"Do you remember or don't you?"

"Barely," he murmured.

She struck him as hard as she could, across the face.

The slap resounded in the hollow silence of the room.

Virginia backed up, shocked at what she had done. But finally a light had appeared in his eyes, even though it was not the light she had wished for. His gaze blazed furiously. At least, Virginia thought, his eyes were no longer opaque and lifeless.

She flinched, panting heavily, expecting to be struck in return.

But he only said, very hard, "s.e.x is not love."

She gasped, his words far more brutal than any real blow.

"I suppose I owe you an apology," he said tersely.

It was too late. Virginia shook her head, the tears spilling, and she turned to run. But he seized her wrist and somehow she was facing him again. "Let me go," she warned on a sob.

His jaw flexing repeatedly now, he said, "I am sorry. I believe I said so before. I am saying so again."

"How foolish I was, to think 's.e.x' meant something to you!"

His gaze flickered. "I deserve your reprobation. I had no right trespa.s.sing where no man had gone. Now," he added firmly, "may we allow the past to rest where it belongs-in the past?"

"Yes, please, let's do just that!" she cried, trembling, both hands fisted at her sides, her anger so huge it felt suspiciously like hatred. But the hurt continued to tear her apart inside. She only knew now that she had to get away from him.

Tension rippled across his features and he began to walk out of the room, saying, "Tomorrow after breakfast, Virginia." And it was a warning that she be ready.

She stared, but only for a moment. "And what if I'm pregnant?" She knew full well that she was not, but how she wanted to hurt him, just a little, in return for how he had hurt her.

He froze, and slowly, he turned. "Are you?" he asked, his jaw muscles revealing a slight spasm, his eyes now a stormy and threatening shade of gray-an indication, then, that he had some emotion to share after all.

"No," she gritted. And then, her pride lost, she cried, "You left without even saying goodbye!"

Now his entire body seemed to flex and coil with a very real anger-one he seemed determined to contain. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded. "Have you no pride? I am a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, it is quite simple, really. There is a saying, Virginia, one you should heed: let sleeping dogs lie."

"I am not a dog and what we did had nothing to do with sleep!"

"I am taking you to my home outside of Southampton, where Eastleigh is but five miles north. I shall prove your existence, collect your ransom and send you on your way. Is that not enough for you? You shall have your freedom," he ground out.

"It's not enough," she heard herself say. And her pride mocked her now.

He started. "Then I am truly sorry, for that is all I have to offer you." This time, his strides were long and determined, and this time, Virginia sank down on a chaise. She covered her face with her hands and struggled not to cry. He had not wanted to discuss the past and the answers he had given were answers she had not wanted to hear. But it was simply too late. The truth-his truth-was brutal.

DEVLIN ENTERED THE MASTER bedroom and halted hard. He was shaken, enough so that he could not ignore it, but G.o.dd.a.m.n it, he intended to ignore it. Now was not the time to give in and allow a pair of huge, hurt violet eyes to haunt him...again.

He trembled somewhere deep inside his body and refused to think. Instead, he gripped the post of the bed. If he had known his control would begin to shatter, he would have never come back. He would have ordered Sean to bring her to Southampton.

"You should have sent word that you were coming."

Devlin turned, relieved at the interruption, and found his brother on the threshold of the room, looking angry and displeased. "You have nothing to hide. I gave you permission to do as you please. Are you f.u.c.king her?" he heard himself say.

And a sordid image a.s.sailed him, of Sean straining over her, pumping into her.

Sean attacked.

In a way, Devlin had known he would-and this was exactly what he needed. His brother's tackle sent him back onto the bed, where they grappled as if they were still boys. Devlin had always loved a good fistfight. So did Sean. Using all of his strength, he managed to turn his brother onto his back, but the effort cost them both, sending them to the floor. Sean grunted, as he took most of the fall.

For one moment, Devlin straddled his brother, and he smiled coldly. He said, "A yes or no would do."

"You heartless b.a.s.t.a.r.d," Sean cried, and Devlin found himself launched onto his own back, a hard blow landing on his jaw.

Sparks emanated behind his eyes and he welcomed them. But he raised his knee and caught Sean in the gut. Sean gasped, bowled over, and Devlin quickly stood, hauling Sean up and pushing him backward until he hit the wall. There, the two men strained at each other, panting like enraged bulls.

Sean managed to slither free and land another blow to the very same jaw.

Devlin stepped back, pleased as pain exploded in his face. He simply stood there and his brother hit him with all of his strength in his midsection, causing him to gasp and buckle over.

"Fight back, you son of a b.i.t.c.h," Sean shouted.

He no longer wanted to fight. He preferred the beating of a lifetime. He straightened, smiling lopsidedly, realizing his lip was split. "Do you enjoy her cries?" he purred. "And whose name does she keen in ecstasy-yours or mine?"

Sean hit him again. His head snapped back, into the wall, pain exploding in both his eyes. I'm sorry, Virginia, he thought suddenly, and anguish pierced his heart. But I am not the man you want me to be.

Sean had grabbed him by his shirt. "Do you really think my beating you will make what you did to her right? d.a.m.n you, Devlin, d.a.m.n you!"

He smiled at his brother. "One more blow?"

"Like h.e.l.l," Sean gritted, releasing him and walking away.

He tested his lip and found it bleeding. Sean was in love with Virginia, how clear it was, far more so than before.

Were they sleeping together?

He walked over to the mirror above the bureau, ignoring for a moment the rag dipped in ice water that Sean was offering. His eye was swelling but might not close. He finally took the rag and held it to his eye.

He reminded himself that he wanted her to fall in love with Sean; he approved of the match. It solved a dozen problems and left him utterly free to do as he pleased for the rest of his life.

Well, not utterly free. There would be one thing he would never be able to do, not again, and that was take Virginia to bed. But that was the entire point, was it not?

"I don't like being manipulated," Sean said.

"Are you sleeping with her? I approve," he added quickly.

Sean grimaced. "No."

A surge of satisfaction filled him-much to his dismay. "Well, you should," he said. Devlin touched his throbbing jaw. "I expected the blow of a boy."

"I am not a boy anymore. Why did you have to surprise us?" Clearly Sean did not want to discuss bedding Virginia Hughes.

"So it is an 'us'?" he asked quickly.

Sean grimaced. "I care deeply for her, Devlin, but no, there is no us. You hurt her terribly when you left. She needed warning, not I."

"Somehow I am not sure I believe that," Devlin said, staring closely at him.

"You can believe whatever it is that you wish to," Sean said roughly. "I am only her friend."

"You don't look at her like a man looks at his friend," Devlin remarked.

"And you may pretend indifference toward her but I can smell the l.u.s.t," Sean retorted with anger.

"You are so wrong," Devlin said softly, but they both knew it was a huge lie. "And I do not want to argue with you. You're my brother. We are on the same side."

"We are not on the same side anymore, not when you have done this. Free her, Devlin, let this ransom go. Free her and leave Askeaton."

"I can't. I'm taking her to Wideacre tomorrow."

Sean's face tightened. "If you hurt her again, I will kill you."

Devlin stared, trying to decide if Sean meant it, if he could love Virginia so much that he would put her ahead of his family.

Sean flushed.

A terrible silence descended.

"I do hope you did not mean that," Devlin finally said. "After the ransom, she can return here-to you."

"I meant it. I suggest you stick your c.o.c.k elsewhere."

Devlin smiled, but it felt like a grimace. He wandered the room now, very disturbed. This was what he wanted, he tried to remind himself, a match between Sean and Virginia, but now, his reminder was hollow and so obviously a pretense. He hated the idea of them together, no matter how he fought that hate. But then, hatred was what he knew-and did-best.

Finally he sighed and sat down. If Virginia decided to return to Askeaton to be with Sean after her ransom, he would give them his blessing, pretense or not. "You know, I have spent the past three months patrolling the coast of Spain by day and preying upon the few remaining French privateers by night. We seized four ships in that span of time, four ships and eight hundred in crew."

"Are you making a point?"

Devlin glanced at him. "Yes, I am. In all that time, I never spared a single thought for Virginia. Out of sight, out of mind." He did not tell Sean how much discipline that had taken.

"How proud of yourself you must be."

Devlin met his brother's stony gaze. "I am sorry I did what I did. My regret is vast."

"Then maybe you should tell her that!"

Devlin started. "And what would that accomplish?"

Sean snorted in disgust. "What would it accomplish? You broke her heart. Perhaps you can help to mend it!"

"Sean, I beg to differ. I could not possibly break her heart. She is my prisoner-not my lover."

"Now I beg to differ. She is in love with you," Sean said.

Devlin stared, so stunned he could not think coherently, not for a long moment.

"You are such a fool," Sean said, quietly now.

"No," Devlin said, shaken. "You are wrong. Virginia is curious, independent and pa.s.sionate. That is all. If she thinks she loves me, she is wrong-it is l.u.s.t, nothing more, and any fondness on her part comes from the fact that I was her first."

"You know," Sean said slowly, "it is possible that a woman might want more from you than your body."

"Yes, a woman might want the wealth, power, position and security I could give her." He was annoyed now. He leapt to his feet, flinging the b.l.o.o.d.y rag away. "I never expected this, and not from you!"

"Then what did you expect? To do the deed and simply walk away? To have her now choose me? Or hand her off to me, with no regard for her feelings? She is not Elizabeth! She is nothing like Elizabeth! Virginia could not pretend to be anything that she was not, not even for a moment. Virginia wears her affections openly-she wears her heart upon her sleeve! What did you expect?"

"Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking at all, much less expecting anything," Devlin said, abruptly sitting down. His heart dared to race and mock his cool demeanor now. His body trembled. Did he dare to confess the real truth, not to his brother, but to himself? "I lost all control," he said slowly. "I swore I would not do it. I swore I would not touch her that way. That night I lost all control. I have never lost control before. d.a.m.n it, I ruined an innocent young woman!" And he felt the anguish then as it was simply impossible to ignore. Briefly he covered his face with his hands.

He had abused an innocent young woman-he had ruined Virginia Hughes. Gerald must be rolling in his grave, and dear G.o.d, his mother's heart would break if she ever learned the truth.

"Then you are human after all. Tell her what you told me-that you are sorry, that you have regret, and that you found her so beautiful you could not stop yourself."

He cursed. "I am not a poet, Sean."

"Then say something kind in your own words!"

"I already have." His intention would not waver now. He was not going near Virginia again and certainly not to bring up the ugly subject of the past.

"Tell her again."

"Absolutely not."

Sean sighed, as if admitting defeat. Then, slowly, he said, "Perhaps you should think about what such lack of self-control signifies?"

Devlin stood. "It means she provokes me in an unnatural way."

"How convenient your theory is," Sean murmured.

But Devlin was pacing now, back and forth, as if on his deck, and he really did not hear. "I have spent these past months exorcising every thought of her from any and all existence," he said, almost to himself. "If I can defeat any French commander, I can defeat myself."

Sean smiled a little. "Maybe it is a slip of a woman whom you cannot defeat."

"Like h.e.l.l." And he was, finally, furious.

VIRGINIA DEBATED NOT GOING down to supper but decided that would make her appear childish and as if she were sulking. And she was not sulking-she was hurt and angry and determined not to allow him to know just how hurt she was. She looked through her four gowns, already knowing there was no choice, and she took out the rose silk with the low-cut bodice and black lace trim. In this dress, she looked her best, in this dress, she knew she was beautiful, and she hoped he would look at her and regret everything. Then she held the dress tightly, turning to face the mirror. What was she doing?

If only he hadn't come back!

Things had been fine recently, for she had been content and almost happy, having managed to forget and bury the past. Now she was ill, her stomach so tight and knotted she could barely breathe, and once again, he consumed her every thought and moment, against her very will. At least, she thought rigidly, her reflection unearthly and pale in the mirror, he had admitted that he had deserved her slap. At least he was moral enough to know that what he had done was wrong. But she would never accept his apology, sincere or not.