Thirteen

Apensive sigh slipped from Colton Wyndham's lips as he approached the wide expanse of mullioned windows that provided a view of the rolling, partially forested countryside typical of the vast acreage included within his holdings and that which surrounded his ancestral home. Normally he would have reveled in the variety of wildlife that could be seen from the windows, but this morning he hardly noticed the pair of deer grazing in a distant field, the rabbits scurrying in the grass beyond the gardens, or the small flock of birds flitting to and fro outside the windows and around the eaves of the manor. As in recent weeks, he found himself once again beset by visions of Adriana elegantly garbed or in all manner of disarray, laughing, crying, sleeping, or awake, but always paramount in his imagination, enslaving his thoughts with her melodious siren's song. Like some puckish sprite with dark, luminous eyes, she flitted in and out through the shadowed fringes of his mind, vexing his concentration no matter how meager or great the task in which he tried to involve himself. Though he had once thought himself immune to the subtle ploys of women, he had begun to suspect that he would never be free of Adriana, no matter the depths or heights he'd traverse or the continent to which he'd flee in a quest to seek his independence. Yet, as much as she ensnared his thoughts, he found his dreams even more daunting to his manly pride, for within them he seemed more her slave than conqueror, as she led him into fantasies no virginal maid could even imagine, much less instigate.

A month earlier, he had traveled to London to deal with matters relating to his marquessate, and he had thought while there he'd seek easement for his goading passions with Pandora and thereby thrust the younger woman out of his mind. More fool he to think he could escape the dark-haired beauty so easily. So preoccupied had he been with Adriana and the quandary in which he had become entrapped that he couldn't even rally enough enthusiasm to visit Pandora, much less imagine his ardor could be stirred to any degree by the actress. And yet, that very same night, his musings had drifted back to that moment wherein he had found Adriana lying asleep in his bath, and his desires had risen full mast in a thrice of a moment, and no amount of pacing had been effective in alleviating his goading lusts.

Colton groaned inwardly, recognizing the taut rope upon which he balanced. He had lost count of the months that had passed since he had last made love to a woman, definitely the better part of a year. If he didn't find relief fairly soon for his manly needs, the pain he was experiencing would leave him a damned eunuch! He was sure of it!

What had his father done to him?

He halted suddenly, startled by the blame he readily cast elsewhere. His sire wasn't at fault; it was his own doing. He could have rejected his parent's edict, paid the Suttons remuneration for his affront, and claimed the right to choose whomever he pleased for a wife. And yet, he had been loath to walk away from the opportunity to test the strong attraction that seemed to bind his heart and mind to Adriana. It was she who had set her gentle hooks into him, making him virtually useless to other women.

By providing an escort in the form of Samantha and Percy,he had thought to get through their courtship without pressing his suit beyond acceptable measures. Being chaperoned in such a manner certainly kept him from getting too carried away and compromising the lady's innocence. Unfortunately, the presence of his kin also caused him enormous frustration. More times than he cared to recall, he had found himself trying to subdue a strengthening urge to find a secluded niche private enough to kiss and caress the beauty until she could not withstand his ardent besiegement any longer and would yield to his manly persuasions. Any dark, secretive alcove would have seen him lifting her skirts and having his way with her.

Try though he did, he couldn't thrust from mind her eager response to his kiss or her acquiescence to the possessive claim his hand had made on her buttock after Roger's attack. He knew well enough that if ever he began fondling her again, there'd be no turning back.

So much for standing firm against his father's edict. He was nothing more than a bleating lamb skipping merrily along toward his own slaughter!

Only one month remained of their courtship, and he didn't even know if he'd be able to keep his hands off the lady long enough to allow a big wedding to be planned. The more they were together, the more he could foresee the risk of her standing potbellied with child before a rector.

Thus far, he had exerted every measure of restraint he had been capable of rallying in an effort to quell the procreative instincts that could goad a man and, with equal urgency, to revive that small shred of pride compelling him to stay true to his resolve and remain his own man. Even the thought of that idea had now become rather laughable. To be sure, what Adriana had managed to do with his perseverance in the last several weeks was no less than criminal. To wit: While shaving recently, he had nearly sliced his own throat, albeit accidentally, when it suddenly dawned on him what had been flaring through his brain, Courtship, be damned! Get on with the wedding and let the bedding be done!

Had he lost his wits? Did musings of that sort seem even remotely akin to what he was capable of thinking? He had never met a woman he couldn't thrust easily from mind … that is, until he had returned home and realized the girl he had rejected years ago had become a dazzling beauty. As adamantly as he had revolted against the idea of accepting his father's choice before his departure, it didn't placate his pride one iota to realize that Adriana was swiftly becoming his choice.

Frustrated, he was. Of that, he had no doubt. No one, especially the lady, had any notion how much control he had to maintain over himself to keep from absconding with her.

That event would certainly raise a few eyebrows!

So, what was he to do? Continue on as if his vitals hadn't been knotted up so tightly in his stomach that he wanted to groan in pain? It seemed as if the previously invincible gut-strings of his self-control were playing an entirely different tune lately, and he was sure if he listened closely enough, he'd hear amid the chaotic rhythm presently vexing his manly mood the distant tolling of wedding bells, all because of a beautiful, charming, heroic young woman with whom he was falling deeply in love.

"Lord Randwulf and the Burkes have arrived, my lady," the butler announced after Maud had let him into his young mistress's bedchamber. "They're awaiting your presence in the vestibule. Shall I show them into the drawing room?"

"No need, Charles. Please inform them that I'll be down directly. I won't be but a moment more." Adriana swept a hand toward the chaise where Maud had laid out her red velvet cloak. "Would you be so kind as to take my wrap down with you please, Charles?"

"Yes, my lady." The servant smiled. Of the three Sutton siblings, only the Lady Adriana voiced her requests with such sweetly appealing pleas.

As the steward left and Maud busied herself with setting the chambers in order, Adriana rose from her dressing table andretrieved the Christmas present she had made for the elderly Samuel Gladstone. She had every hope the fleece-lined velvet stocking cap would be effective not only in keeping the old man warm during the cold nights ahead, but in warding off maladies that could very well weaken his valiant spirit and aging body. He was such a treasure to the people of the town and the area encompassing it that she had no doubt that he'd be sorely missed if he were to expire.

It wasn't until Maud glanced around that Adriana realized she had heaved another troubled sigh. It seemed she had been doing that much too frequently of late, but as in the past, it failed to ease her pensive mood.

"Is all well wit' yu, m'liedy?" the older woman inquired worriedly.

"Of course, Maud," she replied, hoping to ease the servant's concerns. Heartening herself, however, would be a different matter entirely. As much as Colton had escorted her to this or that affair during the past two months, it had always been in the company of others. It seemed a convenient way for him to provide evidence that he was doing nothing untoward during this three-month tenure. At its conclusion, she fully expected him to announce that he had paid his full due to his father's edict and had decided he preferred freedom over marriage with her. The Burkes' verification of his gentlemanly comportment would give him an easy, viable escape. That gloomy prospect weighed down her spirits perhaps as nothing else had ever done. What else could she believe except that Colton Wyndham wanted to be free of her forevermore?

Enough of this!Adriana mentally chided herself and gathered together the ragged shreds of her tenacity. If Colton dismissed her from his life, then surely she'd be better off without him, for she'd be loath to marry a man who didn't want her. Getting over the hurt, however, would prove an horrendous ordeal, but given enough time, she'd eventually manage. She had certainly survived his first rebuff; she would endure the second. Still, she had never known how much her heart could bemoved by a man until Colton had come back into her life. Their courtship had caused her moments of painful confusion, yet, just as often, pleasure that lightened her heart and made it soar. Merely being with her handsome courtier had done much to enlighten her as to the many delights to be found in a relationship between a man and a woman. Even small deeds seemed much more evocative when he performed them, such as when he pulled her arm through his and escorted her here or there. To see the smile that normally followed such services seemed to lift her whole being on airy wings.

Colton's gallantry had been sweepingly evident even at the commencement of their courtship. The Sunday following the Autumn Ball, he had arrived at Wakefield Manor in the afternoon to formally initiate it. With a grin reminiscent of his boyish years, he had presented her with a lavish bouquet of flowers, admitting somewhat sheepishly that a servant had collected them from the conservatory, albeit with Philana's permission. That unexpected awkwardness in so stalwart a man had touched her in ways she had never known possible.

Faced with the prospect of having every word he uttered in the manor being overheard by her parents, he had invited her to take a stroll with him through the gardens, which in late October had certainly not been at their best. Yet she had readily concurred, knowing there'd be enough of a nip in the chilled breezes to redden her nose and cheeks and disguise the blushes that were wont to sweep into her cheeks whenever she recalled not only her lack of clothing when he had kissed her the night after Roger's attack, but her yearning to have him hold and comfort her.

The lofty hedges surrounding Wakefield gardens had afforded them cozy places of privacy, and her tensions had begun to ease soon after he had engaged her in conversation. Until that moment, Adriana had never realized what a complex individual Colton had become. He had talked candidly about his experiences in the military, and, in subtle ways, confirmed his streak of independence. During his military career, he hadhad several unexpected confrontations with the enemy wherein he had been forced to improvise and make decisions contrary to orders he had been issued rather than see his men needlessly slain. No one after hearing his stories could doubt his self-sufficiency, and she had felt honored that he had revealed things about himself that he hadn't been inclined to tell his own kin, much of which had had to do with the rift he had caused by his departure from home and the difficulty in coping with the horrendous emptiness of his loss and his separation from his family. After being sent to Africa, however, he had been too busy to think of home and what he had left behind, and much of his remorse had faded from conscious thought.

When he had recounted humorous incidents that had happened during his career as an officer, Adriana had found herself laughing beyond measure at his tales and, in every respect, enjoying their repartee. He had a relaxed, compelling manner about him, and what seemed even more admiring in her estimation was the fact that he was capable of laughing at himself and openly jesting about his idiosyncrasies. Those he mentioned seemed far more charming than vexing. In short, she found him a truly remarkable individual, the sort she'd have chosen to marry had she been given a chance to make the selection herself.

Invited to stay for supper later that evening, Colton had assured her parents that it would not only give him great delight to do so, but would also please his mother who was no doubt hoping and praying that he'd enjoy his visit. He had sat across the table from Adriana, from whence he had seemed liberally disposed to peruse her for the better part of the meal. Much later that evening, as he was preparing to leave, they had stood together outside the front door of Wakefield Manor and held hands as they spoke of family and other things. Then, after snuggling the hood of her cloak close about her face, he had kissed her in a way that had set her heart to fluttering. It had been a sweet little morsel that had united their lips and threatened to engage their tongues as his own whisked tantalizingly across her mouth and slipped briefly inward. Quite abruptly,however, he had set her from him, cleared his throat as he overlapped his redingote in front of himself, and then had briskly taken his departure, leaving her smiling in secret pleasure as she wandered back into the house and up to her bedchamber. Long after snuggling beneath her bedcovers, she had still been reveling in the fact that their kiss had affected him in ways she would never disclose to anyone.

Since that first visit, her parents had been encouraged by Colton's apparent eagerness to get on with the courtship and had remarked numerous times on his suave, impeccable manners. Adriana didn't dare tell them that when it suited his purposes, Colton Wyndham could also be a devilish rogue and a bit of a roué at times.

Properly chaperoned by the Burkes, they had spent several days of the following week in Bath where they had shopped, attended plays, musical events, and other social gatherings. By the end of that same expanse of time, nearly everyone in England had become aware that they were a couple, or so it had been bandied about by numerous rumors.

As for Roger, her father had come close to killing him the night of his attack on her person. When the young man finally regained consciousness well after the guests had left, the elder had pressed a cocked pistol very close to the tip of Roger's nose as he voiced his indignation. Such a display of paternal rage had left the apprentice quailing in terror and pleading for his life amid a profusion of frightened tears. It had only been her mother's wise counsel that had caused Gyles to concede that killing the man would only arouse the curiosity of the gossips. Nevertheless, her father had warned Roger that if he dared approach within close proximity to her ever again while she was unattended that he'd well rue the day. For that offense, he would either be chased down and gelded on the spot or be forced to face far more serious consequences, which would come upon him when he least expected it. For the time being, however, he would allow Roger to go about his affairs without bringing charges against him. It wasn't that Gyles had felt the least bit merciful toward the man; he had just had a sharp aversion to his daughter's name being sullied by an avaricious band of talebearers who'd make much of her near-ravishment.

Concluding his apprenticeship shortly thereafter, Roger had assumed management of the mill and proved his potential by bringing in profits purportedly equal to those once reaped by the original owner, Thomas Winter, a feat Edmund Elston had failed to accomplish in spite of his inclination to laud his own ingenuity. After cruelly maligning his son over his failure to win Lady Adriana, the elder had evidently received his just due, or so some of the mill's employees had whispered, for shortly thereafter the elder had suffered a seizure that had left him bedridden and in something of a confused stupor. The fact that the rebuke had taken place in front of the workers had all but severed the tenuous rapport that for the last year had existed between sire and son. Still, there were those who had been cognizant of the fact that Edmund Elston had written out his will well before their rift and, because he had no other next of kin or close friends, had named his son heir of all his possessions and properties. Some had even predicted upon the man's demise that Roger Elston would become a fairly rich man. Edmund's constitution, however, had soon negated all the morbid predictions he would soon die. His housekeeper even went so far as to say that she saw daily improvement in the man.

Purportedly Roger was now wooing Felicity. For some unknown reason, Stuart had lost interest in the miller's granddaughter shortly after the Autumn Ball, and, to everyone's surprise and Adriana's immense delight, he had begun courting Berenice Carvell, whose proportions in the recent two months had diminished by a noticeable degree. As a result, her comeliness was becoming more and more apparent. As for Riordan Kendrick, he had been rather reclusive since that same event, seeing no lady at all, only intimate friends, or so the rumors had gone. Hearsay had it that he was supervising repairs currently being made to his own private chambers at his estate on the far side of Bradford, and that both London and Bradford woodwrights had been engaged to create paneling beautiful enough to please a discriminating marquess. His housekeeper, Mrs. Rosedale, knew only that he had wanted to make some changes in the manor, for what reasons she wouldn't even speculate. No one had been able to obtain further information, as much as the overtly curious were wont to query many of his household servants whenever they'd venture out to shop. They only repeated what Mrs. Rosedale had volunteered, and nothing else was forthcoming. Their inability to discover his lordship's reasons left gossips all the way from London to Bath in a veritable quandary for fear they were missing some juicy tidbit.

It was upon Riordan Kendrick and his aspirations to have her for his wife that Adriana sought to turn her thoughts as she made her way from her bedchamber. To some degree, Riordan's proposal of marriage served to reassure her that she was honorably desired by someone. Still, upon nearing the central hall where her escort awaited her, she hoped that just once she wouldn't be able to liken Colton to some gorgeous phantom being who had come down to earth for the express purpose of stealing her heart and perhaps even her very soul.

"Good evening," she greeted, forcing a cheery smile as she approached her handsome courtier and their chaperones. If truth be told, she yearned to return to the privacy of her bedchamber where she'd make a desperate attempt to forget that Colton Wyndham had ever returned to disrupt her life. Much to her regret, she had fallen in love with the man, and she despaired of the moment wherein he'd coldly kiss her cheek and terminate their parents' agreement. It certainly didn't help the pace of her heart to discover that her frivolous wish of an earlier moment had been to no avail, for he was the very epitome of a tall, flawlessly handsome, aristocratic gentleman.

Samantha hurried forward and fondly pressed a kiss upon her friend's cheek. "You took your own sweet time getting down here," she teased with a grin. "Why, if I were at all suspicious, I'd be inclined to say you have no wish to attend Mr. Gladstone's Christmas party." As her eyes searched the dark, luminous depths and found no hint of joy, she queried more pointedly, "Or is it that you wish to avoid Roger and Felicity, who'll certainly be there?"

Though her closest friend and confidant had hit close enough to the truth to make her almost flinch, Adriana feigned surprise as Charles brought her velvet cloak. "Why should I wish to avoid them?"

"Because, you goose," Samantha replied with warm, chuckling laughter, "Felicity is wont to claim to every sympathetic ear that you led Roger merrily along until Colton came home. Of course, dear Roger, bless his black heart, magnanimously nods in agreement." She clasped the thin fingers and, finding them trembling and as cold as ice, searched the dark eyes with growing concern. "We don't have to go to Stanover House at all if you'd rather not, Adriana."

"We're going," the younger woman declared resolutely, taking herself firmly in hand. "We'll be visiting Samuel Gladstone, not his granddaughter. After that, whether we stay or go will be entirely up to the three of you."

As much as Colton sought to maintain a gentlemanly serenity in Adriana's presence, he felt his vitals once again being turned inside out. It happened each and every time he laid eyes on her, for she was the very fabric of every lofty vision he had ever formed of the ideal woman. There had been many times while in her presence when he had felt like a simple lackey before a queen. This evening she looked no less than regal in a dove-gray, silk-lace gown that clung sublimely to her slender, curving form.

Having halted Charles with a hand upon his arm, Colton silently claimed the lady's cloak from the butler and stepped behind her. Leaning near as he spread the garment around her shoulders, he murmured above her ear, "Your perfection leaves me besotted, my sweet."

The warm, mellow tones of his voice undermined Adriana's efforts to remain distantly detached from the man. His words seemed to resonate through her being, much like a lover's caress

stroking vulnerable areas. She felt doubly defeated when his lean knuckles brushed her bare shoulder. Although nearly dissolving in bliss, she managed a wavering whisper in spite of the tremor he evoked within her. "You're very gallant, my lord."

Her delicate scent was merely one of the many temptations Colton was forced to confront whenever he was near the lady. She always smelled as if she had just emerged from a swirling sea of rose petals. Although he'd have greatly preferred to limit such delicious assaults on his poorly depleted restraint, he was beginning to suspect that in comparison, standing firm against Napoleon's forces had been child's play.

Although clearly capable of recognizing the folly of lingering overlong at such tasks, Colton couldn't resist straightening her collar and smoothing the garment over her shoulders. Touching her even casually seemed far more stimulating to his goading desires than anything he had experienced heretofore with other women. So, too, the sights to which his gaze was privy as he stood behind her. His height gave him the advantage, for he could from that angle peruse her creamy breasts to a greater depth, a view he deliberately sought more than he cared to admit even to himself. He was always eager for a fresh glimpse of the pale orbs or their delicate pink peaks barely visible through the gossamer lace trim of her satin chemise.

From across the room, it had seemed at first glance as if she wore nothing at all beneath the lace scrollwork of her gown. As much as his manly propensities would have been greatly heartened by such sights, he knew Adriana would never have worn anything so risqué. She was a refined lady, after all. Still, whatever hopes he had briefly nurtured were dashed when he realized a flesh-colored silk facing lined her lace gown from shoulder to hem.

"I overheard Samantha teasing you," he murmured for her ears alone, leaning near to catch the fragrance of roses wafting from her temple. It always seemed far more delectable in that area than any spot he had yet discovered, leading him to thinkthat she dabbed a tiny drop or two of perfume there as a finale to her grooming. "You needn't fear Roger while I'm with you. I won't let him hurt you, Adriana."

A smile flitted tentatively across Adriana's soft lips as she turned to look at him over her shoulder. No one but Colton, her parents, and a few trusted servants knew of Roger's attack upon her person. Colton hadn't even told Samantha, which was well, for her friend would never have been able to carry off the pretense of being nice to Roger.

Though Colton made every effort to resist the appeal of those innocent, doe-eyed looks, he could feel the meager store of his resolve waning. He could only imagine what his heart was doing. At times such as these, he had cause to wonder why he delayed asking for the lady's hand. If merely for the sake of his pride, then he could believe the only one he was punishing was himself, for he couldn't imagine a virgin being tormented by cravings of the magnitude he had recently been suffering. And if in a tiny segment of his brain he was still entertaining hopes of seeking his freedom after being so sweetly cajoled by the lady for the whole of their courtship, then he had no doubt that the moment of his departure would be akin to a fool tearing out his own heart and trampling it carelessly underfoot as he walked out the door.

"We'd better be on our way," he breathed, endeavoring to curb his unabated longings. He moved around to her side and offered his hand. "Mr. Gladstone will be expecting us fairly early this evening."

"I heard it said that Felicity arranged everything in accordance with her grandfather's Christmas feasts from previous times," Adriana replied, feigning a bright smile as she tried to rally her enthusiasm. "Considering how crowded Stanover House has been in the past, ‘twill be fortunate if we even get to see Mr. Gladstone, much less chat with him."

"I believe that's exactly why he urged us to come early," Colton replied, grinning aside at her. "I think the old man is quite fond of you and Samantha and doesn't wish to miss an opportunity to see you both."

A smile curved her soft lips. "Well, we happen to be just as fond of Mr. Gladstone."

"I really don't think you're aware of your effect on men, my dear," he challenged. Though his grin seemed to suggest that he was teasing her, he was never more serious in his life.

Her brows gathering in bemusement, she peered up at him. "What do you mean?"

He reached out a hand and brushed a stray curl from her cheek as his eyes probed hers. "For my own protection, my dear, I think I'd better keep you ignorant of your winning appeal. It's becoming more and more difficult to withstand your assaults."

Her brows gathered in confusion. "Assaults? What do you—?"

"Perhaps I'll explain in time," he replied, slipping his hand beneath her elbow. "As for now, Percy and Samantha are waiting for us."

Colton turned, accepted his top hat from Charles, and then presented his arm to Adriana. After whisking her out the front door, he handed her into the landau and then politely waited for Percy to perform the same task for his wife. Only after his brother-in-law had taken his seat did Colton climb in. As usual, the only place left vacant was in the most torturous area, right next to the dark-haired temptress. Though weeks ago he had ascertained that he'd be better off riding atop the coach with Bentley, it still wouldn't have been far enough away to allow him to banish Adriana from his manly awareness. As he settled into the seat beside her, he almost closed his eyes in ecstasy as her delicate fragrance twined through his senses, entangling his mind like a silken rope. As stalwart as he had once been while practicing the art of war, he could almost feel his own manly determination dissipating whenever he was near Adriana, but then, more likely it was his heart dissolving in her hand.

Soon after the landau pulled away from Wakefield Manor, Samantha leaned across and rested a gloved hand upon her brother's knee. "Percy and I have an announcement to make."

The exterior lanterns cast enough light into the carriage to readily illumine Colton's white-toothed grin. "You're selling your town house in London and moving into a larger one."

His sister sat back with an astonished gasp. "How did you know that?"

"Percy told me tonight shortly after your arrival."

Samantha tossed her head saucily as she cut her eyes askance at her chuckling husband. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him," she fussed prettily. "He has never been able to keep a secret."

"Tell them," Percy urged, squeezing her hand, "or I will."

"Tell us what?" Adriana pressed, exchanging a curious glance with Colton.

"I am in a family way," Samantha announced proudly, this time drawing a whoop from her brother who reached across to shake his brother-in-law's hand.

"Oh, how wonderful, Samantha!" Adriana warbled, feeling all warm and content of a sudden.

"Congratulations to you both," Colton chimed in. "How far along?"

"Three months or so."

He calculated the time in his head. "So the baby should be born about—?"

"My best guess is the middle of May or perhaps into June," Samantha hurriedly finished for him before leaning back with a radiant smile.

"Does Mother know?" Colton asked.

"I ran upstairs soon after we arrived at Randwulf and told her while you men were enjoying a libation in the drawing room."

Colton's broad shoulders shook with laughter. "I'm sure she was absolutely thrilled at the idea of becoming a grandmother."

"Of course," Samantha acknowledged, as if the idea of her mother's elation was something totally expected. She grinned contentedly. "Considering how long Percy and I have been married, Mama had almost lost hope that such an event would ever take place, but now, merely the anticipation of having a

baby in the family has brought a spark of life back into her eyes. She'll likely want as many as Adriana and I can produce, so you'd better settle this courtship of yours fairly quickly, Colton, so Mama can look forward to another grandchild coming soon after ours is born."

In overwhelming embarrassment, Adriana turned her face to the window as she struggled against the onslaught of a scalding blush. She wished her friend wouldn't be so bold about such things in her brother's presence. Being constantly pressured to marry her would likely force the man to flee to another part of the world, just as he had done when his father had first presented his proposal for their betrothal.

Difficult as it was to remain unruffled at the idea of Adriana getting with child, Colton managed a smile for his sister, but he had to wonder how his mother would react if in the very near future he'd dispense with his restraints and step over the boundaries of protocol in his mounting desire to make love to Adriana. His self-control was so badly frayed now that it wouldn't take much at all to goad him beyond the point of no return. Each passing day saw a further weakening of his will, pushing him toward the narrow bridge suspended over the bottomless gorge. An unwary step and he could well find himself hurtling headlong into matrimony after he took her virginity.

"Jane Fairchild is as warm and gracious as an angel," Samantha declared in muted tones shortly after the vivacious woman had shown them into the elderly miller's home. "But frankly, I think her daughter has become something of a witch since we first met her. I swear, as piercing as Felicity's glare is, I'm sure it's going to bore a hole right through us, Adriana. She looks like an adder waiting to strike."

"Shhh,someone may hear you," the younger woman cautioned, squeezing her friend's fingers warningly. She glanced around to see if she could detect heightened interest on the faces of those standing within close proximity. Seeing no evidence of such, she felt a surge of relief that her friend's whisper had not been overheard above the low drone of voices in the crowded parlor.

Samantha lightly scoffed. "Considering the way Felicity's eyes have narrowed, I wouldn't put it past her to have read the words right out of my mouth. Witches are like that, you know."

"Perhaps we should join the men upstairs and pay our respects to Mr. Gladstone before he becomes thoroughly spent. Jane said he wasn't feeling very well this evening, so I would imagine he's not up to all this company. If Colton and Percy are acceptable to the idea, we should perhaps consider taking our leave fairly early. Felicity certainly doesn't seem to want us here, and I'd rather not feel beholden to her."

Samantha chanced another glance toward the blonde and shivered, feeling a cold chill go through her. She couldn't remember ever being the recipient of such venomous glares. "What did we ever do to deserve those icy daggers? As much as we thought we were doing her a favor by inviting her on our outing, she seems to begrudge us now."

"I believe her resentment, dear friend, has something to do with the contract your father dreamt up."

Once again sliding her eyes askance toward the one who, by some strange turn of events, had become something of a nemesis to each of them, Samantha could think of no other reason for the change in the woman. "You mean because you have Colton and she doesn't. As if she ever stood a chance with my brother."

"I don't have Colton," Adriana corrected in an emphatic whisper. "He's very much his own man."

"Well, if I'm able to read anything from Felicity's glares, I'd be inclined to say that everybody else believes you do, and she's hearing their gossip."

"Then everybody is wrong. Now let's go upstairs before I become vexed with your constant insistence that Colton and I are as good as betrothed. And while I'm speaking my mind, I wish you wouldn't talk so freely about my having his children in his presence. I'm sure it embarrasses him as much as it does me."

"Doubtful," his sister rejoined, following Adriana into the inner hall. "I don't think anything embarrasses him. Morelikely than not, seeing the world as part of an army of men has made him impervious to almost everything."

Pausing on the bottom step of the stairs, Adriana turned on her friend in a bit of a huff. "If he is, then I most certainly am not, and if you insist upon carrying on with such talk, henceforth I shall refuse to go anywhere with you while Colton is present. So I urge you, Samantha, stop trying to prod him into marrying me. If he doesn't lose his temper, then I surely shall."

Casually dismissing the younger woman's threat with a shrug of her slender shoulders, Samantha glanced everywhere but at her companion. "You're just being overly sensitive about it, that's all."

Heaving a frustrated sigh over what she had come to consider a careless disregard for propriety, Adriana managed a subdued retort. "I could say you're being overly insensitive, my dear, but I doubt that would do any good."

Samantha flicked a brief sidelong glance at her friend and then looked back a second time almost as quickly. Upon closer inspection, she began to giggle as she stared intently at the tip of Adriana's nose. "I do believe Felicity's glare has left its mark on you or else, you naughty girl, you've been playing in the soot. Whether you're aware of it or not, you've acquired a dark smudge on your nose. I hope it isn't your witchy temper evidencing itself again."

In sudden consternation, Adriana glanced down at her gloved hand and discovered the leather near her fingertips now bore a dark blotch of ink. She remembered the guest book lying open on a table near the front door and could only believe the elderly lady who had entered before them had accidentally smeared ink on the pen. Stripping off her gloves, she whispered urgently, "Hurry, wipe off the smudge before someone else sees it and thinks I've grown a wart or something worse on my nose."

"Warts go right along with being witchy, you know," Samantha teased, her eyes dancing.

Adriana sighed in exasperation. "Are you going to play thesimple-pated buffoon or will you be cooperative for a change?"

Once again, Samantha's slender shoulders moved upward in placid response. "I don't have anything with which to wipe it off."

Adriana cast her eyes briefly upward as if passionately praying for patience, and then, mutedly issuing a mutter about some testy individuals, hurriedly searched through her heavily bejeweled handbag for her own dainty, lace-trimmed handkerchief. "Getting back to what we were discussing a moment ago, Lady Burke, this courtship was not your brother's idea. It was forced upon him. You'll only give him more reason to resent it if you persist with your suggestive comments about my having his baby. If you do not desist, he just might be tempted to leave Randwulf Manor as he did before."

"Bah! ‘Tis time Colton marries whether he realizes it or not. He's not getting any younger, you know, and if he intends to sire a dynasty, he'd better get started instead of merely thinking about it. He just may lose the opportunity. Which reminds me, I've heard that Lord Harcourt is having his personal chambers enlarged to include a lavish bathing room. The gossips are nearly beside themselves, thinking he's planning on getting married and not telling anyone." Samantha leveled a suspicious squint upon her friend. "Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"No, of course not," Adriana replied, hurriedly drawing the handkerchief from her purse and wiping at the spot on her nose. "Why should I, of all people, be cognizant of what he's planning?"

"Because,my dear friend, you're the only one he has shown any interest in for over a year or more. He has made no bones about desiring you as his marchioness. Did you happen to tell him that you're committed to a contract of courtship?"

"Is the smudge gone now?" Adriana asked, trying to ignore the woman's probing questions.

"No, you goose, you've only made it worse. Let me have the handkerchief. I'll wipe it away."

Submitting herself to the other's care, Adriana waited patiently as her friend scrubbed away the blotch. It was no easy task, considering that it felt like the skin was being scoured off right along with it.

"There, your nose is just fine now … except for its bright red hue," Samantha teased and then laughed as her friend groaned in annoyance. "It isn't really that bad, but for that bit of service, you must tell me all you know about Lord Harcourt's plans to marry."

"I have no idea what he intends. Ask him, if you're so curious. He'll likely tell you if you're bold enough to ask." Preferring not to be questioned further, Adriana turned abruptly about and continued up the flight of stairs, ignoring Samantha's petulant mutterings.

"You're being awfully secretive about this," the elder complained, following close behind. "Perhaps I should warn Colton…."

Adriana mentally scoffed. As if that would do any good! "Go ahead, he may decide to let Riordan take over the courtship."

"Riordan?"Samantha's tone peaked in the area of the incredulous. "You're calling him Riordan now?"

Adriana managed a noncommittal shrug in spite of the fact that she wanted to kick herself for making such a slip. "Do I not call your brother Colton?"

"You're as good as betrothed to him," Samantha declared. "I certainly hope that is not the situation between you and Riordan."

They were on the upper flight of stairs when Adriana happened to glance up and then almost gasped in alarm as she saw Roger. He had halted several steps above her, from whence he smiled at her leisurely as his gaze slowly swept her from charmingly coiffed head to dainty slippers.

"Good evening, Mr. Elston," Adriana gritted out stiltedly, hating the way her voice trembled. All the trauma she had experienced during his attack swept over her again in a thick wave, nearly choking off her breath. Beneath his bold perusal, she felt as if she were being stripped naked.

" 'Tis indeed a pleasure to see you again, my lady," he said magnanimously, as if he had never once thought of raping her. "I hope you've been well… and happy."

She wondered if he detected some strange emotion in her expression, for he canted his head thoughtfully as he considered her. She made every effort to sound gay and lighthearted. "Yes, of course, very happy, very well, thank you. And you?"

"As well as can be expected, under the circumstances."

"I'm sorry, I did hear that your father was ailing, and I know that must be a tremendous source of concern for you. Please allow me to offer my prayers and wishes for his speedy recovery."

He inclined his head, acknowledging her gracious request. "You're as kind as always, my lady, but I wasn't referring to his malady, but mine…."

Her brows gathered in confusion as her eyes briefly swept him, but for the life of her, she could detect no sign of frailty. "Have you perchance fallen victim to some illness?"

His smile was brief enough to be terse. "I'm afraid ‘tis a matter of the heart, my lady. It has been seriously wounded, and I fear ‘twill never mend."

"Oh."

He cocked a brow as he gave her a dubious smile. "Nothing more to say, my lady?"

"What is there to say, Mr. Elston?"

"And your courtship with Lord Randwulf? Is it going well?"

"Why, yes … of course. I mean … very well."

Thoughtfully Roger tapped a thin knuckle against his chin as he studied her for a lengthy moment. "Why is it that I sense something amiss, my lady? Your lovely face is not as radiant as I've seen it in the past. Should I think your courtship has gone awry? Are you not happy with the marquess?"

"Yes, of course. Why should you even ask such a ques—?" She halted abruptly, sensing a presence on the landing above the stairs, and lifted her gaze to find Colton watching her with a solemnity she had not noticed in him since the day of his arrival. He had obviously been hovering there as her guardian in case Roger did anything out of hand. It was equally apparent that he had been listening to every word of their exchange. In the moments that followed, his eyes delved deeply into hers until Adriana thought she could not bear his intimate inspection without absconding like a feckless coward. Indeed, he seemed to probe to the very depths of her mind.

Following her gaze upward, Roger managed a bland smile for the nobleman. "You may indeed have some legal claim upon Lady Adriana, my lord, but from all appearances ‘twould seem that entitlement has not appeased the lady's heart."

Smirking with satisfaction as Colton scowled, the miller continued his descent, taking special pains to make no imprudent movement as he passed Adriana. From the area of the front parlor a moment later, Felicity heralded his approach by drawing another woman's attention to her "handsome escort. " In the ensuing moments, Adriana was sure even from where she stood rooted to the stairs by Colton's probing stare that she could hear the blonde cooing.

Samantha's hand coming to rest upon her arm reminded Adriana that they had been on their way upstairs to visit the elderly miller. She hastened up the remaining flight and, at the landing, found Colton awaiting her there. Drawing her hand through the bend of his arm, he allowed his sister to precede them as Percy stepped to the landing to await her with a hand extended. Following the couple, Colton escorted Adriana into the miller's bedchamber.

"My ladies," Samuel Gladstone cried in a croaky voice as he saw the beauteous pair. He held out a hand to each. "‘Tis a very great pleasure ta see yu both again. Yu're rays o' sunlight shinin' inta me drab room."

As older matrons moved aside to allow the pair access to the miller, Adriana and Samantha left their manly escorts and went to stand on either side of the old man's bed. Accepting his extended hands, they either squeezed or patted them fondly before leaning near to place doting kisses on the elder's pallid cheeks.

"You're looking as handsome as always," Adriana informed the miller, her eyes glowing with as much radiance as her smile.

His blue eyes shone with merriment as he chided, "Ah, m'liedy, don't yu go fillin' me addled head wit' yur pretty lies now. ‘Tis swimmin' enough as ‘tis, but I thank yu kindly just the same. Yu both always bring a bit o' life back inta me heart wit' yur visits."

"Then we shall have to come more often, won't we?" Samantha suggested, as she squeezed his hand affectionately. "But be warned, you could grow bored with us."

Mr. Gladstone chortled. "Doubtful, doubtful." Turning his head upon the pillow, he indicated the pair with a broad thumb as he winked at a wizen-faced elderly man standing on the far side of the bed, just behind Adriana. "Ah, Creighton, me friend, don't it jes' tear yur heart out ‘cause yu're not gettin' any o' this fine attention ‘ese liedies be lavishin' ‘pon me?"

"Now, don't yu be tryin' ta make me jealous, Sam," the old man fussed jovially, displaying sparse and crooked teeth in a broad grin. " ‘Ere I be, a bachelor ‘ese many years, an' I'm jes' now seein's what I've been missin' all this time."

Amid the laughter evoked by his remark, Adriana found herself stumbling hurriedly backward as Felicity rudely pushed her way to the old man's bedside. It was just another thorn in Felicity's flesh that her own grandfather was among those smitten with the lady. Adriana had been successful in stealing the hearts of gentlemen everywhere. Surely, Samuel Gladstone would evidence a partiality for his own granddaughter. In an endeavor to prove that premise, Felicity took the elder's hand and sought to press a kiss upon his leathery cheek.

Mr. Gladstone promptly turned his face aside and, lifting a hand, tried to ward off her attempts. "None o' ‘at now, not aftah yu've been ignorin' me very existence since I bid yur mother ta take o'er management o' the mill," he rumbled. "I won't accept affection when yu only give it in front o' a houseful o' guests. ‘Tis no ne'er mind ta me how yu've been slightin' me. I've come this far wi'out yur coddlin'; I can get by wi'out it what li'l time I ‘ave left on this earth. See ta yurself, girl."

"Grandpa! What are you saying? I've been busy planning these festivities for you. I just haven't had time to spend with you," Felicity insisted, her face flaming from his harsh rebuke. She leaned forward expectantly. "Here now, let me kiss you so you'll know how much I care for you."

"I want nothin' from ye," the elder muttered, pulling a sheet over his head, in so doing forbidding her access.

Felicity strove hard to maintain her dignity as she retreated from the old man's bedside. Stiltedly, she went to the doorway where her mother, upon entering the room, had paused.

"He's growing more senile by the day," Felicity complained, struggling to keep her composure in spite of her vivid blush. "I don't know what we're going to do with him."

"Senility had nothing to do with it," Jane Fairchild replied and casually shrugged her thin shoulders. "I can't blame him. Had you not been so caustic when he asked you to help me, he wouldn't have snubbed you in return. One usually reaps what one sows."

"Now I know where you learned your little tricks," Felicity hissed and stalked out of the room, her back as rigid as a plank of seasoned oak. Several moments later, the front door slammed, indicating her angry departure from the house.

Colton approached the bed, prompting Samuel to lower the sheet from his head. The miller eyed him quizzically as he drew Adriana's arm through his, and then a slow grin stretched across the elder's lips.

"So, yu've come back from the wars an' taken yurself the fairest maid in all o' Wessex, have ye?" The miller chortled as he snuggled his chin into the rumpled collar of his nightshirt. "Can't says as I blame yu none. ‘Twould be me own pick if'n I were kin ta yur sister an' Lady Adriana was agreeable."

"I shall bring both ladies with me the next time I visit," Colton rejoined, bestowing a broad grin upon the man. "Their presence seems to rejuvenate your spirits."

"Come often," Mr. Gladstone urged enthusiastically. "I'm a poor, sickly man in much need o' bolsterin'."

Colton threw his head back and laughed in hearty amusement. "Aye, I shall do that very thing just to make sure you will enliven our lives for many a year to come."

In the concluding hours of their outing together, the dispersal of the occupants of the landau was in sharp variance to what had become the normal rote. Whereas the Burkes' country manor was farther away than Randwulf Manor was from Bath, Bradford on Avon, and all the other places they normally went, the married couple usually had their driver deliver them to the Wyndham mansion, from whence they left in Colton's landau to collect Adriana from Wakefield Manor, which was even closer yet to all the areas to which they ventured. On the return jaunt, Adriana had always been the first to be returned home. Shortly after the foursome had partaken of a meal at an inn outside Bradford on Avon, however, it became apparent that Colton had other plans in mind for the evening, for he instructed Bentley not to stop at Wakefield at all, but to go immediately to Randwulf Manor, where the Burkes' carriage awaited them.

Samantha had been greatly heartened by the events of the evening, and although she would never have admitted as much to Roger, she saw a reason to be thankful for the miller's comments, for he had obviously shaken Colton's steel-bound confidence. She just hoped they'd produce the results she yearned to see, that being her brother's proposal of marriage. Yet she couldn't help but feel a deepening empathy for Adriana, who seemed greatly unnerved by the changes Colton had implemented.

When the conveyance halted outside Randwulf Manor, Colton briefly alighted and cordially offered his adieus to his sister and brother-in-law. He spoke mutedly to Bentley a moment and then climbed back into the landau.

Adriana could hardly ignore Colton's efforts to secure their privacy or the fact that he had chosen to ensconce himself beside her rather than in the opposite seat. His gray eyes glowed with the reflected light of the carriage lanterns as he watched her unrelentingly for a lengthy space, heightening Adriana's tensions until she could hardly bear the suspense.

"Is something amiss?" she asked in a voice that quavered.

Even in the meager light, her unparalleled beauty proved a strong lodestone from which Colton could not drag his gaze. "Nothing untoward, Adriana. I merely wanted to talk with you privately for a few moments. We haven't been able to do much of that lately, and I thought it especially needful tonight."

"Why tonight?"

Colton canted his head, considering how best to approach the subject. Although in the deep recesses of his mind he had sensed that something had been troubling Adriana for some weeks now, it had taken the miller to awaken him to the realization that the radiance had gone out of her smiles. "My concern has much to do with what Roger said this evening."

Adriana managed a nervous little laugh. "You shouldn't let what he said bother you, Colton. You must know he would enjoy having his revenge upon you in any manner available to him. What he said was utter nonsense."

The marquess remained silent for a long moment before asking her outright, "Should I believe you're displeased with me or our courtship?"

"Nooo …"she moaned, and then cringed in chagrin, fearing she had sounded much like Melora when she hadn't been able to cope with some minor adversity. Averting her face in embarrassment, Adriana directed her gaze toward the moonlit, snow-patched hills looming in the distance. The fact that they were going in the opposite direction from her home had not escaped her attention. In a voice fraught by emotion, she asked, "How can any woman be displeased with you, Colton? If I can discern anything from the countless rumors being bandied about, you have become the dream of every woman living in the area."

"Is that the way you feel about me?"

Adriana groaned within herself. If he only knew how her heart ached for fear of losing him, he wouldn't even consider asking such a question. "I have always held you in the highest esteem."

"Even after I left home?"

Rather than leave herself open to his unyielding stare, Adriana lowered her gaze to her lap and began toying with the decorative beadwork on her purse. "I must admit that even at so young an age I was wounded by your harsh refusal to consider me suitable for your future wife, Colton. There are some young girls who cherish a vision of a handsome knight in splendorous armor and dream of that one marrying them and carrying them off to some wondrous place. That fantasy was shattered for me the day you left home. The fact that you had always been my hero made your rejection all the more painful, but you must remember that I was merely a child and didn't fully understand your anger."

"Let me look at you, Adriana," he cajoled gently, but when she complied by lifting her head, his brows gathered in perplexity. The tears glistening in the long, silken lashes were difficult to ignore. Laying a lean hand alongside her cheek, he gently wiped away a droplet with his thumb. "What is troubling you so much that you feel a need to cry?"

Embarrassed because she couldn't contain her emotions, Adriana responded with a frantic shake of her head. "I'm not!"

His hand moved downward to the creamy column of her throat, and he had cause to marvel at the rapid pulse he felt beneath his palm. She was far more upset than she wanted to admit.

Soothingly he stroked a thumb beneath the delicate structure of her jaw. "It hasn't rained in days, Adriana, and yet I can plainly see your lashes are wet. If those aren't tears, then what would you have me believe they are? Particles of snow?"

Adriana recognized the threat of her emotions welling forth in greater volume and sought to turn aside, but his hand, gentle yet unyielding, remained on her throat, refusing to allow her toescape his close inspection. She could do nothing but submit to his probing gaze.

"Please tell me why you're crying," he murmured pleadingly.

She brushed awkwardly at the tiny rivulets streaming down her cheeks, angry at herself for being so vulnerable in his presence. "Please, Colton, just let me go."

"I will when you tell me the reason for your dejection," he bargained gently.

Blindly fumbling at the drawstrings of her handbag, Adriana tugged it open and sought to find her handkerchief, but to no avail, for the dainty, lace-trimmed cloth was no longer there. She realized that Samantha had failed to return it. "I really don't wish to talk about this now," she mumbled miserably, drawing her beaded purse closed again. "My tears have nothing to do with our courtship."

Removing his hand from her throat, Colton drew a clean handkerchief from the inside pocket of his frock coat and pressed it into her palm. "On the contrary, Adriana. I think our courtship is at the very heart of your gloominess, and if you'd care to enlighten me, I'd be most grateful…."

A disconcerted shake of her head was her only response.

A heavy sigh slid from Colton's lips. "I won't pressure you about this matter any further, Adriana. If your parents know why you're so miserable, perhaps they'd be willing to enlighten me."

"Please, Colton, don't trouble them," Adriana pleaded, wiping at the tears that refused to be checked. " ‘Twould only distress them to know that you're upset with me. Just take me home and leave me to my misery. The matter is of no real importance."

"On the contrary, Adriana, it is to me," he countered, "and if I am upset, it's only because you are, and yet I'm unable to fathom what has distressed you. Besides, after Roger's attack, I can't leave you in such a state at Wakefield Manor without your parents' suspicions being aroused. They'll likely think I've seduced you…."

An abortive laugh escaped her. "Oh, I'd be able to assurethem that you've been a perfect gentleman, so perfect I'm sure you can't wait for our courtship to end. The sad fact is that nothing at all has changed since you left home to escape your father's edict." She cast her teary gaze downward as she entwined her fingers. "You feel no more affection for me today than you did then."

"That's not true, Adriana," Colton argued, wondering how she'd react if he were to tell her just how often he woke from his dreams in a rutting heat, all because of a pressing desire to make love to her.

Adriana blew her nose daintily in the handkerchief he had provided and then, in a voice fraught with tears, offered a solution to her problem. "I dislike this pretense we're going through, Colton, and have decided that it would be best if I released you from your commitments. Henceforth from this night, you may go your way without worrying about our courtship. I want no more of it. Indeed, I can bear no more of it! ‘Tis bruising my heart, and I cannot continue."

"You're not being rational, Adriana," Colton argued. Reaching out a hand, he rested it gently upon her forearm as he sought to calm her. "Please, love, you'll feel different on the morrow."

"No, I won't! I'll feel exactly the way I do now!" she cried, throwing off his hand. Her voice broke with emotion as she demanded, "Please! Just d-don't call me your love. I'm n-not your love … nor have I e-ever been."

"Adriana, for pity's sake … be reasonable," Colton pleaded and tried to draw her toward him.

"I'm freeing you from your commitment, Colton," she declared resolutely, shrugging free. "There's no more to be said. The courtship is entirely finished between us!"

Colton launched a strenuous protest. "You cannot absolve me of my obligations to my father…."

"Well, I do-oo!" Adriana insisted, her voice catching rather weirdly, this time in a hiccup. "I don't w-want to continue with this travesty a-any longer. I tell you it leaves m-me fretting."

"Seeing Roger again has obviously distressed you," Colton reasoned decisively, leaning back in his seat. "A strong toddy will help soothe you. I shall ask Charles to prepare you one once we reach Wakefield."

"I shan't drink it!"

Ignoring her retort, Colton braced an elbow on the armrest beside him and laid two fingers aside his cheek as he braced his thumb beneath his chin. Peering intently into the darkness beyond the window, he stated doggedly, "I intend to discuss this matter with your father, Adriana. If you're upset because of Roger, then I'm sure your parents will agree that the two of us must avoid any place where there's even a remote possibility that we'll meet up with the miller."

"I d-don't w-want y-you to discuss anything w-with them! Don't you understand?"

Elevating a dark brow, he turned his gaze on her once again. "Should I then believe, dearest Adriana, that you're upset solely with me?"

"I'm not your dearest. So d-don't call me that!"

"On the contrary, you are my dearest, far more mine than any other's, I'll warrant," he stated with finality and received a mutinous glower for his declaration.

"I'm n-not s-saying anything more to you, Colton Wynd-h-ham."

"You needn't, my dear. I'm quite capable of discussing this matter with your father, and to great length, if need be. To my knowledge, I've treated you with all the deference of a dedicated suitor and have given you no reason to be annoyed with me. Yet it seems you are. I can only hope your father can enlighten me as to what more you may be expecting from me, because at the moment I find myself thoroughly bemused."

Adriana glared back at him in the gloom. "I forbid you to speak to my father!"

Colton slid his now little-used cane from its niche beside the seat and rapped the handle against the carriage roof before offering her a succinct smile. "Nevertheless, my dear, I intend to … with or without your permission."

Adriana sought to present her back to her stubborn suitor but found herself bound by her own cloak, which being of like fabric as the velvet seat, refused to yield. When the ties threatened to strangle her, she was forced to tug them loose. Upon throwing off the garment, she scooted close to the door in an attempt to distance herself from her companion, though it proved much more a mental separation than a physical one.

"You may ignore me if you wish, Adriana, but I can promise you ‘twill change nothing. I intend to talk with your father until I get this matter settled between us. I have no intention of ending our courtship unless he has reason to believe that your contempt for me is beyond the measure I can bear."

When Bentley finally drew the steeds to a halt before the gray stone facade of Wakefield Manor, Colton alighted forthwith and turned to offer assistance to the lady, but with an eloquent toss of her head Adriana rejected his invitation. Promptly throwing open the door nearest her, she kicked out the step and scrambled down in a most unladylike fashion. Upon hearing Colton's muttered curses as he stalked around the boot of the carriage, she whirled in the opposite direction and scurried toward the well-matched four-in-hand. In her eagerness to escape, however, she failed to note that the hems of both her chemise and lace gown had been snagged on the metal-forged step, resulting in the rending of both garments as she stalked rapidly away in a fair tizzy.

Upon rounding the end of the conveyance, Colton immediately espied the ensnared hems and the swiftly separating garments. Under more intimate circumstances, he'd have admired the lady's scantily attired derriere till his eyes crossed, but he was sharply averse to the idea of allowing Bentley that same privilege.

Mentally cursing the lingering stiffness of his leg, he rushed forward as swiftly as he could in an effort to halt the vixen's flight. "Adriana, stop!" he cried. "You're tearing your garments!"

He caught her arm and promptly received for his trouble her beaded handbag across his face.

"Get away from me!" she shrilled.

"Dammit, Adriana, listen to me!" he barked irately, throwing up a hand to ward off another blow.

Missing him completely, Adriana swung her purse around again in a wide circle, unaware that she had also gained her freedom from the step. "Take your leave, sir, before I really lose my temper!"

His hand shot out and seized her wrist. "Stop this nonsense, Adriana! I have to tell you—"

With a snarl of rage she snatched her arm away and immediately became convinced that she had left a goodly portion of her skin in his grasp. She would not be at all surprised if she later found her wrist bruised. "Leave me alone, Colton Wyndham. I have nothing more to say to you."

"Adriana, for pity's sake, listen—"

"Bentley!" Glancing over her shoulder as she stalked toward the lead team, she discovered that she already held claim to the elderly driver's slack-jawed attention.

His query was at best cautious. "Yes, m'liedy?"

"If you have a care for your master, you'd better take him home. And if he should desire to return here upon the morrow or any time thereafter, kindly ignore him. You may save him from getting a hole shot through his left leg."

"Yes, m'liedy," the servant meekly replied, but made no attempt to comply. Ducking his head deeper into his driving coat, he let matters take their course, for he had already learned that, at a time like this, it was far better to pretend daftness and delay the execution of such orders.

"Dammit, Adriana!" Colton barked irately. When she came around once again in full readiness to deliver another wallop with the purse, he was ready for it and flung out a hand to halt its flight. Angrily he indicated her skirts. "You've ripped your garments, and at the present moment, you're showing off your backside to Bentley!"

Adriana gasped in shock, realizing she was definitely feeling a chill against her rear. Frantically she clasped a hand behind her back and groaned aloud at her predicament as itimmediately came in contact with her scantily covered buttocks. Twisting about in a tight circle, she sought to catch hold of the far side of her severed skirt. Absurd as it was, her efforts left her more or less chasing her tail.

Bentley made an heroic attempt to ignore what was going on as he laid a broad hand over his eyes and lifted his shoulders to bring up the stiff collar of his dapper coat. It served to muffle his hearing, but the laughter, which intermittently shook his shoulders, was not so easily suppressed.

Adriana noticed the driver's self-imposed restraints and gave up trying to preserve her modesty. Not caring in the least what Colton could see, she stalked toward the manor. He had, after all, viewed her completely naked on a pair of occasions.

Of a sudden, Adriana found herself facing the incensed marquess who, in spite of his past impediments, had outdistanced her in his zeal to halt her flight. Standing firmly rooted in her path with arms akimbo, he dared her to test his patience further by going around him.

Heaving a vexed sigh, Adriana peered toward the livery. "Bentley, are you aware that your master is annoying me?"

The driver parted stubby fingers ever so slightly, enabling him to peer at the lady without compromising her modesty overmuch. He managed a heavy gulp. "Well… I… well… maybe not, m'liedy."

" 'Twould seem your master is proving himself very, very foolish. If you care a whit for his hide, you'd better drag him back into the carriage before I fetch my gun. I'd certainly hate to do him more damage than he suffered in the war. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, m'liedy." Bentley decided he'd better not ignore her threat, considering that even as a small child, she had walloped his present master and even blackened his eye once when she had had enough of his tomfoolery. Scrambling down from the seat, he diligently avoided looking at the severed gown as he scurried toward his employer. "Milord, don't yu think we'd better go now? Her liedyship really seems dis-pleased wit' yu right now. Mayhap aftah she calms down a bit, yu can come—"

"Dammit, Bentley, this is none of your affair, so stay out of it!" Colton barked. "Now get back to the carriage where you belong!"

"Don't curse at him!" Adriana cried and swung her heavily beaded purse around again, this time catching Colton in the eye and causing him to stumble back in pained surprise.

"What's going on out here?" a male voice bellowed from the front portal.

Whirling away from Colton as he clamped a hand over his throbbing eye, Adriana ran into the opening arms of her father. Burying her face against his stalwart chest, she released a floodgate of tears.

Deeply concerned over his offspring's welfare, Gyles settled an ominous glare upon the younger man as that one staggered toward them. "Sir, if you've harmed my daughter in any way, let me assure you, marquess or not, you won't live to regret it. This time I'll take matters into my own hands."

Colton tried to focus his blurred, watery gaze upon the incensed earl. "From what I've been able to ascertain from your daughter's gibberish, Lord Gyles, I believe the problem stems from the fact that the converse is true. I swear to you that, where she is concerned, I've closely adhered to a gentlemanly code of conduct and have returned her to your care in the same unspoiled condition."

Adriana plucked at the lapels of her father's velvet robe. "Papa, please, just send him away."

"Has he hurt you, child?"

"No, Papa, he hasn't touched me at all."

Clasping a trembling hand to his brow, Gyles sighed in relief. After Roger's attack, he had become ever wary. A moment passed before he managed to regain some measure of his equanimity. He was then wont to question her further. "Then, daughter, what has the man done to make you weep so?"

"He has done absolutely nothing, Papa. He has been a perfect gentleman…."

Peering at father and daughter as he held one hand clasped over his injured eye, Colton threw up the other hand in a fine display of derision. "Now, my lord, perhaps you begin to see the light of it…."

Adriana snuggled her head upon her father's chest. "He doesn't want me now any more than he did ten and six years ago."

"That's not true!" Colton barked. "I do want her, very much in fa—" Startling himself into abrupt silence, he tilted his head, wondering if the lady had socked his senses loose. What he had almost admitted would have led him posthaste to the altar, and in a manner his father had planned for him. Did he not have some last shred of resolve left?

"Please, Papa," Adriana mewled, plucking at the decorative patch on his velvet dressing robe. "Let's go inside. I don't want to talk about Lord Sedgwick's contract ever again. If Lord Riordan still wants me to marry him, I will be amenable to his proposal."

"Now just a damn moment!" Colton roared, causing the elder's brows to fly upward in amazement. "I have some rights here!"

Gyles patted the air in a calming motion, hoping to placate the enraged man. Not since Colton rebelled against his father's edict had Gyles heard the man raise his voice with such intense ire. It gave him reason to hope he really cared for his daughter. " ‘Twould behoove us to settle this matter later, my lord, after you and Adriana have had a chance to think this thing through more rationally. ‘Tis apparent my daughter is upset, and to lengthen this discussion at this present moment would only heighten her distress. Give her a day or two to settle down, and then we'll talk about it again."

Colton champed at the bit, anxious to settle the matter before Adriana did anything they would both be sorry for later. Samantha had informed him of the rumors concerning Riordan that were making their way around the area. Now, after hearingthe girl say she'd accept the man's proposal, his jealousy prodded him unmercifully. Of all Adriana's past suitors, Riordan was the one he feared most. The man had the wits, looks, and charm to steal the lady from him. Only the contract his father had initiated years ago gave him some advantage over the other man, and if that was all the weapon he had to halt the girl from marrying the man, then he'd argue till he was nigh blue in the face before allowing Adriana to terminate their agreement. As much as he personally admired Riordan, he had no doubt that he'd prove the nobleman's worst enemy if they became embroiled in a confrontation over the lady.

"Lord Gyles, you have not heard my side of this fray yet, and I most respectfully petition you to do so ere you lend an ear to Riordan's plea for your daughter's hand. Have I not more of a right to her than he does?"

"I shall give you a fair hearing," Gyles declared. "Of that, be confident. I only ask that you allow me some time to talk with my daughter and to hear her grievances against you. I won't commit her to another man until you have been given every opportunity to voice your petitions and complaints."

Though Colton was disinclined to leave, out of the corner of his undamaged eye he could see Bentley silently pleading for him to relent. Grudgingly he did so.

Squinting at father and daughter as he held a hand clasped over part of his face, he gave them a shallow bow. "Until a later time then."

Pivoting about, Colton stalked to the landau and climbed inside. From the window, he watched Gyles lay a comforting arm around Adriana's shoulders and escort her inside. The door closed behind them, seeming to signal an end to the courtship that Colton had been agonizing over for the last two months and longer. The hollow feeling in his chest removed any doubt from his mind that he could no more live without Adriana than he could his own heart.

Colton drew his cane from its place of residency beside the seat and rapped the handle against the interior ceiling of the landau, giving the signal for Bentley to take them from thisplace. The conveyance lurched into motion, and in the lantern-lit gloom that surrounded him, Colton stared morosely into the darkness beyond the window as he clasped a handkerchief over his injured eye in an effort to stem its unrelenting watery flow.