"Then do tell me, Your Highness, as you know me so very well, what did frighten me?"

She ignored his sarcasm. "You were afraid that once we made love you would discover feelings for me you would prefer not to have."

"I have all sorts of feelings for you. None of which require discovery, as I am more than aware of each and every one, and most of which are not particularly pleasant." His voice was firm. "Anything that might have happened last night would have meant nothing beyond the immediate gratification of the moment."

"Then why did you stop?"

"The mood, my dear princess, had been shattered. I was no longer interested." His voice held a lofty, superior note.

"Hah. From what I observed, you were extremely interested."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

"Not that appearance." She bit back a grin.

"You surprise me, Princess." He slanted her an assessing glance. "I don't remember you being quite so

forthcoming about such matters. If I recall correctly, you were rather... well, demure." "I have put demure, and reticent as well, behind me," she said lightly, ignoring the wave of heat that flashed up her face. In truth, she had never been so forthright in her life. But she had realized, almost as soon as she had gone, that the way she had left him-indeed, leaving him at all-was a dreadful mistake. From that instant she knew the perfectly proper creature she had always been was not able to do what needed to be done in order to claim a life for herself-with or without him. She had put a great deal of effort since then into ignoring the upbringing that had taught her to be retiring and complacent. Instead she'd learned to speak her mind and do what she, and she alone, thought best. To her surprise, Tatiana found she liked the change in herself-indeed, liked herself-far more than she ever had. She no longer felt like a wisp at the mercy of the wind, but like the wind itself. She had a newfound sense of respect for the woman she was and realized she had not had such respect before. Matthew was not the only incentive for her change, but he was the beginning. Perhaps it was because they had known each other as nothing more than a man and a woman rather than a princess and a nobleman. With Matthew, the barriers of position she had always been bound by vanished.

"Since last we met, I have learned to be bolder in word and deed. I have discovered the only way to achieve what one really wants is to pursue it."

"Not really."

"No?" She stared in disbelief. "You, who swore to love me until your dying day? You did nothing to stop me from-"

"You left when I was asleep. It was the act of a coward."

She sucked in a hard breath. "It most certainly was not!"

"What would you call it?"

"Prudent. It would have been most awkward otherwise."

"No doubt. If I was awake you would have had to explain to me how you'd lied about who you really were." "I said it was awkward!" She struggled to regain a sense of calm. "Regardless, when you awoke, you did not follow me."

"Oh, but I did, Princess." His tone was cool. "I learned where the Avalonian delegation was staying in Paris and I went there to find you. Or rather, I sought the princess's companion. Imagine my surprise when I saw you in a carriage, and a guard pointed out his princess. Her Highness. My wife. You."

She winced. "I am certain that was most upsetting." His head snapped toward her and his eyes widened. "Upsetting? You think it was simply upsetting?" "I saidmost." "Yes, well, it was indeedmost upsetting." Sarcasm colored his tone. "Rather on a par with the cut of a jacket being a bit off or the gait of a horse being not quite right. Most upsetting, indeed." He snorted with disgust.

"Still, I should think, at this point, you would be... well"-she met his gaze directly-"beyond it."

"Beyond it?" He glared. "I am beyond it. I have put it, all of it, firmly in the past."

"Then why do you keep bringing it up?"

"I..." He narrowed his eyes and stared at the road before them. "You are driving me mad, Princess."

"Good! You are the most annoying man I have ever met and I cannot imagine what I was thinking to come back to you."

"Youhave come back tome ?" He raised a brow. "I thought I was incidental. I thought you came toEngland to write the history of a long-dead relative."

"That too!" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared unseeing at the passing countryside.

Why on earth did she bother? He was indeed the most irritating man in the world. Still, he was also the only man in the world who triggered such depths of emotion and passion, anger and excitement, the only man who made her feel that life itself was not worth living without him.

Annoying creature.

Long minutes passed with only the sound of the horses' hooves and the crunch of the carriage wheels on

the road to break the silence. Tatiana had already told him more than she had planned. It was not her intention to tell him she wanted him. Or cared for him. Or loved him. At least not yet. "So, what you really want is me," Matthew said with a chuckle in his voice. She refused to look at him. "I daresay that puts a whole different light on the matter." His voice was smug and she bit back a sarcastic reply. "I don't recall ever having been pursued by a princess before."

"You are not being pursued," she said curtly.

"Chased, then."

She clenched her teeth. "Not at all."

"Hunted?"

"Only if I had a weapon," she muttered.

He laughed, and she turned toward him indignantly. "I am so pleased, my lord, that I could lighten your mood."

"You have not merely lightened my mood, my dear lovely princess, you have quite lifted my outlook on life itself." He grinned, a self-satisfied smirk that made her want to hit him. Hard. More than once.

"Does this mean you will be more pleasant in the morning?"

"I shall be more amenable morning, afternoon and night."

Without warning, he wrapped his free arm around her, slid her against him and kissed her firmly. He drew back and stared into her eyes. "See what happens when one tells the truth?"

"I do," she said, her voice oddly breathless.

"Anything else you wish to tell me?"

"Yes." She stared up at him and swallowed hard. "That was quite, quite nice."

He studied her for a moment, then laughed and released her. "You do not trust me, do you, Princess?"

She folded her hands in her lap and smiled. "Nor do you trust me, my lord."

"Yet another instance in which we are well matched."

"I agree." She reached beneath the seat. "And we should seal our agreement."

"Ah, the traditional Avalonian traveler's toast." He chuckled. "Very well, today I will join you."

She pulled out the flask, poured two cups and handed him one.

"To a safe and successful journey," he said, lifting his mug.

"Excellent, Matthew." She smiled. "Now you are in the spirit of the adventure."

He took a deep swallow and gasped.

"Do you not like it?" She studied him closely. His face was an interesting shade of scarlet.

"It's... it's"-his eyes watered and his voice was strangled-"rather, well, thick, isn't it? And oddly flavored."

"Do you think so?" She stared down into her cup. "I have heard it is an acquired taste."

"Acquired under force, no doubt." He studied the contents of his own cup with what could only be called morbid curiosity. "Your people actually drink this voluntarily?"

"Then you do not like it." Odd that she should feel so disappointed, as she had never been overly fond of the drink herself. "I didn't say that. But you're right, it's an acquired taste. It just takes some getting used to, that's all." Chapter 9

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when at last Matthew and Tatiana arrived at her London residence.

The butler and who knew how many servants had, no doubt, observed their arrival but were well enough trained not to raise so much as a single brow. Nonetheless, Tatiana was certain belowstairs would buzz with gossip over the princess's absence and subsequent return with a handsome man by her side and not even a maid in sight as chaperone. Scandalous behavior, they would whisper, but what can one expect from a foreigner? Tatiana bit back a grin at how scandalized they would be if they suspected even a morsel of the truth.

A handful of assorted servants stood at a discreet distance in the shadows of the foyer, probably with hopes of overhearing every word she and Matthew exchanged.

"I do not understand why you have brought me here rather than your cottage," she said in a low voice and tried not to yawn. The journey to London was uneventful as far as she knew. At least nothing, save brandy at midday, had awakened her.

"I have a few things to take care of in the city this evening, therefore this is much more convenient." Matthew's circumspect tone matched her own. "And I think it would be best if you arranged for a proper coach and driver for the continuation of our travels."

"Really?" She raised a brow. "And what of your conditions? Living on your finances and all that?"

"Silly, wasn't it? You were right, my conditions were simply to put you in your place. It will be much more comfortable to travel with a coach and driver, especially as the next lady on your list resides at Effington Hall, another full day's drive from here. Besides, if we were truly married, what is yours would be mine as well. You may consider it a portion of the dowry I never received."

"I see," she said, brushing aside an odd touch of displeasure at his change of heart. "I suppose I may bring a maid as well?"

"I think not." He shook his head and leaned closer. "I have not abandoned all my conditions and I rather like the idea of sharing the privacy of a coach with you and you alone."

Delight shivered through her at the wicked note in his voice. "Do you, my lord?"

"I do indeed. If, of course, you can stay awake." He grinned. "I shall see you next week, then." He turned to go.

"Next week? What do you mean?" She grabbed his arm. "We are not leaving tomorrow? You are not staying here?"

"I daresay that would not be at all proper."

"Nonsense. This is a huge house, fully capable of accommodating another guest. There is a veritable army of servants, and I do-"

"And I have business to attend to that may last well into the night. And tomorrow, there is work I must get back to," he said firmly. "Unless, there is some reason why the delay of a few days would create difficulty with your history writing."

"Not at all, my lord." She met his gaze directly. "Princess Sophia's story has waited half a century thus far; a few more days scarcely matter. Take all the time you require."

"Excellent. Then the Princess Tatiana shall reside here with her retinue of retainers and shall attend to whatever royal details need attending to. Next week"-promise flashed in his eyes-"Lord and Lady Matthew shall be on their way."

"It is not precisely what I had in mind."

He laughed, then took her hand and drew it to his lips. "My dear princess, I imagine, or hope, that you are not used to being the pursuer, and I have rarely been the object of pursuit." He brushed his mouth across the back of her glove. "However, it is my experience that the chase is not nearly as satisfying when it is too brief, the prize won too quickly or too easily. I should hate for your satisfaction to be either quick or brief."

"Matthew!" Her eyes widened and her face burned.

"You are even more lovely than usual when a blush is on your cheeks." He grinned. "And your mouth is shut. You make it tempting to give the servants something more to talk about."

He turned over her hand and placed a kiss in the center of her gloved palm. A wave of pure desire spread from his touch and she wanted nothing more than to drag him up the stairs and into her bed.

"Sleep well, my princess." Matthew released her and headed for the door.

"In a week's time I could change my mind, you know," she called after him. "I could decide the prize is not worth the effort of the chase."

His all-too-smug voice drifted back to her. "You won't."

He chuckled, and was gone before she could so much as utter an appropriate retort.

She laughed to herself. She could wait another week, and it might well be a good idea to give him time to dwell on what had passed between them and what had not. And what lay ahead.

"Your Highness?" Katerina's amused voice sounded from the shadows.

"Yes?" Tatiana absently pulled off her gloves.

The change in Matthew since she had admitted wanting him was at once wonderful and frightening. She was not quite sure how, but he had used her admission to wrest the upper hand in their relationship. Even if he did not know all her secrets, he now knew the most important. Still, for the first time since their reunion she felt that glorious thrill of anticipation that came from knowing that the man you wanted, wanted you.

"Given the expression on your face, I gather all is going well with your Lord Matthew." Katerina stepped into the foyer.

"He is notmy Lord Matthew." Tatiana handed her gloves to Katerina, then pulled off her hat and pelisse, passing them both to the other woman, who handed them to a maid. "But he soon will be."

Katerina laughed. "I did not doubt it for a moment, Your Highness."