Her hand came up and she covered her mouth. Their gazes met, and she quickly glanced away. Brenn couldn't resist a grim smile of satisfaction. She'd known the direction of his thoughts.

He and Tess Hamlin would suit very well...and in spite of Sir Charles's warnings, and his own guarded instincts, he had to have her.

"I'll take you driving in the park this afternoon, Miss Hamlin," he said. "Sir Charles a.s.sures me that such an act is tantamount to an announcement in the papers."

"Quite right!" her brother cut in. "Although I will have the announcement posted in the morning papers. I want everything proper," he added with false cheeriness.

"Then if you will excuse me, I will return at five." Brenn crossed the room to her. "Miss Hamlin." He held out his hand.

Her reluctance was clear as she placed her fingers in his. What did she think he was going to do? Gobble her up?

The idea had merit.

Gallantly, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips. "Until five."

She nodded. He would have paid every coin in his pocket to know her thoughts.

"By the by," Hamlin said, oblivious to the tension in the room, "Stella tells me we are attending Lord and Lady Ottley's musicale this evening. It's an Italian soprano, nothing special. We wish you to join our party."

"Lord Ottley? Is he not the sponsor of that agricultural bill in Parliament?""I suppose so. I really don't know," Hamlin said. "I don't pay attention to politics myself."Brenn thought a man who didn't pay attention to politics and the governing of his country was an idiot, but he kept that opinion to himself. "I would be honored to be your guest.""Good. Come here at nine. We'll have a quiet supper and then go to the musicale together."As Brenn took his leave he couldn't resist one backward glance at his bride-to-be. She stood perfectly still, her gaze fixated on a point outside the window.

He wondered again who the father of her baby was.

Leaving the house, he decided that always doing the honorable thing was d.a.m.n hard business.

"It was..." Tess paused, at a loss for words. "It was animal!"

She and Anne sat in the privacy of Anne's small bedroom under the eaves of her aunt's house. It was asafe, familiar place. Tess had hurried there as soon as the door had closed behind Lord Merton."Animal?" Anne repeated. "A kiss?""Yes," Tess said desperately. "Worse, I can't believe I behaved so brazenly.""I can't believe he just reached out and grabbed you!""Oh, he did," Tess swore fervently. "He acted like he was angry about something." For a moment, she was tempted to divulge her guilty secret concerning her loss of fortune, but then she thought differently.

She couldn't stand the thought of anyone pitying her, even Anne.

Instead, she rolled off the bed and acted out the chain of events. "He took my arms with both hands and then, before I realized what was happening, he kissed me."

"Oh, dear," Anne said breathlessly.

"Yes," Tess agreed. "At first, I fought him. I thought I was going to be ravished, right there in my ownhome with my brother close at hand.""And were you?""No." She dropped her arms to her side. "Instead, I kissed him back.""You?"Tess nodded."But you don't like to kiss."That was true. "I've found it sloppy and degrading...but," she added in a whisper, "it wasn't disgusting when he kissed me."

"What was it like?" Anne asked, wide-eyed.

Tess searched her mind for the right word and settled on "Possessive."

"What did you do after that?"

"Nothing," Tess admitted helplessly. "My mind was so jumbled, I could barely string two thoughts

together. And he kept watching me..."

She sat back on the bed, crushing a feather pillow tightly against her stomach. She was losing control.

Whether she wished it or not, she was going to marry a man who had the power to make her feel excited

and frightened and giddy all at one time. "Anne, what happens between a man and a woman once they marry?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know." Tess waved her hand in the air anxiously. "What happens on the wedding night."

Anne sank down on the bed. "I thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

Shaking her head, Anne confessed, "I don't know. Tess, living with my aunt, I might as well be in a

nunnery. Whenever I've dared to ask a question, she's gotten all prune-faced and told me not to worry my head about that." She dropped her voice. "Once I even went to the lending library to search for a book that might tell me."

Tess sat bolt upright. "I did too. Did you find one?"

"No."

She shrank back down. "I didn't either. But I found some very interesting allusions in poetry. The poets

make it sound like something earthy and enjoyable."Anne leaned forward. "Why don't you ask Stella?""I can't do that! We detest each other." For a moment, Tess curled her tongue, remembering those motions that the earl had made with his hips and how she'd felt them, deep down in a place below herstomach. She hadn't known she could feel anything down there. Just remembering that kiss seemed tochurn a host of confused, dizzying emotions she'd never known before.

"I know who we could ask," Anne said, "but I don't know how you feel about her.""Who?""Leah Carrollton. I saw her today when I was at Parisham's with my aunt. She told me to thank you for taking the blame last night. She truly appreciates it. I've heard her mother is very strict about publicbehavior." She paused a moment and added, "I appreciate it too. I had to listen to my aunt lecture meabout your outrageous behavior but at least she didn't imprison me up here on bread and water, herfavorite punishment. Was it too bad for you?"

"No, apparently all is forgiven provided I marry and leave London. Stella says that even Lady Garland is willing to forgive the whole incident."

"Leave London? Tess, you didn't tell me that!"

"No," she admitted in a small voice. "My earl is a Welshman and he wants to return home."

"Tell him you won't go. I can't imagine being here without you."

"I don't have a choice, Anne." Tess set the pillow aside and rose from the bed. She paced the length of the room before saying, "Do you really think Leah would know?"

"Leah's mother is strict in some matters but not so much in others. I overheard my aunt gossiping that Leah's mother encourages her to throw herself at every t.i.tled peer who has a bit of cash to his name. I've heard whispers of her kissing in the garden." She lowered her voice. "Captain Draycutt was at Parisham'

s. My aunt was skeptical of his motives for lurking among the dry goods especially after Leah arrived. Of course, the two of them acted surprised to see each other. My aunt says that if Leah isn't careful, a man like Draycutt will have her ruined in no time. And I think Leah wants that to happen."

"But Draycutt has such a terrible reputation."

"She had stars in her eyes, Tess."

Leah. "Do you really think she would know?"

"We can find out. We should see her tonight at Lady Ottley's musicale."

A musicale would be the perfect opportunity to ask such a personal question. Anne and Tess had learned long ago that some of the most public places were also the most private, since their chaperones were usually too involved with their own affairs to pay close attention.

"Yes, we should ask her tonight," she agreed.

Two hours later, Tess found herself sitting beside Lord Merton, trotting around Hyde Park in an elegant carriage. It was obviously a hired equipage but Lord Merton had a good hand with the horses.

The day was overcast but there were still many people out taking a ride in the park. Tess knew the announcement of her engagement would be old news by the time it appeared in the papers. She said as much to Lord Merton. It was really the only intelligent thing she did say.

They sat side-by-side while Lord Merton kept a steady monologue going on about the joys of Wales. She, who was usually so glib, felt tonguetied and nervous. She hadn't acted this way since she'd been seventeen and presented at Court.

She was terribly aware of him. If she looked at him, she'd catch herself staring at his lips and remembering how they felt upon hers. And she couldn't help but notice how his breeches outlined muscular thighs. Even watching him drive offered no peace. His light touch on the reins reminded her of the way he'd guided and pressed her to his will.

As he turned the horses toward home, she felt a wild impulse to confess the truth. To let him know she wasn't a grand heiress, that she was a fraud. Yet the words could not leave her throat because such a confession would destroy the brother she loved.

At last, he escorted her to her doorstep. She faced him. "Thank you for the ride, my lord."

He pulled off one leather driving glove. "Do you not think it is time to call me by my given name?"

"I-ah-""Brenn.""What?"He smiled, his teeth even and white. "Brenn. That's my name."She nodded, dutifully repeating, "Brenn."He backed down the steps. "I'll see you this evening. Lady Ottley sent me an invitation to her musicale.

My social standing is rising.""You may not thank me after you hear one of her sopranos."He laughed, the sound easy, and she felt a bit more at ease. "I will see you later, Tess."She liked the sound of her name on his lips. It almost sounded different than she'd ever heard it before.Behind her, Nestor held open the door, but she waited, watching Brenn's tall figure walk toward his stamping horses. I'll make a good wife to you, she promised him silently.

As if he'd heard, he turned before climbing up into the carriage and saluted her with one finger to the brim of his hat. With a snap of the reins, he was off.

Turning, Tess hurried inside, anxious to dress for the musicale. She had to talk to Leah.

Chapter Five.

"Men have sticks," Leah imported to them in a low voice that no one could have overheard above the warbling of Signora Luiguisi, Lady Ottley's Italian soprano.

The three young women sat on the far left side of the a.s.sembled guests, close to a bank of potted palm trees. Everyone else in the crowded room appeared entranced by the singer's vocal gymnastics-and to the casual observer Tess and the others gave the impression of attentiveness. They had all perfected the art of appearing to listen without actually doing so.

However, this piece of intelligence was too shocking.

"Sticks?" Tess exclaimed, just as the signora paused for breath. In spite of her having whispered, the word seemed to reverberate with a life of its own.

Heads turned in her direction. Lady Ottley half-stood, searching for the source of the interruption. Tess pretended to be looking for the nuisance too, although she did shoot a glance over her shoulder at Lord Merton-no, Brenn, she mentally corrected herself-to see if he had noticed.

He stood in the back of the room and if he'd heard her interruption, he gave no indication but appeared to be listening intently to the aria.

Anne jostled Tess with her elbow in a silent warning to keep her wits about her. Leah leaned closer. "Does it bother you that he is lame?"

"I rarely notice," Tess said from the side of her mouth, a fact which was startling, but true. The only time she'd been aware that he'd limped had been their initial meeting. On the terrace last night or even this afternoon, she hadn't given it a thought.

"It would bother me," Leah said with a slight shiver. "I don't know if I would want to see him with his

clothes off."

Her words made Tess's stomach do a little flip. Over dinner, with Brenn sitting across from her, she'd had just the opposite thought.

Interesting that out of all the men of her acquaintance, he was the first one to make her wonder about taking off clothes. "Tell me more about the stick."

A young matron behind them rapped Tess's shoulder with her fan and gave them a "shush."

"Afterward, in the retiring room," Leah whispered.

Anne gave Tess an impatient nudge. "What did she say?"

"Later. In the retiring room."

Anne nodded.Once Signora Luiguisi took her bow, the three young women didn't hesitate to excuse themselvesimmediately to the retiring room, only to find that it was too crowded. Instead, they slipped into LordOttley's library.

"Now what is this about sticks?" Tess demanded. She and Anne both sat on the leather couch.Leah stood in front of the hearth. "Men are built differently than we are," she lectured matter-of-factly."I know that," Tess said. "I'm not a complete goose.""Then why are you asking me questions?" Leah said. "A man's stick is here." With a semi-comical gesture, she showed where the "stick" was located. The three giggled with forbidden knowledge.Tess shook her head. "It doesn't make sense.""I'm just telling you what the upstairs maid told me.""You mean your mother didn't say this?" Anne asked.Leah pulled back. "Mother would never talk of such an improper thing.""Did you ever ask?" Tess said, curious."Once. She boxed my ears and informed me my husband would tell me everything I needed to know."

Leah slid a glance at Tess. "Did you ever ask your sister-in-law?"