Phillipe seized her hand. "Come-let us go there now. We can look while the house is asleep, find it, take it, and flee before any wake. I have a horse-"

"No." Helena tried to tug her hand free, but Phillipe clung. "We need more of a start than that, or monsieur le duc will catch us-and Ariele will not be saved."

Puzzled, Phillipe stared into her face, then said, "You are frightened of this duke. I had not thought it of you." Straightening, he looked censoriously down his nose at her. "But that is no matter. Now I am here, you can tell me where this dagger is and I will seize it, take it back, and free Ariele."

Only his patent sincerity saved him from her temper. "No!You don't understand." She bit her tongue against the urge to tell him he was yet a boy-a naive boy trying to influence the games of powerful men. "Do you not think Louis would have taken the dagger and gone long since to claim kudos from your uncle if it werethat simple? Fabien has decreedI must be the one to take it. Me and no one else."

"Why? If he wants it, what matter the courier?"

Helena sighed. "He will have his reasons. Some I can see, others I can but guess at." The thought that hurting-wounding-Sebastian was almost certainly high on Fabien's list weighed on her heart.

Her deep reluctance must have reached Phillipe; he caught her hand again. "But you will take this dagger soon, yes?" He stared into her face, his whole expression one of earnest entreaty, then he relaxed, smiled, the gesture heartbreaking in its simplicity. "But yes, of course you will. You are good and loyal, brave and generous-you will not leave your sister to suffer at my uncle's hands." He pressed her hand, then released it, his smile gaining in confidence. "So you will take the dagger this coming night-you will, won't you?"

Helena took in the calm, solid confidence with which Phillipe regarded her and was distantly grateful that Ariele had found such a steadfast cavalier. Would that she herself had one similiar, who would come to rescue her. Patiently, Phillipe waited for her answer; she knew what it had to be.

Yet still she hesitated. Tried not to remember the warmth, the sharing, the glory-the powerful love of the hours just past. Tried to shut her mind to its beauty. Failed. Tried to oust Sebastian from her mind, from her heart-knew she never could. She felt as if her heart were slowly tearing in two.

Feeling tears gathering, she stiffened her spine, parted her lips, started to nod.

A deep sigh rolled across the room.

"Mignonne,you should have told me."

Helena gasped, whirled-hand to her lips, she stared at the bed. One white, long-fingered hand grasped the curtain. The sc.r.a.pe as it was pulled back echoed through the room.

Sebastian lay in her bed, propped on one elbow. The covers had fallen to his waist, exposing the heavy musculature of his chest. His gaze rested on her for a moment, then shifted to Phillipe. "You are related to the comte de Vichesse?"

His tone was even; a subtle menace growled beneath.

Phillipe swallowed, then, head high, stepped forward and bowed stiffly. "He is my uncle. Louis-who I believe is staying here-is my brother. To my shame. I am Phillipe de Sevres."

Helena heard the words but didn't glance at Phillipe-wasn't sure she could meet his eyes. What must he be thinking, finding Sebastian, patently naked, in her bed?

The least of her worries. Her gaze was fixed on Sebastian-she could barely get her mind to function. His sigh, his words . . . what did they mean? He had found her out. She knew better than to hope he hadn't heard all. They'd spoken in French, but he was fluent in the language. He knew everything now. He would think the worst of her, yet . . . he'd still called her"mignonne."

His eyes had left Phillipe to return to her. Seconds ticked past. She could feel his gaze, sensed he was waiting, but for what she couldn't guess. Sensed he was willing her to understand, to read his mind-as if she could.

When she simply remained, literally struck speechless, rooted to the spot, he sighed again, then threw back the covers and rolled from the bed.

Rounding it, he crossed the room toward her.

Helena felt her eyes grow wide, then wider. She opened her mouth to protest. Couldn't find words. Her breath caught and stuck in her throat.

He was naked! And . . .

Did the man have no shame?

Transparently not. He walked toward her as if he were gowned in purple and gold-as if he were in truth the emperor he'd once pretended to be.

He ignored Phillipe completely.

When he was close enough for her to see his eyes, she opened her mouth to explain, to say something . . .

Nothing came.

She raised her hands to ward him off, weakly let them fall.

He halted directly before her. As always, his face remained inscrutable; his eyes were too shadowed for her to read.

Defeated, her heart in her throat, she flung up her hands and turned away. She could never explain.

He lifted one hand, turned her face back to him. He studied her face, briefly searched her eyes.

Then he bent his head and touched his lips to hers.

Made her lips cling with the gentlest caress. Lingered just long enough to rea.s.sure.

Then he lifted his head. Looked into her face. "Get back into bed,mignonne, before you take a chill."

She stared at him.

After a moment he lifted his head, looked at her dressing table, at the two letters wedged between the mirror and her jewel case. He looked back at her. Arched a brow. "With your permission?"

She hesitated, searched his face, then inclined her head. How did he know? What was he thinking?

Sebastian left her and walked to the dressing table.

Her wits were whirling; her head was reeling. She'd stopped breathing too long ago. The bed wasn't such a bad idea. Without looking at Phillipe, she recrossed the room. Hugging the robe to her, she climbed into the bed, still warm with Sebastian's heat.

A sudden shiver racked her; dispensing with all pretense, she gathered the covers close about her. Felt a little of the paralyzing ice that had frozen her start to melt.

She watched Sebastian pick up the letters.

"You had better sit down, de Sevres." Without looking up, Sebastian gestured with the first of the letters he'd opened, the obviously less-read of the two, to a chair by the wall. "This matter is clearly going to require more than two minutes to sort through."

He was aware of Phillipe's hesitation, of the quick glance the boy shot at Helena, but then Phillipe moved to the chair and sank down. One glance at Phillipe's face as he looked again at Helena confirmed that the boy was utterly at sea. He didn't know what to think, much less what to do. In gross features he was like his older brother-dark-haired, handsome enough, a younger version by two or so years-yet there was something much more open, honest, and straightforward about Phillipe.

Having heard his story, Sebastian saw no reason not to trust him. In setting himself to overturn Fabien's scheme, Phillipe had declared his hand with somewhat touching, if impulsive, naivete.

The letter in Sebastian's hand was inscribed with a fine girlish script. He laid it down, lit the lamp, turned the wick high, then picked up the second letter.

He recognized Fabien's heavy hand even though it had been years since he'd last seen it-since the last offer for the ceremonial dagger. From memory, that had been the tenth such offer, each grudgingly increased over the years. Each had made him smile. He'd taken great delight in exceedingly politely refusing them all.

So Fabien had devised another scheme to make him pay for his temerity. He supposed he should have expected it.

He hadn't expected the guise, yet perhaps he should have antic.i.p.ated that, too.

Fabien had a nice feel for irony, as did he.