Oh, this little laptop desk is so cunning, I must have it.

Its a perfect gift for an old gentleman I know.

Davie laughed. If ye know any gentlemen, Ill swallow my sword without gaggin Take itI dont suppose father will mind. Belonged to the mistress of a French duc. Wrote all her billets-doux in bed, and its more cunnin than ye realize. Here, feel the fancy fretwork around the edge of the drawer and press.

Tina placed her fingers where he showed her. Oh, a secret drawer within a drawer. How fascinating! When she tired of the furniture, she said, You didnt go to France without bringing back perfume. Father will never miss one bottle.

David said dryly, No, but hell miss half a dozen. Ive already pinched five.

Oh, surely you dont need French perfume to impress the lassies! Tell them how you sank an English galleon, and youll be the talk of every tavern along the quay.

No fear of that. All the talk is o the darin and dangerous Lord Vengeance.

Lord Vengeance? Tina asked, intrigued by the sobriquet.

Dinna tell me ye havent heard o the valiant Lord Vengeance. The raids hes mounted in retaliation ha almost impoverished the English borders. He strikes by land an by seaboth coasts on the same night wi his phantom ships.

Thats impossible! Tina declared.

Nothing is impossible fer the valiant Lord Vengeance, it seems, said David enviously. Hes fast becomin a legend. He dinna just sink English vessels, he boards them and gallantly spares the crew by leavin them on some remote shore.

Who is he? Tina asked.

Ah, therein lies the mystery. One day rumor has it that its the admiral himself. Next day, its the kings cousin, the Earl o Lennox. The bettin is rife, an the odds-on favorite at the moment is Bothwell wreakin revenge.

Tinas hand flew to her mouth. Black Ram Douglas, she whispered.

What about him? Davie asked.

Lord Vengeance is Black Ram Douglas! He changed the name of the Valentina to the Revenge!

Dont let yer imagination carry ye away, Firebrand.

No, Davie, Im serious. Hes brought six English vessels he captured to sell here in Ayr.

David masked his thoughts. Then he began to gently ridicule her. This Lord Vengeance risks his neck tae do good deeds. Hes someone with a great sense of social justice who gives tae the poor an rights the wrongs done them. Its someone valiant and kind and soft- hearted who puts others afore himself. Does that sound like Douglas?

No. She laughed. Lord Vengeance would give his ships to the king for the protection of Scotlandhe wouldnt sell them to line his pockets.

Rob Kennedy, in a smart new French-cut doublet, came up on deck. Well, lass, Im off. Ill join ye fer breakfast afore Douglas steals ye away again.

Good night, Father.

Im off too, David said with a wink. Ive business of ma ain needs attention.

Valentina stood at the taffrail for a long time after the two Kennedys departed. The more she thought of Ram Douglas, the more she became convinced that he could be Lord Vengeance. She wished shed kept her mouth shut in front of Davie. If it was true, it was incriminating information.

When Tina awoke, she was swept with a wave of nausea. She groaned. I swear, rocking at anchor all night is ten times worse than riding out a storm. She struggled into her clothes and joined her father. She watched him eat a hearty breakfast, her face as pale as his porridge. She denied to herself that she might be with child, and yet an inner voice whispered, it had been ages since shes had her womans courses.

Ye know, lass, there are some people who are smart, an some people who are smarter. Ram Douglas knows the secret of makin gold. The king should give up his alchemy experiments of heatin quicksilver tae produce gold, an hire Ram Douglas tae do the job fer him.

Tina did not want her father to know she was suffering nausea, so she concentrated on the conversation. In other words, he sold you a ship?

Two of em, he confirmed. Arran bought two fer the navy, an the others went tae OMalley, an Irish shipping magnate who was in port frae Innisfana. He looked at her keenly as she sipped some watered wine. Douglas seems right fond o ye, lass. Says hes takin ye tae Glasgow fer a new wardrobe afore he takes ye tae court in Edinburgh. He hesitated, then asked the question that had been plaguing him ever since the hand-fasting.

Is there any kindness at all in yer heart fer him?

Her golden eyes sought her fathers and held them as she said very distinctly, I shall hate him forever. Her words gave him only a momentary pang of guilt. He felt he had done the right thing by giving her to a man as strong and powerful as Douglas. These were disquieting times for Scotland, and he felt in his bones there was worse to come.

When she went back aboard the Antigone, Tina went straight to her cabin, crawled into a bunk, and stayed there until they sailed into the Port of Glasgow. She awoke amazingly refreshed, and all signs of nausea had disappeared as if they had been figments of her imagination. By the time she dressed and went up on deck, the horses had been taken off the ship and her baggage was being loaded onto a wagon. Glasgows quayside was on the River Clyde, which was broad and crystal clear.

Ramsay, who had been watching for her, escorted her from the ship. Are ye rested? Ye looked a little pale when ye came aboard this morning.

An empty wardrobe plays havoc with my constitution, she said innocently.

He raised an amused eyebrow in the direction of her mountain of luggage. Little vixen! Yer father told ye how much money I made last night.

He did, my Lord Douglas, and I seem to dimly recollect your promise to keep me in barbaric splendor.

He laughed, his face a startling contrast from the harsh, grim expression he usually wore. Angus has a townhouse in Garrowhill. Tomorrow Ill take ye shopping along the Great Western Road.

I may have anything I desire? she pressed.

Aye, anything, he promised.

Anguss townhouse turned out to be a magnificent fifteenth-century mansion. For the first time Valentina began to think of the vast wealth and power attached to the name of Douglas. The house boasted frescoed ceilings, an elegant oval staircase, and salons crammed with art treasures and paintings from around the world.

Ram bade Ada take one bag only from the baggage cart and take it to the master bedchamber. He summoned Anguss majordomo and told him to plenish two chambers in another wing for Tinas servingwomen. He wanted her to himself tonight.

When Tina entered the master bedchamber, she was pleasantly surprised. It was easily twice the size of any chamber shed ever seen. Its walls were covered by the palest green watered silk, and its ceiling was painted with scenes from Greek mythology. Its windows were really doors made from small panes of glass. These doors opened onto a small stone balcony with steps that led down to a private walled garden. At the moment it was ablaze with chrysanthemums, Michaelmas daisies, tall hollyhocks, and late-blooming roses. There was a small fountain with a sundial, and a large lime tree that held a swing.

The chamber had the luxury of a carved mantel and fireplace, but they would need no fire on this warm autumn night. The townhouse was the antithesis of a drafty castle. It had a room just for bathing, with water brought in by pipes.

Tonight they had dinner in the formal dining room. Tina found it a unique experience to sit at the opposite end of the polished refectory table and be waited on by two footmen in livery who anticipated their every need. Ram was in a teasing mood, and he played an outrageous game of openly discussing what they would do after dinner He used polite euphemisms and wicked allusions in front of the footmen, who kept perfectly straight faces, but Tina knew full well that only halfwits would not have guessed what Ram meant by the tall gentleman belowstairs who had an insatiable desire to visit the perfumed garden again and again until every flower and bud was plucked.

Ram threw down his napkin and arose from the table.

My compliments tae the chef, he said, nodding to one of the footmen Then he took Tinas hand and led her from the room, whispering, Christ, I didnt know what I was eatingall I could taste was ye.

Upstairs in the lovely master bedchamber, he did not fall upon her to undress her but held himself in check. He invited her to play a game of chess and regaled her with tales of his youth when he had visited some of the far- flung castles of the Highlands He was describing Castle Huntly that belonged to the Gordons It stands seven stories tall, made from thick red sandstone. From the distance its like a castle from a fairy tale, all turrets, gables, and parapets It overlooks the green hills of Fife.

Ye enter through a forecourt on the third level.

He watched her moves carefully. They were clever without being devious. He was quite impressed with her for the simple reason she was the first woman hed known who didnt cheat Tina said, Arent the Gordons supposed to be quite eccentric?

Ye are being kind Mad as hatters is more like it. A staggering number of them are illegitimate Lady Gordon once had her eye on me for her daughter Louisa She told me not to fret myself about the streak of insanity, for there wasnt a drop of Gordon blood in her!

Tina laughed. Youre making it up to distract me! Check, she said, thinking she had him trapped He moved his bishop. Checkmate, he murmured softly.

Damnation! she swore.

Why dont ye put on one of those negligees Ada designed especially tae drive a man tae commit depravities?

Would it throw you off your game?

Not the game I have in mind.

When she opened the bag Ada had brought upstairs, she found the nightgown inside was black lace. As her hands closed over the sensual garment, she knew it would have the power to distract him. His eyes never left her as she slowly undressed, drawing it out to deliberately tease and tempt him. She was confident in the power of her beauty and her body, arching her back, tossing her hair, pouting her lips, and stroking her breasts. Before she donned the black lace, she touched perfume to her nipples, navel, and pubis, then let the peekaboo lace fall to her feet, covering her body, yet not covering it.

Ye play the mistress very well, cherie. Have ye been at the game long? he teased.

Oui All my lovers have been well endowed.

His lips twitched. Ye like big cocks?

Big cocks are not enough. I need big brains too.

They played another game of chess that Tina won because he didnt even pretend to concentrate. She slipped his queen down inside the lace between her breasts and gloated over his defeat. Im going to keep your queen so that whenever you become insufferable, Ill pull it out and taunt you! She pulled it from between her breasts and slipped it back again.

He moved toward her with deliberate intent. Ill pull it out and taunt ye.

Oh yes, please! she giggled. The laughter left her face as he began to disrobe. Her golden eyes changed to smoky amber with the intensity of the passion he aroused in her. His strong hands slipped the straps of her nightrail from her shoulders, and it slid down her body to make a black pool at her feet. The queen rolled beneath the great bed, forgotten by both.

He kissed her for a full hour, then played with her hair and her body for another hour before he made love to her He enjoyed the foreplay as much as shemore perhaps, for she was writhing in spread-eagled abandon before he completed penetration. He whispered, Christ, yer so hot fer me, ye make a man feel like a man more than any woman Ive ever known! When I see ye flushed wi passion, excitement stabs through me like great shards of glass.

She gasped as the plunging heat of his blade made its relentless demands upon her to yield up everything to him. The throbbing fullness inside her set her whole body a-shiver. She loved his animal maleness.

Everything about him was hard as iron. His arms, his chest, his legs, even his thighs were corded with rigid saddle muscles. When Rams shudder came, it was so intense it entered her and she shuddered also, becoming one with him He loved the quiet time after hed made love to her. He always felt so completely satisfied. He felt whole She restored his vigor. He was filled with life and love. Finally he rolled from her but kept her bound to his side with one possessive arm. The ceiling above the bed depicted Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty, naked, rising from the sea, her golden-red hair falling to her hips, one hand cupped beneath a delicately voluptuous breast. Ye are more beautiful than Aphrodite, he mused.

Is that who she is? murmured Tina.

He chuckled. Ye are a decidedly uneducated wench.

Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, is fabled tae have risen from the sea near the island of Cyprus. Her husband was Hephaestus, and she was always attended by the Graces and by Eros, sometimes called Cupid The paintings always show doves.

Mmm, who is that devil-eyed dark creature with the big you-know-what?

That is Mars. She had a notorious intrigue with him.

How can she possibly look so much like me? she puzzled.

Ram chuckled. Angus had it painted. Janet Kennedy probably posed fer the artist. Ye dont think yer the first mistress tae lie in this bed wi her lover, do ye?

She rubbed her cheek against his chest. Do you think the king loves her?

He loves all women. They are his weakness.

No, I mean, does he truly love her? she pressed.

No, he doesnt, Ram said low. The one and only true love of his life was Margaret Drummond. I believe they were secretly wed, then due tae pressure he agreed tae take Henry Tudors daughter, Margaret, uniting England and Scotland by a bond of blood so there would be peace.

James married Margaret Tudor by proxy in January 1502, but when November rolled around he was still sharing his bed with Margaret Drummond, whod given him a child by then. He hadnt even signed the marriage treaty. Someone took it upon himself to remove Margaret Drummond, who was such an impediment tae the union between England and Scotland. Someone poisoned her. It broke Jamess heart, but within a month he signed the marriage treaty at St. Mungos Abbey here in Glasgow, and preparations for Queen Margarets journey to Scotland began. It is any wonder he hates her? Every time he looks at her, he knows his beloved was sacrificed for the Tudor bitch.

To dispel the darklings, Ram poured them wine and sat on the edge of the bed to share the loving cup with her.

Tina sat up, her back against the padded silk headboard, the tendrils of her hair curled about her breasts like flames, and Ram could not help letting his fingers play among the curls until her nipples stood out like taut rosebuds. This is indeed a luxurious chamber.

Naked nymphs upon the ceiling are most conducive to lovemaking.

Ram teased, I prefer a mirror above the bed.

Tina picked up a hand mirror from the bedside table and said dreamily, Just think of all the secrets a mirrors depths must hold, hidden away in its crystal cave.

Ye are fanciful and fey tonight, he murmured against her temple.

She put the mirror down and picked up a small lacquered box. Inside upon a black velvet cushion sat five tiny ivory spheres. Ivory marbles from afar.

Rams mouth curved with amusement. Theyre not marbles, sweetheart.

Then what are they? she puzzled.

Sexual toys.

Whatever do you mean? she asked, her curiosity piqued.

These are Chinese pleasure balls. Chinese culture is more civilized than ours. Their concubines are given these by their lords. When their lords are absent for many days and nights, these ivory spheres bring pleasure. They are designed to keep a woman from taking a lover. They keep her chaste.

How? asked Tina, completely baffled.

He put his lips to her ear and whispered, The wee balls go up inside ye, then ye sit upon a swing and glide back and forth until ye come.

Ram! she cried, shocked. You are making it up!

He touched his lips to hers, then murmured wickedly, Ill show ye. He picked up the black lace nightgown and put it on her, then he laid her back against the pillows, opened her thighs, and gently inserted the ivory spheres. Then he swept her into his arms and carried her down the steps that led to the walled garden. She clasped her arms about his neck and clung to his naked body, already aroused by the taboos they were breaking.

The night was all dark shades of lavender. A cuckoo called hauntingly. He sat her upon the swing and pushed her. The sensations happened at the apex of the swinging when she changed direction and glided back to Ram.

Oh! she cried with surprise. Oh, oh, ohhhh.

Immediately Ram stopped the swing and lifted her in his arms. I cannot bear ye tae become aroused by anything but me, he said fiercely. His mouth came down savagely upon hers, branding her as his woman, and his woman alone.

He sat down upon the swing and took her onto his lap.

His hand went beneath the black lace and his finger slipped inside her to remove the ivory spheres. Straddle me, he commanded.

She pulled up the black lace and straddled his lap. As his marble shaft penetrated her from this unique angle, she knew she had never experienced anything so deliciously intense before. As Ram pumped his legs to set the swing in motion, the friction against her taut womans bud made her scream with excitement.

Threads of molten, burning gold shot up through her belly into her breasts and all the way down her legs to her knees. All she could do was cling and gasp and ride upon the wind with him to paradise.