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It was a noisy household, full of children Kev could hear them beyond the closed door of the roo else… a faint, sweet presence nearby He felt it hovering, outside the rooered for relief from the darkness and fever and pain

A, he heard a irl’s voice Lovely, soothing He wanted her to co with torturous slowness Come to me…

But she never appeared The only ones who entered the room were Hathaway and his wife, a pleasant but oarded Kev as if he were a wild animal that had found its way into her civilized ho whenever they came near him As soon as he could move under his oer, he washed himself with the basin of ater they left in his room He would not eat in front of them but waited until they had left a tray by the bed His entire as devoted to healing enough to be able to escape

On one or two occasions the children cae of the partially open door There were two little girls naled and squealed with happy fright when he growled at thelanced at him with the same skeptical assessment the mother had And there was a tall blue-eyed boy, Leo, who looked not much older than Kev himself

"I want to make it clear," the boy had said from the doorway, his voice quiet, "that no one intends to do you any harm As soon as you are able to leave, you are free to do so" He had stared at Kev’s sullen, feverish face for a , "My father is a kind man A Sa or insulting any of the Hathaways, or you’ll answer to ht nod Of course, if Kev ell, he could have bested the boy easily, sent hiun to accept that this odd little family really didn’tfrom him They hadThey see in return

That didn’t lessen his contempt for them and their ridiculously soft, comfortable world He hated thehter, a thief, steeped in violence and deceit Couldn’t they see that? They seeht into their own home

After a week, Kev’s fever had eased and his wound had h to allow hi terrible happened, before he did so and dressed with painstaking slowness in the clothes they had given hinored the fierce pounding in his head and the jabbing fire in his back He filled his coat pockets with a knife and fork from his food tray, a candle stub, a sliver of soap The first light of dawn shone through the littleabove the bed The family would be awake soon He started for the door, felt dizzy, and half-collapsed onto the th

There was a tap at the door, and it opened His lips parted to snarl at the visitor

"May I coirl ask softly

The curse died on Kev’s lips His senses were overwhel

It’s you You’re here

At last

"You’ve been alone for so long," she said, approaching hiht want some company I’m Winnifred"

Kev drew in the scent and sound of her, his heart pounding Carefully he eased to his back, ignoring the pain that shot through hiadji could coirls But this one was reht, her hair silver-blond, her features forravity She looked war he wasn’t His entire being responded so acutely to her that he reached out and seized her with a quiet grunt

She gasped a little but held still Kev kneasn’t right to touch her He didn’t kno to be gentle He would hurt her without even trying And yet she relaxed in his hold, and stared at hihtened of hihtened for her, because he knehat he was capable of

He hadn’t been aware of pulling her closer All he kneas that now part of her weight was resting on hiertips had curled into the pliant flesh of her upper arently

He didn’t want to Ever He wanted to keep her against hih the pale silk He wanted to carry her off to the ends of the earth

"If I do," he said gruffly, "will you stay?"

The delicate lips curved Sweet, delicious smile "Silly boy Of course I’ll stay I’ve coht she would run away, but she remained "Lie back," she told him

"Why are you dressed so early?" Her eyes widened "Oh You mustn’t leave Not until you’re well"

She needn’t have worried Kev’s plans to escape had disappeared the second he had seen her He eased back against the pilloatching intently as she sat on the chair She earing a pink dress The edges of it, at the neck and wrists, were trimmed with little ruffles

"What is your na conversation with anyone But he illing to do anything to keep her with him "Merripen"

"Is that your first name?"

He shook his head

Winnifred tilted her head to the side "Won’t you tell it to me?"

He couldn’t A Rom could only share his true naive me the first letter," she coaxed

Kev stared at her, perplexed

"I don’t know many Gypsy names," she said "Is it Luca? Marko? Stefan?"

It occurred to Kev that she was trying to play a ga him He didn’t kno to respond Usually if so his fist into the offender’s face

"Sorin She made a move as if to rise frorip her arm Surprise flickered across her face

"You said you would stay," he said roughly Her free hand came to the one clamped around her wrist "I will Be at ease, Merripen I’o I’ll coht and warm as it rubbed over his hand "I’ll stay in here all day, if you wish"

"They won’t let you"

"Oh yes, they will" She coaxed his hand to loosen, gently prying at his fingers "Don’t be so anxious My goodness I thought Gypsies were supposed to be merry"

She almost ravely

She was still busy trying to detach his fingers from her arm "Yes, I can see that How did you come to be hurt?"

"Gadjos attacked rily but forced hio"

"No one would dare take you away froe A scholar" Seeing Merripen’s doubtful expression, she added, "The pen is htier than the sword, you know"