She looked up at him, unresisting.

Tempting. Demanding, even.

With difficulty he remembered his promise to Van. A kiss, perhaps?

No, even a kiss was too dangerous now.

aWe did a play about Robin Hood once,a she said.

aWho were you? Robin? Maid Marian? The wicked sheriff?a aAlan-a-dale.a aThe minstrel? Do you sing, then?a It shocked him that there might be something significant about her that he didnat know.

She smiled, a lovely picture of freckled innocence under the green-and-gold filtered light of the summer woods. Then she began to sing.

Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn a merry note Unto the sweet birdas throat.

She began to back away, still singing: Come hither, come hither, come hither. Here shall you see No enemy but winter and rough weather. Come hither, come hither, come hither.

Hawk stood, almost breathless, caught by her sweet, strong voice and the invitation in her eyes.

No enemy but winter and rough weathera If only that were true.

He walked slowly forward. aShakespeare? I didnat know he wrote about Robin Hood.a aAs You Like It. Itas mostly set in the forest, so we stole bits.a aYou have a lovely voice. And,a he added, ayou issue a lovely invitation.a a aAll the worldas a stage,a a she quoted lightly, a aand all the men and women merely playersaa a He wanted to shoo her away, as shead shooed away the duckling. You are in the company of predators. Flee, flee back to safety. Instead, his will crushed, he held out a hand.

A kiss. Just a kiss.

Her eyes still and thoughtful, she loosened the fingers of one lacy white glove and slowly pulled it off. Then she began on the other. He watched her unveil creamy, silken skin, a shiver passing through him.

Hands touched, hers cool and soft, and he drew her close, drew her hands to curl behind him. Dappled light turned her hair to a deep, burnished gold, and he loved the rioting wildfire of it. In every way, it suited her. The curve of her full lips and the look in her steady eyes were pure perfection.

She moved a little closer and raised her face expectantly for the kiss. The very boldness was a warning, but he couldnat heed it now. He took the offered kiss that he needed.

Clarissa took the kiss that she needed.

As their lips blended and sweet satisfaction rippled through her, she didnat regret anything, past or future. She sank into the spicy pleasure of his mouth and gladly drowned. She held back nothing, holding him tight to her so every possible inch joined with him, absorbed him.

When the kiss ended, she shivered. It was partly pleasure, but more the ache of drawing apart and the hunger for more. For eternity.

She waited for the words that would speak the message in his darkened eyes, in his hands that played gently against her cheeks, but then he stepped carefully away. aI wonder where Jetta is.a She caught his hand. aDo we care?a His fingers tightened on hers, but he said, aYes, I think we must.a He was right. If they wanted to be honorable, they could not keep kissing like that. But why would he not speak? She felt she might die of this restraint, but she would give him till they were almost back in the village. She would give him that much.

She was the one who turned to follow the path, he the one to be drawn along by their interwoven fingers. aTell me more about yourself, Hawk. Tell me about your work in the army.a She hungered for everything about him, and there was so much she did not know.

She thought he might resist, but after a moment he led her onward and answered. aI started out in the cavalry, but I was seconded to the Quartermaster Generalas Department. Itas a separate administrative unit. There is also the Commissariat, and the duties often overlap.

aThe main purpose is the management of the army. Itas no easy matter to move tens of thousands of men and all the hangers-on around efficiently and bring them to battle in good order. In addition, an army is like a city. Everything that happens in a city happens there. Brawls, theft, crimes of passion. Most matters are sorted out by the officersa"think of them as magistrates.a He helped her over a spot where a crumbling hole spanned the path. aSometimes there are more complex problems. Organized thievery, forgery, murder.a aMurder?a She hoped she sounded merely curious. Shead reacted to the word like a spooked horse.

He gave her one of his sharp glances. She told herself it didnat matter. Soon they would be bound, and then she would tell him everything.

aMurder,a he agreed, abut rarely of any cleverness. It was usually a case of following the bloody footprints.a She hoped she didnat shiver at that.

aWe mostly looked into crimes involving officers or civilians, and of course there were always spies, some of them traitors.a aMen in the army who turned traitor?a she asked, genuinely shocked.

aSometimes.a aWhy would anyone do that?a aFor money. Thereas no limit to what some people will do for money.a There seemed a dark tone to that. Was it because he was thinking of himself as a fortune hunter? Was it simple guilt over that which made him hesitate?

They were talking of crimes, however. It was an excellent opportunity to see just how strictly he kept to the letter of the law.

aDid you always enforce the law?a she asked. aSometimes there must be excuses. Should a starving person hang for stealing a loaf of bread?a aNo one should hang for stealing a loaf of bread. Our punishment system is barbaric and irrational. But those with wealth live in fear of those who are poor.a She made herself ask the next question. aWhat of those who steal life? Should a person always hang for murder?a He glanced at her, and she could glean nothing from his expression. aYou think there should be clemency?a aWhy not? The Bible says an eye for an eye. What if itas a crime of revenge?a aThe Bible also says, aHe that smiteth a man so that he die, shall surely be put to death.a a That wasnat what she wanted to hear. aWhat of a duel? Should the victor who kills his opponent be executed?a aThat is the law. Itas generally ignored if the affair is handled according to the rules.a She took a risk and referred to the heart of the matter. aYet you said you would have liked to kill Lord Deveril for me.a He was looking at her intently. She met his eyes, waiting for his answer.

aSome people deserve death,a he agreed.

aSo in such a case, you wouldnat want the law to run its course?a She was being too direct, too bold, but she must know.

He didnat instantly agree. aWho are we to play the angel of death or the angel of mercy? Who are we to subvert justice?a aSubvert justice?a aIsnat that what youare suggesting? Shielding a criminal from the wrath of the law?a It was precisely what she was suggesting, and she didnat like his answers.

aI was thinking more of a jury,a she said quickly. aOften they let people go rather than expose them to harsh penalties.a aAh, true, and why our system does not work.a They had stopped, and he rubbed a knuckle softly in the dip beneath her lips. aWe are being very serious for a summer afternoon. You think often and deeply about justice and the law?a aWe had to discuss such matters at Miss Malloryas,a she said, beginning to melt againa"and at such a slight touch. aDo you mind a thoughtful, educated wa woman?a Shead almost said wife!

His eyes crinkled with laughter. aNot at all. So,a he added, soberly, awhat is it you want to know about my views on the law?a She thought for a moment, then asked a direct question. aDid you ever let a guilty person go because you thought it just, even though the law would have punished them?a His hand stilled. After a thoughtful moment, he said, aYes.a She took what felt like the first deep breath in minutes. aIam glad.a aI thought you might be. In at least one case, I was wrong and thus responsible for another death.a aButa"a Jetta leaped out of the undergrowth just then, and Clarissa started with shock. She put a hand to her chest and Hawk laughed. aThat cat will be the death of me. Come on. We are commanded onward by our chaperone.a Jetta was walking haughtily ahead.

chaperone or not, Hawk put his arm around her as he had that day at the fair. Here, however, there was no need to protect her from a crowd.

She relaxed into the gentle protectiveness of it, but dared another question. aDid you ever have to investigate a friend?a aOnce. I had no choice. He was guilty of repeated cowardice, and a danger to all around him.a aWhat happened to him?a aNothing dramatic. He was allowed to resign his commission on the grounds of ill health. Last I heard, he goes around recounting his brave deeds and regretting that his weak body forced him to leave the scene of battle.a After a moment, he looked at her and added, aSometimes we do not know our friends.a Was that a warning?

aCan we know people at all?a she asked. aCan we ever know another person too well to be surprised?a aCan we ever know ourselves too well to be surprised?a She frowned over that. aI feel I know myself fairly well, faults and all.a aButa"forgive me, Falcona"you have flown in circumscribed territory. If you were plunged into the extraordinary, you would doubtless surprise yourself. One way or another.a She looked up at him. aIf we are uncertain of everything, even ourselves, how do we go on?a aUltimately, blind faith and trust.a Trust. That was the key. aI trust you, Hawk.a His eyes shifted away. aAh,a he said. aPerhaps you shouldnat.a

Chapter Seventeen.

She looked ahead, to find that the path wound around a large boulder. Jetta, following it, glanced back, then disappeared.

aWhatas the matter?a she asked.

He took her hand and pulled her along. aCome.a Beyond the boulder the path tumbled down long, rough steps. It didnat go very far before it divided, seeming to wander through shrubs and rocky outcroppings. She could hear splashing water somewhere.

aI have led you,a he said, alike the children of Israel, into the wilderness.a Then she realized what this was. A wilderness garden. aSo you have. But surely that isnat such a terrible thing.a aIt has not, I fear, received Mariaas efficient care as yet, and thus is rather more realistically wild than it should be. Yet it stands between us and our goal.a He looked at her. aDo we go on, or back?a A wilderness was designed to look wild but to also provide safe, smooth paths for civilized enjoyment. She could see that some paths here were almost overgrown, and there might be other hazards.

She smiled at him. aWe go on, of course.a His smile suddenly matched hers. aSo be it.a He helped her down the rough, rocky steps. aThis is all completely artificial, of course. Dig here and youall hit chalk, not granite. Careful.a The final rock was covered in tangling ivy. He stepped on it in his riding boots, grasped her at the waist and swung her completely over to the path beyond.

She landed feeling as if shead left her stomach and her wits behind her entirely. When he stepped down beside her, she curled a hand around his neck. aA hero deserves a kiss,a she said, and rewarded him, rejoicing in the first kiss she had taken for herself.

When they drew apart, she dared to caress his lean cheek with her fingers, her delighted fingers. aKnight errant and princess.a aOr,a he said, adragon and princessa ?a aWith sharp teeth?a He turned and nipped at her fingers, and she snatched them away. aBut you are Saint George! Georgina West said so that first day.a He captured her hand and drew it to his mouth, to his teeth. aIam no saint, Clarissa.a He pressed teeth softly into her knuckle. aRemember that.a Astonishingly, she wanted him to bite harder.

But then he lowered her hand and tugged her along a path. aCome on.a She laughed and went, their bare hands clasped as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And it was. They were friends. They were joined. He was hers, and she was his, and before they returned to the civilized world she would be sure of it.

He often had to hold back invading branches. At one point, Clarissa raised her skirts to work past a brambly spot. It was necessary, but she didnat mind showing an extra bit of leg.

aDaisies,a he said, admiring her stockings with a grin. aAre all your stockings fancied in some way?a She deliberately fluttered her lashes at him. aWhy, sir, that is for you to find out!a When he reached for her, she ducked under a drooping branch and evaded him. Something snagged at her, and she realized that her hat was still down her back. She didnat mind, but waited for him to unhook her. Then froze at the tender touch at her napea They seemed magically transported out of the real world and real cares, to a place where wild rules reigned. She turned slowly to look at him, but he shook his head and drew her onward.

Then they came to the water, a little stream trickling out of a rock to splash into a moss-covered dip and flow away into a weedy pond. Clarissa put her hand under the cool stream.

aPiped, of course,a he said.

She flicked a handful of spray at him. aJust because you have a house that looks as if itas grown where it stands! Thatas no reason to sneer because others have to construct their little bit of heaven.a aMinx.a Laughing, he brushed away the sparkling trail from his hair. aNature is beautiful enough. Why try to turn it into something it isnat? But we did have fun here as boys.a He looked around. aI remember we knotted a rope onto a branch up there,a he said, pointing at a tall elm that overhung them. aWe were planning to swing from one side to the other, like pirates boarding a Spanish treasure ship. Van broke his collarbone.a aYour parents must have been terrified.a aWe hid the rope and said Van had fallen on the path. We were going to try another time, but never did. Perhaps we did have some sense.a He put his hand under the water, letting it stream out between his fingers like diamonds in a shaft of bright sun. She watched him carefully, expecting retaliation.

He turned to her, and with his wet hand he gently traced a cool line across her brows, down her cheek, and to her lips. Then he kissed her, hot against the cool, so she hummed with pleasure.

He drew back, frowning. aThis is no good. Maria will send out a search party.a She grasped his jacket and pulled him back. aCanat we hide here and never be found?a aHide in the wilderness?a He freed himself, gripping her hands to prevent further attack. aNo, fair nymph, Iam afraid we cannot. The world is a demanding mistress and will recapture us.a He looked around. aThe paths wind all over, but we can cut through by going that way.a She looked where he pointed. aThatas the pond.a aItas about six inches deep.a He suddenly swept her into his arms.

She shrieked, but then wrapped one arm around his neck and kissed his jaw. aMy hero!a aYou may want to wait and see if I can do this without dropping you. I suspect the bottom is pure slime.a As soon as he put his boots into the water she felt them slip. aHawkaa aWhat is life without risk?a aThis is a brand-new gown!a aO little mind, tied down in mundane cares.a The pond was only about ten feet wide, but he was having to take each step with exquisite care. Clarissa began to laugh.

aStop that, woman. Youall have us drowning in duckweed!a She stopped it by sucking lightly at his jaw.

aIs that supposed to help?a aPromise of reward?a she whispered.

He halted. aStop that, or I drop you.a She looked into his smiling eyes. aDo I believe you?a aDo you think I wouldnat?a aYes,a she said, and nibbled him.

He groaned and stepped quickly, rashly, the rest of the way across, then set her on her feet. He kept one arm around her, however, and swung her hard against him for a kiss that made their others seem lukewarm.

Clarissa sagged, her knees weakening under that assault. The next she knew she was sprawled back against a rock, a sun-warmed rock, grit and heat clear even through cloth. It was only slightly inclined. Perhaps if his legs werenat so pressed to hers she would slide down.

All she could think of, however, was his passionate eyes, on her. On her. Everything she wanted in life was here.

aYour gown is probably becoming stained with moss.a he whispered, leaning closer, supported by one arm. The other hand rose to play on her cheek, her necka aIs it?a Her own voice astonished her with its husky mystery.

aYour new gown,a he reminded her.

aAm I supposed to care?a aYes,a he said. aI rather think you are.a aBut Iam rich, Major Hawkinville. Very rich. What is one dress here or there?a His lips twitched. aThen what about the evidence of moss on a ladyas back?a aAh. But isnat the damage done? And I can always claim that you were a poor escort and let me tumble in the wilderness.a a aTumble,a a he said, brushing his lips over hers. aThat has two meanings, you know.a aLike aroda?a she dared.

Those creases dug deep beside his mouth. aVery like arod,a yes. You frighten me, Clarissa.a aDo I? How?a aDonat look so pleased. You frighten me because you have no true sense of caution. Arenat you at all afraid?a aIam not afraid of you, Hawk.a aYou should be afraid of all men here, alone in the wilderness.a aShould I? Show me why.a With a laugh that sounded partly like a groan, he looked down, down at her bodice. Her gownas waist was very high and the bodice very skimpy, though made demure by a fine cotton fichu that tucked into it.

He pulled that out.

Clarissa lay there, heart pounding, as he softly kissed the upper curves of her breasts, a feather-stroke of lips across skin that had never known a manas touch before. A wise and cautious woman would stop him at this point. She raised a hand and let her fingers play with his hair as his lips teased at her.

Then his hand slid up to cup her breast. A new, strange feeling, but she liked it. His thumb began to rub and she caught her breath. Ah, she liked that even more!

She realized her hand had stilled and was clutching at the back of his neck. Her eyes half-focused on sunlight on his haira A sudden coolness made her start and look down. His thumb had worked both gown and corset off her nipple! She watched numbly as his mouth moved over and settleda She let her head fall back and closed her eyes, the sun a warm haze behind her lids as he stirred magic in first one breast, then the other.

No, not just in her breasts.

Everywhere. Perhaps because his hand was beneath her skirt, up on her naked thigh. At some time her legs had parted and he pressed between them. She moved her body against his, holding him closer.

So, this was lovemaking.

Ruin.

How very, very sweet.

A deep beat started between her thighs, teaching her what wanting truly was. Wanting a specific man, in a specific way, at a specific moment.

Now.

She wriggled to press closer.

aGood God!a He pushed away, jerking her up straight. Clarissa opened dazzled eyes to see him in a shimmering halo of light. He pulled up her bodice and searched around for her discarded fichu.

She put a hand on the rock to stay upright, but she was laughing. aThat was astonishing! Can we do it again?a He straightened, fichu in hand. aYouare an unrepentant wanton!a But he was flushed and half laughing too. aYouave bewitched me completely out of my senses. Heaven knows how long weave been here.a He flung the soft cotton around her neck and began to tuck it in with unsteady fingers.

Then he stood back. aYou do that. Maria will want my head. And Van will wanta"a He stopped what he was saying, and she fixed the fichu over her breasts, fighting back her laughter. She was incapable of anything except total delight. That kiss, that encounter, had wiped away the last trace of doubt about his feelings. Head gone further than head intended. Head lost track of time.

He, the Hawk, had been lost in his senses with her.

She knew he was appalled, and that spoke of the power of their love.

Their lovea aWe need only say we were lost in the wilderness, Hawk.a aWe need to get out of here. Whereas our damned inadequate chaperone?a He took her hand and virtually dragged her up some more steps and around another boulder out into an open grassy space. There sat Jetta in front of a gate in the estate wall, waiting.

aDonat ask how she knew where we were going,a he said. aSheas never been here before.a He strode forward and grasped the iron bolt, then swore. aItas stuck. My apologies.a aFor language or gate?a But Clarissa knew laughter was in her tone. She couldnat help it. Shead laugh at rain at the moment, at thunder, or at hurricane. He was anxious to get through the gate for fear of her! Of what more they might do here.

She rather hoped the latch was fused shut.

He struggled with it for a moment more, then suddenly stood back and kicked at the rusty bolt. The gate sprang open, the bolt flying off the shattered rotten wood.

She caught her breath.

Crude, effective violence.

A side of Hawk Hawkinville that she had not seen before, suddenly reminding her of handsome, civilized Lord Arden lost in rage, hitting his wifea He shook himself and turned, the elegant man again. aCome.a

Chapter Eighteen.

Clarissa went through the splintered gate. All the beautiful certainty shead floated in had gone, and she was jolted to dubious earth. Would his next violent outburst be against her? When she told him the truth?

Beyond the gate lay civilization. The English countryside. A well-trodden pathway ran along the edge of a field of barley, winding up the hill behind them, and down toward the village in front.

The path to where? She had vowed to ask him to marry her if he didnat propose first. Now she faltered before uncertain flames.

aThe path rises up to Hawks Monkton,a he said in a very normal voice. aItas about three miles.a Jetta rubbed past their legs and headed down. What was there to do but follow?

aPerhaps you would care to visit it one day,a he said as if giving a guided tour. aWe have the remains of a monastery there. Very remaining remains. The stones were too useful to be left untouched.a aWe?a she asked. aDoes the manor hold this land?a aNo, this is Vanas. The only manor land on this side of the river is around Hawks Monkton. On the other side, we own the village, and land nearly all the way to Somerford Court up there.a From this height Clarissa could see more of Lord Amleighas homea"a solid stone block with a lot of chimneys. aJacobean?a she guessed.