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"Nohat questions can I answer for you?" Guillford inquired, steering the phaeton along the winding road, the pistol close by his side, lest Aurora make any attempt to escape

Aurora studied his profile, wondering if he were totally coinning with: What do you want? Why are you kidnappingme?" She drew a breath "Shall I continue?"

Guillford looked distinctly amused "That won't be necessary I ue hly entertained Ta you, however, that would have been a far ht have been worth it Your fire in —perhaps I should have overlooked your indiscretion with Julian Bencroft and ht have frowned, but only for a tiotten the circue Then I could have had it all"

"That doesn't answerhis absurd fantasy "Other than perhaps, the 'why' Is it all for money?"

"Isn't everything? 'Tis either money or passion And if you ask me, the former is far more valuable than the latter—and h to have both Men like Julian Bencroft Julian Bencroft and your brother, Slayde"

"Slayde?" Aurora started "Where does Slayde fit into all this?"

"He's a Huntley A wealthy, successful—damned lucky Huntley That's how he fits into all this"

"You do business with him"

A harsh chuckle "No, in this case, he does business with me Or rather, for me I reap a profit, he loses an investment It works out quite nicely"

"I don't understand"

"Then let ht to his attention at ourthe other day? 'Twas the reason I was at Pembourne—that, and to assess what I could learn about the whereabouts of that bloody black diamond"

The whereabouts of the black dia as she assi over each other to be heard But she stifled the that the only way to acquire her ansas to let the viscount inning with the thoroughbred he planned to buy "If I reme the stallion but couldn't, given that your assets were tied up elsewhere," she replied "So he agreed to put up the money, then collect whatever profits were necessary to earn back his investment After which you'd split all future profits equally"

"Ah, but the real truth is that your brother's investment will in fact become my profit the instant he places that draft in my hand"

"You're saying you have no intention of purchasing the horse"

"Quick as ever,other than the cooperation of a greedy stable owner, whose allegiance costs but a feretched pounds My instructions to him will be as follows: should the Earl of Pe to have a look at our joint venture, show it to hi sure he has no reason to doubt that the inco to the two of us"