She told him what she had learned, knew by the slight curl of his lips that she had pleased him. She knew the taste of those lips, knew the feel of them moving over her body, knew the sweet, unbearable excitement they could bring.

But first she would give to him. He had come to expect that now and she would never disappoint him. When he rested his hands on her shoulders and gently urged her down, she knelt in front of him. She waited while he opened the front of his breeches and freed himself, admired the length of him, the hardness that would soon be inside her.

She knew exactly how to please him. She felt his fingers on the back of her neck, holding her immobile as she took him into her mouth. She had told him something of value and in return for her loyalty, soon he would make her his.

Once this was over and his job was complete, they would go away together, leave this country, travel to a place they could live together in luxury and peace.

She thought of those things as his body tightened and he spilled his seed, then drew her to her feet. He brought her hand to his lips, then led her over to the bed. Soon he would be ready to make love again and if he used her a little roughly she didn't care. As long as she could be with him, she would give him anything he wanted.

And he would see to her pleasure as well.

"Tell me," he commanded. "Say it." Reaching out, he cupped her breast, massaged the fullness, pinched the end.

She told him what every man wanted to hear and especially this one, that he was what she needed, fully aroused and embedded deeply inside her. The words seemed to please him. It was always better when she pleased him, and it seemed she had done so tonight.

He took her hand, pressed it against the front of his breeches, and she could tell that he was hard. A little shiver went through her as she turned her back so that he could help her remove her gown, then he paused to remove his own clothes.

Soon you will be mine, she thought, enjoying the sight of him naked. Soon I will have you all to myself. She smiled as he drew her down on the bed, leaned over, and kissed her. Sliding himself inside her, he slowly began to move.

Four days had passed since Caleb had left. As he had promised in his emotionless note, Jacob Boswell had returned that same day to resume his job as trainer and groom. In the time that had passed, Lee had become surprisingly adept at banning Caleb Tanner from her thoughts.

As angry as she was at his callous departure, she could scarcely fault him for his lack of feelings. He had never spoken of love nor even mere affection. He had wanted her, nothing more. It was a simple case of lust.

Lee wished she had been able to keep her own emotions as carefully contained. Instead, on the rare occasion she allowed herself to think of him, she felt a sharp sting of longing. She reminded herself she had known from the start her time with Caleb would be brief. If the unlikely circumstance occurred that she found herself with child, she would manage without him. That also, she had known.

At least he hadn't lied to her.

She thought of the women in the house on Buford Street, all of them abandoned by men who professed to love them. And, of course, there was her mother.

Though Vermillion could barely recall her face, she knew her mother had suffered from abandonment and shame. Angelique Durant, the daughter of a courtesan, had fallen hopelessly in love with a nobleman. The man, heir to one of the most powerful titles in England, had rashly spoken of marriage, and Angelique had been foolish enough to believe him. When she learned of his betrothal to another woman, she had been devastated.

One of Lee's few early memories was of her mother sitting on a bench in the garden, sobbing uncontrollably. Years later, Aunt Gabby had explained that an article had appeared in the Times that day, announcing the birth of a son to Robert Leland Montague, Marquess of Kinleigh.

Kinleigh. The man who was Vermillion's father.

Seated on a stool in the music room, Lee lovingly plucked the strings of a gilded harp, evoking the chords of a melancholy song. As she rested her cheek against the finely curved wood, she thought of her mother and began to feel grateful that Caleb was gone.

It was over between them. She had lost a piece of her heart, but not all. She wasn't an innocent any longer and making it known to Lord Nash that it was he she intended to choose the night of her birthday would be far easier now.

"Excuse me, Miss."

Her hands went still. She looked up to see the butler in the doorway.

"Terribly sorry to disturb you, Miss, but your Aunt Gabriella wishes to see you in the Green Drawing Room."

"Thank you, Jones." Tilting the harp back onto its base, Vermillion rose from her stool and started across the library toward the door. In a simple apricot muslin gown and wearing only a hint of rouge, she wasn't dressed for visitors and there was every chance her aunt would be in company with someone.

Then again, it was the middle of the day. Surely, her appearance would be suitable enough.

Making her way along the hall, she heard the husky ring of male voices and again considered a change of attire. But something had happened to her in the past few weeks since she had met Caleb, and she was beginning to feel more comfortable in her own clothes, her own skin. She waited while Jones slid open the drawing-room door, then drew in a steadying breath, pasted on a smile, and walked in.

As she had guessed, her aunt was not alone. There were two uniformed British officers seated across from her, men in scarlet tunics laden with heavy gold braid. Their breeches were navy blue, as well as the cuffs on their immaculate, perfectly tailored scarlet jackets, and tall Hessian boots gleamed in the sunlight coming through the mullioned windows.

They came to their feet the moment she stepped into the drawing room. She summoned her practiced smile, but the smile froze on her lips.

She didn't know the man on the left, but the other one, slightly taller, dark-haired and dark-eyed, was a man she knew only too well. She had spent two nights making love to him. That man was Caleb Tanner.

"Come in, darling." Aunt Gabby motioned her forward. She must have seen the stunned expression on Lee's face for she smiled. "I realize it must be a bit of a shock to find one's groom in full military dress and standing in the drawing room, but it is rather exciting as well. Do join us, dear."

She made her way toward them, walking on legs that felt encased in lead.

"Allow me to introduce Major Mark Sutton and Captain Caleb Tanner." Her eyes twinkled merrily, as if she had stumbled upon some rare bit of news. "I believe you have already made Captain Tanner's acquaintance-as he was recently employed as Parklands' head groom."

Lee wanted to sink into the floor. She wanted to close the distance between them and slap his handsome face. She had known something was wrong, that he was no ordinary servant, but she never would have guessed anything close to this.

In the end, she simply did what she had been trained to do and smiled at him pleasantly. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Captain Tanner. Why has an officer of the British Army been working in our stable?"

Gabriella answered before he could speak, her eyes bright with excitement. "It was a matter of intrigue, it seems. Until today, Captain Tanner was under orders not to reveal his true identity. Perhaps Major Sutton can explain it to you, as he did to me."

Sutton cast her a glance, a taller than average man with curly black hair and a disarming smile. "Let me begin by apologizing for the deceit we have perpetrated upon you and your most charming aunt. I assure you it was necessary."

"Is that so?" She tried not to look at Caleb, but her gaze kept slipping toward him. His face was set, his features grim. She tried not to notice how handsome he looked in his perfectly fitted uniform, his hair cut short, and his face recently shaved. She tried to still the too rapid beating of her heart.

"I'm afraid we believed the deception to be necessary at the time. You see, we were trying to capture a deserter, a cavalryman in Captain Tanner's regiment who had killed an officer during his tenure in Spain. We had reason to believe the man had returned to England and was involved in the business of racing horses. As you know, Captain Tanner has a good deal of expertise in that area and it was believed he could be of assistance."

"I see." She didn't, of course. She couldn't seem to concentrate on the major's words.

"Five days ago, the man we were seeking was apprehended near the racecourse in York, and Captain Tanner was recalled to his duties. Both the Captain and I wished to personally apologize for any inconvenience you might have suffered."

She stared hard at Caleb, who hadn't yet said a word. "This man... did he... did he have anything to do with the murder of Mary Goodhouse?"

Caleb shook his head, his eyes dark and fixed on her face. "No. I'm afraid this was a completely separate matter."

"Smile, darling. Jacob has returned and all is well. And in a roundabout manner, we have been instrumental in capturing a fugitive from justice."

Smile. She thought she already was.

"In celebration," Aunt Gabby went on, "I've invited Major Sutton and Captain Tanner to join us for supper. Perhaps if we are lucky, they will share a few of their adventures in Spain."

She could feel the muscles tightening around her mouth as she forced her lips to curve. "How delightful. I'm sure that will make for a fascinating evening. For now, however, I'm afraid I shall have to leave you. There are several matters of importance I need to attend. If you gentlemen will excuse me... ?"

"Of course." Major Sutton made her a very gallant bow and Caleb made a polite nod of his head.

As she turned toward the door, his eyes caught hers one last time. There was turmoil there and something else she could not name. She hoped he could read the seething anger in her own and that he would be wise enough to stay away from her as long as he was there.

Of course Caleb didn't stay away. Though supper was an intimate affair by Aunt Gabby's standards, Lee dressed in a midnight blue silk gown trimmed with blue lace, seated herself at her dressing table, and waited while Jeannie pinned up her hair, coiffing it in soft curls over a narrow diamond headband.

Diamonds encircled her throat and glittered in her ears. Though the gown was daringly low-cut, she wore a little less powder tonight and only a dash of rouge on her lips and cheeks. She told herself it had nothing to do with Caleb, but she knew it wasn't the truth.

For all his deceit, Caleb had shown her that a man could be attracted to her just as she was. Since she had met him, she had become more her own person. She liked herself better this way-allowing some of Lee to shine through. She tried not to wonder if Caleb would approve, since it really didn't matter.

It also didn't matter that she still found him attractive or that making love with him had been one of the most incredible experiences of her life.

All that mattered was that he wasn't the man she had believed him to be. The trust she had felt for him, the admiration that had led her to give herself to him, none of it was real. There was no Caleb Tanner, not as she had known him, at any rate. This other man was someone she barely recognized-a man who meant nothing to her in the least.

" 'E is quite something, your Captain Tanner." Jeannie stuck another pin into Lee's upswept hair. "The servants, they gossip about 'im. Already, they 'ave heard the story of why 'e was working in the stable."

"Yes, I'm sure they have." Sometimes she thought they knew more about what happened at Parklands than she did.

" 'E is even more 'andsome in 'is uniform, n'est-ce pas?"

A fresh rush of anger slid through her. "He is also a liar."

" 'E was ordered to keep 'is silence. I do not think 'e had a choice."

Lee looked at Jeannie over her shoulder. She had long ago given up denying her involvement with Caleb, but she didn't intend to discuss him any further. "I don't want to talk about Captain Tanner."

Jeannie arranged another curl. " 'E came back for you, I think."

"If he did, it was only for one reason, and if he thinks for a moment he is going to take up where he left off, he had better think again."

Jeannie said nothing to that, just finished dressing Lee's hair and held up a mirror so she could see the back. She took a quick glimpse, nodded, and rose from the stool in front of the bureau. A few minutes later, she left the bedchamber, prepared to face the evening ahead.

At the top of the stairs, she took a long, courage-building breath. She shook out her dark blue silk skirt and descended to the foyer.

The gentlemen were waiting.

She amended that. The gentlemen-and Caleb-were waiting, prepared to escort the ladies into the dining room, an extravagant salon decorated in a Grecian motif with paintings of ancient temples supported by artificial columns along the walls.

She was only a little surprised to see Lord Claymont in company with the two uniformed men, looking, though several years older, equally as handsome as they.

"Good evening, Vermillion, dear." Leaning over, the earl brushed a kiss on her cheek. "You're looking quite fetching this evening."

"Thank you, my lord." She turned to the other two men. "I presume you all have met."

Claymont smiled. "Actually, I've known Major Sutton for the past several years. And of course I'm well acquainted with Captain Tanner's father."

Her eyes cut briefly to Caleb and she wondered what other secrets he had kept from her. "I'm sorry... I don't believe I know who that is."

"Why, the Earl of Selhurst, my dear. William and I have been friends for a number of years."

Her eyes must have reflected the betrayal she felt for a muscle tightened along his jaw. Not only a captain of the cavalry, but also the son of an earl.

She gave him an insipid smile. "I'm impressed, Captain Tanner. Just think, a member of the aristocracy, son of a high-ranking member of the ton-shoveling horse manure out in our stable. Imagine how that will heighten our somewhat dubious standing in Society."

Her aunt's silver-blond eyebrows shot up. "Darling, really. I doubt Captain Tanner wishes to be reminded of the tasks he was forced to perform in the line of duty."

Instead of getting angry, Caleb's mouth curved with amusement. "There are worse jobs, I promise you. Believe it or not, I enjoyed my brief tenure working with the horses." His eyes moved down to her breasts. "I found the riding especially... pleasurable."

She flushed; she couldn't help it. She knew he wasn't talking about horses and the anger she was feeling heated up another notch.

There was nothing she could do-at least not here.

"I think it's time we went in to dinner," her aunt said, breaking the tension between them. She captured Lord Claymont's arm and led him off toward the dining room.

"Shall we?" Major Sutton, as senior officer, offered to escort Vermillion and she rested her hand on the sleeve of his scarlet coat.

"I am honored, Major." She flicked a glance at Caleb, then gave the major a smile so bright it could have lit up a darkened room.

Caleb's bland expression turned into a scowl that made her smile go even wider. As she walked into the dining room, clinging rather tightly to Major Sutton's arm, she could feel Caleb's eyes on her. They burned with an inner fire and for the first time since she had seen him standing in the drawing room, Lee felt a wave of satisfaction.

13.

Supper was an endless affair. Seated at the head of the long mahogany table, Aunt Gabby sat smiling and laughing with her guests. Still a lovely woman in the glow of the candles burning in the silver candelabra, Gabriella was in rare form tonight, charming the men as she always did, regaling them with tales of her travels as a young girl visiting Paris. By the end of the evening, she had even managed a few rare smiles from Caleb.

Major Sutton entertained them with stories of the war, though he was careful not to say anything inappropriate in the presence of ladies. Caleb was mostly quiet, his gaze finding hers time and again throughout the lengthy evening.

She was glad when the men retired for brandy and cigars and she was finally able to slip away. While Aunt Gabby went upstairs to refresh herself, Vermillion quietly made her way out to the garden. A warm wind ruffled the leaves and an owl hooted somewhere in the distance. The sky was nearly black and bright stars glittered overhead. It was an evening much like the last night she had spent with Caleb.

Thinking about that night seemed to conjure him out of the shadows. How he managed to appear so soundlessly she wasn't really sure. He had always moved with a sort of quiet grace and he did so now, stepping out of the darkness just a few feet away from where she sat.

"I saw you come out here," he said. "I've been hoping to get you alone since I arrived. We need to talk, Lee."

She came up off the wrought-iron bench, anger warring with hurt, disappointment, and feelings of betrayal. "My name is Vermillion and there is nothing to talk about. I don't even know you. Therefore there is nothing to say." She meant to walk past him, but Caleb caught her arm.

"My name is Caleb Tanner. I'm twenty-eight years old. My father is the Earl of Selhurst. My mother, God rest her soul, died when I was born. I have three brothers, Lucas, Christian, and Ethan. I joined the army eight years ago. I've served in the Netherlands, India, and also in Spain. Currently, I'm on special assignment to General Wellesley. Now you know who I am. As I said, we need to talk."

Instead of a reply, she ignored him and simply started walking.

"Running away isn't going to change what happened."

She stopped and turned to face him. "I am not running away. I am leaving, as I find present company fatiguing in the extreme. Now if you will excuse me..."

Apparently he wouldn't, since he stepped into the path in front of her, blocking her escape. "I would have told you the truth if I could have. I was under orders from my superior, Colonel Cox, making that impossible."

"What about the other, Caleb? Was making love to me part of your assignment, too?"

Caleb stiffened a little and she noticed the way the gold buttons glittered on his scarlet coat. "I apologize for what happened between us. I wanted you. It's as simple as that. Perhaps it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been pretending to be something you were not."

Her chin went up. "Need I remind you-I wasn't the only one pretending?"

"As I said, it was necessary at the time."