The duke nodded as he walked out of her room. Regina shivered with a renewed wave of trepidation. He had come to her room solely to warn her not to fall prey to her yearning to believe the worst was past. Going to the window, she stared out. The duke need not worry. She knew the worst remained ahead of her while she sat, day after day, and waited for Marcus to leave his convenient and come back to her.

Regina was not surprised when, just as the tall-case clock in the hall was chiming four, Gardner came to tell her that she had a caller. Handing her a card, he said, "I asked the gentleman to wait in the sitting room, my lady."

"Thank you," she said. She turned the card over and smiled when she saw Benjamin's name. Today, more than any other she could remember, she needed a friend like Benjamin to come and get her mind off her compounding troubles. His message, which had been delivered no more than an hour past, had asked if he could call, and she had sent back a fervent yes.

Checking that her hair was neat and glad that she had selected this ashes of roses gown with the ruching along the hem which flowed with every step, she hurried down the stairs to the sitting room. She did not try to act as if nothing was amiss. Benjamin knew her too well. He would take note of any ploys she tried to use.

She pushed open the door and gasped when something caught on her sleeve. Her sharp tug was rewarded with the sound of ripping fabric. With a weary sigh, she stared at the brad on the door which had hooked her sleeve. She strained to see her shoulder and discovered she had torn the seam of her left sleeve.

Before she could do more than curse silently, Benjamin came to greet her, smiling. As always, he was dressed impeccably in the sedate colors which were the opposite of the bright uniform he once had worn. "Regina, I hope you can forgive me for being anxious to see you as soon as you returned."

"I must own to being continually astonished at the speed with which news travels through the Polite World."

He led her to the settee and sat next to her. "A friend told me he had seen your husband this morning, so I took the chance that you had traveled back to Town with him."

"We arrived back very late last night." She said nothing more, though her silence made her uncomfortable. Once she could have told Benjamin anything, but now she wanted to say nothing of the higgedly-piggedly muddle her life had become.

"Did you have a nice sojourn away from London?"

"Yes."

"I had thought you might not return now that the Season is nearly over."

"The dowager d.u.c.h.ess is determined that the wedding will be the finale for this Season before the ton seeks their country retreats away from the heat of summer."

Benjamin folded her hands between his as he asked, "May I speak plainly?"

"Of course."

"And will you speak as plainly?"

She faltered, then said, "I shall try."

"I suppose I can ask no more of you now. Regina, I know that you fled London because of fears of trouble following you from Algiers."

"How-?"

"I, too, have friends in the Foreign Office." His grip tightened on her. "Why have you let these people panic you? You and I have lived in Algiers. We both know many of the Dey's viziers. You know that the Dey has enough troubles within his city and that he deals with them effectively and with fatal precision. He does not need to chase one woman to London to get what he needs."

Regina frowned. How odd that Benjamin would be chiding her now for being frightened when he had penned a letter warning of the dangers to her! Then she wondered if he was trying to disguise his own needless trepidation in this way.

When she saw his eyes narrow, she smiled wryly. "I know."

"I know you do."

"I feel a bit foolish."

He shook his head. "No need for you or anyone else to feel foolish. I only want you to remember that you can trust me."

"That I know, too."

"Then listen to me." His voice deepened as his eyes narrowed. "I care about you deeply, Regina."

"I care for you, too. After all, we have been friends for years."

"I wish to speak of more than friendship."

She drew back, but he refused to release her hands. "Benjamin, I know there are rumors among the ton, but Marcus and I were legally married by proxy."

"I know you are Lord Daniston's wife, Regina, but you must face the truth. He will never be cured of his obsession with Jocelyn Simpson, even though she is making a doodle of him by welcoming others to call upon her."

"You have a very low opinion of Mrs. Simpson."

"The lowest," he a.s.sured her quickly.

"Yet you ask me to become no better than her, worse truly, for she has not promised to be faithful to one man as I have."

His smile fell from his face as he cried, "Regina, that was not my intention. I wish only to let you know of my affection and devotion. Think of the life we could have together, roaming the world and seeing all those wondrously peculiar things that belong to other nations. Far from the constrictions of England, no one would need to know the truth."

"But I would." She stood and put her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Benjamin, for your kind offer, but one of the first lessons Papa taught me was that a successful diplomat never reneges on a vow."

"So you will live here, pining for the life you should have?"

"Yes," she whispered, although she was glad he did not ask which life she spoke of. Before she and Marcus had sought sanctuary in the cottage, she would have thought solely of her yearning to return to the life among the diplomats. Now she could think of little besides being in his arms again as he shared the splendors of pa.s.sion with her.

"If you were to change your mind ..."

"I shan't, but thank you again for your kindness. I shall never forget it." She bent to kiss his cheek.

She gasped as he turned so her lips met his beneath his brush of a moustache. When his arm came around her waist, pulling her closer, she swayed. He swept her down beside him on the settee. She tried to escape, but he pressed her back toward the cushions.

"Good afternoon, Regina. I-"

The sound of Marcus's voice must have startled Benjamin as much as her. His grip on her loosened, and she stood, brushing her trembling hands against her dress. Rage burned in Marcus's eyes, but his gaze was aimed at Benjamin, who was slowly coming to his feet. When Marcus took a step forward, she ran to his side.

"Do not jump to conclusions," she said quietly. "Benjamin is-was nothing more than a friend."

"I prefer my wife to be less intimate with her friends," he snarled.

She recoiled. "Marcus, you must believe that I had no idea something like this would happen when I invited Benjamin to call."

"You invited him to call?" He glared at the man who was regarding him with a taut smile.

"Yes, Daniston, your wife told me to give her a look-in whenever I wish."

Regina stared at Benjamin in astonishment. Was he d.i.c.ked in the n.o.b to bait Marcus like this? She hurried to say, "Benjamin sent me a message telling me that he was concerned about my well-being in the wake of our journey into the country." Looking from one furious man to the other, she whispered, "I vow to you, Marcus, that if I had had any idea of his intentions, I would have given his courier a note saying that we had enjoyed a pleasant sojourn."

He plucked at her torn sleeve. "What is this?"

"I ripped it on a protruding nail."

"Is that so?"

"You don't believe your own wife?" Benjamin asked. "Or do you expect her to be as faithless to you as you are to her?"

Even as anguish careened through her heart at Benjamin's blunt words, Regina put her hand on Marcus's arm when his eyes narrowed. She recognized that cold fury. It could erupt at any moment. "Benjamin, I think it would be best if you take your leave and not return."

Marcus shook off her hand. "Sheldon, before I have you shown to the door, I suggest you name your friends. I shall meet you at dawn near the Serpentine."

"No!" she cried. "No duel, please!"

"Your honor is at stake," he said without looking at her.

"What do I care about honor? One of you could be killed."

Instantly she realized her answer had infuriated him more. She started to tell him that her primary concern was his safety, but he cut her off by snapping, "If you care nothing for your honor, then grant me the leave to worry about my family's honor. In spite of everything, you are my wife, Regina." Without pausing, he went on, "At dawn, Sheldon."

Benjamin bowed his head toward him. "At dawn it shall be. I look forward to that moment, my lord."

"Please, Marcus, be sensible. I don't want you to fight a duel," she said, trying to remain calm in the hope that they would.

"This no longer has anything to do with you," Marcus said.

"Listen to Daniston, Regina," Benjamin added.

Regina wrung her hands. They both had lost any sense they might have once had. Surely this had to be some sort of hideous nightmare. She only wished she could wake up before both of them were dead.

Seventeen.

Regina tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair in her bedchamber as she watched Marcus pace. Although he was grumbling, she was taunted by the niggling suspicion that he was enjoying the whole of the upcoming duel.

"Do leave off," she said in the midst of his tirade against Benjamin Sheldon who dared to kiss Lady Daniston. "Marcus, if you say even once more that you are preparing to fight this duel to salvage my honor, I swear I shall screech."

"Someone must think of it."

"Then let me do so."

"How?"

"I have given Benjamin his conge. The matter is closed."

"It will be by the time dawn colors the eastern sky."

Leaping to her feet, she jabbed her finger into the center of his waistcoat. "Why don't you own up to the truth? You are doing this for you. It amazes me that you spoke of duels with such disparagement only a fortnight ago. Now you cannot wait to draw blood."

"I shall protect what is mine." He folded his arms in front of him and scowled.

"I appreciate that, but from what are you protecting me?"

"Your own moonshine."

She clenched her hands and struggled to keep her voice serene. No matter where this conversation led, she would not let his words make her lose her composure. If you show that you are unsettled, nothing will be settled. As always, Papa's advice was sound.

"If it is moonshine to wish not to see you injured," she said, "then I own to being want-witted."

"Want-witted?" The dowager d.u.c.h.ess's question intruded, and she bustled after it into the room. Pecking Regina's cheek with a quick kiss, she a.s.serted, "I have met few people less want-witted than you, my dear. Now if you were speaking of my grandson-"

"Grandmother!" Exasperation spilled into his voice.

She patted him on the cheek before seating herself on the chair as if it were a throne. "Do not try to prove me wrong, my boy, when I was about to say that you have been showing a remarkable amount of good sense of late. It pleases my old heart to discover you two together talking like this. This marriage is destined to be one of the great ones."

Regina turned away, knowing that her face would betray her. When she heard Marcus clearing his throat, she wondered if he was trying not to laugh. She could not fault him when effervescent laughter bubbled in her chest.

"I have to come to tell you," the dowager d.u.c.h.ess continued, "that your wedding is set for Sat.u.r.day next. So much to do!"

"I thought all the plans were in place," Marcus said.

His grandmother's eyes widened as she wagged a finger in his direction. "You can be as opaque as your father. Of course, the plans are not all in place. Dear me! So much to do!"

"Regina will be pleased to help you on the morrow," he answered. "We are speaking of ... of other important matters now."

"What can be more important than your wedding?"

Regina said, "Benjamin Sheldon and Marcus-"

"Oh," interrupted the dowager d.u.c.h.ess, "I had heard Mr. Sheldon called this afternoon. Not that I can understand why you count him among your friends, Regina, for I find him a bit too obsequious. However, I think it wonderful that your friends feel free to call."

"I doubt he will call again soon."

"Of course not! Not with all the wedding plans we have to finalize." She gave Marcus a beatific smile. "Certainly that does not preclude you and Mr. Sheldon finding something to do before then, if that is what you wish."

"We have already made an appointment to meet," he said darkly.

"How excellent!" She pushed herself to her feet and held out her arm. "Now, dear boy, walk with me to your father's book room. I want to speak with him about a few matters, and you know he listens much more closely to you than to me. I don't understand why." She squeezed Regina's hand. "Sleep well, my dear. We shall begin work on the last of our plans for the wedding party on the morrow."

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "Your Grace, if you would talk to Marcus, mayhap you could persuade him-"

"Regina, Grandmother is not interested in any of that right now when she has so much to think about," Marcus interrupted sharply.

"You cannot know unless you let me ask."

The dowager d.u.c.h.ess said, "Marcus is correct. My mind can concentrate on only one item at a time, and now I am thinking about what color flowers to order for the tables. Think on that, if you will, Regina, and have a suggestion for me in the morning."