir 6hili "racingly. Don't you worry. I'll take the lad in hand for you. He needs a man's authority. 5iss 5arsden was sei#ed "y a s irit of devilry. I am so much in agreement with you there, &ir 6hili , that I have arranged for him to ride out once a week with ;ord Helford, who has very kindly offered to mount him. 8arfield stiffened like a wolf scenting the hunter. +elfordB 5ount young 4itB He'd warrant that wasn't the only thing his lordshi was lanning to mount! His colour rose in anger. I cannot think that to "e an eligi"le arrangement, he o ined forcefully. Had I known you wished it, I would have taken 4it out myself! I do not choose to "e under any o"ligation to you, &ir 6hili ! said 5iss 5arsden in chilly tones. O"ligationB I wonder you will choose to "e under one to Helford! % young lady like yourself can know nothing of his re utation, "ut I assure you it will not do, 5iss &o hie. I will not ermit it in the woman I intend to marry! 5iss 5arsden had had Auite enough at this oint. &ir 6hili , this has gone far enough! she said in tones of unmistaka"le anger. Cou have no authority over me

and I do not intend that to change! Cou have several times in the ast offered me marriage. I have refused uneAuivocally on each occasion, "ut I have tried to avoid giving you ain "y too "lunt a re ly. =his time I will tell you lainly that the thought of marriage to you is re ugnant to me and I would not consider it under any circumstances.. Cou will lease take my re ly as final and cease to im ortune me with your suit! =hat, thought &o hie, surely ought to "e the end of it. !ith any other man it ro"a"ly would have "een, cou led as it was with a look of fro#en disdain from eyes which glared like chi s of ice from under haughty "lack "rows. 9nfortunately &ir 6hili was so far enthralled in his own conceit that he took 5iss 5arsden's declaration of re ugnance as a challenge to his virility and acted accordingly. (efore she could so much as gra" the oker, 5iss 5arsden found herself in a suffocating gri . One hand was at her throat trying to force her chin u and his wet mouth was fum"ling clumsy kisses all over her averted face in an attem t to reach her li s. &to it! !hat are you do>B Her rotest was smothered "y his li s which at last reached their goal and forced greedy, ra acious kisses on her soft mouth. Hevolted, &o hie fought des erately, only to realise that in some horri"le way her struggles were leasura"le to the "rute "east assaulting her. Her very fear and anger seemed to s ur him on. &he tore her mouth free and was a"out to scream for =hea and %nna when a familiar voice ri ed through the room in accents of "la#ing fury. =hat will "e Auite enough, 8arfield! Helease 5iss 5arsden immediately, unless you wish to sam le my riding whi ! % vice<like gri took &ir 6hili , dragging him away from his victim and s inning him around. &omething drove itself into his midriff with crashing force and its identical twin smashed into his $aw as he staggered "ackwards. !inded and stunned, he colla sed moaning on the floor. &o hie staggered slightly, da#ed and confused. % gentle hand under her arm su orted her to a chair and ressed her shoulder as she stared u gratefully at her rescuer. 5y ;ord Helford, who had "een sitting outside on the garden seat under the o en window waiting for 5iss 5arsden to get rid of her unwanted visitor, then turned to &ir 6hili 8arfield. He was still writhing ignominiously on the floor, a circumstance that David viewed with immense satisfaction as he said in a voice laced with "iting scorn and a fine unconcern for the fact that 8arfield was ten years his senior, In my day, 8arfield, no gentleman would have dreamt of ressing his suit on a lady who had declared herself unwilling to entertain it. %nd he certainly would not have forced his attentions on her! I suggest that you get out of here "efore I am tem ted to use my whi on you. &ir 6hili regained his feet. He was "rick red and said with some degree of hysical difficulty, I)I am making 5iss 5arsden an)an)honoura"le ro osal of marriage which>D He was cut off coldly. !hich she has refused. 7ow get out!

Eor a moment &ir 6hili looked ugly, "ut Helford's re utation with his fists was no less awe<ins iring than his re utation with the ladies of the @iennese O era. %nd calling him out would "e decidedly worse. He was re uted to "e $ust as deadly with swords or istols. &ir 6hili decided that discretion was the "etter art of valour. He was a fair shot and a reasona"le swordsman, "ut he knew that to challenge Helford on a matter like this was to sign his own death warrant. !ith a curt nod to 5iss 5arsden he left, one hand ressed to his solar lexus, the other cradling his fast<swelling $aw. &o hie said nothing at first, "ut sat shaking in the chair Helford had laced her in. %fter taking a thoughtful glance at her David went to the side ta"le which held that "ottle of cowsli wine and oured her a glass. He could see that she was seriously u set and said, I think you need not worry, 5iss 5arsden. He is most unlikely to risk a challenge from me, you know. Here, take this. His words and tone gave no clue to the turmoil of emotions raging within. &he looked u in white<faced horror. 7o! Cou mustn't! % feeling of sheer anic shot through her at the thought of him courting such danger. % hideous vision of him dead or "adly wounded rose in nightmarish detail "efore her. He stared at her. &urely she wasn't going to feel sorry for the lecherous "rute! Fould he have mistaken her sentimentsB Did she in fact lan to acce t 8arfieldB =he thought sickened him. =hat she might surrender herself to 8arfield! =o anyone! Her next words as she took the glass showed him his error. I)I couldn't bear it if you were to "e hurt for my stu idity! &he si ed the wine gratefully. She)s worried about meB David found the notion immensely interesting, not to say novel. On the only other occasion when he had challenged a man over a woman, she had "een Auite excited "y the ros ect of two men going out, each with the ex ressed desire of utting a eriod to the other's existence. %fter that, Helford had declined to offer challenges over women. =hey $ust weren't worth it>until he had heard &o hie 5arsden struggling with that lecherous "astard! =hat had enraged him as nothing else had ever done. He had scarcely "een aware of moving as he had lea t from the seat and hoisted himself through the window. He would have fought a do#en duels for her sake! He tried to s eak lightly to cover u his feelings, @ery sweet of you, my dear, "ut you need not worry. I can assure you that if 8arfield is fool enough to challenge me, it will "e his cor se the surgeon has to deal with, not mine. &o hie managed a faint smile and said, I $ust wanted to make it clear to him that I wouldn't marry him! I thought that erha s I had "een too gentle on the other occasions when I refused his offer. &o I told him that) &he hesitated. 7o matter what his crimes, it was scarcely the done thing to "oast of &ir 6hili 's offer and then tell Helford how rudely she had refused it. 9nderstanding her sudden silence, David smiled, relief lightening his mood. Cou don't need to tell me what you said. I was right outside the window and overheard. I can only say that &ir 6hili is a more conceited man than I, if he could ossi"ly su ose, after a refusal like that, that he could change your mind "y, e0force ma!eure.

&o hie shuddered in disgust. 7o! I)I had no idea it was so horrible! &he continued without thinking, not realising how surely she was "etraying her com lete innocence, !hy on earth do women get marriedB 9gh! How can they ut u with itB David felt a surge of tender amusement at the inex erience evident in this. I am o"liged to oint out to you, 5iss 5arsden, that if the lady is willing it does not have to "e a horri"le ex erience for her. %nd not all men are as singularly ine t and "rutish as your erstwhile suitor. I trust I am not myself. %nd I certainly do not force my attentions on unwilling females! % trace of indignation cre t into his dee voice. &he looked u at him over the rim of her wine glass. How dreadful. &he had offended him! I)I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was very rude. I am sure that you)I mean, that you wouldn't>D &he sto ed, very em"arrassed. (etter not to inform Helford that she was ersuaded his attentions would have "een far more acce ta"le to her! 7ever mind, he said consolingly. It's far from "eing the rudest thing you've ever said to me. 7ow, to "usiness. Probably better not to now e0actly what she was about to say. #nd it would definitely be better not to thin about correcting her misapprehension by a demonstration! He ex lained gently why he had wanted to see her. &o hie was silent. &he told herself that she ought to "e relieved that she would see nothing of him for a eriod. It would give her time to regain some measure of control over her thoughts. :s ecially after this afternoon. It would "e all too easy to view ;ord Helford as a gallant 6erseus rescuing %ndromeda and dream of living ha ily ever after. %ll he had done was to act as any man of honour would have done in his osition. Ces, it would "e as well if she were not to see him and the little sta" of ain in her heart was undenia"le confirmation of that. @ery well, she said at last. If you are ha y to entrust Eanny to your tiger, then I can have no Aualms a"out sending 4it with him. =hank you, my lord and)and thank you for your intervention $ust now. I am very grateful. &he rose to her feet and held out her hand. It was taken in a warm firm clas , "ut to her sur rise Helford did not release it at once. Hather he held her eyes in his ga#e and raised her suddenly trem"ling hand to his li s. He ressed a gentle kiss to her fingerti s. He knew he should release her at once "ut then, unconsciously, her fingers returned the clas and the dearest and shyest of smiles Auivered on her li s. =he dim le hovered uncertainly at the corner of her mouth, as if unsure of its welcome. He wondered des airingly if she had the slightest idea of how devastating that wide<eyed look was, of what it did to himB It "urnt its way into his very soul. %nd her fingers were still trem"ling in his suddenly tightened gri . &lowly, deli"erately, he turned her hand over to caress the alm with his thum". &he stared u at him, her li s slightly arted in ama#ement at the shudders of leasure that ri led through her at the im lied intimacy of his action. David was lost, all his virtuous resolutions forgotten as he drew her gently into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. %ll the reasons why he should not kiss her were

overwhelmed "y the tem tation of those softly yielding li s and the desire to show her what a kiss could "e like. Her com lete innocence was "oth s ur and cur" to his assion. He was very gentle, moving his mouth over hers in a tender caress as he marvelled at her sweetness, reining in his ra idly mounting desire. &o hie, whose first kiss had left her shuddering in revulsion, was stunned at the difference. It seemed my lord was right when he said it made a difference if the lady were willing. &he was of the o inion, though, that the skill of the man made a great deal of difference as well. =he seductive ressure of Helford's mouth was a far cry from the lustful slo""ering of &ir 6hili . Helford's li s were ersuasive, exerting a su"tle command to which she res onded instinctively, her arms clinging to him for su ort as his tongue ran over her li s, seeking entrance. !ith a little so" that shook David to the core, her li s flowered under his. Di##y with assion, he lunged his tongue into her soft, vulnera"le mouth, tasting and ex loring in slow, sensuous strokes. $h, %od& She)s so sweet, so soft! He was racked with desire as he felt her "ody melting against him. One hand rose un"idden to fondle her "reasts through her "odice. :ven so he felt her ni les harden in res onse to his action, felt her sigh of leasure, which his mouth a"sor"ed. =he sensations coursing through &o hie's "ody ro""ed her of all ower of thought. &he had thought his kiss seductive enough "efore he dee ened it, "ut when his tongue invaded her mouth she realised her mistake. (oldly swee ing and lundering, it hinted at all sorts of other intimacies. &he felt one com elling hand slide sensuously down to her hi , ulling her against his "ody in a way which should have shocked her. (eyond caring, she allowed herself to kiss him "ack, ressing herself against his owerful "ody, revelling in the hard muscles and glorying in the contrast "etween that and the gentleness of his touch. Her "reasts ached at the knowing caress of his large hand which was yet so gentle and she felt a strange tension "uilding in her, which seemed to centre itself "etween her thighs. His kiss "ecame more demanding, more intimately ro"ing as her "ody's res onse set her trem"ling. %nd his loins moved "ack and forth against her in slow, erotic suggestion, telling her exactly what he wanted of her. 7o longer gentle, "ut fiercely ossessive, his mouth and hands arousing her senses almost to the oint of ain. %nd she acceded to his demands, surrendering totally to his mastery. David was fast losing control of himself and it terrified him. His own arousal was ure agony. =he sheer innocence of her res onse had set him a"la#e with a desire stronger than anything he had ever ex erienced. % desire to have her nestled naked in his arms in "ed, while he ex lored her "ody with ever<increasing intimacy. % desire to kiss and suckle her soft "reasts and finally to take and ossess her fully. % desire to make love to her until she cried out in the ecstasy of fulfilment. His loins were thro""ing, ositively screaming at him to do something>anything!>to relieve their torment. !ith a groan of frustration he released her gently and, realising that her legs were unlikely to su ort her, ut her "ack in the chair. !hat the hell was he doingB He

looked down at her flushed face and swollen, trem"ling li s, "ruised with his assion. Her eyes were da#ed as she met his searching look and he felt a sta" of a alling guilt. I)m worse than %arfield& #t least he was offering marriage& #nd who the devil is going to protect her from meB I)I "eg your ardon, 5iss 5arsden, he said with difficulty. I did not intend) did not mean to take advantage) I) I ho e you will not misconstrue)no insult was intended) I) I mean) Lord& (hat a meandering morass of rubbish& (hat the devil do I meanB Drawing a dee "reath, &o hie 5arsden reached for her tattered com osure, dra ing it inadeAuately over her raw and naked emotions. It was "etter than nothing, even if it couldn't kee out the chilly reality which was see ing into her and Auenching the fire which had raged through her "ody. +is isses mean nothing, save that he wanted to iss you. %ll very well, "ut what was she to sayB 1eep it light& 'on)t let him see how you feel! It was not that she feared he would take advantage, "ut she feared his ity if he saw how much he had affected her. =here was only a faint tremor in her voice as she said, It)it was most educational)my)my lord. Cou are indeed an im rovement on &ir 6hili . $h, dear& 'id I really say thatB He stared at her in dis"elief. 2ducational" 2ducational, did she say" %ood %od! He'd heard it called some funny things "efore, "ut that card took the trick! =hen he saw the slight Auiver of her lower li , swiftly "itten down on, and realised how hard she was trying to control herself. +elp her, you arrogant fool! If you can consider it as such, then I am o"liged to you, he res onded, not feeling o"liged in the least. He did not wish &o hie 5arsden to consider him in the light of a assing stage in her worldly education. He was damned if he knew what he did want her to think of him, "ut it certainly wasn't that! He went on smoothly, 7aturally I am gratified that you found me an im rovement. #nd I had best get the hell out of here before I improve on my own record! He saw her mouth trem"le again. 'amn& I can)t leave it li e this. It)s too cruel! =he door "urst o en and Eanny and 4it came tearing in. %unt &o hie! I $um ed a hedge! =ruly I did! Fatching the Aui##ical eye of his mentor u on him, he grinned and said, !ell, a ga in a hedge. %nd ;ord Helford says I'll "e a "ruising rider! He was a"solutely ecstatic and went on charita"ly, Eanny $um ed it Auite well too, for a girl, of course. 5aster Farlisle didn't dodge Auite fast enough to avoid the thum 5iss 5elville landed on his shoulder. 9ncle David didn't say it was good for a girl! she said fiercely. %nd he said you'd "e a "ruising rider when you sto ed riding fast at tim"er. Otherwise you'd "e a "ruised rider! %nd she stuck her tongue out in a manner calculated to "ring des air to the gentle soul of her governess. Helford $ust laughed and said, Out, you revolting child! It is time we took our leave, and don't strike 4it again. It is not at all the thing when you know he is not

ermitted to hit you "ack. 'amn the brats& (hy did they have to come in !ust then" -ot that I have the faintest idea what to say to her anyway. &o hie rose to her feet. I will "id you good day then, my lord, Eanny. I ho e you will en$oy your house arty. &he held out her hand to his lordshi and he took it reluctantly. It was as though a knife twisted in his guts as he heard her dismiss him so coolly, "ut he had no choice "ut to accede. !ith a "rief ressure of the fingers he was gone, ulling 4it's ear and telling him to "e good to his aunt. Eanny aused only to "estow a hug on &o hie, of whom she was "ecoming very fond, and rushed out after him. 4it went off a"out his own ursuits and &o hie was left alone. !hy had he kissed her like thatB Her fingers touched her li s in wonder. 7ever had she imagined a kiss could ossi"ly make you feel like that. %s though you were on fire and melting all at the same time! 'id he feel the same" Could he possibly iss me li e that without feeling anything beyond desire" #re men really that differentB &uddenly exhausted, she sat down. Her muddled thoughts were interru ted "y %nna. 5iss &o hie. =hat &ir 6hili , what ha enedB I saw Dim go. Did he try to make u to youB &o hie nodded. Ces. It)it was very un leasant. Eortunately ;ord Helford came in and)and) 8ave Dim a settler, I'll "e "ound! Cou "e careful, 5iss &o hie. Cou didn't ought to "e receiving gentlemen alone. 5ind you, his lordshi 's safe enough. &o hie did not feel it advisa"le to correct this false im ression and %nna went on, FourtinD he is or so they say in the village. If %nna had dum ed a "ucket of cold water on her young mistress, &o hie could not have "een more shocked. FourtingB He is courtingB !hoB %nna shrugged, One of the young ladies cominD to stay u at the 6lace, I did hear. 8ood as "etrothed to some ;ady ;ucinda. &he looked closely at 5iss &o hie. 6ro er wore out she looked. Cou go an' have a rest, 5iss &o hie. I'll look after things. 8o on, now. &he she herded &o hie out of the room like a large shee dog with a very small lam". In the rivacy of her "edcham"er &o hie sat on the "ed, staring "lindly into s ace. He was courting. &o what could he ossi"ly want with herB %t "est he was amusing himself with a little flirtation, and at worst)at wdrst he would offer her a carte blanche, ask her to "e his mistress. &he shuddered to think that, after her disgraceful res onse, he could hardly "e "lamed for thinking that she would "e a willing conAuest. !ell, he would learn his mistake! %t least she ho ed he would. It was as she had known dee down at the start>if he wanted her and so much as sus ected her willingness then she was lost. &he would surrender herself even though she knew it would destroy her.

'ha()er !,-

%ll the next day Helford 6lace resounded to the rum"le of arriving carriages and clattering hooves on the gravelled swee of drive "efore the main ortico with its lofty 8recian columns. &ervants scurried hither and yon, conveying mountains of "aggage to the various a artments assigned to the guests. =he house echoed to the influx of new voices, footste s and the whis er of silken skirts hushing over the floors. ;ady 5aria viewed all this rather sardonically. Her eagle ga#e had "een Auick to descry the tension in her ne hew when he returned home the revious day. He had almost winced whenever Eanny s oke of &o hie 5arsden, which she did very freAuently, referring to her as #unt Sophie. !ell, not winced recisely. Ero#en was more like it, as though he were trying to control or counteract some owerful emotion. %nd in ;ady 5aria's long and varied ex erience, there was only one emotion likely to "ring out that sort of reaction over a woman. &o she waited with intense interest to see how he would greet the guests of honour. &natches of conversation came to her ears when eo le thought she wasn't attending. Has he offered alreadyB)forgone conclusion) ro"a"ly announce it towards the end of the visit) &ometimes, thought ;ady 5aria, it aid to let eo le think you were a little deaf and more than a little senile. =he irritation of "eing s oken to like a halfwit was more than am ly com ensated "y the information you icked u . Eor exam le, 7ed %sterfield would never have referred to ;ady ;ucinda as a cold poultice had he thought his hostess could hear him. &he sat in the 8reen Drawing Hoom, which was considered hers "y long tradition, receiving the guests as Helford resented them to her, watching their a roach across the em ty ex anse of car et and knowing erfectly well that they found the ex erience singularly unnerving. =he old<fashioned, formal arrangement of the room assisted in the im ression of a roaching a throne. 8ave you a chance to have a good look at the erson. Hum h! 7one of this new<fangled ru""ish a"out cluttering u a room with furniture higgledy iggledy all over it. !hile she had "reath in her "ody her a artments would "e arranged in the old way with the furniture in its lace against the wall. =he way it was when a gown was a gown, thank you very much, and had a decent hoo to it! 7ot one of these scandalous modern muslin dra eries calling itself decent attire for a modest female! %t length ;ady &tanford and ;ady ;ucinda %nstey were announced and ;ady 5aria eyed her ne hew's Auarry as she made her way regally down the long room to "e resented to her hostess. =all and elegant, ;ady ;ucinda glided across the car et to

greet the old lady. # beauty" $h, yes, she)s that, all right. 3he right girl for 'avid" (e shall see. &he was demurely res ectful, "ut ;ady 5aria was Auick to detect a hint of atronage. %nd "y the sudden frown in his eyes Helford had caught it as well. ;ady 5aria res onded to the young lady's greeting with a "lunt, How d'you doB =hen she turned her fire on ;ady &tanford. 8ood evening, %urelia! How is &tanford these daysB &till an eye to the filliesB =his enigmatic Auestion left most of the assem"led arty in dou"t as to whether the old girl referred to the a"sent :arl's s orting interests or other less res ecta"le roclivities. :veryone exce t ;ady &tanford and ;ord Helford, that is. =he latter managed to disguise an unseemly crack of laughter as a fit of coughing, "ut ;ady &tanford went ur le with fury and "arely returned a civil re ly. ;ady ;ucinda was somewhat taken a"ack. 7ever had she seen her mama so ut out "y an innocent Auestion. ;ady ;ucinda was one of those young ladies of "irth, so recently extolled "y ;ord Helford, who knew nothing of a gentleman's re utation. 7ot even when the gentleman was her own father and carried on his amours with much the same regard for discretion as a stag in rut. Oddly enough, his lordshi was not delighted at her o"vious ignorance. Lord& (hat a pea4goose she must be& Stanford)s peccadilloes are common nowledge ! Helford had, manlike, com letely forgotten his dictum, so forci"ly ex ressed to 5iss 5arsden, that young ladies should not know of such things. He found himself thinking that &o hie would have made some outrageous comment to ut the old devil in her lace. %nd 8reat %unt 5aria would have loved it! (elatedly remem"ering his role as host, he strolled forward to rescue the seething ;ady &tanford. Eixing his outrageous relative with a look which would have wilted almost any other female and most men, he said, 6erha s you and ;ady ;ucinda would like to rest after your $ourney "efore you must change for dinner. It is after four now and we will dine at six. Fountry hours, you know. =hank you, my lord, res onded ;ady &tanford. #t least he nows what is due to me. 'isagreeable old hag& (hen Lucinda marries, Lady Maria can retire to the 'ower +ouse or .ath. I)ll see to that! &he ermitted ;ord Helford to lead her from the room and show the air of them to the suite of rooms they were to occu y. =he grandeur and a ointments of these rooms went a long way towards mollifying her. =hese were the state a artments, their wainscoting lavishly gilded and the furniture luxuriously u holstered in gold silk damask. % large salon se arated the two "edcham"ers, which "oasted elegant and enormous "eds surmounted "y cano ied dra es in gold and ivory silk. It would "e too much to say that ;ady ;ucinda was im ressed "y this dis lay of ostentation, "ut she certainly a reciated it as her due. ;ord Helford uses us with great res ect, 5ama, she o"served when she $oined ;ady &tanford in their rivate salon.

Kuite so, my love, agreed ;ady &tanford. %nd I am sure that he will not make a fuss a"out any little changes you may like to make. Fhanges, 5amaB ;ady ;ucinda was sur rised. %s far as she could see the house was fitted u in the first style of elegance. ;ofty rooms, a certain formal dignity. &ome of the furnishings were a trifle old fashioned, "ut no dou"t they could "e relegated to less u"lic rooms "it "y "it. !hat could 5ama "e talking a"outB Ces, my dear. Eor exam le, I "elieve that ;ord Helford's niece is living here at the moment. 9nderstanda"ly he has not had time to look a"out him and dis ose of the child suita"ly. =hat will "e a task for you, my dear. =he child will "e very much "etter off in a good school or with other relations. &he must not "e encouraged to think of this as her home now, you know. Or hans, she s oke with a delicate shudder, can "e sadly encroaching. ;ady ;ucinda nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, she did not wish to "e trou"led with someone else's child. ;ady &tanford continued, %nd, of course, ;ady 5aria is "ecoming Auite eculiar. %nd she has "een so used to ! ordering everything here $ust as she leases. It will "e very ! much "etter if she retires to the Dower House or even erha s to (ath. Ces, (ath would "e "est. Her health, you I know. I am sure the waters would "e most "eneficial. =his oint of view struck ;ady ;ucinda forci"ly. 5ost I certainly she did not want ;ord Helford's 8reat %unt interfering with her management of the house. &he went ! down to dinner in a thoughtful frame of mind, determined f to ask her mother's advice on how "est to achieve these evictions. (y the end of dinner ;ady 5aria was determined on one thing. Her ne hew was not going to marry that insuffera"ly su erior wench if she could sto it! %nd if he was fool enough to take her, then she would "etake herself to the Dower House "efore the "ridal tri was over. 7ever had she "een more irritated "y a female in her life, which was saying a great deal since most women irritated ;ady 5aria. &he made two exce tions. One was for 6enelo e Darleston, who was an im udent "aggage, "ut at least ke t that handsome rake she had married in her "ed where he "elonged. =he second was for 5iss 5arsden, who was, she o ined, a good gal and one who would give as good as she got. 7ot one of these mealy<mouthed modern misses who swooned if someone mentioned breeches. ;ady 5aria had had a soft s ot in her heart for 5iss 5arsden ever since the day she had called u on her to find her chasing a iglet out of her arlour and using language which ;ady 5aria had not heard since one of the grooms had "een kicked "y one of her carriage horses. (y the end of the evening ;ady 5aria had added to her resolve a"out removing to the Dower House. &he would take Eanny with her. =he child had "een "rought down to the drawing room "efore dinner and ;ady ;ucinda had treated her with a mixture

of condescension and atronage which grated on ;ady 5aria intolera"ly. 'amn it& 3his is the child)s home, ain)t itB 7ot a dou"t "ut that ;ady ;ucinda would "e acking the child off to school faster than the cat could lick her ear. -ot if I have anything to say to it! (y the time she retired and had heard ;ady ;ucinda assuring David that she would "e delighted to see over the house on me morrow and give him the "enefit of her advice in his lans for refur"ishing the west wing, ;ady 5aria had heard more than enough. ;ady ;ucinda %nstey would marry David 5elville over her dead "ody! =o this end she emerged from her "edcham"er the next morning well "efore her usual hour. &he wished to catch Helford "efore he "egan the day's entertainments which were to include a ride around the estate and a visit to Darleston Fourt. &he found her ne hew in the li"rary $ust "efore "reakfast. He looked u in some sur rise. 8ood 8od, ma'am! Has someone invaded the nationB !hat the devil are you doing u so earlyB Don't you swear at me as if I was one of your troo ers! she sna ed, secretly delighted at the easy, down<to<earth way he s oke with her. Hah! &he'd like to see 5adam %nstey's reaction if Helford addressed her like that! 7ow, to "e devious. Had an idea, she said. %re you going to see anything of the Darlestons while you've got the house full of all these eo leB !ell, of course, said David. In fact, I had arranged to call on them this afternoon while we are out riding. I sent a note over yesterday and ;ady Darleston sent one "ack saying to "ring as many as I liked. ;ady 5aria smiled in an odd way which made David feel very nervous. He remem"ered that look from his childhood and it always meant trou"le for someone, generally the reci ient. !hy don't you suggest to 6enelo e that she calls on 5iss 5arsdenB suggested ;ady 5aria. =hose two should deal extremely well together. 7ot a hair's<"readth "etween them when it comes to s eaking their minds and, as far as I'm aware, they've never met. David erceived that his memory must "e at fault. He could detect no danger at all in this "rainwave. 6enelo e Darleston would "e $ust the right friend for &o hie. He was shaken to find that he thought of her as Sophie now, rather than Miss Marsden. =here was something a"out kissing a girl which seemed to do away with such formalities. :s ecially when the memory of the girl's res onse haunted your slee and left you feeling as though your "ed were stuffed with nails. Damned chilly nails at that. @ery well, %unt 5aria. I'll suggest to ;ady Darleston that she calls on &o)5iss 5arsden. 8ood 8od! ;ook at the time. I'd "est get to "reakfast. If you can "e out of your room this early, I can make it to "reakfast on time.

;ady 5aria ermitted him to escort her from the room, not "etraying "y so much as a Auiver of her li s that she had caught his telltale sli . Sophie, indeed& $nce that impudent creature Penelope gets wind of this, I can trust her to do something about it without my having to say a word. =rue to his word Helford showed ;ady ;ucinda around the house after "reakfast. ;ady ;ucinda had reminded him that she was all eagerness to give him the "enefit of her advice. Indeed, it will "e a leasure, my lord. Cou must know that 5ama recently had several rooms done u at Fam"erley in the Fhinese style. I fancy that the result is not $ust in the common way and I should "e ha y to assist you. David was conscious of an unex ected twinge of ure fright, since it was evident from her arch comments that ;ady &tanford had no intention of accom anying them on this ex edition. He was at a loss to understand his dismay since, logically s eaking, it should "e $ust what he wanted. % chance to "ecome acAuainted .with his ros ective "ride. It loo s so particular& ,ou)ll have the entire party gossiping by noon if you ta e only her. 3hin now, some camouflage is called for. 6erha s 5rs. %sterfield might care to come along as well, he said, smiling in the direction of a young matron who showed every sign of having a tendre for him. !hy, I should "e delighted, my lord, res onded 4ate %sterfield, a faint smile curving her li s. &he was no fool and understood exactly what his lordshi was at. 6erfectly ha y with her hus"and, an old friend of Helford's, she was nevertheless Auite ha y to s end a morning in the com any of a man who was the most handsome thing 8od ever ut in "reeches. :s ecially if it would annoy that insuffera"le %nstey chit. 7ot that ;ady ;ucinda would ever do anything so human as to show annoyance, "ut she must surely "e conscious of a little chagrin that she was not the sole reci ient of this signal honour. GGG =he tour was a mixed success. =he two ladies had en$oyed themselves enormously. 5rs. %sterfield was not a woman who had to "e the centre of attention to "e ha y. On the contrary, she was Auite content to stand "ack and o"serve the foolishness of others. &he derived no small satisfaction from listening to ;ady ;ucinda instruct his lordshi in the rinci les of modern taste, consigning several o"viously valua"le heirlooms to the attics in the rocess. &he was relatively sure Helford had "een Auite shocked at some of the suggestions ut forth, "ut he was the soul of tact, merely saying Auietly that he had a liking for this iece or that and would refer it left in its lace. (lissfully unaware that she was not showing to advantage, ;ady ;ucinda gave full rein to her ideas and was tolera"ly certain that ;ord Helford was much struck "y her understanding and taste. !ith her mama's advice in mind she even ventured to enAuire when Ddear little Eanny', as she descri"ed the child, would "e off to school.

&urely a wise move, my lord. It must "e ainful for the child to "e constantly reminded of all that she has lost, said ;ady ;ucinda with an air of sincerity which made 5rs. %sterfield long to smack her. David merely re lied, Indeed, I am of the o inion that she has lost so much that I refer not to remove her from her home while she is so young. I must say I can see little need for her to "e sent away to school at all. Her governess a ears to me to "e doing an admira"le $o". It was said Auietly and in the friendliest of tones, "ut 5rs. %sterfield was convinced she had seen a flash of anger in those green eyes. O"livious to her "lunder, ;ady ;ucinda said, Oh, "ut she would "enefit from com anionshi . David inclined his head, ?ust so, ma'am. I have arranged for her to visit a friend of my aunt's once a week so that she may lay with 5iss 5arsden's ne hew. %nd I even take the air of them riding so that 5iss 5arsden does not feel im osed u on. He was startled at the ang of longing which shot through him in $ust mentioning &o hie. He thought of the way in which she had taken on the res onsi"ility for her or haned ne hew and wondered at ;ucinda's lack of understanding. It suddenly occurred to him to wonder how ;ucinda would deal with Eanny. He was coming to have a fondness for the child and felt a sta" of uneasiness at the thought that his "ride might not wish the child to remain with them. 5rs. %sterfield was s eaking. (esides, dear ;ucinda, Helford will "e setting u his nursery one day and will no dou"t rovide lots of com anionshi for Eanny. It would "e too much to say there was a glint of mischief in the lady's eyes. &he had, his lordshi $udged, a erfectly straight face. !hich was more than could "e said for ;ady ;ucinda, who actually glared at her. !ith a strange tightening of his throat David found that all he could think of was &o hie with that tiny infant cuddled to her "reast, her tender voice as she dreamed over it. %nd with a $olt he realised that it was that that had started him thinking of her as Sophie, not merely kissing her. %nd, of course, so many little girls "ecome ositively maternal where "a"ies are concerned, continued 5rs. %sterfield with, David considered, malice aforethought. =he look of extreme distaste on ;ady ;ucinda's face had o"viously not "een lost on her. !hy, I did myself after my eldest sister was "rought to "ed with her children and I was not so much older than Eanny is now, "eing the youngest of twelve. I "elieve it all ke t my arents shockingly "usy. =hey were standing in the Hound 6arlour in the &outh =ower at the time and 5rs. %sterfield caught sight of a 8ains"orough over the chimney< iece de icting the wife and very numerous rogeny of the fourth @iscount. I am sure another icture of that nature would gladden his lordshi 's heart, she said sweetly, indicating the ainting with an airy wave. =he children surrounded their mother, the youngest nestling on her la , her arms curved around him rotectively.

Kuite so, ma'am, res onded Helford drily, as visions of &o hie surrounded "y children assailed him. He wondered whether 7ed %sterfield would acce t a lea of extreme rovocation when his wife was found strangled. ;ady ;ucinda was looking a"solutely outraged at the im ro riety of this conversation. ;ord Helford could not hel thinking that &o hie would in all likelihood have succum"ed to giggles "y now and ro"a"ly would have said something $ust as outrageous. It clearly "ehoved him to "ring the tour to an end as Auickly as ossi"le, which he did "y suggesting that the ladies might like to re ose themselves "efore artaking of a luncheon rior to their ride over to Darleston Fourt. :ntirely satisfied with the morning's activities, 5rs. %sterfield took this gentle hint. &he retired in good order, reflecting as she did so that oor Helford deserved some time alone with the chit if he really was desirous of making her an offer. David found himself left alone with ;ady ;ucinda, giving him the chance to say, Cou may not know that I s oke to your father "efore leaving town. 7aturally I feel it to "e of the first im ortance that we are "oth Auite sure of our own minds "efore coming to any final agreement "ut) He smiled at her meaningly. Of course, my lord, said ;ady ;ucinda without the slightest trace of coyness or em"arrassment. =here is no need to "e hasty over such an im ortant matter. =elling himself that he ought to "e leased that she so o"viously viewed the match with the same cool ro riety that he did, Helford escorted ;ady ;ucinda "ack her "edcham"er. %s they went he tried to imagine her with children, a "a"y snuggled in her arms, and failed dismally. =he image $ust didn't fit. He took his leave of her very formally and de arted to think over his morning in the solitude of the li"rary. =he visit to Darleston Fourt was very leasant. =he :arl and his Fountess received the arty with great hos itality, and if ;ady ;ucinda thought that the resence of ;ady Darleston's extremely large dog was ina ro riate she left her o inion unvoiced. Helford noticed, however, that she avoided 8elert assiduously and wondered how she would react to dogs in the house. He had every intention of selecting a cou le of u ies from his kee er's current litter of s ringer s aniels. Dogs always made a house seem)well)more like a home. He had not ke t a dog since leaving :ngland and was looking forward to it very much. He took the first o ortunity of suggesting to the Fountess that she might care to make 5iss 5arsden's acAuaintance. 8reat %unt 5aria thought you would "e leased with her, he said in ex lanation of his reAuest as he a"sent<mindedly fondled 8elert's ears. Did she, indeedB asked 6enelo e. =hen, of course, I will do so. !illow"ank HouseB Oh, yes, I know it. @ery well. I shall call in the next day or so. I often ride out that way. (hat now is Lady Maria up toB 6enelo e was far too well acAuainted with his lordshi 's aunt not to detect a distinct whiff of rodent in the seemingly innocent suggestion.

=hinking 4ate %sterfield and ;ucinda might well "e tired, Helford took the arty "ack "y the shortest route which led them straight ast !illow"ank House. Eor the receding mile the tem tation to sto "riefly and visit &o hie warred with the knowledge that to see her would "e extremely unwise. 6ositively dangerous, in fact. He could lace no reliance on his a"ility to kee the line with her now. %s the house came into view he decided firmly that he would ride straight ast and resist tem tation. =herefore he was understanda"ly stunned to hear his own voice say, 6lease ride on ahead. I must sto and s eak to my tenant here a"out some im rovements I have in hand for the house. I will catch you u in a very few minutes. (here the devil did that come fromB He dismounted, rather da#ed at the lack of control he seemed to have over his "ehaviour, and tied the mare's "ridle to the gate ost. %ll the way u the ath he issued mental instructions to himself to kee his hands and mouth off &o hie, that she was his tenant, a lady of "reeding and undou"ted virtue, and as such should "e treated with res ect. %nd also that he had as good as offered for ;ucinda %nstey, who had every Aualification he had demanded of his "ride. &he was "eautiful, titled, well "ehaved and well dowered>a verita"le aragon. =o his mingled relief and chagrin &o hie received him with =hea %ndrews in attendance. If she was sur rised to see him again so soon, it did not show in her demeanour. 8ood afternoon, ;ord Helford. It is very leasant to see you again. Her voice was Auiet and dignified, giving no hint of the turmoil raging within. (hy is he here again so soon" (hat does he want" Surely he is not going toto offer acarte blanche. Stop it& Stop it at once& +e can)t do so with 3hea in the room. #nd if he is, it doesn)t matter& 5nless you are fool enough to accept! (ut it did matter. &he knew she would "e immeasura"ly ashamed if he thought that her disgraceful res onse to his kisses meant that she would consider such a connection. %nd she would have no one "ut herself to "lame. &he should not have talked in that indelicate fashion a"out marital duties. Of course a man of his re utation would "e una"le to resist such a challenge. &he indicated a chair to his lordshi , 6lease "e seated, my lord. I)I should not stay, 5iss 5arsden. I)I wished merely to say that I have "een calling at Darleston Fourt this afternoon and I mentioned you to the Fountess. &he) er)intends to call u on you in the next day or so. I)I ho e you do not mindB %ood %od& Stop stammering li e a lovesic schoolboy& 5iss %ndrews was all a<twitter. !hy, how very kind of you, my lord. I am sure that 5iss &o hie could not ossi"ly mind. Indeed, why should sheB &o hie, dear, you say nothingB &o hie was staring at Helford in com lete confusion. Her eyes met his with a look of u##lement. %t last she s oke. It is certainly very kind in you, my lord. (ut I can think of no reason why you should do such a thing. !hat can I have in common with a FountessB

She undervalues herself so dreadfully. %loud he said, !ell, my %unt 5aria a roves of "oth of you. In fact, it was her suggestion that I should mention you to ;ady Darleston. I am Auite sure that you will like her, you know. He continued reassuringly, &he is not in the least to lofty or condescending and I don't think she cares in the slightest a"out rank or degree or any of that nonsense. &o don't tease yourself on that head. 7ow, I must "e going. I am su osed to "e escorting my house guests home. =hey are riding on ahead. &o hie rose gracefully to her feet. =hen I will escort you to your horse, my lord, and thank you for your kind offices. I shall look forward to meeting ;ady Darleston. Helford "id 5iss %ndrews a olite farewell and held the door o en for &o hie to recede him from the room. =he soft fragrance that hung around her hair drifted ast him teasingly. He shut the door "ehind them, wondering $ust what the scent was. 5iss 5arsden. I ho e you will forgive my "ehaviour the other day)it was infamous of me>D Cou need not consider it, my lord. Her voice was cold. I am well aware that I ought not to have received &ir 6hili alone. I would not have done so had I not intended to refuse his offer in such "lunt terms. %nd you have certainly demonstrated me folly of receiving you alone. =he res onsi"ility is mine. &he was "laming herself for his "ehaviourB Damn! She shouldn't feel guilty "ecause he had "ehaved like a cad! He knew that many eo le would assume that she had asked for it in some way or another, "ut such attitudes stuck in his gullet. % man should not hide "ehind such cowardly untruths. He had kissed her "ecause he had not "een a"le to hel himself, "ut the fault was not hers. 9nless she was to "e "lamed for "eing too lovely, too a ealing. =he fault was not yours, 5iss 5arsden, he said gently. It was mine. Cou are not to "e "laming yourself or thinking that I will read any filing into your) er) into what ha ened. Into my response" Into the inescapable fact that I issed you bac " 3hat I did not merely permit but encouraged the liberties you too " 3hat I en!oyed itB &o hie did not answer as she went down the ath to the front gate. &he did not know what to say. 8ood"ye, my lord. I will ex ect Eanny on 5onday. He nodded, acce ting his dismissal. Earewell, then. He held out his hand. &he looked at it for a moment and then laced hers in it hesitantly. =he long fingers closed around it in a light gri and "efore she could withdraw he raised it swiftly to his li s to dro a kiss on the inside of her wrist. Her eyes widened in shock at the ri le of delight that ran through her. 7o, she whis ered. =his must sto . I am not for you, my lord. ;ook elsewhere for your amusements and leave me in eace! &he wrenched her wrist from his gras , her cheeks stained scarlet. 5y amusementsB David was shocked. !as that what she thoughtB (hat else could she thin B

!hat else can this "eB asked &o hie fiercely, echoing his thought. I do not know whether you are sim ly indulging in a little flirtation or something more serious, "ut I tell you this, ;ord HelfordI I want none of it! 8ood"ye! &he nearly ran "ack into the house, leaving David wondering what the devil had ossessed him to do such an addle"rained thing. He'd only $ust a ologised for the revious day's familiarities and mere he was doing it again. %lways with other women he had "een in full control of himself. Oh, he had desired diem right enough, "ut he had always "een in command of his actions. 7ever had he felt so com letely owerless to restrain himself. It)s because I can)t have her. If I could have her in bed, then she would cease to have this power. #h& .ut you can have her. She responded yesterday. +ow much effort would it ta e to>B -o! Horrified at the turn his droughts were taking, Helford s urred his mare into a "risk canter. He couldn't, he sim ly couldn't take advantage of her in that way. Had he only defended her from 8arfield's mauling to destroy her himselfB It was unthinka"le. Or it ought to "e. &he deserved "etter than that. !hy the hell was he interested in her, anywayB &he had no extraordinary degree of "eauty, her connections were no more than assa"le and she had a tongue on her like a was when she was annoyed. %nd her mouth had o ened under his in the sweetest, most trusting way, her "ody melting into his em"race as no woman's ever had. Her very inex erience and shyness set his senses "la#ing. (ut through it all was this inex lica"le urge to rotect her, even, or rather es ecially, from himself. Stay away from her. It)s the best thing you can do. 5nless you are prepared to offer marriage. #nd the last thing you want is marriage to a woman you care for a woman who can hurt you. =he thought seared itself into his mind $ust as the tail end of his guests came into view around a "end in the high hedges and he cantered u to them, a terri"le sus icion forming in his mind that he might have made an a alling mistake. =hat he might have all unwittingly fallen into the very tra he had sought to avoid. !hile he made olite conversation to 4ate %sterfield and ;ady ;ucinda, a remark 6eter Darleston had made on the su"$ect of love ounded mercilessly in his "rain. I didn)t even recognise it. He gritted his teeth. If he had fallen in love with &o hie 5arsden, then there was only one thing to "e done a"out it. %void her. ;ike the lague. &o hie ordered herself to forget a"out ;ord Helford. &he knew now why she had instinctively recognised him as dangerous. He wielded a ower over her that no man ever had. % few more interludes like that, she thought, and I won't "e a"le to refuse him. 7o matter what he asks. His mouth and hands ro""ed her of all a"ility to think rationally. &he lay in her "ed that night for hours, waiting for slee , trying to convince herself that this madness would ass.

It)s !ust a physical attraction. ,ou can)t be in love. ,ou hardly now him. (hat do you li e about him apart from the fact that he issed you out of your senses" (ut there were many things she liked a"out him. His kindness to 4it and his understanding of me "oy's ro"lem. =he way he had actually taken some time to acAuaint himself with his niece. 4it was full of things that Helford had said to him in the most casual way which told &o hie that she could not have found a "etter man to influence him. %nd he had seen unerringly to the heart of her make<"elieve with 6olly &im kins's "a"y. &he cursed and mum ed her illow. 'amn& 3ry and thin of things to his discredit, you little fool. +is reputation for a start. #nd what about the way he nearly ran you over" 3hought you a bit of game" #ccused you of eeping 1it from his family" #rrogant, interfering oaf! Her natural sense of $ustice was no hel at all. .ut he apologised for all of those things, unreservedly owning himself at fault. It only made her love him the more. Eor it was love, she could not he to herself, even if she did manage to reserve a cold front with Helford. %nd she would have to reserve a very cold front. &he knew he would never ress her if he "elieved her unwilling. &he must take care never to "e alone with him again. It was the only way to "e safe from her own weakness which would surrender to him at the first o ortunity. :lusive slee came at last "ut "rought her no eace, haunted as it was "y his voice and tender caresses. &he woke several times, her "ody trem"ling as it had in his arms, her heart ounding and that strange tension "uilding in her "elly. =he dreams were so real that each time she sank "ack into slee , confused to have found herself alone.

'ha()er !even

%fter dinner the next day &o hie dismissed 4it to his afternoon ursuits and =hea went to her usual afternoon rest. &he knew that the "est thing she could do was to kee "usy, so she fetched the "eeswax from the scullery and set a"out olishing the furniture in the arlour. 5ost of the ieces were very old with no retensions to fashion. =hey had "elonged for the most art to her father's family and showed signs of wear and aging. 7evertheless they glowed with care and lent the small room an air of home for her. &he had lived with this furniture all her life. =o her they s elled safety and security. &he flung o en the casements, allowing the fresh air to flow into the room. =he garden was full of flowers and their scent drifted through with the light "ree#e. Humming a soft air to herself, she went a"out her work. 6iece "y iece she moved around the room, a lying the wax s aringly, knowing that a small amount of wax to a larger amount of el"ow grease was the "est com"ination. %s she went the hum "ecame a song and her rich, warm voice floated out to mingle with a whistling "lack"ird. %fter she had waxed several ieces she $udged that the first one, a small dro <sided dining ta"le, would "e dry enough to "uff and returned to it, still singing.
I will give my love an apple without ere a core, I will give my love a house without ere a door. I will give my love a palace wherein he may be #nd he may unloc it without any ey.

=he visitor coming u the ath with her dog stood as though etrified as she heard the langent air and the oignant intensity of the voice. &he waited for a moment, and then walked u to the door. &he had "een very nervous a"out calling on a com lete stranger, "ut she $ust had to know what that song was. ?ust as &o hie icked u the clean cloth the door "ell $angled loudly. &he frowned. !ho on earth>surely, surely not Helford againB %nna's footste s were heard in the flagged hall and the sound of the door o ening. % charming, feminine voice was heard inAuiring if 5iss 5arsden were at home. (efore &o hie could so much as stuff the $ar of wax and the cloths in a drawer, %nna was o ening the door and announcing, D=is ;ady Darleston, 5iss &o hie. &ir 6hili might have had a oint, thought &o hie in horror. % Fountess comes to call on me and %nna has to show her in "efore I even have time to tidy myself. Horri"ly conscious of untidy hair, a streak of wax on her cheek from ushing a curl

out of her eyes and a sha""y old gown, &o hie came forward to greet her exalted guest. Her first im ression was one of extraordinary "eauty. % tall, slender figure in an elegant dark "lue ha"it, the skirt loo ed u gracefully over one arm. 8lowing au"urn curls nestled under a charming hat with one curling feather and set off a delicately fair countenance. &o hie drew herself u roudly. I have nothing to be ashamed of! % second glance revealed the caller's laughing grey eyes and merry smile. &uddenly &o hie was reassured. =his was confirmed "y the first thing ;ady Darleston said. Oh dear, I am interru ting you. &hould I come another timeB I)I)don't mean to intrude, "ut when Helford said ;ady 5aria wanted me to meet you)we are to dine with them, you know, and she is "ound to ask me how I liked you. Des ite herself &o hie started to laugh and her extraordinary guest $oined in. Oh, good! Cou looked so dreadfully stern for a moment that I was Auite scared. It didn't fit in at allD Eit in with whatB asked &o hie. =hat lovely song you were singing. Cou're going to sing it for me again so I can learn it, ex lained the im ossi"ly Fountess. !on't you sit down, ;ady DarlestonB asked &o hie, still smiling. %nna, "ring some cakes and sandwiches, lease, and tea. Ces, 5iss &o hie, and what should I do a"out the dogB DogB !hat dogB &o hie was u##led. Her ladyshi 's dog what's taking u the entire hall. Fan he come in, 5iss 5arsdenB asked ;ady Darleston. He's enormous, "ut very well "ehaved. Or I could leave him outside with my groom. (ring him in, said &o hie. %nd, %nna, tell ;ady Darleston's groom to take the horses around to the sta"le. He may ut them in the s are "oxes. ;ady Darleston gave a soft whistle and &o hie stared as the largest dog she had ever seen came in and sat "eside his mistress. 8ood 8od! Do you need a groom with him to escort youB =he Auestion was out "efore she could sto it. Oh dear, that ro"a"ly wasn't the right way to address a Fountess. (ut this articular Fountess did not seem to have the slightest notion of fitting into any of &o hie's reconceived ideas. Of course not. 8elert would sim ly savage anyone who accosted me. (ut you know what men are! she said with an infectious chuckle. Darleston insists if I am off our own land. On our estate I never "other with a groom. &o hie laughed and said, It must "e nice to have someone fuss a"out you that much. 6lease sit down. I am glad you called. ;ord Helford warned me that you might, "ut I didn't think it would "e so soon.

;ady Darleston grinned as she sat down with the dog at her feet, How well do you know ;ady 5ariaB 7ot terri"ly well, admitted &o hie. &he used to call here once in a while, "ut she doesn't get out much now, I "elieve. %nd you don't call on herB 7)no. I)er)I didn't think) &o hie didn't Auite know how to tell ;ady Darleston that she would not dream of resuming that she was welcome to call at Helford 6lace. %lthough the revious @iscount had "een kind enough, his wife had certainly never indicated that she wished for any sort of intimacy. Cou didn't want to "e thought encroachingB ;ady Darleston smiled understandingly. 7ext time I'm calling on her I shall come in the carriage and take you u if you would care to come. &he likes visitors, even if she does always give one a tremendous scold for not coming next or nigh her for months. Cou should have heard what she said to me after I didn't visit for a month when my twins were "orn. &o hie was fascinated. &he found it hard to "elieve that this slender creature could "e the mother of twins. I had heard you had twins, said &o hie shyly. How lovely for you. &he felt a ang of envy for this girl who had everything she would never have. % hus"and, who "y all accounts worshi ed the ground she trod on, and children of her own. #t least I have 1it. &he ushed away the thought of ;ord Helford. !hatever he might offer, she did not think love would come into it. %t least not love as she understood it. ;ady Darleston was s eaking again, !hat were you singing when I was walking u the athB I had never heard it "efore It's very old, isn't itB It sounded lovely. &he hummed art of the melody. One of our maids taught it to me when I was a child, said &o hie. It's $ust a country song, "ut I like it. !ill you lay it for meB asked ;ady Darleston, indicating the har sichord in the corner. &o hie shook her head. I lay very "adly. ;ady Darleston stood u and went to the old instrument. &he lifted the lid and sat down, twinkling at her hostess. @ery well. &ing. I have to learn this song. Darleston would love it. &lightly self<conscious, &o hie sang the old air and was ama#ed when her guest $oined in with a light accom animent on the second verse. Her touch on the keys was sure and light and she layed with a delicate sensitivity. %gain, she commanded at the end. =his time she layed the whole way through, adding an im rovised interlude "etween the verses. 6enelo e Darleston had never heard a girl sing like this one could. =he voice was so warm and vi"rant and there was that eculiar aching Auality. It made 6enelo e's heart contract to hear it, as though the singer's soul was "ared. :nough to "reak your heart, she thought as she struck the final chords.

=heir eyes met and held, the song's s ell still holding them in thrall. In that moment friendshi was "orn as each recognised in the other the ower of music to stir them and ex ress all the things that could never "e s oken. %t last 6enelo e s oke. I ho e you will come to dinner one evening and sing that for Darleston. Oh, I couldn't, ;ady Darleston! said &o hie in horror. 6enelo e laughed. Oh, yes, you could. He'd love it. %nd I think since we are going to "e friends that you had "etter sto calling me ;ady Darleston. :veryone I like calls me 6enny. Cou want me to call you 6ennyB 7ever had &o hie imagined that a Fountess could "e so unaffected and charming. 7o, not charming. !arm, friendly and yet there was a dignity a"out her that would reclude anyone taking li"erties with her. 6enelo e nodded. &he definitely liked this girl with her soft "rown curls and greeny<"rown eyes. &he had an oddly taking face with its im ertinent freckled nose. Ear more welcoming than ;ucinda %nstey's aristocratic countenan> 8ood 8od! Is that what ;ady 5aria is u toB Does she think that &o hie 5arsden can cut that insuffera"le girl out with HelfordB !ell, if he ever hears her sing! (ut from all I hear he's as good as offered for ;ucinda. How the devil can he get out of it nowB 6lease do, she went on aloud. 7ow we have met I would like to "e friends. %nd if ;ady 5aria likes you that's something we have in common. &he's terri"ly choosy. !ell, I can't imagine why she does like me, confessed &o hie. =he first time she called here to see how we were settling in I nearly knocked her flat, chasing a iglet out of this room and the language I was using was not recisely) olite. 6enelo e "urst out laughing. I can imagine. =he little "easts can run so fast and they are so slippery I 7othing at all to get hold of. =hat wouldn't "other ;ady 5aria. &he can't "ear eo le to "e what she calls mealy mouthed! I certainly wasn't that, said &o hie with a grin. Kuite the o osite. 8ood for you. =ell me, do you know Helford wellB &he watched carefully and saw the slight stiffening of &o hie's ex ressive face. 7ot very well, said &o hie lightly. He "rings Eanny over once a week to lay with my ne hew and he takes them out riding another day so I) sometimes see him when he calls. He has "een very good to 4it. I see, said 6enelo e thoughtfully. !hy on earth should Helford do that unless he was interested in &o hieB %nd if he was interested, why was he still ursuing ;ucinda %nsteyB He couldn't ossi"ly "e intending to offer &o hie a carte blanche. &urely not if he "rought his niece here and had suggested that she should "efriend the girl. (esides, she was not the sort of girl whom a gentleman would set u as his mistress. &he was lainly of good family and Helford would have to "e an utter scoundrel to ruin her. 6enelo e couldn't "elieve that of any friend of 6eter's. &he chattered on a"out Helford and came to the conclusion that &o hie was very uncomforta"le. Her voice, thought 6enelo e, was a com lete giveaway. =oo ex ressive to hide her feelings.

=actfully she changed the su"$ect to children, asking &o hie a"out 4it. Is he dreadfully naughtyB Or do they really grow out of itB 5y two<year<olds are frightful at times! (y the time 6enelo e left she was convinced that &o hie 5arsden was not at all indifferent to ;ord Helford. !hether it was love or not 6enelo e had no idea, "ut she was sure of one thingI &o hie 5arsden would "e a far more o ular choice than ;ucinda %nstey with Helford's friends and his aunt. !ith the child too, thought 6enelo e suddenly. &he could not for the life of her see ;ady ;ucinda %nstey ermitting the residence of another woman's child under her roof. 8ood"ye, &o hie, said 6enelo e. 7ow we have met at last I shall call again and, if you are coming ast, lease call and see me. I shall send a note over to ;ady 5aria telling her how much o"liged to her I am. Her groom ut her u into the saddle as though she were made of orcelain and said, (est "e Auick, me lady. 5aster don't like it if ye're too late. He swung himself into his saddle and raised his ca to &o hie. Oh, ooh! said 6enelo e. His lordshi worries if I'm five minutes late. Fome along, 8elert! =hey trotted off and &o hie went "ack into the house, feeling as though a ray of light had "roken through heavy clouds. In her straitened circumstances she had held aloof from most of the local gentry, not wishing to "e thought encroaching. :xce t for ;ady 5aria, none of the women had "othered to call on them more than once and there had "een no suggestion that they would welcome any further acAuaintance. &everal of them had sons of an im ressiona"le age and they had made it Auite lain that &o hie would not "e acce ta"le. 9ntil, that is, they had found out after :mma's death that she did have some money. =hen one or two had called with their younger sons in tow. One lad had gone so far as to offer for her and had "een told gently that she would reAuire him to settle half her fortune on 4it. He had hummed and hawed. ;ike &ir 6hili , he had thought it Auite unnecessary. =he lad did not need the half of such a sum, surely. He did not know what his mama would think of such an arrangement! &o hie had suggested sweetly that erha s he should discuss it with her and renew his offer if the lady a roved. He hailed this idea with o"vious relief and had not called since. 7or had anyone else, exce t, of course, &ir 6hili , who had tried on several occasions to turn her olite refusal into an acce tance. &he reflected on all this rather sadly as she went "ack to her olishing. :ven as the furniture glowed under her vigorous ru""ing so too did the dull ache in her heart dee en. !hy had fate ut Helford in her ath, if only to torment herB #h, but he sent you a friend. -o doubt he is trying to be a good neighbour. Eor the next week it rained without ceasing. =he countryside lay dri ing under a grey, sodden sky, an a t reflection of &o hie's de ression. &he longed to get out of the

house and go for a long walk to "urn off some of her fidgets, "ut =hea would not hear of anything of the sort. Dear &o hie, you would catch an inflammation of the lungs, I am ersuaded, or a utrid sore throat! she rotested. It cannot rain forever after all, and then you may go out again. &o hie for"ore to comment on the likelihood of its raining until at least Fhristmas and su"mitted with a docility which made =hea wonder if she were sickening for something. &he had fully ex ected her erstwhile u il to don a heavy cloak and "oots and "e off into the meadows. Eanny came to lay with 4it and they nearly turned the house u side down with their chasing and rom ing, which served to cheer &o hie u insensi"ly. Helford's tiger, ?as er, ensconced himself in the kitchen and held %nna s ell"ound with his tales of the army and @ienna. He viewed with eAuanimity little 5iss &o hie's resence in the kitchen. &he was as good as ever twanged, she was and asked as many Auestions a"out his foreign travels and army days as what 5istress %nna did. He noted sa iently that she never asked a"out the master, "ut if he ha ened to enlarge on the more res ecta"le ex loits of his no"le em loyer she listened with great attention. % shame and a ity it was that his lordshi seemed not to have noticed what a good Dun 5iss &o hie was, "ut had settled with that ;ady ;ucinda. =he new closed stove was installed with the maximum of confusion and u heaval, "ut afterwards %nna was like a child with a new toy, hardly daring to cook on it lest its gleaming newness should "e sullied. 7ever seen nothinD like it, 5iss &o hie, 5iss =hea, not in all me days. !hy, the fuel it saves on! %n' when you think it was his lordshi 's wood we was "uying>well, I can't see where Dis rofit's comin' from! It occurred to &o hie "riefly that erha s his lordshi was trying to ingratiate himself, "ut it didn't match her knowledge of him. He was not the sort to entice a woman with anything exce t himself. +e wouldn)t have to. =he rain finally sto ed the day "efore 4it was due to go riding with Eanny and ?as er. He was in tearing s irits all morning, "arely a"le to concentrate on his lessons until =hea had the "right idea of ractising Erench conversation and icked the su"$ect of horses and riding. I was sur rised at how much he knew, dear, she confided to &o hie later. It $ust goes to show! He really did very well. %unt &o hie, said 4it suddenly over his a le dum ling, !hy don't you come with us this afternoonB Cou could ride 5egs. &he needs exercise. ?as er says she is as fat as "utter! Hide 5egsB &o hie laughed. &he hasn't "een ridden for ages. &he'd have me off in no time. 5egs was notorious for her dislike of "eing ridden.

Oh, do come, he urged. If she is too awful, you could swa with ?as er. He wouldn't mind. He said last week he didn't know why you didn't come. &o hie was sorely tem ted. &he had given u riding the little co" "ecause it seemed so unfair to ride her when 4it could not. In fact, "efore Helford's offer she had "een seriously considering selling her and "uying something 4it could handle des ite her fondness for the lively little mare. (ut "uying a horse was such a risky "usiness. 9nless you really knew what you were doing it was so easy to "e cheated. &he had turned her "ack very firmly on the insidious suggestion that she might ask ;ord Helford for advice. =here seemed no reason not to go. Helford would not "e coming. &he could go out with the children and en$oy herself. (ut not on ?as er's mount. 7othing would induce her to ride one of Helford's horses. If 5egs got rid of her, that would "e her "ad luck. 4it watched her "reathlessly. &he was thinking a"out it! He could tell "y the way she ru""ed her nose. %unt &o hie always did that when she was undecided. 6leaseB he said in tones that would have moved a sterner guardian than &o hie. @ery well, 4it, she said, smiling, una"le to resist his o"vious desire for her to share the treat. I'll come, "ut I'll ex ect you to ru" arnica into my "ruises later on. Hurray! yelled 4it. He "olted the remains of his dum ling and lea t u from the ta"le. I'll ask 8rigson to get her ready! =he sound of his flying feet dwindled into the distance. =hea looked at &o hie. Do you really think you should, dearB I mean, if 5egs is too lively for you) !ith a wry smile &o hie said, I have no dou"t at all that I will return with a muddied ha"it, "ut the ground is so wet after all this rain that I am more likely to drown than "reak anything. &he was not Auite so sure when ?as er and Eanny arrived and the little da led mare was "rought around from the sta"les. 5egs had not "een out at all for several days and had not "een ridden for months. =he unaccustomed saddle was o"viously annoying her and she was in what might have "een charita"ly descri"ed as a fidget, with her nervously flickering ears and rolling eyes. 8oinD ter $oin us, are ye, 5iss &o hieB asked ?as er with o"vious leasure. He ran an ex ert eye over the restless co". =oo much for a lady. (etter swa saddles, 5iss &o hie. I'll ride the mare an' you have old (en. He's a nice ride. Fertainly not, ?as er, said &o hie firmly. If 5egs is too resty it's my fault for not kee ing her exercised. &he was damned if she'd let Helford have the mounting of her. In any way! He shook his head, 5aster won't half kill me if n you gets hurt) %re you going to ut me u or notB asked &o hie crossly. 5egs will settle once we get moving. How dare he suggest that ;ord Helford had anything to say to which horse she rode! ?as er "owed to the inevita"le and ut her u . He had to own that she handled the co" well. 4e t a short rein on her and never gave her the least chance to get her head

down and "uck. %nd them short<"acked co"s could really ut you down if they got half a chance. He'd like to see that ;ady ;ucinda manage as well. ;ooked good on a well<"red, mannered horse "ut he'd lay she'd "e in trou"le on this Dun. ;or', she'd "e off so fast it Dud make yer head s in. =hat is, if she had the gum tion to get on at all! =hey set off across the fields towards the river and had a wonderful ride. 5egs, after her initial carry on, was so leased to "e out of her sta"le that she seemed to overlook the shameful circumstance of having a rider and "ehaved herself so well, only fidgeting with the "it and lunging very occasionally, that &o hie was moved to comment. 5egs must "e getting old. I thought she'd have me off in the mud "y now. ?as er snorted his disa roval. I'd say she's a ro er varmint, 5iss &o hie! %nD if the master could see us he'd have me hide! &till, you handles her ro er, I'll say that fer ye. =hey had $ust turned for home when a series of hunting cries from the other side of a tall hedge told them that they were a"out to have com any. ?as er ulled u at once. He knew one of those voices at least. One after the other, half a do#en horses came sailing over the hedge. 5ost of the riders would have gallo ed on "ut one, on a familiar chestnut mare, seeing the little grou , ulled u . Helford was delighted to see his niece and 4it. He had half suggested that they might $oin his riding arty, "ut ;ady ;ucinda had "een Auite taken a"ack at the idea. &he had seemed to think that it would "e far too much for the children. =hey could all ride "ack together now, that would "e Auite unexce tiona"le. =heir horses were tired after a long ride. ?as er could escort 4it home and)and Sophie! He had s ent the last week trying not to think a"out &o hie 5arsden. =rying to ignore the voice in his "rain which whis ered her name incessantly. =rying to convince himself that what he felt for her was $ust a assing fancy and would die as swiftly as it had "een "orn. Eor a moment he was tem ted merely to greet them and then ride on, "ut his arty had followed him over and 4ate %sterfield was s eaking. Hullo, Eanny. %re you going to ride "ack with usB Do introduce your friends. %nd Eanny was doing the honours, %unt &o hie, this is 5rs. %sterfield and 5r. %sterfield and ;ord 5ark Heynolds and Fa tain Ham ton and this is ;ady ;ucinda %nstey. &he aused for "reath. %nd this is 5iss 5arsden and her ne hew 4it Farlisle and 9ncle David's tiger, ?as er. &he looked at Helford a little nervously. Did I get that right, 9ncle DavidB 6erfectly right, sweetheart. (ut you didn't need to introduce ?as er. =hey already know him. Helford's friends had all managed to kee straight faces at "eing introduced to his tiger as their social eAual. In all conscience he could do no less, even if ;ady ;ucinda was looking daggers at the child, whether in fury at "eing introduced to ?as er or "eing left until last he wasn't sure. 7ed %sterfield was saying, !ell, we do, of course, "ut I can't recall that you ever introduced him so olitely. Delighted to make your acAuaintance at last, ?as er. %nd

yours, 5iss 5arsden. He eyed her with an unmistaka"le a roval, which made David's hackles rise. I call it most unkind that you four didn't $oin us this afternoon, don't you, =omB @ery sha""y indeed, said Fa tain Ham ton, smiling at &o hie and 4it. &o hie warmed to him at once. He had a kind face, not recisely handsome, "ut leasant and distinguished "y smiling grey eyes. He looked more closely at &o hie with a little frown. Have we ever met, 5iss 5arsdenB Cour face is familiar, "ut I don't recall your name) !ait! Did not Eanny say this was 4it FarlisleB Ces, sir, said &o hie Auietly. If you find my face familiar, then I think that you must have "een acAuainted with my "rother<in<law, 5a$or Farlisle, and met 4it's mother, my sister :mma. !e were very alike. 5egs "egan to sidle and toss her head restlessly, im atient at the delay in returning to her comforta"le stall. &o hie soothed her with a gentle hand and murmur. Of course! ?ock's wife. Fa tain Ham ton sla ed his thigh. %nd this is their son! How ama#ing to meet you like this. He rode u to 4it and leant down from his saddle. 4it, I am delighted to meet you. Cour father was a very close friend of mine and I am roud to meet his son. %nd how is your mamaB 4it held his head u roudly and said very steadily, I am sorry, Fa tain, "ut my) my mother died last year. %unt &o hie looks after me now. Ham ton grimaced. I'm sorry to hear that. &he was a lovely erson. 6lease acce t my condolences. He turned to &o hie. &o you have him in ward. &urely &trathallen has made some rovision, though, in the circumstances. David held his "ream, "ut it seemed that &o hie saved her tem er for his "enefit. =o do her $ustice, Ham ton had touched u on the su"$ect far more tactfully than he had. ;ord &trathallen, she said calmly, has never shown the least interest in 4it's existence. I "elieve my sister wrote to him and informed him of her hus"and's death and that they had a child, "ut he never re lied. He did not a rove of the marriage. I see, said Fa tain Ham ton slowly. He looked as though he would have said more, "ut then exclaimed, !ell, this is indeed a coincidence. I shall look forward to meeting you again, 5iss 5arsden. 6erha s you would ermit me to ride over one day to call u on youB &o hie smiled and said, I would "e ha y to welcome any friend of ?ock and :mma's. ;ord Helford can direct you to !illow"ank House. %gain she steadied 5egs, who was "eginning to ull at the "it in an attem t to get her head down. Eirmly &o hie "rought it u again, wondering if she could olitely go "efore the mare really got annoyed. &to ing for any length of time with 5egs under saddle was always risky. (esides, she was "eginning to feel decidedly nervous a"out Helford, whose glittering green ga#e was "oring into her in a very uncomforta"le way. I'll do "etter than that, said David, "y no means sure he liked the way &o hie had smiled u at Ham ton and aware that he was "eing ridiculous. %ll the more so since he had decided to ignore his own inclinations. !e'll escort you and 4it home

now and Eanny and ?as er can ride "ack with us. It is only a cou le of miles further. If that is agreea"le to everyoneB He glanced around Auestioningly, not really ex ecting anyone to mind. =hat was Auite enough for ;ady ;ucinda. How dare Helford suggest that they should go out of their way to escort a sha""y, little rovincial no"ody mounted on a "adly mannered farmer's co"B It was "eyond anything. %nd the effrontery of announcing that Helford could direct anyone to her house! (esides which, she did not at all like the way Helford looked at the creature. =here was something most un"ecoming in such warmth. I must confess I am really rather weary and would much refer to ride straight "ack, Helford, said ;ady ;ucinda in the fragile tone of one who holds herself in the saddle "y will ower alone. I David looked his ama#ement. Only moments "efore she had "een challenging them all to $um the last hedge. 8ood manners for"ade him to say anything and he was a"out to agree to escort her home when 4ate %sterfield s oke u . I'm a little weary too, Helford. If 5iss 5arsden will assure me that she does not "elieve me to "e cutting her acAuaintance, then I will accom any ;ucinda and the rest of you may extend your ride as much as you like. =his was said with a convincing sweetness and gave no hint of the annoyance she felt. Little cat& $f all the snobbish, ill4bred things to do& If +elford marries Lucinda I wash my hands of him. -ed can visit by himself& Oh, "ut we should never find our way! rotested ;ucinda. 4ate %sterfield, she thought, was in need of a good set<down. =he only ro"lem was that giving 4ate a set<down had a nasty tendency to "ackfire. %s when her mama had commented on the flightiness of so many of the younger matrons and 4ate had smiled in that insincere way, agreeing that her grandmama had said $ust the same only the other day. If I might make so "old, me lord, said ?as er. If n you and the other gentlemen is to escort 5iss &o hie anD 5iss Eanny, there "aint no need fer me to come along of ye. I dessay I kin guide the ladies "ack safe. (efore ;ady ;ucinda could o en her mouth, 4ate had said, Heavens! !hat an honour for us. Helford's tiger to escort two lowly females, neither of whom is a 5elville. Fome, ;ucinda, not even my grandmama could accuse us of im ro riety with that escort. Helford had the oddest feeling that something he didn't understand was going on here. 4ate was looking as though "utter wouldn't melt in her mouth, almost as "ig a danger signal as that eculiar smile 8reat %unt 5aria had "een wearing recently. ;ucinda, on the other hand, was glaring at her, the "lue eyes hard as ice and a decidedly inched look a"out her mouth. @ery em"arrassed, &o hie said rather more shar ly than she intended, =here is not the least need for anyone to escort us. If Eanny is to ride "ack with you, Helford, I am sure that 4it and I will find our way home. It was lain to her that ;ady ;ucinda considered a little da" of a country no"ody far "eneath her exalted touch. %s for &o hie, she wished Helford $oy of his courting.

&he felt an ache inside at the sight of Helford's chosen "ride. ;ady ;ucinda was the most "eautiful girl she had ever seen and only a ninnyhammer would continue to indulge dreams which left her wee ing on her illow each night. Little fool& (hy would he loo twice at you when he has her" &omething of her irritation must have communicated itself to 5egs, who suddenly flung her head u and down in annoyance. &o hie was Auick to get her head u again and shorten the rein "efore the mare could give more than a token "uck. ?as er! said David shar ly. !hat the devil do you mean "y letting 5iss &o hie out on this little varmintB !hy did you not swa mountsB His tiger did not get a chance to re ly. &o hie said rather "reathlessly as 5egs swished her tail and lashed out, ?as er offered and I refused. I am erfectly ca a"le of managing 5egs, thank you, Helford! %nd now it is time 4it and I were getting along. 8ood day! It was so nice to meet you all. Fa tain Ham ton, 4it and I will "e glad to welcome you if you care to visit us. Cou are not riding "ack alone on that mare, said David firmly. I at least will come with you. He felt suddenly nervous at the thought of &o hie riding the flighty mare with only 4it for escort. %nything might ha en! He told himself gli"ly that his concern arose not for ersonal reasons, "ut from motives of the most disinterested chivalry. #nd since when has disinterested chivalry had anything to say to your dealings with any womanB ;ady ;ucinda "ridled angrily, "ut was careful not to show it. !hat was 5iss 5arsden to Helford that he should "e so concerned a"out her safety and offer to mount herB If she could not handle her own co", then she was certainly not fit to ride one of Helford's well<"red horses. %nd how dare she give such an intem erate re ly to a lord of the realm! :s ecially after such a forward invitation to Fa tain Ham ton! (ra#en little hussy! O"viously her mama's dictum that she must turn a "lind eye to his lordshi 's vagaries held force "efore as well as after marriage. O"serving her, 4ate %sterfield was moved to murmur to ;ord 5ark that a little tem er did wonders for dear ;ucinda's looks, did it notB (eautiful, of course>"ut ever so slightly)inanimateB ;ord 5ark's im erfectly concealed choke of laughter earned him a chilly "lue stare. He straightened his face at once and informed 4ate in a ithy undertone that she was "orn to "e strangled, and the sooner 7ed attended to it the "etter. Oh, well, then, said ;ady ;ucinda, let us all go. I am sure I would not care to go home early if you are all set on a longer ride. &he "rought her horse u "eside 5egs and addressed &o hie directly for the first time. I vow you are a famous horsewoman. 5yself, I refer a well4bred horse to give me a comforta"le ride. 5y a a, ;ord &tanford, you know, is always so careful to choose for me. &o hie met the faintly atronising "lue eyes and re lied, How very fortunate you are. %s a arson and the son of a "isho , mine was always more concerned with selecting an a ro riate salm for me to memorise.

;ady ;ucinda's "lue eyes widened. Outrageous! =he little hussy had actually dared to im ly that the :arl of &tanford was not as good a father as some rovincial clergyman! %nd daring to claim a connection with her "etters! % "isho , indeed! Fa tain Ham ton, riding on the other side of &o hie, chuckled. Did heB &o, too, did mine, although he wasn't a arson. =ell me, 5iss 5arsden, when did your sister dieB I meant to kee in touch after ?ock's death, "ut with one thing and another I lost track of her and the "oy. Fa tain Ham ton was "eing sadly taken in "y her airs, thought ;ady ;ucinda scornfully. &he looked &o hie over coolly, noting the well<worn ha"it and unfashiona"le hat. 7o retensions to "eauty either. =he nose was decidedly un atrician. %nd such dull "rown hair! It was curly enough, no dou"t owing more to art than nature, "ut "rown! %nd as for her eyes! !ell, if you could decide what colour they were, you would "e doing "etter than most. 7o dou"t those re osterous lashes and "rows were darkened. %ltogether ;ady ;ucinda could not understand why Helford or any other gentleman should take the slightest interest in this "um tious little rovincial. &he dro ed "ack slightly to ride with Helford and was annoyed to see him move u "eside 5iss 5arsden. (ut "efore she could ush forward to ride on his other side ;ord 5ark, deserted "y 4ate, "rought his mare u and said, Do you care for another gallo , ;ady ;ucindaB %sterfield and I are going to have one. Do $oin us. !hy, certainly, ;ord 5ark, agreed ;ady ;ucinda and then, as an idea occurred to her, Do go on. I shall have to ad$ust my stirru . &he "ent down and reached under her flowing velvet skirts to fiddle with the leather. I will catch you u directly. Fan I assist youB asked ;ord 5ark olitely. 7o, no. I am well a"le to manage for myself, said the lady, continuing to fiddle. ;ord 5ark nodded and cantered off to $oin %sterfield. ;ady ;ucinda cast a Auick glance around. 4ate %sterfield, who o"viously had a taste for low com any, was actually riding slightly ahead with the groom. How could she, thought ;ady ;ucinda with a slight shudder. 7o one was watching. &till "ent over, she ut a hand to her hat and drew out a hat in. Fa tain Ham ton had ridden forward to catch some comment thrown him "y 4ate. ;ady ;ucinda saw her chance and s urred her mount as she straightened u . Drawing level with the little co"'s hindAuarters, she reached over to $a" her hard in the rum and Auickly swung her own mount out of the way, dro ing the in as she did so.

'ha()er E,.h)

5egs went a"solutely mad. !ith an outraged sAueal she lea t forward, got the "it "etween her teeth, flung her head down and "egan to "uck. =aken com letely "y sur rise, &o hie tried in vain to get the mare's head "ack u . &o hie! ;ook out! cried David in horror as he watched hel lessly. &wearing, he forced his mare u "eside the co" in an attem t to gra" her "ridle. He was not in time. &o hie had sat the first few "ucks firmly, "ut 5egs had taken Auite enough for one afternoon. On the sixth "uck she gave a eculiarly malicious twist which unseated her rider. &o hie went straight over her head, landing on her "ottom with an audi"le thum and then lying motionless on the wet grass. Having achieved her goal, 5egs took off across the meadow, still "ucking and lunging. David's cry of alarm was almost drowned "y the scream of childish terror from 4it who had "een trailing "ehind with Eanny. !hite with fear, he flung himself from his ony and ran to &o hie. David was already "eside her, feeling for a ulse in her wrist. He looked u at the "oy and his heart lurched at what he could see in the "lanched face and those great ha#el eyes. =his, then, was what it meant to love someone! %unt &o hie! 7o! 4it's voice was shaking and small trem"ling hands gro ed for the wrist Helford wasn't holding. 7ot %unt &o hie! &he couldn't "e! 8od couldn't "e so cruel! It was "ecause he had wanted 8od to take her instead of 5ama. 8od was telling him how wicked he had "een to think such a thing. 9nder David's suddenly nerveless fingers a ulse "eat strongly. =hank 8od! he whis ered huskily. 4it's eyes flew to his face, ho e flaring. I have never cared like that a"out anyone, thought David, as he saw the tears on the "oy's cheeks. =he thought hit him like a "ody "low that he did now. He cared a"out &o hie 5arsden in a way he had never even imagined and it was the most frightening thing he had ever known. He reached over and ruffled the "oy's curls, wishing he dared caress those other curls which were now very muddy. ?ust stunned, I think, 4it. %ll the wind knocked out of her too, I shouldn't wonder. His voice cracked slightly and 4it stared at him. He nodded. Oh, yes. I thought the same as you. 5y heart nearly sto ed! He "egan to at &o hie's cheeks gently, trying not to think a"out how soft her skin was. % movement at his el"ow made him look u . =om Ham ton was holding out a silver flask. 7ever move without it, dear "oy. 7ot since the night I got caught out in the rain with a lame horse ten miles from

anywhere. =ake it and welcome. David took the flask in a shaking hand and tried to avoid =om's u##led eyes. He could almost hear =om thinking, wondering what had got into him to "e so u set over a fall. &he was all right, $ust stunned, her eyes would o en in a moment) so why was he still feeling as though his stomach had arted com any with himB %s though the whole world had tilted under him, leaving him di##y and)frightened. Fonscious of =om's steady ga#e, he looked u and said, =hank you)I)think she's $ust winded)I)I) His voice trailed off under the dawning com rehension in Ham ton's clear grey eyes. =he startled dis"elief. He reached for control. He didn't want this! =he rest of the arty had come u . =om, what ha enedB asked 4ate. Don't know, said Ham ton slowly. =hat little co" went a"solutely "erserk. 5iss 5arsden did well to stay on as long as she did. I think she's $ust stunned. 4ate went on in a low voice, Erom the look on David's and the "oy's faces, I should say they ex ected the worst. &urely there is no need for dramatics over a altry tum"le, said ;ady ;ucinda in rather "ored accents. %lthough I do Auite see now why Helford felt she should "e escorted home. !hy, that "ad<mannered animal nearly kicked my oor Hufus! 4ate did not waste su"tlety on her this time. ;ucinda, she said Auietly. Hold your tongue. %t this oint &o hie o ened her eyes to find Helford and 4it "ent over her, the latter with tears on his cheeks. &he smiled u at him. 8udgeon! I told you 5egs would have me in the mud! It's my fault! said 4it itifully. (ecause I was so angry with 8od! &o hie cut him off. Eustian! I should have ke t a shorter rein on her. Fan you sit u , &o hieB asked David gently, without realising that he had used her Fhristian name, so used was he to thinking of her that way. =he ground is very wet. Cou shouldn't lie here too long. Fome. Drink some of =om's "randy and we'll take you home. &he "linked at the tender note in his voice and the merest sus icion of unsteadiness in the dee tones. !hy should Helford "e so u setB &urely, surely he didn't care for herB %nd he had called her &o hie, something he had never done "efore. !hile she was still u##ling over his "ehaviour, Helford slid an arm under her shoulders to su ort her as she tried to get u "ut she cried out as ain shot through her. 5y "ack! &uddenly terrified again, David lowered her to the ground, una"le to meet 4it's eyes. !iggle your feet! he commanded harshly. &he did so. =hank 8od! 7ed %sterfield said diffidently, 7ot an ex ert, of course, Helford, "ut did you ha en to see where she landedB David looked at him in withering scorn. Hight here, of course, you cod's<head!

7ot what I meant at all, old cha . !hich "it of herself did she land onB ex lained 7ed atiently. Oh. David thought hard. He was so shaken he couldn't think straight. Eanny answered for him. On her "ottom, 9ncle David. I saw everything! &he cast a fuming glance at ;ady ;ucinda as she said this. &he was sure she had seen her hit 5egs as she assed. 7ot Auite sure enough to accuse, "ut sure none the less. &he couldn't understand. &urely grownu s didn't do mean s iteful things like thatB Did she, nowB %sterfield nodded. =hen I should say she's $arred u all the muscles in her "ack. He got down and removed his coat. :xcuse me, young man. 4it made way reluctantly. ;ift her u again, David. He did so and %sterfield ut the coat under her. Hight. =urn her over. 8oing to feel your "ack, 5iss 5arsden. Cou tell me if it hurts anywhere I touch. David watched in mounting ossessiveness as 7ed's hands moved firmly over &o hie's "ody. 'on)t be a fool! +e)s only doing what a doctor would do! He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in the effort not to strangle his well<meaning friend who was taking such un ardona"le li"erties with a woman he considered his and his alone! !hat a fuss a"out nothing, thought ;ady ;ucinda scornfully. &he might have known the girl would make a to<do over it. Hurt "ack, indeed! %nd 7ed %sterfield as foolish as Helford! Hurt thereB 7ed was s eaking. 7o. HereB 7o. HereB 7o. Cou can start "reathing again, David. ;ike I said, $arred all the muscles. Did it myself once. 5iss 5arsden, you'll "e stiff and sore for a while. &tay lying down rather man sitting and move around as much as you can without tiring your "ack muscles. If you must sit, ut a cushion "ehind your "ack to su ort it. :r)no riding that co" for a few weeks. Cou see that she don't, young 4it! He cuffed the "oy's head lightly. 7ot at all! David struck in. He lifted her carefully to a sitting osition. 5e lordB Ces, ?as erB I've caught the mare>which horse should I ut her saddle onB &hould "e gettinD 5iss &o hie home now an' the mare's mighty u set. David nodded "ut said, &he's not riding. %t least not alone. I'll take her u "efore me on)(en)isn't itB He's Auiet enough. Fom letely ignoring &o hie's rotests, he forced her to drink some of the "randy "efore carrying her to the horse.

&he was lifted u "y %sterfield and Fa tain Ham ton and found herself nestled in Helford's arms, leaning in a osition of a alling intimacy against his chest. &he tried to sit u straight, "ut the thro""ing ache in her "ack defeated herJ anyway, the "randy that Helford had oured into her so li"erally was creating a delicious feeling of warmth and lassitude. Helford said gently, ;ean on me, my dear. !e'll have you home directly. =ears stung her eyes at the unconscious endearment uttered so softly in her ear. How lovely it would "e if he truly cared for her and were not $ust "eing kind "ecause she had so foolishly allowed 5egs to get away from her. &he could feel the hardness of his owerful chest under her cheek, the easy strength of his arms as they held her there. His "ig frame was a strangely tender cradle for her aching "ody. &he had never felt so safe Lr cosseted in all her life. =he little grou set off at a walk, chatting so"erly. =o take her mind off the agreea"le sensation of "eing held in such a tender em"race &o hie smiled down at 4it, who was riding as close to them as he could. I'll "e all right, 4it. !hy don't you and Eanny ride on ahead and ask %nna to draw a "ath for meB =hat will hel the stiffness. 4it nodded, his voice still too wo""ly to use, and looked around. !here was EannyB &he was off her ony looking at something on the ground. He trotted "ack to her and $um ed off. !hat are you doingB Hurry u , we have to get %unt &o hie home! he said im atiently. Eanny looked u at him and asked, =his is where %unt &o hie fell off, isn't itB 6retty much. Fome on! 4it could hardly "ear to see the torn<u ground where 5egs had "ucked. !ell, look at this! Eanny held u a long shiny hat in. =hat ;ady ;ucinda went ast %unt &o hie $ust "efore 5egs started "ucking. I thought she might have hit her, "ut may"e)may"e it was this! 4it stared in dis"elief. !hy should she do thatB %unt &o hie might have "een killed! %re you sureB !hy didn't you say somethingB (ecause I wasn)t sure! Eanny flashed at him. %nd ;ady ;ucinda doesn't like me. If 9ncle David marries her it's going to "e sim ly horrid! I'm sure she means to ack me off to school! &he ushed the hat in into her own hat and said, Hel me mount, lease, 4it. 4it was astounded. ;ord Helford's going to marry herB !hy would he want to do a "acon<"rained thing like thatB He $um ed down and made a stirru for her with his hands. Eor an heir, ex lained Eanny as she vaulted into the saddle. I heard the servants talking a"out it. 7one of them like her either! 4it remounted. =hen why on earth would Helford "other marrying herB If no one likes her, it's silly! 4it could not imagine why any sensi"le cha would want to

marry anyone. :xce t %unt &o hie, erha s, or =hea if she wasn't so old. =hey didn't nag at a fellow. If you ste ed out of line they told you and made sure you ste ed "ack in and there was an end of it. %nd they didn't make s iteful, cattish remarks at other eo le. ;ike that ;ady ;ucinda did to %unt &o hie. Fome on, he said. !e'd "etter hurry. %unt &o hie asked us to ride on and have %nna get a "ath ready. =hey ushed their onies to a canter, Auickly catching and assing the other riders. 4it was thinking furiously. He'd sneak out later to look at 5egs's Auarters, and if Eanny was right then he'd ay ;ady ;ucinda out if it was the last thing he ever did. He ground his teeth in rage. How could anyone do such a "eastly thingB Helford watched them go. 4it's face was "leak as the air raced "y them. % nasty shock for the lad, thought Helford, unconsciously tightening his hold on &o hie. He knew exactly how 4it had felt. 7ever had he felt so hel less in his life, always exce ting the afternoon he had met the wretched chit and nearly run her down. His heart was still ounding at the memory. %t least he ho ed that was the cause. 8radually, however, he could no longer ignore the fact that his heart was not $ust ounding "ecause of &o hie's fall. His "ody was "ecoming increasingly aware of the glorious sensation of holding &o hie nestled trustingly in his arms. =he tem tation to rest his cheek, even "riefly, against the soft, disordered curls was almost irresisti"le. His arm a"out her slender waist longed to hold her in a more intimate em"race, feeling the texture of her skin, not $ust her sha e. &omehow he knew she would "e silky smooth, liant) Oh, 8od! Cielding! Stop thin ing about it! Hiding was nigh on un"eara"le, the ain of his arousal like nothing he had ever ex erienced. 3hin about something else! He s ared a glance for ?as er leading 5egs who, if her flattened ears and switching tail were anything to go "y, was still u set. !hat the devil could have set her off like thatB He forced himself to consider it. Des ite his own reservations a"out &o hie riding a horse that tricky, he had to admit that she had "een handling the mare with great skill. He had "een taken "y sur rise $ust as much as &o hie when the mare started "ucking. Ham ton came u alongside. He cast a knowledgea"le glance at Helford, noting that he a eared to "e in almost as much ain as his fair "urden. 5ost interesting! He would have a little chat with 4ate %sterfield in the near future. How are you, 5iss 5arsdenB He smiled at her kindly. !hite as a sheet, oor child, he thought. % "it sore, she admitted, understating the matter very su"stantially. .ut terrifyingly comfortable apart from that. Stop it& It)s !ust the brandy& -ow you now why Papa disapproved of spirits! 7ever mind, he said comfortingly. Eunny how the mare went off like that. Has she ever done it "eforeB 7ot like that, said &o hie, who had "een u##ling over it as she lay in Helford's arms. I mean, she does "uck from time to time. &he doesn't really like "eing ridden.

!e kee her to draw the gig. (ut I've never known her to go off like that without a "it of warning. I ho e she isn't going to make a ha"it of it. Cou don't mean to say you'll ride her againB =his from 4ate %sterfield, who had ridden u . ;ike hell she will! growled David and felt &o hie stiffen in his arms. =he thought of &o hie riding the mare again sent extremely un leasant sensations shooting through his entrails. &ince she is the only horse I ossess, naturally I will ride her again, she said defensively. &omething must have alarmed her. 5ay"e a "ee stung her or)or something. %nyway, it is Auite my own affair. =he devil it is! ex loded David, "efore he could sto himself. His arms tightened visi"ly around her, rotective, ossessive. $h, bloody hell! He saw 4ate's eyes flicker to ;ady ;ucinda, riding a few yards away with ;ord 5ark. Outwardly she a eared to "e engrossed in conversation, "ut she would have to "e deaf not to have heard his out"urst. !ould everyone know what a fool he was making of himself "y the time he got &o hie homeB Eirst =om, and now 4ate %sterfield and his intended "rideB He went on Auietly. &o hie, I mean, 5iss 5arsden, if you could have seen 4it's face! He thought you had "een killed for a moment. #s I did! =hink of what the "oy will suffer every time you mount that mare. &o hie was silent. He was right, of course, "ut she couldn't "ring herself to condemn 5egs out of hand. %fter all, she had never "ehaved Auite that "adly "efore. Ham ton added his mite. Cou must consider that you know, 5iss 5arsden. Helford does not mean to sound dictatorial. It is $ust a "ad ha"it that he has icked u somewhere! &o hie had to stifle a giggle, des ite the ain in her "ack. Helford was s eaking again. !ill you at least agree to a swa B &end her over to Helford 6lace for a while and let ?as er exercise her. &ee if she does anything like it again. I will lend you a ony to draw the gig. =here will "e no o"ligation. He knew what she was thinking, that eo le would talk, draw conclusions. If you were to call on 8reat %unt 5aria every so often I think that might silence any wagging tongues. %nd she would en$oy it. #s I would. I should acce t, my dear, said 4ate Auietly. =here can "e no o"$ection to you swa ing horses with Helford for such a reason and, if 5egs turns out to "e too unrelia"le, then I dare say Helford can ut you in the way of re lacing her without "eing cheated. David shot her a look of heartfelt gratitude and she smiled slightly "efore turning to ;ady ;ucinda. !hat do you think, ;ucindaB I should merely think that Helford was "eing a good neigh"our, "ut of course there is no telling what the minds of the vulgar will invent. ;ady ;ucinda fro#e. !as 4ate %sterfield actually daring to insinuate that she, an #nstey, could "e classed as vulgarB

&omehow she managed to "ite "ack the very unladylike res onse which rose to her tongue and said merely, Oh, it is his own "usiness after all. 5yself, I should have the horrid "rute shot out of hand. I dare say it will come to that in the end. #fter all, the animal must be a dreadful commoner to behave li e that over a little pric . 7o, it won't! said &o hie fiercely, firing u in defence of 5egs. If Helford considers her unsafe to ride, then I shall take his advice and not ride her. &he is always erfectly well "ehaved in harness so there is no need to have her destroyed. =hen I am satisfied, said David eAua"ly, determinedly ignoring ;ady ;ucinda's uncharita"le remarks. It struck him for the first time that ;ucinda's high degree did not necessarily render her an agreea"le com anion. &he would not "e the first horse to "e erfectly relia"le in harness and useless as a saddle horse. !ould she, Ham tonB Hardly! answered Ham ton with an unholy grin. !hen, I should like to know, was the last time anyone ut a leg across your chestnutsB &ilence, Hattle! 4ate admonished him in mock severity. Cou "las heme. % leg across Helford's chestnuts, indeed! !hy, the mere thought is sacrilege, is it not, HelfordB &omething very like it. Helford's dee chuckle rum"led in his chest, sending some very eculiar sensations ri ling through &o hie's "elly. !hat's thatB asked 7ed %sterfield, who had not really "een aying attention for several minutes. Hide Helford's chestnutsB I wouldn't do that, 4ate! 6ro"a"ly react like the co"! He went on cheerfully, =ell you what, 5iss 5arsden! Cou swa horses with Helford for a few weeks. ;et one of his lads ride your mare. &ee how she goes. Helford's got more horses than he knows what to do with anyway. He can very well s are one until your mare is sorted out. !hat an excellent idea, 7ed. Helford's voice was very dry. !here would we "e without youB !here, indeedB asked 7ed's undutiful wife. Cou great oaf! !e decided that ages ago! &o hie gave a choke of laughter. It seemed she had little choice. :veryone was taking it for granted that Helford should lend her a horse and undertake to vet 5egs for her. =he notion of someone taking care of her for a change was immensely a ealing. Cou'd "etter en$oy it while you can, she thought sadly. ;ady ;ucinda was sim ly "eautiful with those gleaming curls and sa hire "lue eyes. &o tall and elegant, too. !hy should Helford, who could dou"tless have his choice of "rides, look twice at a oor little da" of a girl with dull "rown hair and eyes which even their owner stigmatised as muddyB Stop dreaming and get on with your life. ,ou are intended for a spinster aunt, not a wife and mother. Helford glanced down at the "rown curls resting against his chest. =he little s urt of su ressed laughter gave him a di##ying sense of intimacy. He had a vision, instantly throttled, of those curls resting against his naked shoulder and s reading

over his arm, of running his fingers through them and)his overactive imagination had no trou"le filling in the rest of the scene. ;ooking around for someone to s eak to and distract his thoughts, his eyes met ;ucinda %nstey's hard "lue ga#e. % faintly su ercilious smile curved her rather thin li s. 6oor Helford, she said sweetly. Cour chivalrous nature must "e such a "urden to you. 4ate %sterfield sAuashed her at once without com unction. Dear ;ucinda, has no one told you yet that men like to feel chivalrous! It anders to all their "aser instincts! %nd since earlier heroes have accounted for all the dragons, Helford will have to content himself with reforming 5iss 5arsden's mare for her. % far less dangerous roceeding, es ecially since ?as er will undertake it. Kuite so, ;ady ;ucinda, said Helford with another grateful look at 4ate. %t the moment I am feeling a verita"le &ir 8alahad. He reflected ruefully that if the legendary &ir 8alahad had ever felt like this, then he had "een sadly misinformed. (y the time they reached !illow"ank House and &o hie had "een carried u stairs to her "edcham"er "y Helford, he was in such a state of frustrated desire that he could "arely s eak without gritting his teeth. =he worst of it was that he was Auite certain =om Ham ton had a very fair idea of what he was going through. 7ot that he would say anything. (ut that Aui##ing look was the outside of enough. Having de osited &o hie on her "ed in the fussing care of =hea %ndrews and %nna, David gave an inward groan of relief. 7ever again, he thought. =here was a limit to what he could "e ex ected to endure and he had definitely reached it. In future he would avoid &o hie 5arsden. Eor "oth their sakes. %ll he said was, I'll leave you in safe hands, 5iss 5arsden. Safer than mine at all events. I'll send another horse over with ?as er and Eanny on 5onday. 8ood"ye. !e won't stay now. It is time I got the others home. &o hie looked u him gratefully. =hank you, my lord. I)I ho e this has not caused you any)well)trou"le. I think some of your arty were a little ut out. I)I should not like to "e the cause of any unha iness. :ven if she did dislike ;ady ;ucinda exceedingly, the girl was a arently as good as "etrothed to Helford and could not "e ex ected to like him aying attention to another woman. 6erfectly aware of what she meant, David said firmly, Cou need not concern yourself in the slightest. =he only thing of any conseAuence is that you rest Auietly as 7ed recommended. 8ood"ye. He left very Auickly, consumed "y the knowledge that he had indeed fallen in love with &o hie 5arsden. Had done the very thing he had sworn he would never do. He could almost "e glad he was ractically honour "ound to offer for ;ucinda %nstey. If he didn't have to offer for her, he would "e in serious danger of committing the crowning folly of offering for &o h>Damn it! 5iss 5arsden!

He groaned inwardly as he went "ack downstairs to find his guests awaiting him in the arlour. =hey were chatting Auietly amongst themselves, exce t for ;ucinda, who was wandering a"out the room, casting a dis araging eye over everything. &o Auaint, she was saying to ;ord 5ark as she glanced at the har sichord. I had not thought anyone still ossessed such a thing! David clenched his teeth. Des ite his growing distaste for the idea, he had "etter offer for ;ucinda as fast as ossi"le. In that way he could esca e the worst conseAuences of his idiocy. (eing shackled to a woman who could, if she ever so wished, deal him an even crueller lesson than the one Eelicity had so generously taught him. Is everyone readyB he asked a"ru tly. 5iss 5arsden is in safe hands now. !e should "e going. (efore he was tem ted to rush "ack u stairs and "eg her to resign herself to his hands. (efore he offered his own heart again for a woman to "reak.

'ha()er N,ne

(y the following 5onday &o hie was feeling a great deal "etter. Her "ack still ached like the devil if she tried to do too much and, as 7ed %sterfield had redicted, she was more comforta"le standing or lying down than sitting, "ut it had im roved. 4it had "een rather su"dued for a cou le of days, "ut he seemed to have recovered his s irits and had even rotested at the idea of selling 5egs. &ell 5egsB (ut, %unt &o hie, she's never done that "efore! %t least not like that. His face was flushed and earnest. I'm sure she won't do it again. 6lease don't sell her! &o hie was startled. ;ord Helford has offered to have ?as er ride her for a few weeks and lend us another horse. If ?as er thinks she is safe, then I shall kee her. &he is safe! said 4it. =he discussion was dro ed and when Eanny arrived on the 5onday she was immediately dragged out to the sta"les after "arely "eing ermitted to greet &o hie and thrust a note into her hand, telling her it was from ;ady 5aria. Fa tain Ham ton, who had "rought her over in Helford's curricle, laughed as the two children disa eared. &ome mischief they are "rewing! Eanny is u to something, if you ask me. &he "arely s oke two words on the way over and I thought myself Auite a friend of hers. 8od alone knows what it is and I can only "e grateful that I have not "een admitted to His confidence. =he thought of "eing im licated in any lot of Eanny's hatching fills me with dread. He sat down "y the sofa where &o hie was resting. How is your "ack, 5iss 5arsdenB %nd I should mention that I "rought a ony over "ehind the curricle. Helford insisted. !e are to take 5egs "ack with us. Oh, dear. @ery well, she said, utting ;ady 5aria's letter down unread on the little sewing ta"le "eside her. It is very kind of you all. I cannot think why you and the %sterfields should have "een so concerned. Or)or Helford for that matter, she went on, flushing slightly. 7o, well, it was only sensi"le, said Ham ton dismissively. 7ot for worlds would he have informed 5iss 5arsden that he and the %sterfields were des erately ho ing that Helford could "e "rought to his senses in time to realise that $ust "ecause he'd suffered one disa ointment in youth, did not mean he had to condemn himself to a loveless match if something "etter offered. Is itB she asked with a smile. I think it is very kind indeed and es ecially kind of you to come all this way to ask after my "ack, which is much im roved. 7ot at all, he said. %s a matter of fact, there was something I wished to say to you. %"out 4it.

%"out 4itB she echoed. !hat do you meanB He was silent for a moment. How much did you know a"out ?ock's familyB @ery little, said &o hie. I was only ten when :mma elo ed with him. %ll I knew was that he was a younger son of the :arl of &trathallen and very wild. %t least that was what 6a a said. %nd I only heard that "ecause he had forgotten that I was in the corner learning 6salm .* as a unishment. =he ca tain nodded. He was wild. &trathallen was a fool to disown ?ock over his marriage. It was the making of him. Cour sister was very good for ?ock. He cared for her so dee ly that he actually settled down. He aused and then asked, %re you Auite sure &trathallen knows a"out 4itB Cou may say that 4it is none of his "usiness, "ut I do have a reason for asking! I "elieve :mma wrote when ?ock was killed, said &o hie slowly. !ell, I know she wrote to let him know something a"out ?ock's death. Kuite a num"er of his friends wrote to her, you see, to tell her how it had ha ened. &he)she thought that his father ought to know how they had thought of him)read for himself that ?ock had died a hero. &o hie's eyes filled with tears. &he actually co ied extracts from those letters for that hateful old man and it)it took her ages "ecause she we t over them! %nd he never even acknowledged the letter! %ngrily she "lew her nose hard. I am sure she mentioned 4it in the letter. =hea might remem"er "etter, you know. I ho e you won't think I am interfering, said Fa tain Ham ton thoughtfully, "ut I "elieve you should contact &trathallen and remind him of 4it's existence. Cou see, his eldest son %lastair died two months ago and, as far as I can recall, ?ock was next in line, which would mean, of course, that 4it is his heir. Had he struck her in the face &o hie could not have "een more devastated. (ut that)that means they would take him away! 7o! :mma would not have wished for that! Ham ton looked at her white face com assionately. !ould she have wished him to "e denied his "irthrightB I'm sorry, said &o hie after a moment in which she regained control of herself. =hat was a foolish thing to say. %nd selfish. 7ot at all, said Ham ton gently. %fter all, you have stood as a mother to the "oy. 4nown him from infancy and cared for him. It is hardly sur rising that you should view any thought of losing him with a"horrence. !hat should I doB asked &o hie. How should I go a"out itB Fan you advise meB Ham ton said diffidently, If you wish it, I will discuss the matter with Helford and we will write to &trathallen on your "ehalf. I did indicate to him today that I intended to mention 4it's grandfather to you. He)er)seemed to think I would "e in some danger "y doing so.

He grinned understandingly as he took in &o hie's "lush. He is a trifle dictatorial, "ut I assure you there is no one who can "e kinder. 7o dou"t he ex ressed himself "adly. If you and ;ord Helford would not mind doing so, I would "e most grateful, said &o hie, not feeling in the least grateful. =he thought that his aternal relations might assume res onsi"ility for 4it when they had totally ignored his existence for ten years hurt a"omina"ly. (ut it was as Fa tain Ham ton had said, she could not stand "etween 4it and his "irthright even if it were ossi"le. In the meantime, the su"$ect of their discussion was seated on a ile of hay in the hayloft with his little laymate, doing enormous discredit to his u "ringing. Eanny was staring with undisguised horror at the wooden "ox he was roudly dis laying to her. % rat" 9gh! Is it aliveB % loud scra""ling from the "ox informed her that the inmate was very much alive. Of course it is! !hat use would a dead rat "e to usB asked 4it im atiently. Eanny gave him to understand in no uncertain terms that, whatever his own reAuirements, a rat was of not the slightest use to her, dead or alive. Don't "e such a nodcock, Eanny! It's not for you! said 4it, seeing that she was a"out to decam down the ladder. It's for ;ady ;ucinda. &he stared at him, her mouth o en. Eor)for ;ady ;);ucindaB &he sat down again. !hyB Do you mean that>D &he got no further. (ecause I looked at 5egs the other night after she calmed down and you were right! said 4it savagely. I could see where she had "een $a""ed with that hat in! &o I caught the rat to ut in her "edcham"er! H)howB Eanny was awed. 9sed a sticky tra . 8lue, sugar syru . 5ade an awful mess of one of %nna's old ots. I had to catch it alive, you see, ex lained 4it. :r)that wasn't Auite what I meant, said Eanny nervously. How are you going to ut it in her roomB &he had a sinking feeling that she really didn't want to hear the answer to this Auestion. !ell, you are, of course! said 4it in sur rise, confirming her worst fears. Cou aren't actually scared of a rat, are youB He conveniently forgot the unaccounta"le sAuirming sensation which had assailed him in the region of his "elly when he saw the large and ferocious rodent struggling in his sticky tra . 7o, "ut I'm scared of 9ncle David! lied Eanny. !hy should he think it was youB asked 4it. !ell, who else would do itB she asked im atiently. One of the servantsB 5y great auntB

I wouldn't ut it ast ;ady 5aria, said 4it with a grin. &he's a great gun! 7o, really, Eanny. :veryone knows that old houses like Helford 6lace are always teeming with rats. !hy should anyone sus ect youB !e are not teeming with rats! said Eanny indignantly, $ustifia"ly incensed at this slur on her home. Cou must have a few! argued 4it. I'll tell you what. &uggest to a few of the maids that you've heard some scuttlings and sAueakings. =en to one half a do#en of them will have seen a "ig rat within a cou le of days. =hen, when no one will "e at all sur rised, you sneak into her room one night while she's at dinner or something and ut it on her "ed with a half<eaten a le. !ith a "it of luck it'll still "e there when she comes to "ed! Eanny thought a"out it. It was true. 5ention a ossi"le rat to even one maid and they would all "e seeing things within a few hours. %nd she did want to ay ;ady ;ucinda out for hurting %unt &o hie. =he thought of her face when she was confronted with a large, revolting rat in her "edcham"er was sim ly irresisti"le. &eeing her wavering, 4it said cunningly, ?ust think, Eanny, if you're scared of it, she'll "e even more scared! &he willB Eanny found the idea that anyone could ossi"ly "e more scared than herself hard to swallow. !ell, of course! said 4it. =o start with, she's a coward. Only a coward would have layed that trick on %unt &o hie. %nd she won't "e ex ecting it! 7othing, thought Eanny, could "e more certain than that! (ut she rather liked the im lied com liment that 4it didn't think her a coward. (esides, said 4it on a note of ins iration, If she thinks the lace is teeming with rats, she won't want to marry Helford! :ven if Eanny hadn't already made u her mind that would have taken the trick. Fan you catch a few moreB she asked ho efully. 4it grinned. I knew you'd do it! Have you still got the hat inB Ces, I thought I'd "etter kee it as evidence, said Eanny. 8ood. 8ive it "ack to her. !hatever forB Eanny was very sur rised. =o let her know you're on to her, ex lained 4it. =hen even if she does sus ect you, she won't dare say anything to Helford. 8ive it to her in front of as many eo le as ossi"le and say she dro ed it the other day. 7o need to say when. ?ust say you saw her and ke t forgetting to return it. Cou think of everything! said Eanny, sim ly lost in admiration. 4it had the grace to "lush. 7ever "efore had a female ga#ed at him in Auite such a ro"ation and it was really rather nice, he was ra idly discovering. !ell, I don't want you getting into trou"le, he said roughly. 7ow mind, if they do "u""le it, you tell Helford at once that it was my idea and that I gave you the rat!

!e 5elvilles, said 5iss 5elville in lofty tones, don't rat on our allies. I mean, we don't give them away! %nd we Farlisles, said 5aster Farlisle in even loftier tones, don't leave our allies in the lurch! He looked at her seriously. If Helford does work it out, don't you dare try to stand "uff! I won't have it! =hat's my rat and I won't have you inching all the credit! 6romise! Immensely moved "y this touchingly ex ressed concern for her safety, 5iss 5elville gave her word, reflecting as she did so that 8reat %unt 5aria could "e counted on to stand her friend in an emergency. :s ecially if it involved a rat in ;ady ;ucinda's "edcham"er. Eanny was tolera"ly certain that 8reat %unt 5aria liked neither ;ucinda nor ;ady &tanford. =he sound of hooves on the co""led yard made the air of them scram"le to the edge of the loft and eer over. % strange groom was leading in an old "lack hunter. Hullo, said 4it. =he groom looked u and grinned at the two faces. %fternoon, young master and mistress. !hose horse is thatB asked 4it. ;ady Darleston's horse. Oh, said Eanny. &he's nice. :ven 8reat %unt 5aria likes her. Kuite unaware of the high a roval "estowed on her, 6enelo e Darleston was greeting &o hie. I only heard this morning. %re you all rightB &he looked at &o hie Auestioningly. It must have "een a rattling fall. Cou're still terri"ly white. &o hie hesitated for a moment and then said, It's not $ust that. &he turned to Fa tain Ham ton. I would like to tell ;ady Darleston if you have no o"$ection. 7one at all, he said. =he news made 6enelo e's $aw dro in sur rise. 8oodness! How ama#ing! %nd that wretched old man has ignored 4it's existenceB (ut that's im ossi"le. If the estate's trustees find out, he would "e lia"le for an action at law. He can't "e that vindictive, surely! Cou'd "etter find out Auickly, Fa tain Ham ton. &he smiled at &o hie, !ell, that's good news, then. !hy the long faceB !hat if &trathallen decides to remove 4it from my careB asked &o hie misera"ly. I)I know it's selfish "ut)"ut)I $ust can't>D 6enelo e interru ted, Of course you can't! Did your sister leave a willB Ces, said &o hie. &he left everything to 4it. Did she name a guardianB asked 6enelo e intently. !ell, me, of course, said &o hie. =here was no one else. I)I have a deed of guardianshi . =hat's that, then, said 6enelo e trium hantly. I dou"t there's anything &trathallen can do to remove 4it from your charge. If he tries Helford would su ort your claim, I'm sure, and I think I can safely guarantee that 6eter would also "ack you u .

&o hie heaved a sigh of relief. I never thought of :mma's will. %nd now I think of it, ?ock's will named her as 4it's sole guardian. He s ecifically cut his family out at the time. Her lovely smile transformed her face. =hank you, 6enny. I)I never thought to find such good friends. 7ow, said 6enelo e, I heard a"out your accident "ecause ;ady 5aria sent a note over this morning inviting us to dinner next week. % arently Helford is inviting Auite a num"er of locals. &he grinned at &o hie. Kuite a art from saying you had taken a tum"le, she also wrote that she is inviting you to dinner the same night. (hatB &o hie felt as though she had "een invited to her own execution rather than a dinner arty. 7o! I couldn't ossi"ly go! 6enelo e nodded, I see. !ith an inward smile she recalled ;ady 5aria's note, -o doubt the silly chit will refuse to attend. I)m relying on you to nip any such intention in the bud =here was no need, of course, to tall &o hie that so she $ust asked, Fould you tell me why notB I mean, ;ady 5aria will "e terri"ly disa ointed. Fa tain Ham ton said thoughtfully, =hat must "e the invitation there. He indicated the forgotten note Eanny had thrust at &o hie "efore "eing hustled out "y 4it. ;ady 5aria gave that to Eanny $ust after "reakfast and told her to "e sure not to forget it. 5ay"e you should read it. &o hie icked u the letter, "roke the seal and read. My dear Miss Marsden, 3a e pity on a poor old woman beset with a lot of boring house guests and accept an invitation to dinner on 3uesday ne0t. (e are inviting a number of residents, including that ra e 'arleston and his baggage of a wife Penelope so you will not lac for agreeable company. (e will e0pect you at 6789. I am sorry to hear that you parted company with your mare. /anny was very put about by it, as was +elford. ,our affectionate friend, Maria 1entham Des ite herself &o hie was tem ted "y the invitation. (ut it was not to "e thought of. =he less she saw of Helford the "etter and if, as was likely at a dinner arty for the locals, he announced his "etrothal to ;ady ;ucinda that night she did not wish to "e in the room. It would "e un"eara"le. Hesolutely she looked at 6enelo e and said Auietly, 7o, I would very much refer not to attend. I)I have nothing suita"le to wear and, "esides, refuse to drive myself u to Helford 6lace for dinner in a gig. Old 8rigson who looks after 5egs for me is not u to driving at night. 9nfortunately 6enelo e demolished these very cogent reasons in no time. Oh, ooh! !e shall go u to your cham"er resently and look something out and as for driving u in a gigJ it would "e most ineligi"le! Darleston and I shall "e delighted to

take you u . &he turned to the Fa tain. 6lease tell ;ady 5aria that 5iss 5arsden is delighted to acce t her kind invitation and is looking forward to it very much. ;eft with no room to retreat or manoeuvre, &o hie ca itulated. &he could not "ring herself to tell 6enelo e, even rivately, her real reasons for not wishing to attend, so she ermitted herself to "e whisked u stairs. &he even "ecame mildly enthused as 6enelo e o ened her armoire and chest to find an old gown of :mma's in am"er silk, which she held u against &o hie with a cry of trium h. =his is it! It will look lovely. ?ust the right colour for your eyes and hair. &o hie flushed scarlet. If anyone could tell what colour my eyes are, I might agree with you, she said drily. 6enelo e grinned wickedly. It never hurts a man to "e ke t wondering. :ven if it's only over the colour of your eyes. &he giggled, a naughty, chuckling ri le. (esides, if he can't decide what colour they are, he'll ga#e into them all the longer! (efore she could sto herself &o hie said, ;ady 5aria refers to you as a baggage in her letter. I "egin to see why! Does sheB 6enelo e giggled again. Cou should hear what she calls 6eter ! 3hat ra e 'arleston.. B Auoted &o hie with a twinkle. 6enelo e nodded and they colla sed on to the counter ane in fits of laughter. =he gales of laughter which echoed through the cham"er were faintly audi"le downstairs. %nna, cho ing vegeta"les in the kitchen, smiled grimly to herself. =hat ;ady Darleston certainly had a way with her. %nd thank 8od one of the local ladies had decided to give 5iss &o hie a "it of a hand. (out time it was. =om Ham ton, idly fli ing through a "ook in the arlour, smiled as well. Do the oor girl good to have a "it of fun. He wondered what Helford would say when he heard that 5iss 5arsden was invited for dinner. =om had a sneaking idea that Helford was more than a little confused. He had decided he wanted one thing and gone all out to get it. 7ow he was resented with something else and he wanted that too. !ell, he'd have to make a choice "ecause he certainly couldn't have "oth. %t least he could, "ut =om Ham ton didn't think David 5elville the man to take a girl like &o hie 5arsden if he wasn't offering marriage. =oo sha""y "y half that would "e! ;ady ;ucinda would "e very ut out, thought the Fa tain. He grinned to himself. He found that he could "ear the ros ect of ;ady ;ucinda's discomfiture with great fortitude. It occurred to him that, if he and 4ate %sterfield handled things carefully, they might "e a"le to ensure Helford had no o ortunity to offer for ;ucinda %nstey or in any way commit himself "efore that dinner arty. &eeing the two women together in com any and realising that all his friends, not to mention his aunt, liked &o hie, might $ust ti the "alance, he mused. He was fairly sure that in issuing an invitation to 5iss 5arsden, ;ady 5aria was sending a clear signal of a roval to her unex ectedly o"tuse ne hew. %t this oint in his cogitations &o hie and 6enelo e returned. =hey chatted away merrily until it was time for Fa tain Ham ton to take Eanny home. &he and 4it were

extracted from the sta"les where they were found admiring 6enelo e's horse 7ero, a hero of !aterloo, the groom had told them. Home, young lady, said Ham ton sternly. (efore your uncle has a search arty out after us and accuses me of kidna ing you. 5iss 5arsden, I will see to that "usiness for you as soon as ossi"le. ;ady Darleston, your most o"edient servant. 4it, I shall look forward to making your "etter acAuaintance on another occasion. He swung Eanny u into the curricle and drove out of the sta"le yard in fine style with 5egs trotting "ehind, and if he had had reason to com lain of his com anion's lack of conversation during the drive over, there was no cause for com laint on the way home. If asked, he would have said ruefully that he had never realised Eanny could "e such a little "ag i e. =o do him credit, though, he studiously avoided inAuiring a"out the large and highly sus icious "undle u on which she was resting her feet. It was none of his "usiness after all. !hen their visitors had left, &o hie and 4it walked "ack to the house together after duly admiring the little !elsh grey Helford had sent over to take 5egs's lace. He's com lete to a shade, said 4it reluctantly. (ut I'd rather have 5egs. :ven if she does mis"ehave. It) it)wasn't her fault, %unt &o hie! He sto ed, unwilling to say more. It would never do if she found out a"out the rat. &o hie looked at him closely. Cou sound very certain, 4it. Is there something you aren't telling meB Ces, he admitted. %nd you are convinced that it wasn't 5egs's fault. =here was no Auestion in the way she s oke. He nodded. =hen I'll kee her no matter what Helford says, declared &o hie. 4it stared at her. ?ust "ecause I said so. !ithout even telling you whyB Her eyes Aui##ed him gently. (ut of course. Cour word is good enough for me, 4it. ?ust as your father's or mother's would have "een. His heart swelled with ride to think that his word was "elieved in this way. =rust %unt &o hie to know how a fellow liked to "e treated. &he was as good a gentleman as Helford, who had never ressed to find out who had taught him a"out tickling trout. He told her so in gruff tones which im erfectly concealed the de th of his affection. :ven the "est of aunts, however, is rey to the com laint that killed the cat. &o hie 5arsden was no exce tion. &he s ent Auite a long time that night wondering $ust what 4it, and, "y im lication, Eanny, knew. =hat they were lotting something she was sure. It had not needed Fa tain Ham ton's remarks to tell her that. !hat could they have seenB Farefully her mind went "ack over her fall. !here had everyone "eenB %t last she had it. =he only erson right "ehind her had "een

;ucinda %nstey. If 4it swore that 5egs had not "een at fault then)the idea was ludicrous)why should she do such a thingB 3o ma e you loo no how! =he answer resented itself with startling clarity. ;ady ;ucinda, if she had somehow caused 5egs's ex losion, must have meant for her to look a com lete fool. !hich confirmed that she resented the attention Helford had aid to her. &he must have "een as cross as cra"s when it "ack fired, thought &o hie with a reluctant grin. &he couldn't ossi"ly have antici ated that Helford would end u carrying her victim home. Drat the man! !hy couldn't he have $ust left her alone and stayed out of her lifeB Dismally she thought that the sooner Helford took himself "ack to ;ondon where he "elonged, the "etter. It occurred to her that he might decide to live at Helford 6lace for much of the year. =hat she might have to live with him as a neigh"our. &he couldn't do it. 6erha s if the Farlisles wanted 4it, she could go too. =hat would "e "etter than seeing Helford and his wife constantly. =here would certainly "e no $oy to alleviate that ain. ;ater that evening Helford sat in his li"rary, listening to what Fa tain Ham ton had to say with increasing concern. Cou think 4it is the heirB He was incredulous. %re you sureB Ham ton shrugged. Of course I'm sure. Cou don't think I would have told 5iss 5arsden if I weren't, do youB He oured himself a "randy. ;ook, David, ?ock Farlisle was a very close friend of mine. I stayed with his family once or twice and I'm as sure as I sit here that 4it is &trathallen's heir. 8ood 8od! said David "lankly. !hat did &o hie) 5iss 5arsden sayB &he was horrified, admitted Ham ton. &eemed to think &trathallen might try to remove the "oy. !hich is very ossi"le. He disinherited ?ock for marrying :mma 5arsden, after all. He might try, "ut he won't get away with it! said David fiercely. Ham ton grinned. =hat's much what 6enelo e Darleston thought, he said. &he felt that you could "e counted on to su ort 5iss 5arsden and even ledged 6eter's "acking. David nodded. He couldn't stomach the thought of &o hie losing 4it to a vindictive old man who had refused to acknowledge the lad's existence all these years. He si ed his "randy. Cou told her we would write to &trathallenB 8ood. I'll do it now and you can add your signature to mine in the morning. Have you got the old man's directionB Ham ton was rather taken a"ack. :r)aren't you $oining the ladies in the drawing roomB He had ulled Helford aside as they left the dining room after the ort.

7o, said David in a tired voice. 5ake my a ologies, =om. &ay something urgent came u and that I must get this letter off first thing. It's true enough. (esides)well)I need to do a "it of serious thinking. Ham ton looked at him shar ly, "ut said nothing "eyond, ?ust as you like "ut, you know, ;ady ;ucinda won't like it! 7o, I don't su ose she will, agreed David, still in that weary tone. Ham ton left him, "ut turned "ack at the door to say, casually, I like your 5iss 5arsden, David. &he's as gallant a lass as you'd meet, isn't sheB David $ust nodded with a rueful smile. =he door clicked shut. 3rust 3om to spot it! He wondered how many others had realised his attraction to &o hie 5arsden. 4ate %sterfield, no dou"t. 7edB ;ord 5arkB 5ost unlikely. =hat air rarely noticed anything "eyond their dinners and horses. !ell, that was a little unfair. 7ed certainly noticed his wife. (ut that was ro"a"ly "ecause she made Auite sure he remem"ered her existence. ;ucindaB Fertainly. =hat would account for the way she had "ehaved, although he was sur rised to find that she could feel $ealousy. ?ustifia"ly ex ecting an offer from him, she had no dou"t "een miffed at his "ehaviour. He couldn't "lame her. %t last he faced the fact that he had "een trying to avoid for over a week. He had to offer for ;ucinda Auickly "efore his assion for &o hie led him into the snare he feared. (efore he lost control of himself and rode over to !illow"ank House and "egged her to marry him. %nd what he felt for &o hie was a far cry from the youthful infatuation he had succum"ed to with Eelicity. =his was the most terrifying emotion you could ossi"ly imagine. =hat a alling fear when he had thought her dead. =he fury that consumed him when &ir 6hili 's im ortunities recalled themselves to his memory. 5ore than ever it confirmed his notion that to care too dee ly was dangerous. =hat he would "e "etter off, safer, if he never saw her again. If he allowed his assion to die a natural death. % marriage of convenience, wasn't that what he had wantedB % well<"red wife who would cause no scandal. % wife who would make no demands on him, who would turn a "lind eye when he sought his amusements outside her "ed. %nd, after all, ;ucinda was a very attractive woman, he told himself. One who conducted herself with the right degree of maidenly modesty. !ith "reeding. &he had "een "rought u to know his world and her lace in it. =here would "e no sur rises there. &he'd certainly never ri u at him a"out his morals as &o hie had! .ut she)s soso cold. He could not dismiss the thought, and groaned. &urely once they were wed she would thaw out somewhat. &urely with all his skill and ex ertise he could)seduce herB Perhaps. If you wanted to) Erankly, the idea left him cold. &omehow the words seduce and Lucinda did not seem to "elong in the same world, let alone the same thought. Eor the first time he wondered $ust how ;ady ;ucinda would take to her marital duties. 9nfortunately, his imagination was not even remotely interested in s eculating

on the ossi"ilities. !ith difficulty he con$ured u an image of her elegant figure, white skin and silky "lack curls. He was rewarded with not the slightest twinge of desire. Determinedly he thought a"out kissing her, "ut again his imagination refused to coo erate. =hat might have "een due to the fact that it was unceremoniously thrust aside "y his memory, which inter osed the remem"rance of &o hie melting in his arms and that little moan as her mouth o ened under his) Eor a moment Helford allowed himself the leasure of this recollection and felt more than a twinge of desire and guilt. He was tolera"ly certain that &o hie was not in the least indifferent to him. &he was not a wanton, could not ossi"ly have res onded to him like that had she not cared. !orse than his own misery was the knowledge that he had hurt her. =hat she would continue to think he had amused himself with her innocence. =hat she had "een nothing to him. 8rimly he faced the fact that for him his memories could hold no $oy, only a "itter cynicism. He had recognised love far too late. He told himself that, had he "een a"le to ga#e into the future after their first meeting, he would have ensured that he never saw her again. (ecause now he would have to "anish &o hie 5arsden from his thoughts com letely. 6erha s, he thought in resignation, I should try kissing ;ucinda. 5ay"e that would "anish these)these fantasies. 3omorrow, then. Surely she won)t be too shoc ed. #fter all, she must be e0pecting an offer. It occurred to him that she might reasona"ly ex ect the offer first and the kisses later. $r not at all. Hesolutely he thrust his cogitations aside and concentrated on writing a letter to an elderly &cottish eer which com"ined tactfulness with clarity of ex ression and in no way hinted at the writer's o inion that &trathallen was a curmudgeonly old fool.

'ha()er Ten

Having made his "itter decision, David found that over the following week he had no o ortunity to "e alone with ;ady ;ucinda %nstey. =om Ham ton and "oth the %sterfields seemed to "e afflicted with an incredi"le lack of tact. 4ate in articular a eared to have a hitherto well<concealed redilection for ;ady ;ucinda's com any and su"limely ignored all hints to make herself scarce. 7early all hints, anyway. On the few occasions when David managed to get rid of 4ate, %unt 5aria turned u and was im ossi"le to shake. =om Ham ton and 7ed were also extremely demanding of his time. (oth of them had develo ed a "loodthirsty urge to rid his estate of ra""its and were constantly dragging him out to shoot at the ha less creatures with the result that ra""it was a earing on the menu rather freAuently. (y the time he was dressing for dinner on =uesday night he had not had even the smallest o ortunity to kiss ;ady ;ucinda. 7or had he offered for her, which he had told himself he ought to do. =o the immense disa roval of his valet, David dressed for dinner with unseemly haste. It was not that the result was anything less than erfection, thought 5eredith grudgingly. It was $ust that these things ought to "e done ro erly and haste could lead to slovenliness, a tendency to "e heartily de lored. He firmly su ressed his horror as his master even hurried over his cravat, taking twenty minutes where usually half an hour was considered Auick. =he reason for this callous assault on 5eredith's sensi"ilities and rofessional ride was sim ly that David had asked ;ady ;ucinda to meet him alone "efore dinner. He was starting to sus ect that he was "eing outmanoeuvred. !hen the thought first flashed into his mind he had dismissed it, "ut then all the little things started to add u . =om and 4ate had "een as thick as thieves for days ast and they had "een extremely attentive to %unt 5aria. 7ed, he decided, was sim ly along for the ride. &uch strategy was "eyond the sco e of his kindly, "ut limited, thought rocesses. He would, however, "e only too ha y to fall in with whatever devilry his wife might "e lotting. He was terri"ly roud of 4ate's Auick "rain and hardly ever called her to order. David reflected on this grimly. Ces, he "egan to see now. 4ate and =om were orchestrating the whole thing, "ut whyB =he answer was not long in coming to him. =hey didn't want him to offer for ;ady ;ucinda. 7ow he thought a"out it, that was fairly o"vious. Damn it all! Did they think he didn't know his own mindB &o, as he escorted ;ucinda u stairs to change for dinner, he had said, !ould it "e too shocking of me, ;ady ;ucinda, to ask you to come down, shall we say)fifteen minutes earlyB I should very much like some rivate talk with you.

&he had inclined her head graciously. I think I may safely agree to that, my lord, in our situation. &he accorded him a gracious smile. I am sure 5ama will see no harm in it. David started. Damn! He didn't want ;ady &tanford to know. Irrita"ly, he realised that this was recisely what he had wanted in his "ride. % well<"red and virtuous damsel a"ove all gossi . He went away to his own cham"er to violate unthinkingly all his valet's cherished notions of the way in which a gentleman should dress for dinner. :ntering her cham"er, ;ady ;ucinda found her maid there waiting. &he glanced at the clock and realised that she would have to hurry. Her "ath was unwontedly swift, and the maid was shocked at the haste with which her ladyshi arrayed herself in the gown of $onAuil silk laid out for her. 7either did ;ady ;ucinda change her mind half a do#en times over which ieces of $ewellery to wear. Her earl necklace and matching earrings were chosen without the least hesitation. 4id sli ers and a silk reticule com leted the ensem"le. I will ring for you when I come u to "ed, girl, said ;ady ;ucinda coldly. &he had the greatest dislike of her maid waiting for her in the evenings. !hy, once she had found an im ertinent servant actually aslee on her day"ed. !ithout even waiting for (etsy's res ectful curtsy, she sailed through to her mama's "edcham"er. ;ady &tanford was still in her etticoat and chemise. 7ot that dress, girl! ;ilac, I said! Fannot you see that one is mauveB &tu id wench! In very different tones, ;ucinda! Cou are very early! Her daughter looked significantly at the ha less maid who was clutching two dresses of identical colour with a countenance devoid of all ex ression. ;ady &tanford took the hint at once. =ake yourself off, girl. I wish to s eak to ;ady ;ucinda. !ait in the sitting room! =he maid "o""ed and removed herself, wondering if she could get another osition. &he'd gladly take a dro in status and wages to find a more leasant mistress. Helford has asked me to come down early, 5ama, ex lained ;ucinda. Cou do not o"$ectB ;ady &tanford gave it some thought. 7o dou"t Helford wished to offer for ;ucinda rivately. =hat was not how it had "een done in her young days, "ut one must move with the times. It was not sur rising that he should wish to see her alone. &he could de end u on ;ucinda to kee me line. 7o, my dear. Cou may do so. (ut I would "e failing in my duty as your mother if I did not dro a word of warning in your ear. He may well attem t to kiss you! Cou must not re ulse him. 7othing could "e more fatal! I say this only to warn you not to allow your instincts as a lady to rule you. 7othing could "e more natural than that you should find it excessively distasteful, I do myself, "ut you must not flinch. &uch a thing would "e very "ad! % lady does not shrink from her duty and you would not wish to give Helford any cause to think you would "e less than dutiful.

7o, indeed, 5ama, agreed ;ady ;ucinda and after some more of her mama's advice, all of which made it erfectly lain why ;ord &tanford had, since the moment of his marriage, sought the consolation of a string of mistresses, ;ady ;ucinda %nstey descended the stairs to the 8reen Drawing Hoom. David was "efore her and he looked u with raised eye"rows as she entered the room. It would not have sur rised him in the least if ;ady &tanford had "een with her daughter, "ut to his relief ;ady ;ucinda was alone. %s she came across the room he told himself that she really was very lovely>those "lue eyes were Auite extraordinary and her figure was excellent. %t last, ;ucinda, he said with a forced smile, dro ing her title for the first time. Her eyes widened, "ut she reminded herself that it was Auite the thing for a gentleman to assume a more informal manner with his intended, at least in rivate. =he way Darleston always used his wife's Fhristian name among friends was, she considered, most unseemly. 8ood evening, Helford, she res onded to his greeting. He held out his hand to her with a slight lift of his "lack "rows. !ith all the dignity of an aristo going to the guillotine, she laced her hand in his and allowed him to draw her into his arms. It was not too distasteful, she thought. He had ut one finger under her chin and was ushing it u slightly. His mouth covered hers and moved in a very eculiar way while his free hand moved over her "ack and urged her to stand closer. O"ediently she did so and was rather sur rised when he moved one of her arms to encircle him. &urely he did not ex ect her to em"race him! &he did not move the arm, "ut certainly its fellow did not $oin it. David was finding ;ucinda's lack of res onse most disconcerting. It was not merely a lack of res onse, he thought, as he moved his li s over hers as seductively as he could. It was a com lete lack of interest. :ven disgust would "e "etter than this ice<cold su"mission. %t least that would "e something with which to work. =o make matters worse his "ody, which had ignited $ust holding 5iss &o hie 5arsden, categorically refused to work u the slightest s ark of enthusiasm for the far lovelier siren he was roviding for its leasure. He thought whimsically that if his "ody could have yawned, it would have! Determined to try a little harder, he allowed the hand caressing her "ack to move around to the front, or rather, since it had showed no interest in doing so, he ut it there and cautiously essayed to sam le one "reast. =hat did get a reaction. ;ady ;ucinda o ened her mouth, to which David res onded "y reluctantly ushing his tongue inside and swee ing it across the roof of her mouth. 9nfortunately ;ady ;ucinda had only o ened her mouth to reAuest Helford to kee his hands to himself and his disgraceful invasion revolted her to the core. Her "lue eyes o ened wide in shock and she could not re ress a shudder of revulsion. It was only with great self<control that she did not "reak away from his hold. He was releasing her anyway and seemed a"out to say something when the door o ened to admit ;ady 5aria.

;ady 5aria cursed mentally as she saw the two alone "y the fire lace. 'amn& +ope I)m not too late. Might have nown he)d try to get down early. 3han %od 1ate told me Lucinda was down. (y the look of things she'd interru ted something. =hat chit was looking as close to discom osed as she'd ever seen her. 8ood evening, %unt 5aria, said David awkwardly. He was not sure whether he was furious or relieved at her a earance. Having kissed the girl, he had intended to offer for her, "ut his aunt's arrival had ut aid to that. Helford, ;ucinda. &he stalked across to her accustomed chair and her ne hew at once handed her into it. &itting down, she said, I "eg your ardon for not "eing down "efore you, ;ucinda. I trust Helford has ke t you tolera"ly well entertained. Her eagle ga#e did not miss the way ;ady ;ucinda stiffened as she res onded. Ces, I thank you. (ut I was early. Cou must not "lame yourself, ;ady 5aria. %nd where's your mamaB she continued. 7ot at all the thing for a chit to come down alone with a rake like Helford. ;ord, girl, don't you know his re utationB =he look of utter distaste fro#en on ;ucinda's lovely mask was "alm to ;ady 5aria. &he'd lay anyone handsome odds that Helford had "een kissing the girl and she hadn't liked it a"ove half. 8ood! =hat would ut Helford off if nothing else did. He was the sort of man to like Dem willing. He wouldn't like the idea of sharing his "ed with a wench who only entered it on sufferance. =hank you, %unt 5aria, said David coldly. =his was going too far! 6erha s we could leave my re utation out of it. !hat the devil was the old lady u toB %nyone would think she was trying to ut ;ucinda off. !hich seemed, he thought, to "e a work of su ererogation. 7ot that ;ucinda had re ulsed his advances exactly, "ut he had received the distinct im ression she would have liked to do so. 6erfectly satisfied with ;ucinda's reaction to her comment, ;ady 5aria went on as though no one had s oken. !ell now, who's coming this eveningB ;et me think. =he Darlestons, of course, and &ir 6hili 8arfield. &omeone else)oh, yes, the @icar and his wife)now, who else)ah, here is 5rs. %sterfield. 8ood 8od! Does she call that thing a gownB ;ady 5aria raised her Aui##ing glass the "etter to survey 4ate %sterfield's nearly trans arent ink silk gown. It was lain that whatever she was wearing "eneath it did not constitute any rotection at all against the chill of the room. Hum h! !ell, it may not warm her, o"served ;ady 5aria acidly, "ut I can guarantee it'll warm %sterfield! !ouldn't you say, HelfordB ;ord Helford, com letely forgetting his com any, was moved to re ly in tones of great a reciation, 7ot a dou"t of it, %unt 5aria! =here was a slight movement "eside him. ;ady ;ucinda had taken a very definite ste away. He looked at her and sur rised a look of utter scorn on her face. He frowned slightly. 4ate's gown was outrageous, he su osed, "ut damn it! &he and 7ed were his friends and it was as lain as a ikestaff that ;ucinda disliked her intensely. %nd that was another thing that concerned him, a art from the fact that

;ucinda had relished his attentions not at all. It would "e deucedly uncomforta"le if she disa roved of all his friends. $h my %od& It)s a bit late to thin of all this now! 4ate's greeting interru ted his thoughts. Heally, Helford! !hy can't you kee your rooms ro erly heatedB He grinned at her and said most im ro erly, !e do. !ould you like me to find you some clothesB I'd give you my coat, "ut then %unt 5aria would accuse me of "eing indecently gar"ed. ;ady 5aria gave a crack of laughter, "ut 4ate $ust twinkled u at him. 7ever mind, Helford, I can assure you that I won't remain cold for long! Disgusting, thought ;ady ;ucinda. =he woman was shameless! 7o dou"t she was trying to ensnare Helford! !ell, if it ke t him from taking those foul li"erties with her more often than was necessary for the "egetting of an heir, then she would gladly look the other way when he strayed! ;ady 5aria was s eaking again. 5y memory's not what it was, 5rs. %sterfield. I can't remem"er who's $oining us tonight. Oh, the Darlestons, didn't you sayB res onded 4ate hel fully. %nd the local &Auire, &ir 6hili !hatsitB Did you say something, HelfordB % disgusted snort had eru ted from her host. 7ow let me think. Oh yes, that charming girl who fell off her mare last week. &he smiled "rightly at David. 5iss 5arsden, is it notB David stared from her to his aunt and said in a constricted voice, &o hie 5arsden is coming tonight, %unt 5ariaB He was aware of ;ucinda %nstey's gas of shock from "ehind him, "ut ;ady 5aria's re ly was lost as the gentlemen of the house arty came in together with ;ady &tanford. 7ed %sterfield lived u to everyone's ex ectations "y exclaiming when he saw his wife, I say! =hat's a devilish retty gown, m'dear. I like that! ;ord 5ark and =om Ham ton merely looked their a reciation at 4ate, who ignored them as she "estowed a glowing smile u on her hus"and. Dear 7ed, you always say the right thing! Helford ractically told me to go and ut my clothes on. 7ed %sterfield $ust grinned and said, Cou leave me to worry a"out my wife, old "oy. =ime enough for you to tell a wife what to do when you've got your own. Flearly unconscious of having said anything in the least untoward, he looked around and said, 7o one else here yetB %t this moment the door o ened and the "utler announced, &ir 6hili 8arfield. =he Heverend 5r. Henshaw and 5rs. Henshaw. David eyed 8arfield with disfavour and ointedly greeted the @icar and his lady first. He had not "een a"le to veto &ir 6hili 's inclusion in the dinner arty without telling his aunt $ust why he had taken such a dislike to the man. %ny other man, he thought disgustedly, would have olitely declined the invitation. 7ot &ir 6hili , who entered the room with a slight swagger, sure of his welcome. He had come to the conclusion that Helford had "een under the mistaken im ression

that 5iss &o hie would acce t a carte blanche. (y now he would have discovered his mistake. 5iss 5arsden's unwillingness to receive his own suit he ut down to her ex ectation of a more res ecta"le offer from Helford. &he was far too unworldly to realise that a man of Helford's rank did not offer marriage to a little country no"ody. :ven if he wasn't "etrothed to the daughter of an earl. (y gad, the wench was lucky he was re ared to offer marriage. &o he greeted his icy host with all the "onhomie of a man who had not recently "een laid low "y the host's unishing left. %h, Helford. !e meet in more gracious surroundings. I fancy our little misunderstanding is all cleared u B David ermitted himself a frosty smile. I am afraid any misunderstanding of the situation was on your side, &ir 6hili . (efore anything more could "e said the door o ened again to admit the final guests. =he :arl and Fountess of Darleston, 5iss 5arsden. David moved forward to greet them, scarcely a"le to take his eyes off &o hie. &himmering am"er silk clung to her lissom "ody, the erfect foil for her creamy com lexion and com lementing golden highlights in the sim ly arranged curls. It was years out of fashion with its crossover "odice and raised waist and, com ared to the $ewellery worn "y the other women, her ivory "eads were mere trum ery, "ut she carried herself roudly as if she were dressed like a rincess. His greeting to 6eter Darleston and his wife was dis$ointed to say the least, which "rought a twinkle of amusement to the :arl's eye. Hesignedly David wondered $ust who had told 6eter what. It didn't "ear thinking a"out. 8ritting his teeth for control, he turned to greet the woman he "oth wished miles away and, at one and the same time, locked irrevoca"ly in his arms. &o hie felt a"solutely terrified. 7ever in her life had she "een in a room like this. Its grandeur and formal elegance overwhelmed her. &he wished des erately that she had not come. =here was ;ady ;ucinda looking as scornful as ever and an older lady who must "e her mother. &he dragged her attention "ack to Helford. He was greeting her. !hat a leasant sur rise, 5iss 5arsden. His voice cracked slightly. &eeing her like this $ust as he was a"out to offer for ;ucinda was shattering. His heart was like lead in his "reast, all his resolution destroyed. %)a sur riseB % u##led frown creased her "row. Did)you)did you not invite meB Eor a horri"le moment she wondered if she had misread the note from ;ady 5aria. %unt 5aria did not mention your name to me until $ust now, he said in some constraint. %nd could have kicked himself when he saw her reaction. Her dark eyes widened as her cheeks flushed crimson DI)I "eg your ardon, my lord. I assumed you were aware)' &he floundered to a halt. $h, %od& She thin s you don)t want her here! =here was nothing he could say to reassure her even if they didn't have an audience. (ecause in some ways it was true.

Had he known in time he would have confided in his aunt and "egged her not to invite &o hie. He could only re eat inadeAuately, % leasant sur rise. Fome and talk to my aunt and "e resented to ;ady &tanford. &o hie greeted ;ady 5aria with real leasure. =he old lady ta ed her on the cheek with her fan. 6retty colour. =hat gown suits you and at least there's enough of it to kee you warm. I fancy you know most of the others here. %h! %urelia, this is 5iss &o hie 5arsden. &o hie, this is ;ady &tanford. ;ady &tanford was very cool. &he had heard an edited version from ;ady ;ucinda of the riding accident and considered it very likely that the scheming chit had engineered her own fall. &he had said as much to ;ucinda. 7ow, as she looked 5iss 5arsden over, she could see recisely why her daughter had considered the girl ill "red. =hat nose! Ereckled! %nd the gown! It was ositively archaic! 7o one with the least retension to fashion would wear such an outmoded creation. %nd the way she held herself as though she were Auite as good as her "etters. Daring to come in with the Darlestons as though she were a mem"er of their arty! Determined to show this little no"ody the gulf that lay "etween the aristocracy and an encroaching little mushroom, she extended two languid fingers, uttered a "rief, How do you doB and turned away without waiting for an answer. ;ady 5aria chuckled silently to herself. =his was "etter than a lay! David was Auite o"viously u set. ?ust far enough off "alance to forget his manners and do something foolish for a change! ;ady ;ucinda came u to &o hie and said with s urious interest, %nd how is your "ack, 5iss 5arsdenB I do trust that Helford's services won't "e reAuired tonight. &he smiled sweetly at the look of em"arrassment on &o hie's face. 7o dou"t you find Helford's horse far "etter mannered than your, er)co". &he could almost "e said to have smirked. =his was too much! &o hie ulled herself together and re lied with the utmost charm, He is very well mannered. %nd since you mention the incident, I do ho e you had sufficient time) er) left to ull your own mount out of the way. Her eyes rose challengingly to ;ady ;ucinda's. ;ady ;ucinda stared at her in sudden dou"t, "ut at that moment 5iss Eanny 5elville was escorted into the room "y her governess. &o hie could see at once that she was u to something. =he green eyes were $ust too modestly downcast and she was looking $ust too innocent. &he greeted her uncle and great aunt with leasure "efore glancing around the guests. Her eyes widened and a huge smile of delight transformed her face. %unt &o hie! I didn't know you were coming. How is your "ackB 5uch "etter, thank you, said &o hie with a twinkle. 4it sent his greetings, "y the way. 7ow, what was there in that to make the child look so smugB Eanny had turned to ;ady ;ucinda and was saying in her clear, "ell<like tones, Oh, ;ady ;ucinda, I "elieve this is yours! &he was holding out a hat in. I saw you dro it the other day and ke t forgetting to return it.

8ood 8od, child! exclaimed ;ady ;ucinda im atiently. 8ive it to one of the maids! =hen, as Eanny continued to hold out the hat in, she said uncertainly, Cou cannot "e certain it is mine. Oh, yes, Eanny assured her, smiling sera hically as her victim whitened. I saw you dro it. &o hie stared at the smiling child in sudden understanding. &o 4it was right! Heavens! 7o wonder 5egs had "ucked, having that thing stuck into her. !hat a air of monkeys, though, to declare war on ;ady ;ucinda in this way! In front of everyone! Eor &o hie had not the slightest dou"t that it was a declaration of war. 7othing could "e clearer. Eanny 5elville had flung down the gauntlet at ;ucinda %nstey's satin<sli ered feet with a resounding clang. ;ucinda took the hat in and ut it in her reticule with a forced little laugh. I su ose I must thank you, Eanny. Oh, no, said Eanny. =hanks are not necessary. 8ood evening. &he cast an affectionate smile at &o hie and said, 6lease tell 4it that he was Auite right a"out the maids and that it will "e done $ust as he wished. &o hie agreed to ass on the message with a erfectly straight face. ;ucinda was looking most uncomforta"le and &o hie said, as Eanny went to greet Fa tain Ham ton, Heally, I don't know when I have met a child as "right as Eanny. &he is charming, don't you thinkB &till flustered from the realisation that at least two eo le knew of what she had done and ossi"ly three if, as seemed likely, 5iss 5arsden's horrid ne hew had found out, ;ucinda was "etrayed into an unwise re$oinder. &he would "e all the "etter for the disci line of a good school rather than tearing a"out the countryside in unsuita"le com any! % dee voice "ehind them said, I would hardly consider 4it unsuita"le. Cou do 5iss 5arsden a considera"le in$ustice in saying so, ;ucinda. ;ucinda turned in consternation. Helford was looking down at her with a dangerous glitter in his "rilliant eyes. Oh, I meant merely that a girl should "e with a mem"er of her own sex. 7othing more. I see. %h, here is (ain"ridge to announce dinner. 5iss 5arsden, =om Ham ton will take you in. 5ine is the leasure of escorting ;ady Darleston. I understand they "rought you over. I need hardly say that had %unt 5aria had the sense to tell me she had invited you I would have sent the carriage. %s it is, I am glad you did not drive yourself over. He ke t his tone light and cheerful, ignoring the leaden misery in his heart. =he light in his eyes warmed &o hie insensi"ly and she smiled u at him in relief. 7aturally when I told ;ady Darleston that it was im ossi"le for me to attend if I did have to drive in the gig, she agreed that it would not do at all. He looked down at her, conscious of the usual desire to take her in his arms. %"ru tly he said, Here comes Ham ton. I shall talk to you later a"out 4it's affairs.

He turned away to seek his dinner artner, thinking that, des ite the undou"ted charm of 6eter's wife, this was like to "e the worst evening of his entire life!

'ha()er Eleven

!hile &o hie was delighted to have Fa tain Ham ton as her dinner com anion, finding &ir 6hili on her other side was a considera"le enance, since he took the first o ortunity to lean over and assure her that he would not mind their little misunderstanding. 7o dou"t you were misled "y the circumstance of Helford's attentions, he said in an undertone, unaware that he was distressing her dee ly. (ut you were not to know how a fellow of his rank views things. &tanford's chit, ehB % very fine young woman and will make him an excellent wife. &o hie swallowed a s oonful of the delicious turtle sou which suddenly tasted as though it had "een seasoned exclusively with hysso and wormwood. !ould he never give u B &he thought des airingly that it would take more than her word to convince him that she would never marry him! Or anyone else for that matter. It would "e im ossi"le now to surrender herself to any other man. Helford had seen to that. &he attem ted to turn the conversation into more acce ta"le channels, aware that ;ady 5aria was not so much taken u "y the outrageous flattery of ;ord Darleston that she could not hear every word &ir 6hili was saying. ;ord Darleston, thought &o hie, was sim ly delightful. He was every inch a gentleman, "ut she could see recisely why ;ady 5aria called him a rake. He would "e irresisti"le to most women if he were not so o"viously devoted to 6enelo e. &he had met him for the first time that evening and his easy kindness and good manners had charmed her com letely. 6enelo e was the luckiest of women, she thought. !ith ;ady 5aria he was at his "est, teasing the old lady "y dredging u some long<forgotten scandal a"out her family and assuring her that the secret was safe with him. =he old lady snorted. Hum h! %ll I can say is it's a good thing that "aggage 6enelo e kee s you in line. Cou and your flummery! &he turned her attention to &ir 6hili . %nd how are you kee ing, 8arfieldB (etter draw his fire from &o hie. Fhit was starting to look as though she were a"out to give him a set<down. Helieved, &o hie returned her attention to her dinner, acce ting a hel ing of duckling and green eas. &he found =om Ham ton's kindly smile a ositive 8odsend and returned it with interest. =he unshadowed sweetness of her smile at =om seared through Helford at the end of the ta"le. His heart contracted as though a fist had tightened around it. 7o. &urely not. It would "e a alling to see her married to =om. .etter than %arfield! He was sur rised to find that the thought of =om Ham ton ursuing &o hie was almost as offensive as 8arfield. &avagely he reminded himself that it could "e none of his

"usiness if &o hie chose after all to marry. %nd =om would at least "e a kind and affectionate hus"and. 7ot entirely o"livious to the fact that his host was toying with the idea of calling him out, =om Ham ton set himself to entertain and lease 5iss 5arsden. =heir conversation on the to ic of "oring unishments inflicted u on them in their youth was laced with laughter. &o hie's account of how she had made 4it add u her accounts after his last truancy im ressed Ham ton enormously. !hat a ca ital idea, 5iss 5arsden! I'll warrant he took the hint! !ell, yes, acknowledged &o hie, chuckling. (ut I am "ound to own that he did it a great deal "etter than I do. :ven =hea, his governess, said so. &hould have taken a riding cro to the lad, growled &ir 6hili . 7am"y< am"y idea! %dding u accounts, indeed! (oy needs a man to show him what's what. I'll soon take care of that! =his remark was dro ed resoundingly into one of those dreadful ools of silence which seem to attract em"arrassing s eeches. &o hie flushed scarlet, every eye at the ta"le was u on her and there was nothing she could say to re"ut the im ression made "y &ir 6hili without "eing a allingly rude to him. David was not so nice in his notions. He could see the @icar ricking u his ears, a"out to enAuire if his services were to "e needed. He had to head the man off at all costs "efore &ir 6hili ut &o hie into the osition of having to refuse him at the dinner ta"le. Des ite the convention which dictated that conversation should "e confined to the ersons seated immediately to left and right, he fixed &ir 6hili with an icy green stare. I thought it had "een agreed, &ir 6hili , that you were not to "e granted that, or any other authorityB His voice held only mild inAuiry, "ut it made ;ady 5aria shoot a startled glance at him over the forkful of game ie she was raising to her mouth. &he almost laughed aloud. ;ord! If ever she'd seen the "oy so angry! ?ust as she'd thought > he'd com letely forgotten his manners! David returned to his conversation with ;ady Darleston, su remely conscious of having made "ad infinitely worse. He didn't dare look at &o hie. If he did he was entirely likely to find himself making a declaration over the dinner ta"le. Damn %unt 5aria's scheming! &he'd ro"a"ly lanned the whole thing! It was a moot oint as to whether &o hie was more horrified "y &ir 6hili 's crass assum tion of authority or the chilly way in which Helford had de ressed his retensions. It might not "e convena"le to converse across the ta"le, "ut that wasn't sto ing "oth ;ady ;ucinda and her mama from looking down their long noses at her. !hile &ir 6hili assumed an unwonted interest in his dinner, Fa tain Ham ton was s eaking to her very softly. 7ow that really was "acon<"rained! &he looked u at him and found an ex ression of understanding sym athy on his kindly face. David, he went on, has not the slightest notion of tact. It will "e a wonder if any woman of rank can "e revailed u on to acce t him. =his last was uttered so Auietly that she could not dou"t it reached her ears only.

&wallowing hard, she said with difficulty, I cannot understand why you should say such a thing to me, sir, "ut>D His eyes twinkled as he interru ted her. (ecause I am as tactless as David, my dear. Do not allow this little contretem s to u set you, 5iss 5arsden. =he only ersons likely to "e at all u set do not matter in the least. Cou may take my word for that. (oth those unim ortant ersons had stiffened in wrath at Helford's very ro rietorial ex ression of interest in 5iss 5arsden. ;ady &tanford was furious. How dare he have the effrontery to include his mistress at a dinner arty where her daughter, his intended "ride, was resent! ;et alone making the situation clear to everyone! 7o dou"t that little hussy 4ate %sterfield was laughing u her nonexistent sleeve and lanning to let everyone in town know $ust as soon as she could! ;ady ;ucinda was no less disgusted than her mother, "ut her fury was somewhat tem ered "y the reflection that if Helford was lanning to set 5iss 5arsden u as his mistress, or had already done so, it would kee him from sharing her "ed more than was seemly. &he looked u to find Helford's eyes on her and could not re ress a shudder as she recalled the li"erties he had taken with her erson. =his reaction was not lost on David, who was of the o inion that he had com letely lost his senses. How on earth was he to share a "ed with this girl if he married herB !ith a shock he realised that he was casting serious dou"t on their union for the first time, and that the thought of marriage to &o hie was suddenly<far less terrifying. Once admitted o enly, the idea that he might not marry ;ucinda %nstey refused to "e "anished. It develo ed itself into a fully fledged conviction as he continued with his game ie. (ut he was ractically honour "ound to offer for her now! How the hell could he get out of itB =here had to "e a way. % marriage of convenience was one thing, "ut he was damned if he'd s end the rest of his life tied to a female who made it clear she would welcome a crawling slug to her "ed only slightly less enthusiastically! %nd as for his reaction to 8arfield's idiocy! !hat on earth had he "een a"out to call attention to the situation in that wayB He had meant only to erase the distressed look on &o hie's face and "lock the @icar, "ut he had made matters immeasura"ly worse. Eor the rest of the meal he confined himself strictly to addressing his remarks to ;ady Darleston and ;ady &tanford, all the while trying to ersuade himself that he was grateful for =om Ham ton's rotective resence "eside &o hie. In truth, the fact that &o hie was so o"viously comforta"le with =om galled him un"eara"ly. He watched her surre titiously as the first course was removed and the second course set out. &he a eared to have recovered from her discomfiture and was talking ha ily to =om while ;ady 5aria held 8arfield's attention. 8allant as ever, he thought. Ear too roud to let any hint of her em"arrassment show. He smiled automatically at ;ady &tanford as she informed him that his chef's way with a saddle of venison was Auite something out of the way. &he was far too canny to

let Helford see her outrage. =he last thing she wanted was for him to assume that an offer would not "e acce ta"le. It was of the first im ortance now to marry ;ucinda to Helford. If she returned to town un"etrothed, ;ady &tanford would "e the laughing stock of all her acAuaintance. &o she continued to com liment Helford on his chef. I vow, I cannot imagine how you ersuaded such a treasure to come into the country! she said archly. David said with a olite smile, I ay him very generously, ;ady &tanford. =here are few services that enough money cannot secure. :ven a Erench<trained chef. Kuite so! % lowering reflection, is it notB agreed ;ady &tanford. 9nguardedly she allowed her eyes to rest on 5iss 5arsden and a scornful smile curved her li s as she con$ectured what rice the little slut had ut on her services. Eollowing her ga#e, David's "lack "rows sna ed together as he realised what she was thinking. &heer fury that anyone could think he would take advantage of an un rotected girl like &o hie rendered him utterly s eechless. %nd the insult to &o hie was "eyond anything! %n insult he had laid her o en to! %t this unfortunate moment &o hie ha ened to glance towards the end of the ta"le to find ;ady &tanford's sneering eyes on her and Helford glaring at her as though she had somehow offended him mortally. Her fork rattled uncontrolla"ly as she set it down. 9na"le to hel herself, she stared "ack at him, confusion and hurt evident in her dark eyes which could not tear themselves from his scowling face. (hat have I doneB =rem"ling slightly, she dro ed her eyes and schooled herself to an ex ression of cheerful interest as she turned "ack to =om Ham ton. David saw the ain on her face, saw her turn "ack to =om and flinched as he realised that he had unwittingly hurt her and that she had unhesitatingly sought comfort of his "est friend. Dear 8od, would he never sto wounding herB It struck him with all the force of an ex loding shell that she was $ust as vulnera"le to "eing hurt as he was. How the hell was he su osed to survive thisB 7ever "efore had he "een conscious of a desire to soothe away all hurt, rotect a woman from the slightest "ree#e, ease all her "urdens and make sure that she never looked at another man again. %nd he could do nothing "ut hurt her, forcing her to turn to one of his oldest friends for reassurance. ;ove seemed to confuse everything. He couldn't think straight, he wanted her so "adly. %nd even that had a different Auality to it. In the ast it had always "een his desire, his leasure that had "een the main focus of his affairs. =hat was why he had always ensured that he "edded with women of ex erience, skilled in entertaining a man. =o lease them in return was sim ly art of the ayment. 7othing more. &o hie would have "een different, he thought des airingly. It would have "een) like)like)ma ing love for the first time. Eor the first time he wanted to give, not $ust take his own leasure in a woman's "ody. 5ore, he wanted to give himself, not merely leasure. ;ord HelfordB 6enelo e Darleston's warm voice drew him "ack.

He looked at her in confusion. I "eg your ardon! 5y wits were wandering. !hat were you sayingB 5erely that your aunt is signalling to me that it is time for the ladies to retire to the drawing room, she said drily. He looked down to ;ady 5aria, who had a articularly wicked smirk on her lined old countenance. =urning "ack to 6enelo e, he said very softly, =ell 5iss 5arsden that I need to s eak to her rivately and will have her escorted home. !ill you do that for meB He could not allow her to think he had held her so chea . He had to a ologise to her. %nd he could not do it in front of an entire roomful of eo le! 6enelo e looked at him with suddenly narrowed eyes and said slowly, &ince you ask it of me, my lord, I can only assume that you will take all due care for her re utation. David "linked. 7ever had he heard such an im laca"le challenge in a woman's voice. (efore he could answer 6enelo e had res onded to ;ady 5aria's signal and was standing u to leave the room for the servants to remove the covers and set out the ort and "randy decanters. =he gentlemen rose to their feet and waited olitely until the door shut "ehind the ladies. %s they sat down again David resolved that they were not going to sit over their wine for very long. Eor a start the @icar's resence made the usual round of ri"ald stories Auite ineligi"le and even were this not the case he himself had no stomach for them. He could not have "orne to hear tales of loose living and even looser women "andied around while his mind was reeling under the a alling knowledge that he had left &o hie vulnera"le to the worst of insults. =he only "enefit his love had "rought &o hie 5arsden was that it had revented him from seducing her. It was not her Auality or her un rotected situation that had sto ed him. It was Auite sim ly "ecause he had fallen shatteringly in love with her, even if he had "een such a fool as not to recognise the fact consciously soon enough>and to distrust it even when he did. &ome dee er, surer instinct had held him "ack from an act which would destroy her. He would ex lain that to her and then he would let her go. In the drawing room &o hie was conducting herself gallantly under fire. ;ady ;ucinda and her mama were ro"ing with condescending insolence into the meaning of &ir 6hili 's insinuation. %re we to offer you our congratulations, 5iss 5arsdenB urred ;ady ;ucinda insultingly. &ir 6hili has often "een concerned enough to offer his advice on my handling of 4it, &o hie re lied with outward calm. I can hardly see that as a matter for congratulation. Inwardly she seethed at the im lied insult in offering her congratulations. It suggested that a woman had schemed successfully to snare a man. One wished a woman ha y and congratulated a man!

Oh, how disa ointing! I Auite thought he meant something else! said ;ady &tanford with vast insincerity. (ut I do think &ir 6hili would "e the very man for you. 7o dou"t he would "e a"le to mount you most satisfactorily. Ear more so than Helford. &he smirked trium hantly. &o hie went a"solutely white with fury and o ened her mouth to deliver a "listering re ly, "ut ;ady ;ucinda chi ed in first. Ces, indeed! I dare say marriage had never crossed your mind. 7o, it hasn't, said &o hie with deadly em hasis. I'm afraid the exam les I have seen of women on the catch for a hus"and, the stratagems they use and the offensive insolence of their "ehaviour, have Auite decided me to leave thoughts of marriage to others. !ell s oken, 5iss 5arsden, came a light voice at her el"ow. Cou remind us all of the itfalls of vulgarity that await those who seek the married state too eagerly. &o hie turned in consternation to find 4ate %sterfield twinkling at her in amusement. I did not mean>D she "egan "ut was cut off. Of course you did not, 4ate reassured her. Cour meaning was lain to the meanest intelligence. 7ow come and ex lain to myself and 6enny Darleston $ust exactly how to "ring u "oys. &he is in des air over Darleston's heir, who has ainted his sister's face "right "lue! %nd I am ex ecting an interesting event in the winter and will take all the sensi"le advice I can get. &o saying, she drew &o hie's hand through her arm and "ore her off, leaving ;ady &tanford and ;ucinda seething at her effrontery. !ell! said the latter in tones of revulsion. Kuite so, my love! agreed ;ady &tanford. How disgusting. =o make such an announcement! %nd in that gown! (ut it is all of a iece. &he was always a trifle fast and a dreadful flirt. One wonders that the %sterfields countenanced the match. 6erfectly content that her character was "eing ri ed to shreds "ehind her "ack, 4ate said cheerfully, 7ow you are in the "est of com any, my dear! Helford's tactlessness will "e in a fair way to "eing forgot with that for them to gossi over. %re)are you really)B &o hie was too shy to go on. I am indeed! said 4ate with a grin. (ut I haven't told 7ed yet. I'll do that tonight. 6enny has "een warning me what a fuss 6eter fell into when she was increasing. 7o dou"t 7ed will do the same! &he and 6enelo e ke t &o hie "eside them as they Aui##ed her on methods of dealing with naughty toddlers and even naughtier school"oys until the gentlemen $oined them. Helford's eyes sought &o hie as soon as he crossed the threshold. %h! =here she was! He was relieved to see her with 4ate and 6enelo e, a arently Auite at her ease with them. He longed to go to her immediately, "ut he could see that the @icar's wife was in urgent need of assistance. ;ady &tanford and ;ucinda were discoursing to the long<suffering 5rs. Henshaw on the "est way to deal with a country arish and kee its mem"ers on the ath of virtue. 5rs. Henshaw had never "efore realised $ust what an atrocious iece of work

she and ;ucius were making of their $o". &he smiled with delight at his lordshi as he $oined their grou , making it Auite lain, as he "owed over her hand, that she was the o"$ect of his interest. =ell me, ma'am, >and his voice radiated an unlikely innocence> Dthat sermon your hus"and reached last &unday on the ower of faith>do you ever have the feeling that your rayers have uneAuivocally "een answeredB :merald eyes Aui##ed her wickedly and she su ressed an undignified chuckle with difficulty. &ometimes, my lord. %nd I always find that my deliverance comes in the most unex ected guise. ;ady &tanford rushed into s eech. I was $ust ex laining to 5rs. Henshaw the im ortance of making sure the mem"ers of the choir are "eyond re roach. One cannot "e too careful and one must not condone sin. 7o, indeed, agreed 5rs. Henshaw. &he took the o ortunity to change the su"$ect. %nd s eaking of music, I am sure ;ady ;ucinda is a most talented erformer. 6erha s if it would not "e too much) It was uncommonly like toad< eating, she thought ruefully, "ut)if it would shut ;ady &tanford u ) ;ady 5aria, who had "een having a Auiet word to 6enelo e, heard this and said, :xcellent notion. 8o on, girl. % little music will "e $ust the thing. ;ucinda was not at all averse to dis laying her talent. &he had studied under the finest masters and knew her erformance on the ianoforte to "e su erior. %nd it would remind Helford of her eligi"ility. 7o dou"t 5iss 5arsden was "ut an indifferent musician. %fter all, the instrument in her arlour was a mere har sichord, old fashioned and dowdy in the extreme. !ith a fine show of demure reluctance she went to the (roadwood instrument and sat down. Having laced some of her own music there much earlier in the day, she found a iece Auickly and "egan to lay. Her erformance, thought David, was indeed su erior. =ouch and execution were faultless, "ut increasingly he felt that there was something lacking, some vital s ark that would "ring the music and the instrument to life. %t the end he $oined the cla ing and nodded in olite agreement when ;ady &tanford murmured to him that she considered ;ucinda's taste to "e irre roacha"le. ;ady ;ucinda stood u and smiled graciously, acce ting the a lause as her due. &he would have "een Auite ha y to favour the assem"led arty further "ut ;ady 5aria had other ideas. @ery well indeed. I think we'll have some more. %nd then, $ust as ;ucinda was a"out to sit down again, ;ady Darleston, you lay Auite rettily. &o hie noticed with delight that 6enelo e did not "other to demur or rotest archly that she was sure no one wanted to hear her oor fum"lings. Instead she smiled at ;ady 5aria and went straight to the iano. Her fingers drifted over the instrument for a moment in ri ling ar eggios as she ex lored its tone and feel.

=hen she sto ed, turned to her audience and said sim ly, (eethoven. 3he #ppassionato. !ithout any further ado and without music she lunged unhesitatingly into the first movement of the sonata. &o hie had never heard music layed like this. =he instrument sang and we t under those slender fingers which held such an unex ected ower to move the assions and senses. &he found that she was actually trem"ling as 6enelo e unleashed the full strength of the music's fire and vigour. %s for David, he had realised the moment 6enelo e "egan to lay what had "een missing from ;ucinda's erformance. 6assion of any sort. Fertainly there had "een no assion for music. =o ;ucinda the music was merely a means to dis lay her cleverness and skill. =o 6enelo e it was a means of entering another world where assion and emotion were aramount and she trans orted her audience with her. %t the end there was a moment's stunned silence, during which David sneaked a look at his old friend 6eter Darleston. =hat gentleman was regarding his wife, still seated at the iano and seemingly o"livious to the wild cla ing, with a "urning intensity. He was seated on the edge of his chair and David somehow dou"ted that 6enelo e Darleston would get very much slee that night. 5y ;ord the :arl of Darleston was ositively a"la#e. David swallowed hard. He knew exactly how 6eter felt. &o hie was seated a few yards from him, her creamy com lexion warm and flushed with her emotion, a sheen of tears in her ex ressive eyes as she stared at 6enelo e Darleston who had shown them all what music was for. ;ady 5aria was looking at 6enelo e with an odd tilt of her head, David noticed suddenly. 6enelo e returned that look as she said, I think a song is called for now. &he ga#ed straight at &o hie and said, Fome, 5iss 5arsden. 4ate, you must know, has a croak like a raven's. Cou sing for us. Eor one dreadful moment &o hie thought she would die as all eyes in the room rested on her, "ut 6enelo e's ga#e held her. =hose smoky grey eyes were full of encouragement and laughter as &o hie rose to her feet and went to stand "y the instrument without the faintest notion of what she was to sing. !ordlessly 6enelo e told her. &oftly, without "othering to glance down at the key"oard, she sli ed into the old tune &o hie had "een singing the day they met. =he haunting melody drifted through the room as she im rovised an introduction. &o hie stiffened. &he couldn't sing that! 7ot with Helford in the room. It was im ossi"le. =hen her eyes met =om Ham ton's, full of confidence and with that kindly smile on his face. Im erce ti"ly he nodded at her. In a flash she realised that in this way she could say what was in her heart without shame. &he had not chosen the song. If Helford understood, then he could make what use of the knowledge he chose. If he did not understand, then no harm was done. On the final Auestioning chord &o hie drew a dee "ream and "egan to sing. 6enelo e at the key"oard thought she had never "efore heard any voice echo with

such oignant sorrow. =here was a sim licity a"out the song and the erformance which tore mercilessly at the heartstrings. David listened transfixed, his heart ounding. &he would give her love an a le without a core, a house without a door and a alace which he might o en without any key. =he riddle she had set hung "etween them in the Auivering air as a sim le interlude led into the second verse. Her head was the a le without any core, her mind the house without any door and her heart)oh, 8od! Her voice soared in the final leading hrases)her heart was the alace where he might dwell and for which he did not reAuire a key "ecause it was his. His mouth suddenly dry, he realised what she was offering. Herself, "ody, mind and soul. %nd something in the langent voice told him that she had not the slightest ex ectation that her gift would "e acce ted. =rue to her nature, she had taken the risk of telling him what she felt in the certainty that her sentiments were not returned. ;eaving herself wide o en to the full hurt of his re$ection. &he'd done the very thing he had most feared to do. %s the song closed he stared at her in dis"elief. &uch a slender, vulnera"le figure in her am"er silk, the wide dark eyes unfocused as she waited for 6enelo e to strike the final chord. In that moment he knew only one thing. &o hie 5arsden was his! He couldn't ossi"ly offer for ;ucinda! If it caused a scandal, that was $ust too "ad! He might have "een a"le to sacrifice himself on the altar of duty, "ut he was damned if he'd immolate &o hie! &o hie was conscious of a "urning regard as she curtsied to the a lause. &hyly she looked u at Helford and turned a fiery crimson as she met his searing ga#e. He seemed to devour her with his eyes, daring anyone to gainsay him. He alone was not cla ing, "ut what she saw in his face made her swallow hard. &he had o enly declared her love for him and he was telling her that he had understood. !hat he would choose to do with the knowledge she did not know. &he had offered herself unconditionally whatever the cost. =he @icar, sitting next to ;ady 5aria, thought he must have misheard the old lady. &urely she couldn't really have said, %"out "loody time! 7o, it must "e his hearing. 9nless, of course, her ladyshi was "ecoming a trifle eculiar. =he tea tray was "rought in half an hour later. =he talk in the meantime had all "een of music. 4ate was ositively "u""ling over &o hie's singing. It was wonderful! !here did you learn that songB &he was delighted at &o hie's ex lanation. How lovely. I must ask my maids at home if they know any like that. &he twinkled at 6enelo e. I may have a voice like a raven. Indeed, I do not deny it. (ut I still know a good song when I hear one. ;ady ;ucinda turned to her mama and said audi"ly, % maidservant's song! I su ose the tune is well enough in its way, "ut the words! I dare say its origins account for the very vulgar sentiments ex ressed.

Kuite so, my dear! agreed ;ady &tanford fervently. %nd I "elieve it to "e a sad mistake to shower too much raise for what may "e achieved "y any erson of moderate taste and talent. %nd I am not Auite sure that I a rove of (eemoven. %fter all, he was a su orter of that monster, (ona arte. @ulgarB asked a la#y, husky voice $ust "ehind them. Do you reckon love as a vulgar emotion, ;ady ;ucindaB ;ady ;ucinda turned to meet the faintly sardonic "rown eyes of ;ord Darleston. &he drew herself u roudly. I think ersons of our rank should "e a"ove "eing moved "y the sway of strong emotions, yes. =here is something most unseemly in such things, "e it tem er, excessive grief or) love. Darleston nodded. I see. !ell, well, well. I never knew I was such a vulgar fellow. 6oor 6enny, she won't want to know me now. 9nless>D in tones of discovery '>unless, of course, she feels vulgar too. 6erha s, since she chose (eethoven, there is yet some ho e for her oor, vulgar hus"and. !ith a friendly smile he strolled away from the two s eechless and furious ladies. ;ord 5ark Heynolds, u on hearing this masterly set<down, nearly choked on the cu of tea $ust handed to him "y ;ady 5aria. 8ood 8od, Darleston, what on earth are you a"outB he s luttered. %re you aware that Helford is a"out to offer for that chitB =he "lack "rows rose slightly. Do you care to have a little wager on that, 5arkB % wagerB ;ord 5ark was astounded that Darleston should suggest such a thing. Cou ought to know I don't "et on certainties like that! (e $o""ing you, dear "oy. I'll lay you a monkey Helford doesn't marry ;ucinda %nstey, said Darleston calmly. ;ord 5ark goggled at him. Cou see, 5ark, he continued, Helford is not Auite that much of a fool. He smiled at ;ord 5ark's stunned countenance and went over to sit down "eside ;ady 5aria. &he handed him a cu of tea which he acce ted with thanks. I trust you are satisfied with the evening's results. His countenance was gently mocking. &hooting an irritated glance at him, ;ady 5aria asked "luntly, How much did 6enelo e tell youB Darleston grinned. 7ot much "eyond the fact that you had set her on to sto the match. &he certainly didn't give any clue as to what she intended, a art from asking if David liked music. 6ut it down to my knowledge of David and my owers of o"servation. &he chuckled whee#ily. Cou always were as shar as you could stare. ;ord! How could David "e such a #any as to contem late) &he aused. !ell, I su ose that was my fault. I handled him "adly. &hould never have mentioned the word duty. (ut I think we've done the trick, with a certain amount of hel from the lady herself, I might add. It now remains to "e seen whether he has enough "rains to offer for the right girl.

Darleston's roar of laughter attracted the attention of his wife who was s eaking Auietly to &o hie. Heavens! ;ady 5aria must have said something utterly outrageous. &he turned "ack to &o hie and said, He asked me to tell you he would have you escorted home in one of his carriages. %t this oint they were interru ted "y &ir 6hili , who came u and said, I have ordered my carriage, 5iss &o hie. !e will "e leaving very shortly. &o hie looked at him innocently. Oh, did you "ring the @icar and 5rs. HenshawB I hadn't realised. 8oodnight, &ir 6hili . % look of annoyance crossed his face. I will escort you home, 5iss &o hie. I wish to)to discuss certain matters with you. 6enelo e watched with fascination as a hint of steel entered into &o hie 5arsden's face. It was echoed in her voice as she re lied, I find your manner of discussing the matter re ugnant, &ir 6hili , and have no wish to endure it again. 5y o inion on this to ic remains the same as ever. I have no need of your advice, no need for your carriage and no need or desire for your discussions. 8oodnight, sir. %nd, as he looked as though he would have argued further, &ir, I have s oken elli tically out of res ect for your feelings, des ite the fact that you have shown none for mine! 9nless you wish me to s eak more lainly, leave this su"$ect! Hed with "ottled fury, he turned on his heel and stalked away to "id farewell to his host and hostess. 8oodness! said 6enelo e, visi"ly im ressed. Do you always refuse offers so categoricallyB % little conscious, &o hie said, Oh, dear. I su ose it was rather o"vious. 5oderately, agreed 6enelo e. 7ever mind. He did ask for it. &he had every ex ectation that 5iss 5arsden would not res ond to ;ord Helford's inevita"le offer in the same way.

'ha()er T*elve

=he house arty had made its way u to "ed without realising that their host had disa eared. He had handed them their candles on the landing and "idden them all goodnight with every a earance of having all night at his dis osal. ;ady ;ucinda had lingered slightly, thinking that he might like to take the o ortunity to make her an offer since ;ady 5aria had interru ted them so tactlessly "efore dinner. &he thought that even if he wished to kiss her again, she was re ared now, and could endure it without too much difficulty. Her affront when Helford smiled at her charmingly and thanked her for her retty laying as he handed her the candle was considera"le. He did not move as she went off down the corridor to her cham"er, "ut as soon as he heard the door close "ehind her he was off the o osite way along the corridor at a run. Down some narrow "ack stairs, usually freAuented "y servants, three at time. Down another corridor to a side entrance and out into the night. &o hie was waiting in the 8reat Hall for Helford. %ll the others had gone and he had disa eared muttering something a"out "idding his house arty a goodnight. &he waited with increasing nervousness, wondering if 6enelo e had made a dreadful mistake, until a familiar face a eared at the door. :veninD, 5iss &o hie. 8ot yer carriage outside. ?as er smiled at her in a friendly fashion. Oh. &o hie looked around wildly. =here was only a slee y<looking footman who a eared to "e waiting for her de arture to lock u . &hould I)should I not "id his lordshi farewellB &he was conscious of a feeling of sickening disa ointment. Helford had not returned. If he had wished to s eak to her, he must have changed his mind. He was ro"a"ly avoiding her. &he could not tell his servants that she wished to see him. It would look as though she were throwing herself at his head. ?as er was shaking his head. His lordshi asked me to tell ye to go straight home, miss. &he "lushed in mortification Damn Helford! If he couldn't kee to what he himself had arranged, then he could go to the devil! =hrowing her cloak around her, she said, @ery well, then. =hank you, ?as er. I am ready. 6roudly she went down the "road flight of ste s to the waiting carriage. ?as er handed her in. %fter the "rightly lit hall and the flood of light ouring from the o en door, her eyes took a moment to ad$ust to the darkness inside the carriage. &he heard ?as er s ring to the "ox and call, ;et Dem go!

=he air of horses moved off and she suddenly realised that there was someone else in the carriage, sitting in the darkest corner. Eor a moment she thought she must "e mistaken, "ut the figure moved and she found herself caught in a hold as tender as it was un"reaka"le. % seductive mouth was on hers, warm and caressing. % gentle hand, was under her chin, stroking her throat, her cheek, adding its mite to the ersuasive li s which held her in thrall. GGG %t a"out this moment ;ady ;ucinda, having rung for her maid, was removing her earls at the dressing ta"le when a movement in the glass caught her eye. &he s un around, "ut could see no one. ?ust the flickering candles in the sconces, she thought. &hrugging her shoulders, she removed her "racelets and "egan to un in her hair. &he could not remem"er ever having "een so disgusted "y an evening's entertainment in her life. How dare that insuffera"le man Darleston give them such an insolent set< down! %nd Helford! 5aking it lain for anyone to see that that little trollo was his current inamorata! !hile as for the girl herself! It was o"vious enough what Helford saw in her! %gain that movement caught her attention. &he turned again, "ut could see nothing. %s soon as her maid came she would have her light a lam , this candlelight was Auite inadeAuate. =he girl should have come u earlier and lit the lam s. %nd where was her maidB How long must she wait for the la#y wenchB %nd then she saw it. &itting u on the middle of her "ed with a iece of a le "etween its aws was a rat. %nd not $ust any rat. % "ig rat. In fact, a very "ig rat. It did not seem to "e articularly concerned a"out ;ady ;ucinda's resence. (ut then, given its si#e, it really had no need for concern. It $ust sat there, ni""ling on its a le, "right eyes gleaming in the candlelight, looking totally incongruous on the silken counter ane. =hat was "efore ;ady ;ucinda screamed. %t the very first scream the rat whisked around and disa eared into the shadows of the "ed hangings. ;ady ;ucinda ke t on screaming, "ecoming more hysterical "y the second. !ithin half a minute ;ady &tanford came racing in, "randishing the oker from her "edcham"er, clearly convinced her daughter was "eing ra ed. &he found her standing on an elegant "ergere chair as far away from the "ed as she could get, clutching a smaller gilt chair in an attitude of defence. % second later her maid "urst into the room from the corridor, closely followed "y the entire house arty, ;ady 5aria, the "utler and two footmen who a eared to have left "ehind their usual ex ressions of "ovine stolidity. % "a""le of noise "roke out as everyone tried to ascertain from the shaking lady exactly what had induced her to seek the du"ious sanctuary of a Erench chair. :ventually =om Ham ton's calm voice got through to her, after he had silenced everyone else "y the sim le ex edient of telling them lainly to shut u . Fome now, ;ucinda, tell us what has alarmed you. &he raised one shaking hand and ointed at the "ed. #a rat& $non my bed!

% rat! exclaimed ;ady 5aria in dis"elief. !e do not have rats at Helford 6lace! 9gh! 4ate %sterfield was for once entirety in sym athy with ;ady ;ucinda. How utterly revolting! % rat, ehB said %sterfield, not at all convinced "y ;ady 5aria's "elief in the ratless state of the house. =he "utler, (ain"ridge, however, drew himself u and said in tones of dee disa roval, Her ladyshi must have seen a large mouse. I do not deny that there may have "een a mouse in the room, "ut it cannot have "een a>D =his categorical denial was rudely interru ted "y a startled exclamation from one of the footmen. 8or)"loody Dell! It's enormous! 7ever in all his life had (ain"ridge "een so shamed "y one of his underlings. =urning to annihilate the offender, he found ?ames staring and ointing at the cano ied to of the "ed hangings. =he forceful re"uke died on (ain"ridge's li s as he "eheld the largest rat he had ever seen erched on the a ex of the cano y. 8awd! gas ed the other footman. !hat a who er! =hat ain't no mouse, "egginD your ardon, I'm sure, 5r. (ain"ridge, an' yours, milady. =hat's a rat, that is! &creams of horror eru ted from all the women, who scram"led as far away from the "ed as ossi"le. :xce t, of course, for the redou"ta"le ;ady 5aria, who stalked over to the "ed and eered u at the rat with an outraged ex ression on her countenance. &atisfied that it was not, after all, a mouse, she ronounced, =here seems little dou"t. It is a rat. Hemove it at once&* &he swung around to glare at the ha less footmen and (ain"ridge. Hemove itB ?ames seemed to have totally forgotten his lace. Hemove itB ?ust like thatB 7ot "loody likely) milady. =his last did not in the least suggest that his res ect for ;ady 5aria would lead him to tackle a rat of these ro ortions. His colleague and "oon com anion &amuel nodded vehemently in su ort of this revolutionary attitude. :ven (ain"ridge looked fla""ergasted at the suggestion. I say! said ;ord 5ark, I've got a ca ital idea! Helford's head groom High"ury has a cham ion terrier. He was tellinD me the other day. It kills rats on sight. !hat say I ni down to the sta"les and fetch him u with the dogB (e ca ital s ort! He ru""ed his hands together in glee. %nd, as all the ladies stared at him in outrage, he added lamely, 8et rid of the rat, you know. Fa ital terrier it is)$ust the)er)$o". =rying not to laugh at a scene which was ra idly deteriorating into a farce, Ham ton looked at his hostess for guidance. %h);ady 5aria)what do you sayB It seemed like a good idea to him, although he would not have cared to wager any sum on the motives "ehind ;ord 5ark's enthusiasm. He could not, however, ado t the idea over ;ady 5aria's head. %nd where the devil was HelfordB he wondered. Damn it all! It was his $o" to deal with things like this. His cham"er wasn't so far

away that he wouldn't have heard all the racket ;ucinda had kicked u , let alone the rest of them. ;ady 5aria snorted and said shortly, If that seems "est to you, Ham ton. I have no ex erience of rats, I am ha y to say! ;ucinda! %nother room will "e made ready for you while the gentlemen amuse themselves! &he shot an ironic glance at ;ord 5ark, who "lushed dee ly. Cou will not wish to slee in this cham"er again. Fome, 5rs. %sterfield. %ccom anied "y 4ate, she stalked out, her rigid "ack roclaiming her com lete disa roval. I'll fetch the terrier, shall IB suggested ;ord 5ark with unconvincing diffidence. %t Ham ton's nod he went out Auietly, "ut a moment later he could "e heard fairly running down the corridor. % faint cry of DCoicks! =ally ho! 8one awaaaaay! drifted "ack to them. Only the knowledge that ;ady &tanford, a o lectic with fury, was o"serving him ena"led =om Ham ton to kee a straight face. Oh, I say! said %sterfield in tones of de recation. =hat's a little off! 5ean to say, he don't need to "e that leased! ;ord 5ark returned fifteen minutes later with High"ury and an excited terrier whose tattered ears "ore mute testament to his many "attles with the foe. ;ucinda and her mama were, with the assistance of their maids, removing all her "elongings to ;ady &tanford's room for the night where the sofa "ed was to "e made u . :veninD, milady, said High"ury, not at all averse to "eing called u on to erform duties outside his rovince. 7ow, where's this 'ere rat Dis lordshi 's tellin' me a"outB ?ames ointed silently to the "ed hangings and there was the rat, scuttling "ack and forth. =he terrier did not need to ask, his nose alerted him to the resence of his greatest enemy and he ranced forward, "arking loudly. High"ury swore softly. Highto. Flear the room. !e'll soon Dave 'im down and then 7elson can do Dis stuff. %sterfield s oke u . Ho e we didn't drag you out of "ed, High"ury. ?olly s orting of you to "ring the dog along. Oh, I weren't in "ed, 5r. %sterfield, sir, High"ury assured him cheerfully. I never goes to "ed without all the Dorses is in safe. %n' ?as er anD (o" ain't "rought 'is lordshi in yet. 6atently unaware of having uttered anything at all out of the way, he turned his attention "ack to the rat. Oh, my 8od, thought Ham ton. It only needed that! ;ady &tanford and ;ucinda had fro#en on their way out. ;ady &tanford turned "ack and enAuired icily, %nd where, may I ask, is his lordshi B Her tones suggested that no excuse for his a"sence would "e sufficient to redeem him in her view. HmmB High"ury's thoughts sna ed "ack to his "etters. !here's Dis lordshi B 8one in the carriage to see 5iss 5arsden 'ome safe. 7ow)Fa tain Ham ton, sir, if

you'd $ust fetch me that chair, I can stand on the "ed anD give 'im a "it of a oke, like) % stunned silence greeted this revelation. ;ady &tanford's $aw hung o en in dis"elief. 7ot all her s ouse's infidelities over the years had re ared her for anything this outrageous. &hameless! 9tterly shameless! % stifled snort of laughter from 7ed %sterfield settled the issue. Her head held high, ;ady ;ucinda said, Fome, 5ama. It is clearly not at all the sort of esta"lishment with which we wish to "e connected. In any way whatsoever! &he stalked from the cham"er in what could only "e descri"ed as su ressed fury. ;ady &tanford followed in full agreement. Had ;ucinda shown the least dis osition to acce t his lordshi 's suit after this com rehensive insult, she would have disowned her! =wenty minutes later Ham ton strode "ack to his "edcham"er, having ersuaded %sterfield and ;ord 5ark that to finish u an evening's s ort "y returning to the li"rary to try and drink each other under the ta"le would "e in the worst of "ad taste. =hey only agreed when it was ointed out that they didn't even have the rat's mangled cor se to gloat over as it had hurtled around the room to evade the terrier and had found an o en window. =he rat had disa eared along the ornate stonework which afforded am le holds for a rat, if not for a terrier, who had had to "e forci"ly restrained from attem ting to follow his craven enemy. %s he settled into "ed, he resolved that in the morning he was going to give David 5elville the finest trimming of his unregenerate life for utting &o hie 5arsden in such an a alling osition. He ground his teeth in rage. If Helford hadn't already offered for her he, Fa tain =homas Ham ton, was ersonally going to stand over him while he did it! On reflection, though, he had to admit David had certainly solved his ro"lem a"out having to offer for ;ucinda. &omeone with David's "est interests at heart was lainly looking out for him, he thought with a chuckle. !here on earth had the rat come fromB On the heels of this Auestion came anotherI $ust what had Eanny had in that "ox she'd "rought home from !illow"ank House the other dayB +elford! &o hie gas ed, stunned, una"le to think. His kisses were ossessive, demanding. Her mouth was released "riefly as he whis ered against her hair. Fall me David, lease, &o hie)oh, 8od! &o hie! 5y little sweetheart) &he could feel his ragged "reath on her ear, creating the most di##ying sensations, and then he took her mouth again. &he felt his tongue flicker against her li s, seeking entrance. &he o ened her mouth with a moan of leasure, feeling his tongue lunge in and take com lete ossession, "oldly lundering and ex loring as his hands gri ed her waist, ulling her closer to his hard muscular "ody. &he yielded totally, ressing

herself against him, returning his kisses, her arms clinging to him des erately as he removed her cloak. David felt as though he were on fire. He could think of nothing "ut the innocent res onse of the girl in his arms, the sweetness of her trem"ling "ody and mouth. Desire raged in him fuelled "y her assionate em"race. One hand slid u her "are arm to her sleeve and slid it off her shoulder, easing her "odice and chemise down until the "reast was ex osed. He touched it lightly, wondering at the texture of velvety flesh. He felt, rather than heard, her instinctive murmur of rotest. He smothered it with his li s and tongue, ravishing the vulnera"le, moist mouth in a way which "rooked no argument. Her senses entirely overwhelmed "y his sensual onslaught, &o hie offered no further resistance, "ut gave herself u to the utterly wonderful way he was making love to her. His teasing fingers were fondling and stroking her "reast in a manner which made her gas in leasure. Fircling and tantalising at first, he at last "rushed his thum" very lightly over the ni le. He groaned dee in his throat as he felt it hard and erect. He could feel the tremors running through her "ody and lifted his mouth from hers. =hen with another groan he lowered it to her "reast and ran his tongue over it lightly "efore sucking and "iting with gentle savagery at the rosy eak. &o hie was conscious of a feeling of intense heat "urning through her whole "odyJ it seemed to "e concentrated in her "reasts and in an increasing tension in her "elly and even lower. David was now "eside her, encouraging her to lie "ack along the seat. &he knew she ought to resist, "ut lacked the will ower to do so. It felt so wonderful, so right to "e lying in this intimate em"race with him ractically on to of her and his mouth literally devouring her "reast. &he felt one hand slide down the silk of her skirt, caressing the line of her thigh through the fa"ric, then he was lifting her skirt, ulling it u to ex ose her "are leg to his hand. It glided u ast her knee and on to her thigh. &hock "la#ed through her, artially recalling her to sanity. =he last remaining corner of her "rain screamed fee"ly that she had to sto him. Hight now! %t once! (efore things went too far. (ut that mesmerising hand cre t further to tease and caress her soft thighs, which fell a art in o"edience to his seductive ro"ing. His mind reeling, David's mouth lifted from her "reast. 7ever in his life had he felt so totally out of control, so totally ossessed "y his own desire. =he carriage lam outside cast a faint glow and he could see her face very dimly. =enderly his free hand stroked a wayward curl "ack from her "row, then drifted over her cheek to linger "y the corner of her mouth. Oh, 8od! Her mouth, so soft, so yielding, like her "ody! !ith a shuddering groan he took her mouth again, his tongue echoing the rhythm and action of his searching fingers. Da#ed, melting in surrender, yet that small, sane art of &o hie's mind still shrieked its warning. =his must sto ! Her fainting reason anicked. &oon it would "e too late!

If, indeed, it were not so already. Des erately she tried to summon the will ower to tear herself free. (ut she wanted him, longed to give herself. &he so""ed in assion, words of love germinating in her heart, where they had lain dormant, ready to flower on her li s in res onse to his loving. Heleasing her mouth momentarily, David whis ered in a dee voice, cracking with emotion, &o hie, dearest &o hie. I want you so much! His li s drifted over her tem les, her cheek, to the wildly "eating ulse at the "ase of her throat. &he fro#e. He wanted her)was that allB &uddenly &o hie's mind cleared and she realised where this was going to end. =hat she had to sto him. (efore)"efore he could not "e sto ed)"efore she "egged him to take her. His mouth was on hers again, seducing her to his will, his fingers teasing and ro"ing until he found the tangle of soft curls at the "ase of her "elly. =enderly he cu ed the mound and one long, ex ert finger slid down to caress the Auivering dam ness "etween her thighs. &hock lanced through her at the sensation. %ching, em ty, her "ody thro""ed to the gentle rhythm, to the overwhelming tem tation to yield. (ut a vision of 4it flashed "efore her da#ed mind. !hat was the use of remaining single to rotect his inheritance if she ruined herself in this wayB Des erately she ushed against the solid wall of his chest, crying out in rotest as she wrenched her li s away. 5y lord, no! 6lease! &he felt him ull away from her, heard his groan of frustration as he released her. Erantically she ulled and ushed her skirts down over her trem"ling thighs, dragged the "odice of her gown "ack over her aching "reasts. Her hands shook uncontrolla"ly as she realised what she had so nearly ermitted. !hat it could have meant to 4it. Her whole "ody sang with the "urning, raging need his caresses had unleashed. &he rayed that he would not ress his advantage, try to overcome her resistance. &he knew if he did that her defences would crum"le swiftly, that she would not "e a"le to sto him, would not even want to sto him. =o her horror she felt him reach for her, his hands gentle "ut com elling, drawing her into the warmth and strength of his em"race. =errified of her own melting res onse, she clung to reason as to a life line and flung herself to the other side of the carriage. 7o! It was a cry of des air. %nd finally the "lind terror in her voice got through to David. It shook him to the core. $h, my %od& (hat the hell have I done" She)s terrified ! &hame surged through him that he could have lost control so totally as to actually scare her. She trusted you! (reathing hard, he forced himself to sit "ack against the sAua"s, forced his lim"s to relax. =ried, with even less success, to force his mind to think a"out something other than the girl sitting shaking in the darkness not three feet from him. %nd conscious all the while of the frantic urge to wra her in his arms again. =o comfort her, to reassure her. He dared not.

=he ain of his arousal was a alling, "ut it was as nothing to the ain of guilt in his heart. &he had told him)7o! (egged him to sto . %nd he hadn't wanted to. He knew even now that if he ressed her she would not have any real defence against his lovemaking, that she would surrender to his demands, give herself without reservation. He couldn't do it. &he deserved "etter than that. =hey sat in shaken silence, letting the rum"le of the carriage wheels soothe their ragged "reathing, each as insanely aware of the other as if they were still in each other's arms. &o hie was "eyond s eech and even if she hadn't "een she had no idea of what she could ossi"ly say. &o she sat, grateful for the friendly veil of darkness that masked the tears sli ing down her "urning cheeks. &o close had she "een to declaring her love for him, that she could still feel the words "ursting to esca e, clamouring in her heart for release. David, his mind still reeling from the sheer intensity of his hysical and emotional res onse, drew a dee "reath, and said as evenly as he could, &o hie)you must not misunderstand me. I did not mean to insult you)I never intended) His a ology trailed off. !hat hadn't he intendedB =o make love to herB 7early seduce herB =o his horror he heard her res onse. ;ight and "itter. Cou need not fear, my lord. I have not misinter reted your actions. =he "riefest of auses. I am well aware of your intentions) He thought her voice shook slightly, "ut an instant later it was as cool as ever. I confess I had no idea you meant to go "eyond flirtation. Eorgive me if I decline to $oin your game. %t this extremely ino ortune moment the carriage "egan to slow down. David cursed fluently. %nd then realised he was wasting time. &o hie, listen, he said urgently. Cou must know I love you. I)I know I shouldn't have even touched you tonight. 8od knows I find it hard enough to kee my hands off you at the "est of times, "ut you can't think I merely want a Auick tum"le with you! %t this ino ortune moment, the carriage drew to a halt. %nd "efore the horses' hooves had fully stilled, &o hie had the door o en and had lea t out into the road. &he did not dare wait to find out $ust how long a tum"le his lordshi envisaged. =he likelihood of her acAuiescing in his ideas was too great to "e risked. 8)good night, she whis ered, staring u at him with wide, dark eyes. &o hie! !ait! His voice was frantic. 5y house arty is going tomorrow. I will come the next day to see you, to)to arrange everything) &he "it her li and turned away "efore she could res ond to the urgency of his tone. &he fled to the o en gate and u the ath without a "ackward look. Eum"ling with the latch, she o ened the door and sli ed inside. =he house was Auiet and she could hear the rum"le of hooves as the carriage was turned. Holding her "reath she listened)there it was, the sound of the carriage leaving. !ith unsteady hands she shot the "olts home and went u to her cham"er Auickly.

&till shaking, she sank on to the "ed, her thoughts in turmoil. #rrange what" He had not said what he was offering. &he did not dare ho e that he offered marriage. He was as good as "etrothed to ;ady ;ucinda. %t the most he wanted her to "e his mistress. %t the worst he wanted a "rief affair. &he dismissed that. +e said he wanted you. Surely if all he wanted was to have you, he had every opportunity. +e must have nown how little effort it would have ta en to persuade you. &he flushed in shame, knowing that, had he chosen to ress her, one touch, one word of love, would have done it, would have had her in his arms, "egging him to take her. (itterly she realised that he had only s oken of love when it was lain that she would resist him. &he shuddered. He knew she loved him after that song. !ould he realise how easy it would "e to "reach her defences even nowB !hat would her answer "e when he returnedB &he knew what it should "e, "ut she could not "ear him to think her a tease. Or, worse, that she was trying to lure him into marriage "y refusing him. %nd she did not want to refuse him. Had it $ust "een herself she would have surrendered and taken the risk. =aken what he offered. &he could not afford to think of $ust herself. &he had to rotect 4it. %nd now that meant shielding him from her own disgraceful im ulses. Eiercely she forced herself to envisage how his life would "e ruined if she acce ted a carte blanche from Helford and gave &trathallen a wea on with which to challenge her guardianshi in court. &lowly she undressed and readied herself for "ed, laying aside the crum led silk gown. %s she washed herself at the $ug she found that her thighs were sticky, that cleansing "etween them was enough to set her trem"ling at the sensations which coursed through her. &he ulled on her nightgown and sli ed into "ed as she faced the undenia"le fact that if Helford came to take her and claimed to love her the tem tation to surrender would "e overwhelming. Euriously she gritted her teeth and fought for control over her unruly heart and "ody. &he was not going to add her name and heart to the list of Helford's innumera"le conAuests. David watched her go and colla sed on the seat with a groan of frustration. He sat with his head in his hands, trying to regain some measure of control over his "ody. 7ever in his life had he felt so utterly insane with desire. =he ain in his loins was "eyond "earing. He tried hard not to think of &o hie's warm, yielding "ody, and wondered if she would ever forgive him for what he had done. =he only saving grace, he told himself grimly, was that he wanted to marry her. It was at this oint that he realised he'd "een so damn flustered that he had not made his intentions a"solutely lain even at the last when he'd told her he loved her. He had not actually asked her to marry him. &wearing, he sat "ack against the seat as he realised that she had every reason to think he wanted an affair!

'ha()er Th,r)een

=he following morning David was somewhat startled to hear from his valet that a rat of large and ferocious as ect had "een discovered in ;ady ;ucinda's "edcham"er. % ratB he asked in ama#ement as he flung "ack the "edclothes. !e don't have rats here! 7ot in the house. I su ose there are "ound to "e a few around the sta"les. It must have "een a "ig mouse. He drew on a res lendent grey silk dressing gown. 5eredith shook his head mournfully. 7o, my lord. It was a rat. 5r. (ain"ridge will "ear out ?ames and &amuel. =hey all say it was the "iggest rat they'd ever seen. :ven ;ady 5aria agreed it was a rat. He handed Helford his shaving water. David nearly dro ed the $ug. ;ady 5aria saw itB !hy on earth did she see itB :very one in earshot saw it, my lord, as far as I can make out, he ex lained. @ery u set the young lady was, which I'm sure she's not to "e "lamed. &he wouldn't stay in the room, I'm told, "ut had a "ed made u on the day "ed in ;ady &tanford's cham"er. !hat ha ened to the ratB asked David in failing tones. If everyone had a eared in ;ucinda's "edcham"er to discover what the distur"ance was, then his own a"sence must have "een glaringly a arent. !ith a singularly a"ysmal effort to maintain a straight face 5eredith said, I am) er)given to understand that ;ord 5ark, who is, as your lordshi knows, much addicted to s orts, he)er)suggested that High"ury and his terrier might "e fetched u from the sta"les. :(hat"; David stared at 5eredith in atent dis"elief in the shaving mirror as he lathered his face. Ces, my lord, affirmed 5eredith. 5r. (ain"ridge and ?ames and &amuel refused to "udge when ;ady 5aria told them to remove the rat. @ery outs oken on the su"$ect ?ames was, I am informed. =he corner of his normally well<trained mouth twitched convulsively. It must have "een a "loody "ig rat to make them diso"ey my aunt! said David with a shout of laughter. Fome on, 5eredith, what ha enedB Did High"ury "ring 7elson u B ;ord, what a kicku ! %s to that, I was not an eyewitness, my lord, said 5eredith, in tones of infinite regret. (ut Fa tain Ham ton is in the li"rary, I "elieve. He asked me to tell you that he would a reciate a word with you "efore "reakfast. David snorted. Did he, nowB %nd tell me, was Fa tain Ham ton resent at this "lood"athB He carefully negotiated his chin. I "elieve so, my lord.

8od hel me, then, said his lordshi in restricted tones as he shaved around his mouth. =om, of all those resent, was "ound to have a very fair idea of where his host had "een. He comforted himself with the thought that =om was far too discreet, not to mention too good a friend, to have given him away. Half an hour later his lordshi , immaculate in "reeches, to "oots and a coat of dark green su erfine, strolled into his li"rary to find =om Ham ton sitting at his own bureau plat, "y the o en Erench window, writing a letter. He slewed around when his host walked in and said grimly, 8ood morning, David. I ho e you are u to a few shocks. David cocked his head and said, !ell, I know a"out the rat. &omething, however, tells me the mere fact that a rat invaded ;uanda's "edcham"er would not "e sufficient to make you look like "ull "eef. Out with it. !hat am I su osed to have doneB Ham ton's mouth did not so much as Auiver at this. I will rather ask you, David, what are your intentions towards &o hie 5arsdenB %nd if I give the wrong answerB asked David, the lightness of his voice at odds with the watchful gleam in his green eyes and the alertness of his stance. Ham ton stood u slowly. He was not Auite as tall as Helford, "ut $ust as strongly "uilt. %nd he looked ositively dangerous. I tell you, David, if you mean to take that child and make her your mistress, I'll call you out. Des ite the softness of his voice, no one in ossession of his senses could have dou"ted that he was in deadly earnest. David relaxed. !ell, I certainly mean to take her, he "egan and flung u his hand hurriedly as Ham ton started towards him. Oh, take a dam er, =om! I want her as my wife, not my mistress. =hank 8od for that! said Ham ton, sitting down again. I couldn't "elieve that you were really going to seduce her, "ut when it came out that you had taken her home) David stiffened. !ho the hell let that outB I didn't realise anyone knew! High"ury, said Ham ton. I dare say he was distracted "y the rat! 5ind you, we were all wondering where you were. Cou missed a scene of high drama, let me tell you. %nd you may yet "e thankful for High"ury's lack of discretion! &it down, David! Cou're making me nervous, looming over me like that. I thought you were going to call me out, rotested David, sitting down on the edge of the bureau. Only if you were lanning to seduce 5iss 5arsden, Ham ton re lied. David thought it might "e as well not to tell =om how close he had come to doing $ust that the revious night. Eor 8od's sake, tell me a"out this "lasted rat, =om! I can't "elieve it, we don't have rats! Ham ton com lied, ex laining in laughing detail what had ha ened. He looked a "it more serious at the end. !hen High"ury said you'd taken 5iss 5arsden home, well! Cou should have seen the look on ;ucinda's face! 7ot to mention ;ady

&tanford's. Cou're in trou"le there, my "oy. 5ade it Auite lain that you would not "e acce ted. :r)$ust how dee ly were you entangled with ;ucindaB Dee enough, acknowledged David with a grimace. It's going to cause a lot of talk, "ut I'm damned if I'll marry her $ust to avoid un leasantness. %nd if she's indicated so u"licly that an offer won't "e welcome, it doesn't matter. I a roached &tanford "efore leaving town to ask his ermission to ay my addresses, "ut I hadn't actually asked her to marry me. Cou and 4ate ut aid to that in the last week, didn't youB 5mm, said Ham ton with a twinkle. Don't leave ;ady 5aria out of the reckoning. &he was Auite as determined to revent the match. 5ay one ask why on earth you even considered ;ucindaB I don't say anything against the girl, "ut I wouldn't have thought she was Auite your style. &he's not, said David rom tly. 6ut it down to sheer stu""ornness. I intended a marriage of convenience "ecause I thought myself inca a"le of falling in love after Eelicity. =hought it didn't really matter who I chose as long as she was a girl of "reeding, "eauty and virtue. Cou must own ;ucinda is all that. He shrugged. It never felt Auite right. I knew I wasn't in love, "ut that didn't worry me at first. 7or that ;ucinda doesn't know the meaning of the word. (ut I ke t seeing 6eter and 6enelo e. I su ose it gradually dawned on me that a marriage doesn't have to "e convenient to "e ha y. %nd that $ust "ecause a man makes one mistake he doesn't have to kee on making it. %nd then I met &o hie! I see, said Ham ton. %nd that was it. &he "owled you out! David looked at him. Cou could say that. One day I'll tell you how I met her. (ut now, if you will excuse me, I need to write a note to reassure her that I really do intend marriage. 9nless, of course, you feel that you could make a "etter fist of it. I su ose I should "e thanking you and the others on "ended knee for your kind offices. 7o, no! said Ham ton with a grin as he stood u . I'll leave you to it in the sure and certain knowledge that ;ady 5aria a roves your choice this time. Oh, go to the devil, recommended David, sitting down at the bureau. He watched Fa tain Ham ton de art with a light ste and wondered $ust how Auickly his friend would "e a"le to tell his co<cons iritors of the success that had attended u on their efforts. !ith a shudder he contem lated $ust what might have occurred without their intervention. He would have offered for ;ucinda and "een acce ted. He groaned as he realised $ust how close he'd come to an a alling scandal. He had no dou"t that he would not have married ;ucinda. !ould ro"a"ly have $ilted her for &o hie, which would have made the osition for "oth women intolera"le. =hanks to his aunt and his friends and)yes, and that im ossi"le rat, he'd "een s ared all that! =he chiming of the clock on the mar"le chimney< iece warned him that he was running out of time and that if he wished to write to &o hie "efore "reakfast, he'd "etter sto dithering.

His lordshi found a er, mended his en and wrote hastily for a moment. It would have to "e a "rief letter if he were not to "e ho elessly late for "reakfast. =o his exas eration his seal was missing. Hell and damnation! he muttered. !here is the confounded thingB He thought hard and remem"ered that he had ut it in his ocket the day "efore to take down to the estate room. !hat I need, he said to the standish, is a seal ring. I shall suggest it to %unt 5aria as a wedding resent. He folded the letter over and wrote Miss Sophie Marsden on the outside. =hen he left the room to find his seal. %s soon as the door clicked shut a tall slim figure gowned in ale "lue muslin stalked into the room through the o en window. Eury and chagrin "la#ed from cerulean eyesJ even ;ady ;ucinda's "lack ringlets seemed to radiate anger. How dare he! It was "ad enough to think that he had "een ursuing the 5arsden wench right under her nose with a view to making the slut his mistress. (ut to find that he actually wished to marry the little trollo in reference to herself was insu orta"le! 7ever mind that she would not now acce t him if he got down on his knees and "egged. ;ady ;ucinda %nstey had never "een so insulted and humiliated in her entire life. &he'd make the air of them ay for this if it took her the rest of her life! &he clenched her fist in rage and "rought it down on the vacated bureau, making the Auill en and standish $um slightly. =he unsealed letter to &o hie caught her eye. Her hand went out to it and drew "ack. =here was no oint in destroying it. He would only write another. (ut her hand went "ack to the letter as if drawn irresisti"ly. &he hesitated, never in her life had she read someone else's, letter "ut the tem tation to see what sickly, vulgar ru""ish Helford had enned to the resum tuous whore was too great. Kuickly she unfolded the letter and conned it. My dearest Love, I thought that I had better write and reassure you as to my intentions after my behaviour last night. (e arrived at (illowban +ouse far too soon. .elieve me, Sophie, I mean to have you with all honour. I am rather rushed now but please accept this in earnest of my intentions. #ll my love, 'avid. &he snorted in disgust. How athetic! Had she not actually heard Helford tell Ham ton oint "lank that he intended marriage she would dou"t it from that letter. &he was a"out to refold the letter again when a sudden idea resented itself for her ins ection. Farefully she re<read the letter. It was as she thought, he did not actually mention marriage. 7ot that she dou"ted his intention. (ut would 5adam 5arsden see it like thatB If, as the letter im lied, he had taken li"erties with the wench, then she might well "e ex ecting a very different sort of offer.

;ucinda thought fast. Helford could "e "ack at any moment. He must not find her here! &wiftly she o ened her reticule and drew forth two ten< ound notes. &wiftly she folded the letter around them, and laced it "ack on the desk. %t the worst, if Helford found the money, he could rove nothing, might even think he had got the notes muddled with the letter. %t "est, it might even ruin the marriage if 5iss 5arsden thought he had considered making her his mistress. !ith a coldly trium hant smile ;ady ;ucinda left the room, giving all her consideration to how she could ensure that 5iss 5arsden should "e as sullied as ossi"le "y the fact that ;ord Helford had taken her home and not ke t the line with her! :ntering the room a "are two minutes later, Helford sat down his desk and ulled the letter towards him. ?ust as he was a"out to o en it the door o ened and a small voice said, 9ncle DavidB He looked u in some sur rise. Hullo, Eanny. &omething wrongB Inserting her self into the room, Eanny nodded. It's) well)it's a"out that rat. &mothering a smile, he said comfortingly, Cou don't have to worry, sweetheart. High"ury's 7elson saw it off. It won't come "ack. It's not that, muttered Eanny. %ll the maids are Auite hysterical and %unt 5aria is talking a"out having the whole house gone over and)and)I thought I'd "etter tell you) =ell meB he rom ted as she hesitated. =hat it was me. % feeling akin to awe stole through David as he eyed his shamefaced niece. Cou ut the rat in ;ucinda's roomB He couldn't Auite "elieve it. Ces, sir. Fhoking "ack a wild desire to laugh, he asked sim ly, !hyB &he hesitated and then said, (ecause I didn't want her to marry you. %nd I thought) =hat if she "elieved the lace to "e infested with rats she wouldn't, he finished drily. Cou were Auite right, "ut why tell me nowB Eanny "lushed even more dee ly. (ecause I heard Fa tain Ham ton $ust now telling %unt 5aria and 5rs. %sterfield that you'd decided to marry %unt &o hie instead) and) and) well, we)I wouldn't want her to say no "ecause of the rat! %nd, he)he ke t on looking at me and saying that ;ady ;ucinda wouldn't have you "ecause of the rat)and)and I thought I'd "etter tell you "efore he did! I see, said David, wondering if he was allowed to laugh or should, in the name of disci line, reserve a disa roving front. (ut for the life of him, he couldn't find it in him even to retend to "e cross. !ell, since you've saved me from a fate worse than death, to wit, an a alling scandal, I'll let you off this time. He shook slightly. ?ust don't un"urden your soul to %unt 5aria! &eeing her look of u##lement, he

ex lained. Don't tell her what you've $ust told me. I think that it had "etter "e our secret. He held out his hand to her and with a smile of relief she ran across to him. He hugged her and said lightly, ?ust don't im ort any more rats, et. !here on earth did you catch one anywayB &he looked very conscious and said, I think I'd "etter not say)really, 9ncle David. I romise I haven't "een anywhere I'm not allowed, "ut I can't say) 5emories of his own miss ent "oyhood suggested only one reason that she would refuse to answerJ an ally to incriminate>which meant>no, he wasn't going to ask! =here were some things a wise guardian $ust didn't want to know. Officially, anyway. @ery well, he said. 7ow, you'd "est "e off. I have to get to "reakfast and "e extra olite to everyone! Out! =hen, as she reached the door, he asked casually, (y the way, Eanny, how "ig was itB &he turned and shuddered. Oh, it was enormous! I nearly screamed when it came out of the "ox on her "ed and I saw it. I didn't think rats got that "ig! Hmm, managed David in the face of this innocent revelation. 8reater love hath no niece)my thanks, Eanny. Off you go now, and remem"er>don't tell %unt 5aria! =hat $oy, he vowed, was going to "e his, and his only. Only after the door shut "ehind his niece did he give in to his laughter. 4it and Eanny! %nd he'd have the air of them under his guardianshi ! !hat on earth was he letting himself in forB (elatedly remem"ering his letter, he cast a horrified glance at the clock on the chimney< iece, sealed the missive hurriedly and rang the "ell. !hen ?ames a eared, he merely gave it to him and said, Have one of the grooms deliver that to !illow"ank House immediately. @ery good, my lord. ?ames took the letter and re ared to de art. Oh, ?ames, a"out last night) ?ames turned with what could only "e termed reluctance. Ces, my lordB It must have "een an extremely large rat. =he corner of his lordshi 's mouth was twitching uncontrolla"ly and a wide answering grin s lit ?ames's normally stolid face. It was that right enough! For! I never seen the like! :ven 5r. (ain"ridge was shocked! He flushed. I ho e her ladyshi didn't take it too "adly amiss, me s eakinD out of turn like as how I did. Don't know what came over me. 7ever mind, ?ames, said his lordshi with an even "roader grin as he wondered how Eanny had steeled herself to the task. &hould her ladyshi chance to mention the incident, I will undertake to convince her that had she given me that command, my res onse would have "een even less res ectful. I understand High"ury's terrier ut the "east to flightB

%ye, he did that all right, said ?ames, with a chuckle. &hame it got away. 7ot "ut what it would of made a nasty mess which the maids wouldn't of liked. %ll for the "est, like as not, my lord. I dare say! said his lordshi in heartfelt agreement. He was sorry that ;ord 5ark and 7ed %sterfield had "een disa ointed in the evening's s ort, "ut a rat fight in the &tate % artments would have ."een in very oor taste. (esides, he owed the rat a de"t of gratitude! %n hour later &o hie "roke the seal of Helford's letter in the rivacy of her "edcham"er. Her fingers shook as she slid the knife under wax. %s she o ened the letter something inside fluttered to the ground. &he frowned. It was a "ank note, no, two "ank notes. Her stomach lurched sickeningly as she "ent to ick them u . &haking with horror she read the letter)accept this in earnest of my intentions) &he dro ed letter and money as though they had "urned her. &he could not "lame him after the way she had "ehaved last night, "ut somehow she had allowed herself to ho e that he had meant)she could scarcely think the word)marriage. It was lain he did not! I mean to have you in all honour ) !hat did that meanB =hat he would engage to kee their liaison secretB It was not, however, his intent to take her as his mistress that really hurt. !ere it not for 4it, she would have gone to him regardless. It was the money. %nd she'd allowed herself to think he might mean marriage! Dou"tless he'd decided that having her in "ed would "e far more comforta"le than a draughty carriage! (hat does he thin I amB Her mind shied away from the o"vious answer. He had sent the money as a down ayment on her services. 7o more, no less. +e calls you his dearest love& +e told you he loved you& -ot as you understand it, obviously. %row up, Sophie Marsden, and stop dreaming. +e regards you as a cheap little strumpet. <ust imagine what he would have sent if he hadn)t decided that it would be more comfortable for him in bed& I hate him! she said furiously. I hate him! (ut she didn't. =hat was the ro"lem. &he loved him and she had thought he at least cared for her. :ven if he hadn't "een a"le to marry her)she had thought)now she knew that she had "een close to destroying herself for a man who thought of her as a) a) "usiness transaction) a filly to "e "ought, and dou"tless sold when she tired him or if her action did not lease. %ll that had saved her was 4it. &he sat for a long time, staring at nothing, dry eyed although her throat ached with unshed tears. It would "e im ossi"le to stay here after this. &he could not allow 4it to ride with him any more or have Eanny here even if Helford would have ermitted it. &he did not think he was un rinci led enough to use the children to disguise an affair. 7o, she would leave as soon as ossi"le. &he would "e a"le to think of some reason to satisfy =hea and 4it. %t last, though, a solitary tear trickled soundlessly down her cheek. It was followed "y another and another until her face was wet and her shoulders shook with

the force of the so"s that racked her slender frame. 7ever, not even when :mma died, had she known such com lete des air. :mma's death, she had known, would in time "e acce ted, and in truth she never felt that :mma was far away. &he was always conscious of her as a silent "ut friendly resence. =his was not something that could "e transmuted into a $oyful memory as :mma had "ecome. =his "itterness would haunt her for the rest of her life. 7ever would she "e a"le to seek or acce t love again. &he felt soiled. Helford might not have actually taken her maidenhead, "ut she knew that any man would consider the distinction to "e academic. &he felt it so herself. &he was damaged goods now. !hen she finally emerged from her cham"er her face was white and her eyes red< rimmed. Her cold ex ression for"ade anyone to ask what was trou"ling her and she went a"out her household tasks with unwonted efficiency and vigour. !hen ;ord Helford came tomorrow, he would "e sent a"out his "usiness and reAuested not to call again. Discovering the next morning that the milk had gone sour, &o hie took a can and walked down the lane to 8illies's farm. It was usually a leasant walk and she was always sure of a welcome at the farmhouse. 5rs. 8illies was never so "usy that she didn't have time for a comforta"le chat. On this occasion, however, &o hie was met at the door to the dairy "y one of the maids, who said cheekily, 5issus don't hold wiD your sort! &he says ye can go elsewhere fer yer milk after this. &he'll fill it this once "ut not anymore. =he girl gra""ed the ail and de arted "efore &o hie could utter a word. !hen she came "ack she said, =here y'are. 7ow ye're t' go. 5issus donD want none on us ter "e dirtied wi' your sort. Her cheeks flaming, &o hie took the can and left, crossing the farmyard with her head held high. =wo farm hands on seeing her, made it clear that they considered her fair game, standing in her ath, calling out o"scene remarks as she a roached. &he ignored them and walked on defiantly. &omething in her eyes made them give ground, "ut one of them gra""ed her "ottom as she went ast, sAuee#ing it hard and saying, &ure anD 'is lordshi was on to summat sweet anD $uicy 'ere! %s she ke t going he yelled, I can give yer what Dis lordshi give yer! &tuck<u slut! (y the time she reached home she was raging. =he driver of a assing farm wagon had offered her a lift in return for a kiss. It was o"vious that the entire countryside had "een informed of Helford's intentions. &o much for his romise to have her in all honour! &he o ened the front door and heard =hea's voice in the arlour. 7o dou"t this is &o hie now, my lord. Damn him! He must have sent his horse around to the sta"le. ?ust as if he owned the lace! !hich he did, of course. 7o dou"t he thought he owned her too. He was a"out to discover his mistake. %s =hea came out of the arlour &o hie said, % moment, =hea. =here is something I must return to his lordshi . I will "e down directly. &he ran u stairs to

her "edcham"er and took the letter from a drawer. It was refolded with the note inside and resealed. Holding it, she went "ack downstairs with her head held high. 9 on her entering the arlour Helford stood u and smiled at her tenderly. =hen the smile faded. His little love was locking anything "ut loving. =hea %ndrews was excusing herself and he olitely "ade her farewell. =hen he turned to &o hie warily. &he was holding out his letter, her eyes cold and her ale face like a mask. I would refer you to take this "ack. I am afraid that I cannot entertain your o"liging ro osals, my lord, and I would infinitely refer it if you ceased your visits to this house. Her voice was laden with contem t. !hat! He couldn't "elieve his ears. &he was actually refusing him! Cou)you can't "e refusing)&o hie, whyB I do not return your sentiments, my lord! &he had ex ected that Auestion. Her answer was true enough, she considered. &he didn't return his sentiments. &he was in love with him and he thought of her as a convenient "it of game, $ust as he had once im lied. Helford's tem er "egan to rise. !hat the hell did the chit meanB &he'd returned a fair "it in that "lasted carriage all right and tight! Eair enough if she had thought him to "e suggesting a less res ecta"le union "efore she received his letter, "ut now! !hat more did she wantB Damn it all! Cou certainly gave a good imitation of it the night "efore last! I wasn't the only one making the running! &he had no answer to that "ut "lushed a dee crimson. 6lease leave, my lord. =here is nothing more to "e said. Isn't thereB Helford's voice was savage. I'll say one thing more, 5iss 5arsden! Cou have "ehaved like the veriest trollo ! If I had taken you in that carriage, it would have "een no more than you deserve! O"viously I should have availed myself of the o ortunity! 8ood afternoon! He snatched the letter from her and stormed out, leaving a white<faced girl "ehind him. &he stood rigidly until she heard the thunder of his horse's hooves on the road, then she sank into a chair and so""ed her heart out. =hea %ndrews, returning to the room, stood dum"founded on the threshold and then ran to kneel "eside her, sli ing an arm around her shoulders, murmuring softly and stroking the "rown curls. 8entle, soothing words flowed from her "ut &o hie continued to wee until =hea thought she must "reak a art. =hank goodness 4it was out of the way, she thought. Einally she managed to urge &o hie to her feet and u to "ed. %fter tucking her in and drawing the curtains she went "ack down to the kitchen to consult with %nna on this u##ling de arture from the norm. %nna had "een to the village and had got a fair idea of what was "eing said.

&he assed it on to =hea at once, saying, If n we don't do summat fast, 5iss &o hie's ruined. His lordshi oughter "e ashamed of hisself! (ut what to do is "eyond me, 5iss =hea. It can't "e true! said =hea, shocked. I mean, I have sus ected that she is not so indifferent to him as she would like us to think, "ut she wouldn't>D ;orD, miss! Cou don't need to tell me that. I've knowed 5iss &o hie since she was a "a"y. It's what others'll "elieve that's the ro"lem. %n' there's no gettinD around it, if 'is lordshi did "ring Der 'ome then De oughtn't 'ave done! =hea racked her "rains. ;ady Darleston! she said at last. I'll write to her at once and have 8rigson take the note over. &he'll know what to do! %nna nodded her a roval. %ye, that might hel . 7ot a "lind "it of notice would they take of us what've known 5iss &o hie fer years, "ut they'll take the word of a Fountess what's known Der five minnits!

'ha()er +our)een

%fter ushing through a hedge into the fields and urging his horse into a gallo for some four miles, ;ord Helford was no closer either to regaining control of his tem er or understanding why 5iss 5arsden had refused his offer. &urely she didn't think he would o"$ect to her settling her money on 4it! 7ot that the "oy was likely to need it if &trathallen could "e "rought u to scratch. %t last he turned for home, his mood "leak. His tem er had finally e""ed, giving way to a num" des air. %s much as he tried to convince himself that &o hie 5arsden was a teasing little trollo , his heart stu""ornly refused to take the slightest notice. If anything had "een needed to assure him that what he felt for her was love, it was the fact that he could not shrug her off. (itterly he remem"ered the morning he had gone to "eg Eelicity to marry him. He had felt only rage and hurt ride, he now realised. 7ot this aching, leaden des air. (riefly he considered offering for ;ucinda %nstey after all, only to dismiss the notion with a shudder. :ven if she acce ted him, which he seriously dou"ted after the cool way she had s oken to him in farewell the revious afternoon, the knowledge that all his friends were dead set against the match was enough to give him ause. Had he loved her, that would not have signified, "ut it would hardly "e a convenient marriage if his friends and aunt actually disliked his "ride. (esides, he could not "ear the idea of making love, or rather consummating a union, with ;ucinda. 7ot after the innocent a"andon of &o hie's assionate res onse. !hich "rought him "ack to &o hie. !hy the devil had she refused himB He found it hard to "elieve that she did not return his love. He ho ed he was not the arrogant coxcom" she had once called him, "ut he had "een sure that she loved him. =here was something odd a"out this and he didn't know how to deal with it. %ll he knew was that if &o hie didn't marry him, the name of 5elville would die with him. He could not imagine ever wishing to marry someone else. 9 on reaching the sta"les he dismounted and threw his reins to ?as er without even a grunt of greeting and stalked u to the house, rey to the "lackest des air he had ever known. Ear worse even than when Eelicity had chosen to marry ?ames and the title rather than himself. He'd thought he'd hit rock"ottom then, "ut somewhere dee down he had known that it was inevita"le. =hat had Eelicity truly cared for him, she would not have hesitated for a moment. &omehow it hurt far more that &o hie had re$ected him. &he was not choosing something else. 5erely re$ecting him. He thought he could have "orne it "etter had he thought that she was in love with someone else. 'ear %od& (as she" .ut who" -ot %arfield. 3hat was unthin able. .ut 3omB

He groaned. =hat was not at all unthinka"le! =om would make her, indeed any woman, a s lendid hus"and. Fomforta"ly circumstanced, kind)and he'd made it Auite lain that he liked and admired &o hie. :ven if he had not encouraged her, he had su orted her through that ghastly dinner arty. David realised that the thought of &o hie "eing in love with anyone save himself did not hel in the least. It merely made him want to lant =om a facer and drag &o hie to the altar "y the hair! ?as er had watched his master's "leak<faced de arture with interest. He had a great deal to say to his master when o ortunity resented itself, "ut he $udged that now was not the moment. =he master would "e settling down for a long session this evening. ?as er decided to sli u to the kitchen later on to visit his good friend, ?effreys the chef. =ime enough to ask his lordshi what the hell he was laying at with little 5iss &o hie once he'd had time to down a decanter or so of "randy. (y the time ;ord Helford was halfway down the decanter, his leaden misery had settled firmly and showed no sign of res onding to the time<honoured remedy known as drowning one's sorrows. =he no"le vintage he was Auaffing so recklessly might as well have "een drained off from the kennels for all the satisfaction it afforded his num"ed heart. His determination never to darken 5iss 5arsden's doorste again had "een re laced "y an eAually irrational desire to lea "ack into the saddle and ride straight "ack to !illow"ank House, swee her into his arms and force her to consent to marriage. It would not do, of course, she'd tell him to go to the devil in as many words. (y the time (ain"ridge came to the li"rary to announce dinner he was extremely well to live and merely favoured the "utler with a morose grunt. &hould I, er)take the "randy decanter into the dining salon or would your lordshi refer to dine hereB enAuired (ain"ridge tactfully. ;ady 5aria is dining off a tray in her room, "eing rather tired. 7either, was the re ly. I am not hungry. % ologise to ?effreys for the trou"le he has "een ut to. It would "e too much to say that his lordshi 's dee voice was slurred recisely, "ut it was evident that he was ex ending a great deal of effort to avoid that indignity. (ain"ridge tottered away, Auailing inwardly at the likely reaction of ?effreys at this cavalier re$ection of his la"ours. !hat, a art from the $ug, of course, had "itten the masterB He "ore all the signs of a man "adly crossed in love, "ut that was im ossi"le! It was common knowledge that his lordshi had "een on the oint of offering for ;ady ;ucinda %nstey, and it would "e news to (ain"ridge if love had entered into his master's dealings with her. &teeling himself for the inevita"le ex losion, (ain"ridge entered the kitchen and relayed the fell tidings in as lacatory tones as he could muster. On the whole ?effreys took it Auite well. % art from $um ing u and down forci"ly ex ressing the desire that, if :ngland had a revolution, his ungrateful master should "e the first to mount the "lock, he only threw the rolling in he ha ened to "e holding and one silver

chafing dish which had the misfortune to "e close at hand. His underlings all ducked for cover and the scullery maid, who had ut her nose in from the scullery to see what was amiss, retreated at once to her ots and ans. Of all the occu ants of the kitchen, the only one unmoved "y ?effrey's wrath was ?as er, who was seated at the ta"le devouring "read and cheese. He ricked u his ears and said, In a tweak, is DeB (ain"ridge eyed him with marked disfavour. His lordshi 's tiger had no "usiness whatsoever in the kitchen, "ut if ?effreys chose to allow it, he had nothing to say in the matter. His lordshi , he intoned frigidly, is not at all himself. ?ug"itten, ehB ?as er correctly inter reted this genteel eu hemism. He grinned cheekily at (ain"ridge. I'll deal with Dim. !here might 'e "eB 7ot for all his disa roval of his lordshi 's vulgar, make"ait tiger, could (ain"ridge deliver a fellow man u to such a fate as he reckoned would "e in store for anyone distur"ing the master. Don't you do it, ?as er! he said earnestly. (e more than your $o"'s worth. If I didn't know "etter I'd say he'd "een crossed in love! !ould you, nowB said ?as er slowly. =hen thankinD yer fer the warnin' all the same, "ut I'd "est see Dim afore 'e shoots the cat, as the saying is! ?effreys, you kee things warm a "it. =here's no sayinD "ut what 'e mightn't fancy a "ite after I'm done with Dim. 7ow, where is 'e, 5r. (ain"ridgeB In)in the ;i"rary, said (ain"ridge, thinking that no dou"t his lordshi , having an affection for ?as er, would re<em loy him in the morning if he turned him off tonight. 9 on entering the ;i"rary, one look was enough to inform ?as er that his master was in as "leak a mood as ever he'd known. He hadn't even noticed the door o ening "ut was ga#ing into the em ty fire lace with an ex ression of "itterness, twirling his em ty "randy glass. =he usually immaculate cravat had "een loosened and his "lack hair tousled. ?as er shut the door Auietly, watching as his master reached for the "randy decanter on the floor "eside his wing chair. (egginD your ardon, sir, "ut I'd say ye'd had enough. David turned shar ly, focusing his ga#e with difficulty on the figure "y the door. ?as erB !hat the hell are you doing hereB 7eed a word with yer lordshi afore you gets any further, said ?as er "luntly. He walked over to the fire lace and looked down at his master with friendly concern. Damn you, ?as er! ex loded David. Cou go too far! %ye, said ?as er eAua"ly. %nD I'll go a "it farther. =is a"out 5iss &o hie>' David eru ted from his chair. ?as er, if you mention that name again, you'll "e seeking a new master!

&eemingly un ertur"ed, ?as er nodded. =hat's as may "e, my lord, "ut was you wishful to have all the folks around ;ittle Helford talkinD a"out how 5iss &o hie was your "it o' muslinB (hatB David was dum"founded. (ut she's not! I mean)I didn't)why the hell am I ex laining myself to youB I didn't think ye knew, said ?as er. (ut that's what they're all asayinD. =hat she's no "etter than what she oughter "e an' that she's a disgrace to the) 5y 8od! He felt sick. Does she know what's "eing saidB Fould this "e why &o hie had refused himB Had she "een misled "y scurrilous gossi B Had she thought he intended to recant his offer of marriageB =ake her as his mistressB =hat he would callously ruin herB %s to that my lord, I did hear as Dow she got a retty nasty greetin' at Earmer 8illies's farm this morninD. Eull of it the village was when I was down at the smithy afore. ?as er watched his master sym athetically. 7ot a dou"t "ut what it was a facer for him. %shen, David swallowed hard. It was all his fault! If only he hadn't decided to take &o hie home! &omehow the story must have got around. Damn High"ury! He shuddered to think what she must have thought. =hat he was laughing at her naivety. =hat he had let it "e known she was his mistress. 7o wonder she had refused him if she thought he was offering her a carte blanche& (ut what a"out his letterB He had offered her marriage, hadn't heB &urely, even if eo le were talking, she must have "een reassured "y that. (ut then why had she returned it to him as though it were the em"odiment of an insultB %t this $uncture the door o ened and (ain"ridge announced, Fa tain Ham ton, my lord, in tones which suggested he envisaged an immediate entry to the workhouse. =he groan which "roke from his lordshi "etokened that the unex ected sight of one of his closest friends was in no way welcome. Fa tain Ham ton, taking in the scene with an ex erienced eye, said, (ain"ridge, have dinner served at once in the small salon "efore we have to ut his lordshi to "ed in a "ucket, there's a good cha . =he door closed "ehind the outraged "utler. !hat the hell are you doing hereB asked David. Cou were going home. (roken wheel a"out thirty miles from here. =hought I might as well come "ack. &o I hired a horse. (ut do enlighten me. !hat now have you "een a"out that ?as er feels called u on to give you one of his $o"ationsB enAuired Ham ton as he lowered himself into the vacated wing chair. Huining &o hie 5arsden! said David in accents of utter des air. =ell him the worst, ?as er, and then you may as well leave me to my fate. Cou did whatB Ham ton stared at him. Cou said you were going to offer for her!

I thought I had, too! said David. =ell him, ?as er! ?as er o"eyed, noting that the Fa tain, usually so cheery, looked as though he was like to give the master a fair "it more than a $o"ation. (ut didn't you write to her, DavidB Ham ton was u##led. 5ay"e the letter was not delivered. Of course I wrote to her! said David. %nd, yes, the damned letter was delivered. &he almost threw it at me when I saw her! He aced the floor in frustration. &he must have thought that I)that I)had) Oh, 8od! =om, what she must have thoughtB &he told me she did not return my sentiments! %nd well she might if she thought I meant)to)to)take her as my mistress! It all hinges on that letter, said Ham ton thoughtfully. I don't su ose you can recall recisely what you wroteB David shook his head. 7o. I was in such a damned hurry. I had to go and find my seal and $ust as I got "ack Eanny came in and told me she'd ut the rat in ;ucinda's room) It was her, was itB Ham ton choked on a laugh. How very enter rising of her. !here the devil did she get itB %nd whyB David grinned. ,Ces. &he thought you'd smoked her. I'm re ared to wager she got it from 4it. %s for why>she told me that she wanted to make ;ucinda think the lace was infested with rats to sto her marrying me. %nyway, what with trying not to laugh in front of the child, and thinking I'd "etter get to "reakfast on time and smooth ;ucinda down a trifle, I was a little rushed. =urned out she was "reakfasting u stairs, though. !hatB Ham ton was sur rised. (ut I assed her in the hall on my way to the li"rary that morning. Helford shrugged. 5ust have changed her mind. I dare say she was furious with me. If High"ury let out that I had taken &o hie home)and with the rat thrown in) ?as er i ed u . 7ot me lace, oD course, to say, "ut)' He hesitated. David looked at him in resignation. &ince when has that consideration ever sto ed you, ?as erB Out with it. !ell, I was agoinD ter say that me""e 'twas her ladyshi what started all the talk D"out 5iss &o hie, said his henchman reluctantly. '=was her maid talkinD the loudest in the servants' hall. Fould "e she was takin' out a "it oD s ite. Cou're sure you can't recall that letter, DavidB asked Ham ton. Kuite)no, hold on! I think I've got it with me! exclaimed David. I shoved it in my ocket and stormed out. It's ro"a"ly u stairs. !ell, for 8od's sake go and get it! recommended Ham ton. %nd "ring it to the small dining salon, I'm famished. !ith a "road grin, ?as er o ined that it would "e as well if so "e they were wishful to kee ?effreys in good skin.

=en minutes later the two gentleman were seated at one end of the dining ta"le, a vast ex anse of mahogany even with all the leaves taken out. =he letter lay uno ened "eside Helford while the first course was. set out. !e'll serve ourselves, (ain"ridge, said David im atiently. &carcely had the door shut "efore he icked u the letter and "roke the wax. %s he o ened it the twenty ounds fluttered to the ta"le to . He stared at it as though he had never seen a air of ten< ound notes in his life. !hat the hell is that doing thereB Ham ton "linked. Cou didn't)no)of course not. David was reading the letter with a gathering frown. !hen he had finished he ut it down and said in constricted tones, I should have let you write it after all, =om. I don't actually say anything a"out marriage)here, you read it. He assed it over. !hat a "loody fool he was! Eor want of a "it of care, he had ruined &o hie and made her life hell. He wouldn't "lame her if she refused to have anything more to do with him, even after he ex lained. Ham ton read the hurried note and handed it "ack. 7ot exactly ex licit, is itB Cou damned idiot! (ut what really has me ga ed is the money. How did that get thereB David shook his head. I couldn't ha#ard a guess. I certainly didn't ut it there! &he)she must have thought I was)"uying her)services. He "uried his face in his hands with a ragged groan. Ham ton was thinking hard. Cou know, David, if ;ucinda started the gossi , then I think we need look no further for the origin of this twenty ounds. He nodded at Helford's dro ed $aw and darkening "row. =hink a"out it. Cou didn't ut it there. %nd I s oke to ;ucinda $ust "efore going to the li"rary. In fact, I told her that I was going to see you. =he window on to the terrace was o en and)you didn't re<read it, did you, when you came "ackB Didn't you say you left the room to find your sealB %nd then Eanny came inB =he little "itch! David ex loded. I'll)I'll) Do nothing, finished Ham ton. Cou can't rove it and you've already done Auite enough to stir u the ta""ies. =he only thing you can do is marry &o hie 5arsden as fast as ossi"le and get her u to ;ondon with ;ady 5aria and 6enelo e Darleston to silence the gossi . =he air of them can launch her in the ;ittle &eason. He looked at David sym athetically. Cou know, old cha , I think when you ex lain yourself and a ologise for "eing such a "loody fool, she might $ust forgive you. =here's really no occasion for Auite such des air. %fter all, the girl's tail over to in love with you, for some 8od<unknown reason! How the hell would you know anything a"out itB asked David irrita"ly. Or did she tell you that when you were making u to her at dinner the other nightB Oh, take a dam er! recommended Ham ton good<naturedly. I should imagine everyone in the room knew what was going on when 6enelo e Darleston got the girl to sing that song. Damn it all, if she'd "een singing it for me, I'd have fallen in love with her myself!

(y the end of dinner David had talked himself into a more ho eful frame of mind. =om was in the right of it. He'd see &o hie tomorrow and sort things out. Have the "anns called immediately. %nd if &o hie tried to kick him out again, he knew erfectly well how to get her attention and sto her talking for long enough to convince her that his intentions were entirely honoura"le. In the event ;ord Helford did not arise from his slum"ers at all early on the following morning, and when he did he came to the immediate conclusion that the sun was far too "right and the sky far too "lue. =hat was "efore 5eredith drew "ack the curtains of his "edcham"er to reveal a cloudy, wee ing day outside. %t which oint he winced audi"ly and visi"ly as he "uried his aching head under his illow. &hould I return later, my lordB asked 5eredith solicitously. !hat time is itB asked David carefully. 7early noon, my lord. 7early noonB Oh, 8od! He'd have to get u . He couldn't leave &o hie in this damned coil any longer. Foffee, he said shortly as he eased himself out of "ed. (lack and strong. %nd "linked as it was handed to him in a delicate "asalt ware coffee cu . Fa tain Ham ton's orders, my lord, ex lained 5eredith, laying all "lame sAuarely where it "elonged. David throttled an overwhelming urge to laugh. It was "ound to make his headache even worse than it was already. Instead he acce ted the coffee and si ed at it gratefully. 8radually he "egan to feel less scratchy and was a"le to contem late getting dressed in a more o timistic s irit. He still didn't feel Auite so sanguine a"out facing &o hie. He would have to ex lain that damned twenty ounds for one thing, and des ite "eing morally certain ;ucinda had "een res onsi"le, he had no roof and hesitated to make an accusation he could not su"stantiate. (esides which, he $ust had a sinking feeling that everything was not going to "e Auite as sim le as =om had suggested. /or %od)s sa e, 'avid& <ust tell her you)re head over heels in love with her, beg her to marry you, in as many words, and iss her senseless& +ow difficult is that" !hich was all very well, thought David. =he last time he'd tried to do that, he'd got the order confused and kissed her first. %nd $ust look at the "um"le"roth that had landed him in! Having made a "rief sto at the @icarage on his way through the village that was guaranteed to stir u even more gossi , he rode u to !illow"ank House alone in the middle of the afternoon to discover a chaise and four standing in the road outside. Erowning, he wondered who could ossi"ly "e visiting &o hie in a chaise. =he crest

on the door was unfamiliar, "ut when he looked more closely he realised that what he had taken for a leo ard was actually a &cottish wildcat. &hock lanced through him as he realised who must own it. Is this ;ord &trathallen's chaiseB His Auestion was addressed to the lad holding the wheelers. Cessir. =he "oy touched his ca olitely. Fome s ecial all the way from &cotland he has, sir. Hold your mare, sirB ?im ain't doinD much. David nodded. =hank you. %nother "oy came forward and took the mare's "ridle. &teeling himself, David walked u the ath, "reathing the misty, heady scent of the lavender that lined it "rushing against his sleeves. He always smelt it when he came here, he realised suddenly. %nd &o hie always smelled of it. &miling slightly, he went through the o en door into the hall and wondered where she might "e. % harsh voice from the arlour, raised in anger, gave him the clue. D'ye think I've not heard all the gossi , ye little southron whoreB Eull of it the village was! =wasn't hard to ick u that his lordshi 's taken you as his latest lightskirt! %ye, and I only wish ?ock had had as much sense with your sister! !hy he had to marry her I'll never know! (ut since he did, I'm damned if I'll have my heir raised "y you! Ce'll hand the lad over and there's an end of it! D'ye hear me, ye little doxyB David fro#e in horror. =he countryside must indeed "e humming if a chance traveller had heard the gossi . Des airing guilt racked him. 7o wonder &o hie had refused him if this were the sort of thing to which she was "eing su"$ected! &o hie's answer came furiously. Cou have not the least right, my lord! Cou have known of 4it's existence for years! :mma named me his guardian and I have the deed to rove it! Cou are entirely welcome to visit him and I will "e ha y to "ring him to visit you so that he may learn to know his family and "ecome familiar with your eo le, "ut) % "ark of scornful laughter interru ted her. %ye, so ye may have a deed! %nd how long do ye think that will stand in court if I "ring a claim and can rove ye're not fit morally to have charge of the ladB 6recious little good Helford will "e then! =his had gone far enough! Hage ex loded through David that anyone might threaten his love in any way whatsoever, let alone with a wea on he had forged. He stalked into the arlour without even "othering to knock. . &o hie, facing the door, was on her feet, her face white and stricken. Cou)you can't)it's not true)you couldn)t "e so cruel)+elford&* &he "roke off as she saw him, shock and des air evident in her wide eyes and trem"ling mouth. 9n"elieva"le ain ierced through David as he realised that in his arrival she saw the vindication of &trathallen's claim.

=he old man had turned to face him. 7early as tall as David, he was a striking figure in his kilt. Eierce "lue eyes glared forth challengingly over a "eak of a nose in a face lined with years. % thick head of white hair was the only other discerni"le evidence of his advanced age. He held himself as straight as a man half his age and exuded a vigour that many a younger man might have envied. !hen he s oke his voice held nothing "ut scorn and trium h. Ce're mighty rom t, Helford! Fome for a word with this little doxy, have yeB Or have ye "een here all alongB Cou may thank 8od for your advanced years, &trathallen! ra ed out David, white<li ed with fury. Only they rotect you now, and if you insult my "etrothed wife any further, I can assure that they will not continue to rotect you! His voice was icy. I have no idea what gossi you have "een listening to, "ut I made 5iss 5arsden an offer of marriage yesterday morning and I am here to inform her that the "anns will "e u"lished next &unday. I suggest that if you have any further reAuests to make of her, that they "e made through me. I would oint out to you that once 5iss 5arsden marries me, I will automatically assume all legal res onsi"ility for 4it. %nd erha s if you have any dou"t of the nature of our relationshi you might "etter a ly to my aunt, ;ady 5aria 4entham, or to the :arl and Fountess of Darleston, rather than the ta room of whatever hostelry you are dignifying with your custom! =hus my ;ord Helford at his most arrogant and over"earing. It was ro"a"ly fortunate that &trathallen was too taken u with goggling at David to o"serve the shocked dis"elief on &o hie's face. Her $aw had dro ed o en and she was clutching at a chair "ack for su ort as the room whirled around her in a very di##ying manner. MarriageB Had he said marriageB =hat he was here to inform her that the "anns would "e called on &undayB &he had to "e dreaming)it $ust wasn't ossi"le! &trathallen was s eaking. Do I understand you, my lordB Cou are "etrothed to)to this) =o 5iss 5arsden! grated David. %rid you will s eak to her and of her with res ect, &trathallen! &tarting now! Cou owe 5iss 5arsden an a ology, I "elieve. % harsh laugh "roke from &trathallen. D=is no matter to me if ye're fool enough to marry the little slut $ust "ecause the whole county is awash wi' the tale) 3a e that bac ! Or)or I'll ill you! 4it had stormed into the room. &mall fists were clenched and ha#el eyes were "right with childish rage. =he "lack eye he was s orting suggested that he had already "een defending his aunt's honour. %unt &o hie isn't a)a)what you said. =ake it "ack, I say! He advanced threateningly on &trathallen, evidently intent on ramming his insults down his throat. =hat will do, 4it, inter osed David, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. ;ord &trathallen is under a misa rehension. Cou may trust me to rotect your aunt. &he's my aunt! said 4it fiercely. %nd I won't let anyone insult her! &uddenly he rounded on Helford. 7ot even you! Do you know what they are sayingB His distress was lain in the over"right eyes, the wo""le in his voice. Eor a moment it

looked as though he would fly "odily at Helford, "ut all of a sudden he seemed to regain control of himself. Eixing David with a steely glare, he said, with commenda"le steadiness, 5y lord, I)I demand to know what your)your intentions are towards %unt &o hie! &o hie fro#e. &he saw David's $aw tighten. 4it, no! she said frantically. David held u one hand. 5eeting 4it's fierce ga#e, he said Auietly, % moment, &o hie. He has every right to ask that Auestion. Drawing a dee "reath, he continued. Ces, 4it, I am aware of what has "een said. It was all a misunderstanding which has made "oth me and your %unt &o hie very unha y. 6eo le did not realise that my intention is to marry your aunt. (ut I assure you that I intend, have always intended, to marry her. =ension e""ed visi"ly from the small "ody. Cou're going to marry %unt &o hieB !ell, that's all right and tight then! If she'll have me, said David di lomatically. !hy ever wouldn't sheB asked 4it in sur rise. Eanny thought you were going to marry ;ady ;ucinda. David strove to kee a straight face. ;ady ;ucinda is not at all fond of rats, 4it. He raised one "row in mute Auery. Oh. 4it grinned. !ell, serves her right. I mean, after she stuck that "eastly hat in into 5egs! Does this mean that we will live with you and Eanny at Helford 6laceB I mean, it's "igger than this house. %nd ;ady 5aria wouldn't like it if you came here, would sheB David's $aw dro ed slightly as he realised the full extent of his erstwhile intended's erfidy, "ut he managed to say, 7o. (ut she has already informed me that if I mean to fill the lace with scru""y school"oys she will remove to the Dower House. 7ow, might I suggest that you take yourself off a"out your "usiness and leave us to oursB 4it seemed to remem"er &trathallen's resence. Oh, very well, "ut if he starts slanging %unt &o hie again, will you ti him a levellerB David's face was grave as he said, &omething of the sort. (ut it's not good form to hit a man twice your own age. 7ot at my age anyway. =his was given frowning consideration. I su ose not. He swung around to &trathallen again. =hen if you insult %unt &o hie again, you'll "e the most rotten skirter, since Helford won't hit you. I don't care who you are! 4it, said &o hie. Out! I am sure ;ord &trathallen has understood your osition. ?ust long as he does! said 4it trenchantly. He left the room with a final fierce glare in his grandfather's direction. % stunned ex ression on his face, &trathallen turned to &o hie. 3hat was my grandsonB ?ock's ladB =hat young varmint who $uist a"oot called me oot and

challenged a mon he knows to "e a eerB His accent "ecame decidedly more marked. &o hie swallowed hard. 5y lord, recollect, 4it had no idea of your identity and he is well acAuainted with Helford) lease do not>D &he was rudely interru ted. ;osh, girl, I'm not re ining! If any mon had s oken to my mother as I s oke to you, I'd "e after ramminD the words "ack down his gullet wi' me ridinD whi ! =he s errit of the lad! %n' he's "een ke t frae me all this time! 7o dou"t if you had acknowledged the letter ?ock's widow sent you eight years ago you might have known the "oy! %nd he would have known who you are! sna ed David. Cou must have known the "oy was your heir long "efore Ham ton and I wrote to you! %ye. I knew, admitted &trathallen. (ut no one else knew of his existence. Ce may "e sure I did not "oast of the whel of a>D He caught David's eye and sto ed. !eel, I was wrong. %ny lad who could do what that lad $uist did has no cause to com lain of his dam or his raisin'! ;ord, he looked as though he'd "e at me throat! %s he would have "een at mine, said David drily. =hat is, if he didn't ersuade my niece to ut a rat in my "edcham"er. He went on, &eriously, my lord, there has "een no attem t to kee 4it from you. Cou were informed of his "irth in the letter :mma Farlisle sent you when she wrote of ?ock's death. % letter which I understand it cost her great ain to write. &o hie's eyes flew to his face. &he remem"ered telling him of that, how he had comforted her grief. =hat had "een the first time he'd held her, his owerful "ody a refuge from ain, his arms a "arrier to ward off all trou"le. %nd now)what was he trying to do nowB &im ly rotect her with his name since, contrary to ex ectation, the story of his intent had got a"outB Did he actually think she would acce t such an offerB Or was he merely intending to smooth things over with &trathallen "efore "reaking the engagementB &trathallen's voice, low and ashamed, "roke in on her thoughts. I "arely read the letter "efore I "urned it. &ure, it hurt so much) %nd ever after I wished I'd not done so, or that I'd co ied the extracts she included) =he old eyes were suddenly misted over, their fierce "lue softened. =he original letters are here, &o hie told him gently. If)if you would like to read them)co y them)I am sure 4it will "ring them when he comes to see you. He is so roud of ?ock. I am sure he will wish to show them to you. =he old man sighed. I've "een a damned fool, then. %lastair tried to tell me for years and I refused to listen. I never intended to deny the lad his inheritance. =was $ust so damn hard to clim" down)anD when I heard what folks were sayin')weel, I $uist saw red. I'll "e takinD meself "ack to the Helford %rms. Cour servant, 5iss 5arsden, an' I "eg your ardon for)for everything. (ring the lad to me when it suits you to do so. I'll not "e raisinD a claim against ye. He left Auietly, leaving &o hie and David facing each other.

&he su osed that she would have to sort the mess out. 7ow would "e "est. =here was 4it's future to arrange. %s long as he didn't renew his offer. Over the ast day she had forced her "attered heart and ride to acce t the hand dealt "y fate. Des ite what 6enelo e Darleston had said when she visited yesterday evening, &o hie did not "elieve he had ever intended marriage. !hy should he when she had made it Auite o"vious that with a little effort he could have her withoutB Had he chosen to ress her the other night, she might well have given herself. 7o dou"t with 6enelo e's su ort and that of her hus"and the scandal would "low over, "ut the fact remained that she had nearly ruined herself. &he would not destroy herself for the gratification of his desire no matter how much she wanted to do so. He could go to the devil and leave her in eace. If such a thing were ossi"le for her now. (leakly she told herself, as she met his eyes, that it would come to that in the end anyway. He would tire of her and leave, his only legacy a load of "itter memories. &he did not delude herself. =he memories would not ease the ain of arting. Hather the nature of the relationshi would sour the memories. %nd there was 4it to consider. &he could not ruin his life for the transient $oy of Helford's arms. &he was the first to "reak the silence. I have to thank you, my lord, for your intervention. It was most timely. Her voice was cold and light, a "rittle armour for a "reaking heart. 8allantly she continued. Cou may "e sure that I will not hold you to your foolish declaration. ;ady Darleston has "een kind enough to engage herself to scotch the unfortunate conseAuences of the other night. =he strange glint in his eyes disconcerted her. Is that what you think, &o hieB =hat this is merely a loy to mislead &trathallenB He smiled oddly. I am desolated to contradict you, my dear, "ut I can assure you that nothing less than our marriage will satisfy him. Cou will marry me or see 4it whisked off to &cotland "efore the cat can lick her ear. &he stared u at him in horror. Cou) you mean I have to marry you to kee 4itB &he had thought it was ainful enough to "e offered a carte blanche "y the man to whom she had given her heart. =hat was as nothing in com arison to the ain of "eing forced to acce t an offer of marriage from him, an offer he had made only under duress. Eor a wild moment she considered hurling the offer "ack in his teeth. (ut the vision of 4it arose "efore her, as it had done the other night. &he couldn't, sim ly couldn't, "etray his trust now, $ust to salvage her own ride. If she didn't acce t Helford's offer, then &trathallen would have no trou"le at all in convincing a court that she was unfit to "e 4it's guardian. Eor 4it's sake she had to acce t. Euriously she su ressed the surging $oy in her own heart, the $oy which cried out in exultation that now she would "elong to Helford, no matter on what terms. Erom "etween clenched teeth she said, =hen I have no choice "ut to acce t your very o"liging offer, my lord. Cou will forgive me if I am less than enthusiastic a"out acce ting your very reluctant hand in marriage!

&o hie, you cannot ossi"ly think that I am only offering for you out of o"ligation) In a"solute horror, David realised that his final, instinctive attem t to mask the terrifying reality of his own need had "ackfired very "adly. Her next words confirmed it. !hat else should I thinkB she "la#ed at him. !ith a massive effort she drew a dee "reath and forced her voice to calmness. Cou had no thought of marriage the other night, my lord. Cou can hardly ex ect me to "e flattered at an offer made out of necessity. %nd made, no dou"t, at the rom ting of your friends. =he cool steadiness of her voice was gratifying, "ut she ho ed kee ing it that way was going to get easier rather than harder. % flutter in her "reast and a rising lum in her throat were not hel ing in the slightest. David. He corrected her with a challenging look. I asked you to call me that the other night if you recall. % hot flame flickered in his eyes. Of course you might not. Cou were somewhat distracted at the time, I "elieve. 7o! !hat had "een intended as a firm and categorical denial came out as a frightened sAueak as his words "rought the memory flooding "ack to her "ody as well as to her mind. Horrified, she felt her knees turn to $elly and that same melting sensation take control as her "ody remem"ered the ower this man had wielded over it. Des erately she forced her "rain to kee functioning. &he had to kee him at "ay >had to remind herself that this marriage would "e one of o"ligation>on "oth sides. He came closer, green eyes glinting, reminding her irresisti"ly of a rowling cat, one of the larger ones. 7o! =his time there was a note of anic in her voice. Eurious with herself, she forced a lighter note. %nd marriage is a high rice to ay for your leasure, is it not, my lordB Cesterday morning it was only worth a down ayment of twenty ounds to you! &he was un re ared for his reaction. :m"arrassment she would have understood. Or outrage at her most im ro er suggestion. (ut not this sudden and genuine roar of laughter. His whole face was alive with it, green eyes s arkling as he continued to chuckle. Oh, &o hie! !hat next will you sayB Her hold on her tem er, which had "een recarious to say the least, finally sli ed com letely. &carcely knowing what she was doing, she gra""ed for the nearest availa"le missile and hurled it at him. Cears of "owling for 4it had given her an envia"le aim and she heard with immense satisfaction the thum as the heavy family "i"le struck him a"ove the eye. He staggered "ackwards, clutching his head. Eor 8od's sake, &o hie! Falm down, you little termagant, and give me a chance to ex lain myself! I didn't ut that money in the letter! &he stared at him in dis"elief. If he hadn't ut it there, then who hadB

He sat down on the sofa and tenderly felt the s ot where the "i"le had struck him. Cou've got a "etter aim than most females, I'll grant you that. I should have dodged! His voice held tender amusement and his eyes laughed u at her. &he saw that he was going to have Auite a "ruise and felt a twinge of remorse. Huthlessly she stam ed on it. (ut his smile was turning her "ones to water as she clung des erately to her resolution, reminding herself that he didn't really love her. =hat he must never know how much she loved him. He was s eaking again. =om and I think that ;ucinda overheard when I told him I intended to marry you. =hat she sli ed the money into the note when I left the li"rary to find my seal. =om thinks she was on the terrace. He sighed. I'm sorry, &o hie. =hat letter was the most useless "it of corres ondence I've ever enned. 5y only excuse is that I've never actually written a ro osal of marriage "efore, or even a genuine love letter. %nd I was a "it ressed for time. Fan you forgive meB It was "ecoming harder and harder to "reathe, let alone s eak. =he lum in her throat com"ined with a "urning rickle in her eyes to make s eech nigh on im ossi"le. %t last she s oke in a voice that seemed to "reak. 5y lord, surely there need "e no retence "etween us. Cou offer marriage "ecause you have accidentally com romised me and in so doing have given &trathallen a wea on to use against me. I have acce ted your offer "ecause if I do not, I must lose 4it. !hat more remains to "e saidB &he saw his fist clench. ?ust this, &o hie. He dragged in a dee "reath. =heir misunderstanding had gone far enough. I'm offering marriage "ecause I damned well have to! =his was said with considera"le violence. %nd then, as the "itter agony of des air flooded her soft eyes, he added, (ut not for any of the reasons you might "e forgiven for thinking. He stood u and crossed the remaining s ace "etween them and set his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her over"right eyes. Her whole "ody stiffened at the touch of his hands, his nearness, his overwhelming masculine strength. =here was a hint of laughter in his voice as he said, ;eaving aside the minor circumstance that there are four eo le in line to call me out if I don't marry you as fast as ossi"le, namely the :arl and Fountess of Darleston, =om Ham ton and my %unt 5aria, to which you might as well add %nna and =hea %ndrews as well as 4it and Eanny>I have to marry you "ecause if I don't, I'm going to "e infernally unha y! % sudden res onsive tremor ran through her and he went on. %nd I did think marriage was necessary the other day, you little idiot! I know that letter of mine was less than ex licit and I grant the money must have "een a facer, "ut didn't it occur to you that if I didn't want marriage I would have $ust taken my leasure with you in the carriageB Do you think I don't know how easily you could have "een ersuaded the other nightB Eor 8od's sake, &o hie, I'm in love with you! =ake my word for it> that's the only reason you're still a virgin.

=here was a moment's silence while &o hie took in this im assioned declaration. &he wanted to "elieve it, her heart "egged for its release, "ut still she hesitated. =he shadows of dou"t still weighed in on her. =hat he desired her was o"vious, and she knew that he was fond of her, "ut marriageB !as that really what he wantedB %nd if so, why on earth had he "een courting ;ucinda %nsteyB ;ord Helford, however, did not hesitate. &eeing her mouth o en and feeling that enough had "een said and that further ex lanations or arguments could wait, he swe t her into his arms and sto ed her mouth in the only effective way he knew. His li s claimed hers irrevoca"ly in a searing kiss and she was held in a gri which threatened to "reak several ri"s. Des ite her lingering dou"ts, she yielded com letely, her mouth o ening under his assault with all the sweetness he remem"ered. !ith a wrenching groan he dee ened the kiss, whirling her into the vortex of a di##ying assion. Irresisti"ly he "acked her to the sofa until her calves hit it. %nd then with a satisfied grunt he scoo ed her u to dum her unceremoniously u on it, where he $oined her at once without ever "reaking the kiss. His hands were everywhere, caressing and stroking. =he light muslin gown was no rotection against his wicked ex ertise. He revelled in the softness, the sweetness of her "reasts, kneading and teasing until with a dee ly lundering kiss his long, ex erienced fingers found a taut ni le and massaged it tenderly. :ncouraged "y her moan of leasure, he a"andoned himself to the task of convincing her that their marriage was inevita"le, a glorious necessity. Her mouth clung to his, a miracle of loving surrender. Her whole "ody under his was warm and liant. (ut when he finally raised his head to ga#e down at her, her eyes, when they fluttered o en, told him that he had only "een artially successful. &he had yielded)she loved him)"ut the shadowed eyes told him that still she dou"ted>could not Auite "elieve that he loved her. &o hie) he whis ered, des airingly. &he trem"led in his arms. I)I have agreed, my lord. 6lease, I do not reAuire rotestations of devotion) !hen are we to "e marriedB His heart contracted in ain as he sat u , releasing her. &o calm, so hurt. How the hell could he reassure herB 6assion was atently useless. It might "ind her to him, there"y increasing her sense of hurt, "ut would she ever "elieve that it meant anything to himB 9nthinkingly he said "luntly, =he "anns will "e called for the first time on &unday. It's all arranged. %rranged! &o hie stared at him in dismay. Had he "een so sure of herB &o sure that she would "e so des erate to retrieve her re utation that she would lea at his ro osalB Did he care so little for her that he had actually arranged the wedding without so much as asking her who should "e invitedB Eury surged u again to mingle with the mind<num"ing ain. &he was not going to "e organised and) and managed like one of his mistresses! &eething with hurt outrage, she scram"led to her feet.

If I am going to marry you, my lord, we had "etter get something clear. she said in shaking tones. Eirstly, even if I do manage the word obey without choking on it, I haven't said it yet, and I do not a reciate "eing ridden over roughshod! I have no intention of "eing treated as one of your convenients. &he "lushed fierily as she said this, and added, 7ot even a convenient wife. He stared u at her. %nd then he groaned. Oh, hell! I'm sorry, &o hie. I didn't mean to "e so damned officious! =om's right, it's a shocking ha"it and I'm counting on you to cure me of it. Eor 8od's sake, don't think I take you for granted, or that I mean to "e arrogant. It's $ust that I want you so much that I tend to get carried away! %nd when I found out what was "eing said)I saw the @icar on the way over "ecause I wanted to straighten everything out as Auickly as ossi"le) &o hie flinched. &he was right, then. Eor a moment, when she had seen the hurt in his face, she had ho ed) (ut he was, after all, marrying her only to rotect her name. :very nerve in her "ody tightened. 7o! His voice, harsh and shaking, dragged her eyes to his. He surged to his feet and gras ed her hands, drawing her to him inexora"ly. =he green de ths held a fear and a ain that shocked her, the lanes of his face set and tense. Eor goodness' sake, you have to listen to me, &o hie. I do want to rotect you. I can't deny that. (ut it's "ecause I love you. 7ot "ecause I nearly ruined you. &weetheart, it's not my honour, "ut my heart that's "egging you to marry me. 6lease, &o hie. Cou)you really want meB &he still couldn't Auite "elieve it. Didn't dare to "elieve it. Her heart trem"led at the intensity in his voice as he said, =hree weeks, &o hie. =he "anns will "e called on &unday. 8ive me that time to convince you, my love. I know I've "een a fool, that I've hurt you and confused you. !ill you trust me, $ust this one last timeB !ords would not form, and even if they had, would not have made it ast the choking lum in her throat. &he could only nod hel lessly as he raised her hand to his li s.

'ha()er +,f)een

=he following morning 6enelo e Darleston descended u on !illow"ank House like a whirlwind and removed &o hie to Darleston Fourt, effortlessly sAuashing David's lan to remove his "ride to Helford 6lace. &he said cheerfully that her cha eronage was the "est way of sto ing any malicious tongues dead in their tracks and forestalling any more difficulties. ?ust what she meant "y difficulties was left unsaid. %nd somehow her matter<of<fact attitude did wonders for &o hie's uncertain s irits. &he seemed to take it for granted that Helford was tail over to in love and that his near "etrothal to ;ucinda had "een a minor a"erration. 6eter did exactly the same, you know, she confided in the carriage. =he only difference was that he actually chose me, for all the wrong reasons, "ut then had the sense to fall in love. Helford has merely muddied the waters a "it more. =he main thing is that he has come to his senses at last. David swiftly realised that, des ite ;ady Darleston's amused attitude towards his very o"vious frustration, she had actually assisted him indirectly. %s had ;ady 5aria "y inviting 4it and =hea %ndrews to move into Helford 6lace immediately. &he had also invited ;ord &trathallen to remove from the Helford %rms, in order that he might "ecome acAuainted with his heir. 7ot unnaturally, 4it was eager to see his aunt nearly every day and, since this involved Helford and &trathallen escorting "oth 4it and Eanny over on their onies, David's visits to his "etrothed were thoroughly and unexce tiona"ly cha eroned. % situation which his su osed friend and ally, 6eter Darleston, laughed at o enly. 7evertheless, des ite the fact that he could "arely steal a kiss without interru tion, David had to admit that the three weeks' enforced ro riety gave him the o ortunity to fully convince &o hie of his love for her once and for all. He found that taking the children riding was the "est way of at least "eing a"le to talk to &o hie without interru tion. !ith their innocently efficient cha erons cantering ahead with &trathallen on one of their earliest rides, he was a"le to ex lain all his confusion to &o hie without "eing distracted "y the assion simmering "eneath the surface, flaring into life. %s they rode he was a"le to tell her what a fool he'd "een. I never intended to offer you a carte blanche, sweetheart, he assured her. %t first I didn't realise why I ke t wanting to see you, why DI worried a"out you. He groaned. I should have realised when 8arfield tried to ersuade you to marry him,

"ut I was so damn confused. I was ractically "etrothed to ;ucinda and I'd convinced myself that she)or rather the sort of marriage she offered)was what I wanted. % marriage of convenienceB she asked Auietly. Cou never cared for herB =hat was not art of the "argain, he answered. ;ucinda made it Auite lain that ours was to "e a)a union of dynasties, not individuals. %nd I was so damned cynical a"out love and women that I thought I wanted it as well. 9ntil I met you and you turned all my stu id notions inside out! 5eB &o hie was stunned. !hat did I doB He laughed harshly. !hat did you doB Cou risked your life to save that wretched urchin. Cou refused to marry for money or security, instead you rotected 4it's interests $ust as gallantly as you saved ?em. %nd the day I saw you with the &im kins "a"y, realised how much you longed for your own children, and tried to warn you to rotect yourself from hurt, you forced me to see that I'd s ent twelve years running scared, rather than living. He saw $oy lea into her eyes and understood at once. It's not $ust desire I feel for you, my love, he avowed very softly. I won't deny it's there, "ut that didn't rom t me to marriage. If I had sim ly desired you, I'd have "een a"le to control my longing to see you. I would never have asked you to "e my mistress under any circumstances. He laughed oddly. I also wanted to rotect you, even from myself. % fact which was "rought home to me when 8arfield tried to force his attentions on you. I'd never felt like that in my entire life. Oh, I dare say I'd have defended any woman in that situation, "ut I wouldn't have felt so)so ersonally involved)as though something "elonging to me had "een violated. =rem"ling, her hand stretched out to him. He gras ed it at once and held it reassuringly. =rust me, &o hie. If I hadn't loved you, my "etrothal to ;ucinda would have "een announced "efore we sat down to dinner that ghastly night. %t that oint I was still dithering. I knew I loved you and it scared the hell out of me. !hat your song did was force me to realise that I couldn't run away from what was "etween us. =hat all my su osed conviction that I wanted a marriage of convenience was no more than a smokescreen for my own fear of "eing hurt again. I meant to offer for you in the carriage, "ut like a fool I kissed you first and lost control. I was so stunned "y what I felt for you that I couldn't even ex ress it. He felt her fingers cling. Her voice, soft and shaking. =hen you have relieved my mind, my heart, of its only fearI that you were marrying me for a com"ination of o"ligation and desire. =hat you were fond enough of me to sacrifice what you really wanted. =ears hung on her lashes as he said harshly, 7o, &o hie. I've made the right choice. I've chosen love. =o his inex ressi"le $oy he saw the shadows lift from her eyes and knew that she was his. =hat she had finally and irrevoca"ly acce ted the truth of his love. %s he had.

!ith that concern off his mind, "y the wedding morning the only consideration weighing on David was how soon he could decently remove his "ride from the wedding feast and take her "ack to !illow"ank House. =o the enormous "ed that he had arranged to have installed in &o hie's "edcham"er. %s weddings go, it was small, with only close friends and family. =o wit, ;ady 5aria, the children, the Darlestons, =om Ham ton, &trathallen, the %sterfields and, to David's startled delight, 8eorge Farstares and 5iss &arah Efolliot. 4ate had sent a letter announcing that they were coming. %nd would Helford lease ensure that there were no more ratsB 8eorge and &arah sim ly a eared at Darleston Fourt, the day after the notice a eared in the Morning Post. DEraid we $ust assumed, old cha , had said 8eorge, wringing the groom's hand in o"vious delight. !e're not getting married for another month so we left &arah's mother with the re arations and came! &o David Fharles 5elville, @iscount Helford, took to wife 5iss &o hia %nn 5arsden, a woman who em"odied none of the virtues he had so coldly deemed necessary in a wife. %nd he s oke his vows in the full and certain knowledge that he had finally got it right. =he "last of a roval at his "ack from family and friends assured him that they knew it too. (y eight o'clock that evening he was settling his da#ed and sweetly exhausted "ride safely in his arms. Her naked, liant "ody was intimately entangled with his, her head resting on his shoulder. He viewed with intense satisfaction the fact that &o hie was, at long last, his. =otally and irrevoca"ly. Fom letely ignoring %nna's offer of refreshment when they arrived "ack, he had icked his "ride u and carried her u stairs to her "edcham"er. He had not even dared to kiss her in the carriage on the way over. He was going to have her in "ed, "ut he was not going to wait a moment longer! &o hie lay stunned in his em"race. 7ot even his near seduction in the carriage after the dinner arty had re ared her for the $oy and ecstasy that had flooded her when he at last took ossession of her trem"ling, arching "ody. He had "een so tender with her, des ite the "la#ing desire that was consuming him. !hen he had set her on her feet after carrying her u to her "edcham"er, he had taken her mouth in the most gentle of kisses, framing her face in his hands. It was only after several minutes that she realised that one of his hands had somehow found its way to her lacings and that her gown was in some mysterious way sliding down over her "reasts, her waist and ooling in a silken whis er around her feet. He had drawn her "ack into his arms as he released the "ow of her chemise and cu ed one "reast in a large ossessive hand, ru""ing his thum" "ack and forth over the ni le, calling forth a whim er of leasure as her senses s iralled in a di##ying vortex of assion. =his time at last, there would "e no drawing "ack, no more frustration. =his time he would take what was his and she ressed herself to him urgently, eager to give him everything he wanted.

&he had felt him feather "urning, searing kisses along the neck line of her chemise, teasing her until she wriggled to "e free of the wretched thing and with a dee , seductive chuckle he had o"ligingly removed it as well as her etticoat. =hen he had swung her into his arms again, lacing her gently on the "ed, which she had dimly realised was rather larger than she recalled. His eyes had never left her as he stri ed. (la#ing with incandescent desire they had roamed her Auivering "ody as she had watched him divest himself of his clothes. Only when he un"uttoned his "reeches had her virgin shyness asserted itself, her eyes fluttering shut almost unwillingly. =hen he was "eside her on the "ed, his arms enfolding her to lie in his em"race, a large, com elling hand on one satiny hi moulding her to him as he moved his thro""ing loins against her in a slow, yet inexora"le rhythm. Des ite his screaming need, David had held himself in check as he made love to her. 7ever rushing her, he lavished untold attention on every exAuisite detail, "ringing into lay all his ex ertise. He savoured to the full her unhesitating and glorious surrender to his demands, to his caressing hands and his increasingly ossessive mouth. !hen at last his hands and mouth had "rought her to the oint of insanity she had heard a so""ing voice she could "arely recognise as hers "egging him to take her. It seemed that was all he had "een waiting for. His weight had shifted immediately, inning her to the "ed, vulnera"le in the aching em tiness that cried out within her. His hand had ressed her thighs a art in uns oken command, a groan of dee satisfaction tearing from him as he settled himself "etween them)for a moment he had continued to caress her, his arousal ressing against her)and then with a tender murmur)oh, 8od)he had taken her in one gentle, "ut masterful movement of his loins)he had lain motionless for a moment, soothing her involuntary cry of ain, waiting for her to relax "efore he allowed himself to move)and when he had! &he had thought she would die of the agony of delight his owerful "ody evoked as gradually he allowed her to feel the full force of his assion. His loving had "rought her to the limits of ecstasy and further, to a lace where thought was sus ended and only assion and "reathless, searing sensation existed)a world of feeling where she had soared in unfettered $oy. %nd now as she lay nestled in his arms, her "ody relaxed in sweet exhaustion, his tender, adoring whis ers assured her "eyond all dou"t that she was loved. &he was his. Fom letely and irrevoca"ly. David held her and gloried in the thought as she drifted towards slee , her silken lim"s and "ody entwined with his. 7ever had he felt like this in all his life. =his sense of com letion, of total ossession, of "eing ossessed in return. =hat he had not merely taken, "ut had actually given. He remem"ered that he had once thought that in lying with &o hie he would "e truly making love for the first time. It was all that and more. His arms tightened a"out her and she sighed eacefully. Dearest. His voice was husky, the merest whis er, "ut she turned slightly in his arms, her silky softness

caressing him, and ressed a kiss on his shoulder. &miling, his li s gently "rushed her hair. Einally, after all his years of wandering, he had come home. %nd love was, after all, the most convenient choice he could ossi"ly have made. GGGGG