His lips twisted briefly. He returned the pressure of her fingers. "You play hard,mignonne ." Then he sighed, "Very well. You will come, too. I'll have to think how to ensure that Louis is delayed."

Sebastian added that item to the list in his head. When he'd thought of Helena's witnessing his defeat of Fabien, he had been thinking figuratively. His instincts argued she should be left behind in safety, but . . . perhaps, in the long run, it would be better if she accompanied them. This way she would share in Fabien's defeat; looking to the future, for one of her temperament that might be important.

The clocks chimed the half hour. He stirred, rose. "There is much to do and not much time to do it." Crossing the room, he tugged at the bellpull. He glanced at Phillipe. "I will have you shown to a bedchamber-ask for whatever you need." He looked across at Helena. "You will both oblige me by remaining in your chambers until I send for you. Dress for traveling-we'll leave at nine o'clock." His gaze rested on Helena. "You will be able to pack only a small bag, nothing more."

She nodded.

A tap sounded on the door. Sebastian crossed to it, opened it just a little way, blocking the doorway with his body. He instructed the sleepy footman to send Webster up, then shut the door.

He turned to Phillipe. "My butler, Webster, is entirely trustworthy. He'll put you in a bedchamber and tend to you himself. The fewer who know of your presence here, the less likely Louis and his man are to learn of it."

Phillipe nodded.

Sebastian paced before the dying fire until Webster arrived, then handed Phillipe into his care. Webster accepted the charge placed on him with his customary imperturbability; he led Phillipe away.

Helena watched the door close, watched Sebastian turn and pace back to the bed. Her mind was in turmoil; she couldn't focus her thoughts. Her emotions held sway-immense relief, puzzlement, uncertainty. Guilt. Excitement. Disbelief.

He slowed, absentminded as he planned; his gaze was distant when he glanced at her, then he focused. "That declaration you extracted from your so-dear guardian,mignonne . May I see it?"

She blinked, surprised by the tack. She pointed to her trunk, sitting empty in the corner. "It's behind the lining on the left side of the lid."

He went to the trunk, opened it, felt in the lining. She heard the rip as he tore it free, the crackle as he extracted the parchment. Rising, he returned to the dressing table, unfolded the doc.u.ment, smoothed it out, then read it in the light of the lamp.

Watching his face in the mirror, she saw his lips quirk. Then he smiled and shook his head.

"What is it?"

He glanced at her, then waved the parchment. "Fabien-he never ceases to amaze me. You say he simply sat down when you asked and wrote this?"

She thought back, then nodded. "Oui.He considered for but a moment . . ." She frowned. "Why?"

"Because,mignonne, in writing this and giving it into your hands, he was risking very little." He studied the doc.u.ment again, then glanced at her. "You did not tell me he'd used the words 'more extensive than your own.' "

"So?"

"So . . . your estates are in the Camargue, a wide, flat land. Of what size are your holdings?"

She named a figure; he smiled.

"Bon. We are free, then."

"Why?"

"Because my estates are 'more extensive than' yours."

She frowned, shook her head. "I still don't see."

He set down the doc.u.ment, reached for the lamp. "Consider this-England is a much smaller country than France."

She watched the light dim, watched him turn to the bed. Thought furiously. "There are not many English lords whose estates are more extensive than mine?"

"Other than myself-and Fabien knew I'd declared I would not wed-the only possibilities I can think of would be the royal dukes, none of whom would meet with your approval, and two others, both of whom are already married and old enough to be your father."

"Fabien would know this?"

"a.s.suredly. It's the sort of information he keeps at his fingertips."

"And you?"

He shook his head, intuitively answering the question she'd truly asked. "No,mignonne -I gave up playing the games Fabien indulges in years ago." He stopped by the side of the bed, studied her face. "I still know the rules and can engage with the best of them but . . ." He shrugged. "Truth to tell, the activity palled. I found better things to do with my time."

Seducing women-helping women. Helena watched as he unbelted his robe, let it slide to the floor. She sank back into the pillows as he lifted the covers and slid in beside her.

She remained still, wondering-hardly daring to do even that . . .

He reached for her. Dragged her down into the depths of the feather mattress, settling her half beneath him. She sucked in a breath, felt his fingers searching for the opening of her robe. Then he pushed the robe wide, lifted over her and lowered his body to hers-skin to skin, heat to heat.

The rush of warmth was a shock. Giddy, she found enough air to say, "So the doc.u.ment-you are saying it's worthless?"

He looked into her face as he set his hands to her body. "Not in the least. To us it's a prize." He considered her eyes, then smiled, bent his head, and brushed his lips across her furrowed forehead. "Your doc.u.ment is an ace,mignonne, and we're going to use it to trump Fabien in a most . . . satisfying way."

That he still meant to marry her-even now, after learning all about her deception-could not have been clearer. Yet guilt still lay heavy on her heart.

His hands were roaming, seducing her senses, stealing her wits. It would be so easy to sink under his spell, to give herself to him and let the matter slide.

She couldn't.

She caught his face, framed it in both hands, held it so that even in the dimness she could see every nuance. "You will really help me-you will help me rescue Ariele." No question; she didn't doubt he would. "Why?"

He met her gaze. "Mignonne,I have told you-often-that you are mine.Mine ." On the word, he nudged her thighs apart, settled between. "Of all the women in the world, there is none I'm more devoted to helping, to protecting, than you."

She could see it in the blue of his eyes, see the fire and the feeling that supported it. "But me . . . I put another higher than you."

His gaze didn't waver. "If you'd acted as you did for Fabien, or any other man . . . yes, I would have felt betrayed. But you did as you did for your sister-out of love, out of responsibility. Out of caring. Of all men in the world, can you not see thatI would understand?"

She looked into his eyes and did see. At last, let herself believe. "I should have trusted you-told you."

"You were afraid for your sister."

He bent his head and kissed her-long and deep. Making it patently clear that, to him, the matter was closed.

It was minutes later before she caught her breath enough to murmur, "You forgive me?"

Above her he paused, then touched a gentle hand to her cheek. "Mignonne,there is nothing to forgive."

In that moment she knew, not only that she loved him but why. Reaching up, she drew his head down, kissed him-delicately, tantalizingly, holding at bay the fire that was already raging between them. "I will be yours." She whispered the words against his lips. "Always."

No matter what was to come.