With ready speed the door was pulled open to reveal an urchin with a round, dirty face and clothes far too large for his slender frame.

"Just be having a bit of fun, Miss Kingly," he said with a roguish grin.

"Mmm. I have a good mind to give your peach tart to another."

The lad did not appear particularly concerned by the threat. Indeed, his grin only widened.

"Now, you know I be yer favorite, Miss Kingly."

The maiden gave a chiding click of her tongue, but there was no mistaking the glint of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes.

"You are a scamp."

"Aye, but an adorable scamp."

Miss Kingly chuckled as she reached into the basket she carried to remove a small bag.

"Are there any injuries?"

"Freddie was roughed up a bit last night," the lad answered, his grin fading.

"Where is he?"

"In the corner."

"Here." Miss Kingly handed the basket to the boy. "Feed the youngest first."

"Aye, Captain," the urchin readily agreed, turning about to hurry from the door.

At the maiden's side Lucien stepped into the dirty, shadowed interior of the warehouse. He briefly halted as the smell of sewage and rotting food threatened to overwhelm his heightened senses. Great Nefri, but the place was a cesspit.

A fierce urge to grasp Miss Kingly in his arms and take her from this awful place rippled through him. No maiden should be exposed to such wretched surroundings. But even as the thought was running through his mind, his gaze caught sight of the ma.s.s of children huddled around Thomas and the basket of food.

There were at least twenty of them, ranging in age from sixteen to a few who could not be more than five. His heart faltered at the knowledge that they had been thrown onto the streets as if they were no more than garbage.

It was little wonder that Miss Kingly found it impossible to turn her back on such misery, he thought, turning his head to watch the maiden as she moved toward a small form huddled in a distant corner.

It seemed impossible to believe that any creature with any heart at all could allow such misery to exist.

Uncertain whether to join Miss Kingly and risk frightening the injured child, Lucien was halted as a small hand suddenly clutched his fingers.

Glancing down, he was instantly enchanted by the tiny girl with a heart-shaped face and large brown eyes that were regarding him with absolute trust. With great care not to startle the child, he settled his tall length onto a dusty barrel, indifferent to the knowledge his breeches would be ruined.

She regarded him in silence before calmly climbing onto his lap and polishing off the peach tart she held in her grimy fingers. Lucien instinctively cuddled her close, thoroughly caught off guard by the warm glow that entered his heart at the sensation of her tiny form settling against his chest.

He was uncertain how long they sat there in silence, but sensing someone watching him, Lucien lifted his head to discover Miss Kingly regarding him in surprise.

"Are you finished here?" he asked in low tones.

She gave a slow nod of her head. "Yes."

Gently running his hand over the girl's tangled locks, he reluctantly set her onto her feet and watched as she hurried toward the other children. Only then did he rise to his feet and fall into step beside Miss Kingly as she made her way back to the door and out into the street.

Realizing that she was still regarding him with puzzled surprise, he abruptly came to a halt and met her gaze squarely.

"What is it?"

"Annie."

It took a moment to work out that she was referring to the child he had held on his lap.

"Is that her name? A charming minx."

"She is very wary of adults. Indeed, I have never been allowed even to come close to her,"

the maiden confessed.

Lucien smiled at her puzzlement. Obviously she did not consider him the sort of gentleman who would naturally be good with children.

"Perhaps she was felled by my charm," he teased lightly. "Females find it quite irresistible, you know."

A reluctant smile curved her lips. "Whatever the reason, I am grateful you coaxed her into eating her dinner. Although the older children do their best, she is easily overlooked."

Lucien reached up to tenderly cup her chin. "It is no hardship to be kind to children."

A faint tremor raced through her at his touch, and his heart quickened as she reached out to tongue and moisten her lips.

"I wish that all shared your sentiment. There are so many I cannot reach."

Stepping closer, he allowed the pa.s.sions that had been so long suppressed to course through his blood. In the soft night his blood ran hot.

"That is enough for this evening, Miss Kingly," he said in husky tones. "You have done your duty and it is time to consider more enjoyable pastimes."

Sensing the sudden heat in the air, her eyes widened. "What enjoyable pastimes are you referring to?"

He gave a low chuckle. "You shall soon discover, Miss Kingly." Four

Jocelyn shifted uneasily on her chair as she cast a covert glance at the elegant gentleman seated across the small chessboard from her. He should appear ludicrously out of place in the shabby room with his expensive clothes and the candlelight shimmering in the golden strands of his long hair. Even the delicate beauty of his features was a direct contrast to the harsh surroundings. He surely was a creature of Mayfair.

And yet there was no hint of discomfort in the n.o.ble countenance or any air of a gentleman who thought himself above such meager entertainment as a game of chess with an aging spinster.

Instead, a wicked smile played about his lips that thoroughly distracted Jocelyn from any hope of strategy.

Perhaps sensing her intense scrutiny, the golden gaze abruptly lifted to regard her with open amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Checkmate," he announced in soft tones.

Startled out of her odd distraction, Jocelyn glanced down at the chessboard to discover that she had indeed been properly cornered.

A disgruntled disbelief flared through her at being so easily bested.

"Impossible," she muttered.

He leaned negligently back in his seat, making no effort to hide his satisfaction. "I did warn you that I am quite skilled."

"I am known to possess a certain amount of skill myself," she retorted with a hint of annoyance.

"You have skill," he conceded before allowing his gaze to deliberately drop to her full mouth.

"But not enough daring. You play a game of defense, not willing to risk all to capture victory."

It would be impossible to escape the knowledge that he spoke of more than a mere chess game, and Jocelyn struggled to hide that absurd p.r.i.c.kle of awareness that raced through her.

"Risk can as easily bring defeat."

If possible, his smile became even more devilish. "That is why it is so thrilling. Anyone can move pieces in a well-plotted routine." The golden gaze returned to pierce deep into her wary eyes. "Ah, but one who is willing to boldly strike out without knowing if he is destined to taste success or falter in failure is truly a master of the game."

She did not doubt that he was a master of such games. He would be bold and daring whether playing chess or facing an enemy or seducing a woman.

And in truth, she had once been very much like him. Confident, brash, and utterly confident that she was impervious to danger.

Life had taught her a bitter lesson in a.s.suming that she could play with fire and not be burned.

And burned badly.

"Routine plodding is far more dependable than brash recklessness," she philosophized.

His eyes narrowed as if he sensed she was hiding secrets deep inside. "But where is the fun?"

"The satisfaction of success."

A surprising hint of tenderness softened the beautiful features. "There is little point in achieving success if you did not enjoy the path leading to your purpose."

"There are other things in life beyond fun and enjoyment," she determinedly argued.

"What?"

"Duty, responsibility, and consideration of others."

Slowly he leaned forward, his hand reaching out to lightly touch her cheek.

"All very n.o.ble, Miss Kingly, but life is a banquet that should be sampled to the fullest. Duty, joy, love ... pa.s.sion."

Although his touch was as gentle as a feather, Jocelyn felt scalded by the fingers that lingered against her skin. She thought she was no stranger to pa.s.sion. Hadn't she once before tasted of the forbidden fruit?

But her brief experience did not seem to make her any more prepared for the flutters of excitement that sped through her or the sudden racing of her heart.

With an awkward haste she rose to her feet and backed away from his large form.

"It is growing late," she muttered, watching warily as he swiftly gained his feet and moved to stand directly before her.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed."

With deliberate, relentless steps he backed her toward a nearby wall, placing his hands on each side of her head to effectively trap her.

"Not quite yet, I think," he murmured.

She sucked in a sharp breath, then wished she hadn't. The warm scent of male skin and a faint hint of spice threatened to cloud her mind. A potent, undeniable quiver of longing swept through her.

"What do you want?" she demanded in unsteady tones.

Those distracting fingers lifted to stroke the line of her exposed throat, coming to rest upon the frantic beat of her pulse at the base of her neck.

"You lost the match, my dove. Now you must pay your forfeit."

"I... there was no mention of a forfeit."

His soft chuckle feathered down her spine, sending a rash of delightful sensations through her stiff body.

"What is the point of winning a game if I cannot collect a prize?"

Jocelyn discovered herself battling to maintain her usual calm demeanor. This man possessed the most shocking ability to slip beneath her defenses and stir sensations she had thought buried forever.

With wide eyes she regarded the delicate features of his countenance.

"What sort of prize?"

He slowly smiled. "Ah, you should have determined the precise nature of the wager before ac-cepting our bargain."

She wanted to be furious at his audacity. To be able to wound him with the sharp edge of her tongue. But it was utterly impossible when she was shivering at the temptation that swirled thickly through the air.

"Mr. Valin, I warn you that I will tolerate no foolishness," she forced herself to mutter.

The golden brows lifted as his fingers daringly stroked the modest neckline of her gown.

"What shall it be, Miss Kingly? I have no need for coin, nor do I care for trinkets, although ..." His gaze slowly lowered to where the golden amulet lay against her white skin. "I must confess a fascination with the Medallion that you wear about your neck."

Muddled by his proximity, and not at all prepared for his sudden interest in the amulet, she instinctively lifted her hand to clutch the necklace.

Having become accustomed to the strange weight of the amulet, she rarely recalled the encounter with the old gypsy woman. She had been on her way home from visiting the small farm where she placed those women willing to leave the streets, when the gypsy had suddenly stepped before her carriage. Afraid that she had been hurt, Jocelyn hurriedly climbed down to tend to the old woman.

What followed was oddly difficult to recall, although she did clearly remember the gypsy placing the amulet about her neck and telling her that she must never give it to another. She had warned that a gypsy gift was both blessed and cursed, and that she would receive happiness beyond measure if she carefully guarded the necklace from all others.

Jocelyn, of course, was far too sensible to believe in such nonsense. Gypsies were notorious for spreading such tales. Still, she discovered herself unwilling to part with the bauble. It had become almost a part of her now.