"I'm working for the government, Sinjun. Have been for years. My trips are directly related to whatever undercover work Lord Pitt considers worthy of my talents. I have been onto something important since before Diana's death, so I suppose I'll be leaving London again soon."

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Julian, this is astounding! Why have you taken on such dangerous work? You must resign immediately."

Julian's expression went cold as death. "I won't stop until I find Diana's killer. The man who killed her is still out there. Someday I'll come across him, and when I do, he'd better be prepared to die."

Sinjun was stunned by the dark menace in Julian's voice. He'd known Julian and his betrothed had been close, but he'd never suspected how close. Suddenly all Julian's unexplained absences made sense.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone this time," Julian continued. "If something unforeseen should happen to me, I want your promise to see that Emma marries well."

"d.a.m.nation, Julian-"

"Your promise."

"You have it."

"You'll inherit, of course, then your son after you."

Sinjun was appalled by Julian's sense of fatalism. "This conversation is moot as far as I'm concerned. You're going to live to a ripe old age, and when you do meet your maker your eldest son will inherit."

Julian's hand came down on Sinjun's shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Sinjun."

"What are you counting on him for?" Emma asked as she glided into the room.

"To do what's right for Christy and his son," Julian improvised.

Emma sent Sinjun a penetrating look. "My sentiments exactly."

"It's time we were off," Julian said, gathering his hat and cane. "Don't forget your promise, Sinjun. And think about what I said."

Sinjun stared after Julian with renewed respect. He'd had no idea his brother was involved in dangerous work. But then there had always been a scent of danger about Julian. Aye, a dangerous man, Sinjun mused thoughtfully. And a potent enemy.

Christy made Niall her priority during the following days. She took him on outings in the park and for carriage rides. He was crawling now, requiring extra attention. The wee lad readily recognized his father, holding out his arms to be picked up whenever Sinjun entered his line of vision. Sinjun seemed to revel in his son's adoration and spent a great deal of time in his company.

The relationship between Christy and Sinjun remained awkward. Whenever Christy caught him staring at her with a puzzled expression on his face, she wondered if he was trying to decide where she fit into his life. She waited impatiently for Sinjun to ask for an explanation of the lies she'd told him and was disappointed when he appeared indifferent to anything she had to say on the subject.

Though their daytime relationship was strained, their nights were everything a wife could ask for. Sinjun came to her each night, making pa.s.sionate love to her. Sometimes more than once. His ardor never faltered, no matter how distant he'd been during the day. With the room blanketed in darkness, he whispered love words to her. He called her sweetheart and other intimate names that melted her bones. When she awakened the following morning, Sinjun was always gone. And so the days flowed one into another. But since Sinjun never mentioned sending her away, Christy began to hope things would work out between them.

Sinjun decided that his son should be christened, and that the christening should be a grand affair. Plans were immediately undertaken to make it a huge event. Emma and Julian were to be his G.o.dparents. Christy had no objections and threw herself into the planning.

The day before the christening, a surprise visitor arrived at Derby Hall. Rory Macdonald, looking haggard and exhausted after a ten-day ride from Glenmoor, nearly collapsed on the doorstep when Pemburton opened the door to him. He asked for Christy and was shown into the back parlor.

Fear laced through Christy when she heard that Rory had ridden all the way from Scotland to see her. Nothing but trouble of the worst kind could have brought Rory to London.

"Christy, thank G.o.d I've found ye," Rory said, jumping to his feet when she entered the parlor.

"Did you receive my letter?" Christy asked. "I sent it with a messenger after I moved in with Sinjun."

"Aye, that's how I knew where to find ye."

"What's amiss, Rory? Is it Margot? Or your bairn?"

"Nay, la.s.s. I have a fine braw son. We named him Angus after yer grandsire. Margot is well. We were married by the priest when he made the rounds a few weeks ago."

"The news must be grievous to bring you to London."

"The Cameron chieftain is feuding with the Macdonalds and Ra.n.a.lds and has drawn the Mackenzies to his cause. They've already fired several cottages and stolen livestock. The clan needs ye, Christy. We canna fight without our laird to give us heart."

"What's this?" Sinjun asked, strolling into the room. "Pemburton said we had company from Scotland. 'Tis good to see you, Rory. Are the clans fighting among themselves again?"

"Aye, that's the gist of it, yer lordship."

"I a.s.sume Calum Cameron is the instigator."

"Aye, right ye are."

"What do you expect Christy to do about it?"

"The clan needs their laird," Rory explained. "The feud is getting out of hand."

"I'll send word to the garrison at Inverness," Sinjun said. "English soldiers are in the Highlands for the purpose of keeping order among the clans. If there's fighting going on, they'll put a stop to it."

"No!" Christy protested. "The Englishmen don't care who they kill. Macdonalds or Camerons, 'tis all the same to them as long as they stop the fighting. I won't have my kinsmen killed by English butchers."

"b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Christy! What can one woman do that an army can't?"

"They're my clansmen, Sinjun. They need me. Perhaps I can talk some sense into Calum." She sent him an anguished look. "I have to return to Glenmoor. You do understand, don't you?"

"Rory, Pemburton is stationed in the foyer. Have him show you the way to the kitchen. I'm sure you must be starving. Christy and I will settle this and let you know what we decide."

Rory sent Christy a bolstering look and rose immediately. "Aye, I could use something substantial in my stomach."

"This is nonsense, Christy," Sinjun said once they were alone. "I refuse to let you place yourself in danger."

Christy a.s.sumed a defiant stance. "You can't stop me, Sinjun."

"If you persist with this, I'm going with you."

Panic raced through Christy. She hadn't forgotten Calum's threat. She had a strong suspicion that this feud was being waged with a specific purpose in mind. Calum still hadn't given up on her. She knew exactly what Calum was doing. He was using a clan war to lure Sinjun to Glenmoor so he could kill him. She loved Sinjun too much to let that happen.

"No, Sinjun, your presence can only make matters worse. You know Highlanders have little use for Englishmen."

Sinjun's eyes narrowed. "What are you proposing, Christy?"

"I propose to leave immediately for Scotland. Gavin and Effie can accompany me and Niall. I'm sure I can stop this foolishness without bringing English soldiers to Glenmoor. The disaster at Culloden isn't far from the Highlanders' minds. The situation could be explosive, resulting in bloodshed. Do you want that on your conscience?"

Sinjun's expression turned stony. "What did you say?"

Christy went still. "About what?"

"There is no way I will allow you to take my son into a potentially dangerous situation. You don't want me to go with you? Fine. But if you persist with this folly, my son stays in London with me. Is that clear?"

"Sinjun, you can't mean-"

"Every word I just said." Sinjun's voice softened. "Despite everything, I can't stop myself from caring about you." He ran his hands up her arms and slowly brought her into his embrace. "I don't want you involved in your clansmen's squabbles. I cannot make my meaning any clearer, Christy. Stay here and let our relationship develop. I've been thinking that the time has come for me to hear your explanation. Tell me, Christy, make me understand why you wanted me to think Niall had died at birth."

A groan of frustration slipped past Christy's lips. After all the weeks of waiting for this opportunity, why did Sinjun want an explanation now? It wasn't the right time. He might insist upon confronting Calum, and that would be a mistake.

"I'm sorry, Sinjun, there isn't time. There's so much to be done. Niall has to be made ready for the trip and-"

His eyes glinted dangerously. "Haven't you heard a word I've said? Go if you must, but Niall stays here. 'Tis your choice, Christy. If you return to the Highlands, you go alone."

Chapter 17.

In that timeless void between one heartbeat and the next, Christy felt her world crumble beneath her feet. "Sinjun, don't make me choose. I'm The Macdonald. Grandfather trusted me to do what was right for the clan when he named me his heir."

Sinjun's eyes narrowed into glittering slits. "You have a son who needs you."

"Do you think I want to leave Niall behind? Tis you who are forcing me to leave without him."

He pulled her against him. His eyes seemed to blaze as he lowered his head and kissed her. His kiss was harsh, demanding, as if the sheer force of his will could change her mind. She felt him grow thick and harden against her and wanted desperately to yield, but she knew where her duty lay.

She whimpered a protest as Sinjun swept her into his arms and carried her from the room, past a pair of giggling maids polishing the woodwork, and up the stairs. The door to her chamber stood open, and he carried her inside, slamming the panel shut with his boot heel. Then he slid her down his body until her feet touched the floor.

"Sinjun, what-"

He reached behind him and locked the door. "I'm going to make love to you, Christy. I want you to remember what you're leaving behind, because once you leave this house you'll never enter it again."

Despair rode Christy. Surely Sinjun didn't mean what he'd just said. He wouldn't keep her away from her bairn, would he? He wasn't a cruel man. He'd spoken in anger, hadn't he?

"I will return, Sinjun, never doubt it. Niall is my life. I will remain in the Highlands just long enough to settle the feud between the Camerons and the Macdonalds. Don't you understand, Sinjun? I am The Macdonald."

"And I am your husband."

"You're English. That makes all the difference in the world. My kinsmen will listen to me, they respect me."

"Go then, Christy, but you'll carry the memory of our last time together with you."

He reached for her, and Christy couldn't have resisted had she wanted to. This was Sinjun, the man she loved. Though he insisted he would deny her her son if she left, she refused to believe he meant it.

He grasped her bodice in both his hands and would have rent it down the middle had Christy not grasped his hands and pulled them away.

"I'll do it."

His eyes were watchful as she peeled away her dress and laid it carefully over a chair. Her shoes and stockings went next. When she would have left on her shift, he grasped the hem and pulled it over her head. Then he undressed himself, tossing his clothes aside haphazardly.

Christy looked her fill, admiring the width of his shoulders, the taut flesh stretched across his belly, his rampant manhood. He was magnificent, every glorious inch of him. He was Lord Sin now, fiercely predatory, powerfully seductive. Her gaze riveted on his arousal, rigid and brazenly erect, rising majestically between the columns of his thighs. She flushed and looked away.

"Don't turn away, sweetheart," he said hoa.r.s.ely. "We've always had l.u.s.t between us, that was one thing we could always count on. You want me, don't try to deny it."

He traced the shape of her breast with a blunt finger, and she shivered. "I've made no secret of the fact that I want you, Sinjun. I've always wanted you, even when you professed to hate me."

Sinjun made a harsh noise in his throat. "You have a strange way of showing your affection. Your web of lies and deception make me wary of anything you say."

Christy's throat thickened with tears, but she refused to let them fall. Everything she'd done had been for a good reason. "Perhaps you should leave now and let me prepare for my trip."

"Oh, no." He glanced down at his erection, then grasped her hand and placed it on his turgid flesh. "This isn't going to go away."

Her hand closed around him. Sinjun spit out an oath, swept her into his arms, and carried her to the bed. "You may be laird of your clan but you'll always belong to me. I'll not divorce you, Christy Macdonald. Though you'll never become a part of my life if you decide to leave, no other man will ever have you.

"I never wanted a wife, if you recall. We'll go on as before. You'll remain in Glenmoor with your kinsmen and I'll take up where I left off before you arrived to make a shambles of my life."

"What about our son?"

"Niall will want for nothing. He's my heir. He'll always have a father to see to his welfare."

And a mother, Christy silently vowed. "Can we not discuss this?"

"The time for talk is long past. I can think of far better things to do with those lush, lying lips."

Sinjun pulled her against him. If he couldn't move her with words, perhaps he could show her with his body that she belonged with him and Niall in London. The Highlanders could go to h.e.l.l for all Sinjun cared. His mouth seized hers in an ungentle kiss that spoke eloquently of his harsh disapproval, of his need. His breath rasped through his lungs, heavy and labored. There was a primitive pounding in his loins, in his head, in his blood. Desire swelled thick and hard in his shaft and stirred his body.

When her arms locked around his neck and pulled him closer, hope blossomed in his chest. Had she changed her mind about leaving? He secretly gloated as Christy arched beneath him and melted into his kiss. With their bodies locked together, Sinjun let her wildness seep through to him. He wanted to give her pleasure, so much pleasure that she'd remember it for the rest of her days, no matter what the future held for them.

He filled his hands with the generous bounty of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, teasing her nipples with the heels of his palms as his mouth took hungry possession of hers. He deepened the kiss with his tongue and felt grim satisfaction when she groaned into his mouth. Though reluctant to leave such rewarding territory, he slid his lips down the slender column of her neck. He heard her suck in a gasp when his mouth closed over a tender nipple. He suckled her gently, until her milk began to flow, then he left his feast for the tempting lure of more intimate parts.

He felt her shiver as his lips traced a flaming path down her stomach. Spreading her legs wide, he placed them over his shoulders. When he parted the silken fleece protecting her womanhood with a blunt fingertip, a slow hiss escaped through her teeth. And when that same blunt finger found her moist, dew-drenched center, she cried out his name.

But it wasn't enough. Sinjun wanted to hear her scream with pleasure. He watched her face as he slid a finger inside her. She appeared transfixed, her eyes glazed, as if waiting for him to take her to the next level. Happy to oblige, he placed his mouth over the hard nub at the juncture of her thighs and sucked it into his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she arched up into the hot cavern of his mouth as his tongue slid wetly over her and his fingers tormented her.

She was panting, writhing, sobbing, but still he continued, each lash of his tongue bringing her closer to sweet oblivion.

Her breath escaped in a scalding rush. The rough velvet of his tongue was driving her mad with divine, tormenting ecstasy. Again and again he tasted her, driving her higher with each torrid stroke. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders as his hands cupped her bottom and brought her deeper into the heat of his mouth. Her body was awash in pleasure, trembling, silently screaming for him to release her.

Then he did. She felt the contractions begin deep within her core as piercing rapture turned her body into a ma.s.s of sensitive, quivering flesh. She heard someone scream, shocked when she realized it was her own voice she'd heard. On and on it went, until she collapsed inside and went limp.

Slowly she floated back to reality. Her eyes opened, glazed and unfocused. Sinjun sat on his haunches between her legs, his eyes midnight blue and smoky, his shaft still rigid and thick. His expression was strained and darkly intense.

"Put me inside you, love." His voice was heated and raw, as if his control was hanging by a frayed thread.

Meeting his scalding gaze, she took him into her hands and brought him to her core. A gust of expelled breath whispered against her cheek as he slid inside her. Her arms crept around him and clung, mutely urging him deeper ... as deep as he could go, until he had no more to give.

She stared up at him; he was embedded to the hilt inside her, his arms braced on either side of her head. His muscles corded and bulged as he began to move. Slowly at first, as if he wanted to draw out the pleasure. Then, as if driven by an emotional upheaval, savage urgency overtook him and his hips pounded a frantic rhythm, grinding, churning, rekindling the flame inside her.