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He steadied the vase, ran his thuwood medallions that decorated it Tess had rocked his life, unsettled his certainties She had taught hiiveness that otiable She had burrowed into his affections and curled up there, trusting and straightforward, just like that accursed kitten

His offer of financial support had shocked her in a way that his uncontrolled love had not, he realised as he paced down the Gallery She had told him the truth when she caht simply to be with him for a short while, to share whatever it was between them

The portrait he was staring at came into focus Lucinda, wife of the second earl Beautiful, the daughter of a duke, well dowered and, by all accounts, a profligate little ht her besotted husband to the brink of financial ruin He walked on a few paces to Wilhel, the face of a horse and the teend said

For all their blue blood, what had those two carefully selected brides done for the Te unhappiness? ‘Dahty disapproval ‘I’ll , and society can daht not think ive her children to love and, God willing, she’d stop hi such a disastrous parent as his own father had proved

The prospect should have filled hi Nerves He turned on his heel and strode towards the double doors A ree of anxiety He would sweep her off, down to the stables, take her up in front of him and ride off to the old castle, propose there Tess would like that, enjoy the romance of it

He diverted to his rooreatcoat and took his hat and a heavy cloak for Tess

‘My lord?’ Byfleet hurried out of the dressing roo’ He stopped at Alex’s gesture of dismissal ‘Are you quite well, my lord? Only you seem a trifle pale’

‘Need soht a glimpse of himself in the mirror, dark under the eyes, white around the mouth He hadn’t looked as bad as this, or felt as bad, before his one and only duel, an affair involving an Italian contessa, a dubious Old Master drawing and a jealous husband

Then his life had been at stake, reason enough to feel a cold lu sensation of dread Now there was no excuse All he had to do waslady ould be swept off her feet with joy at the thought of finding herself a future countess

Tess was in the dining roo vases with holly and trails of ivy No servants, he was pleased to see and, thankfully, no sign of Matthew, either

She dropped the ball of twine froths when he marched up to her and stopped in a swirl of coat-skirts and cloak ‘My lord’

No one who did not know her as well as he did now could have told that she was unhappy Her self-control was as iave him no pleasure to see the tension in the way she held herself, the slight droop of herwith me’

‘I cannot ride’

‘I’ll take you up in front of me Tess, I am sorry, I should not have offered you what I did I should have offered you allant knighta powerful declaration to his lady in the castle ruins

Her eyes were huge and dark and deep A man could drown in those eyes She was ae; she was in shock At any moment a smile would dawn and she would be in his arms

‘No,’ Tess said ‘No’ She backed away froht by her sides ‘You must not No’

Alex made no move to stop her when she ran frousted her with his violent rutting and insulted her with his crass offer and she had punished him in a farhi

I can’t I h all the devils in hell followed after her whispering inducements and false promises She pushed open panelled double doors and found herself in a long gallery It was mercifully empty, so she sat in one of theseats and uncurled her craht palm where the nails had bitten in She had wanted to say yes so much Had wanted to reach for hiht unhappiness froht in slightly tarnished aric at his fingertips