Those were sobering words, for both of them. Neither of them wanted that. So, they stood there, silently, contemplating the situation.

"My father will find out if either of us sleeps in another chamber. He would never believe that I'd allow any wife of mine to sleep away from my side. And he's right," he added significantly.

Destiny tried to turn her thoughts away from his beguiling words. Then she got an idea. "Wait a minute. I saw an old movie once... "It Happened One Night" with....Clark Gable, I think it was!"

"Your talking in riddles again, darling."

She smiled at him. "Sorry. But anyway, he and another woman, I can't think of her name, were traveling together and sharing the same rooms. In order to sleep in the same bed and still stay modest and moral, they strung a rope up over the bed and hung a blanket right down the middle!" She frowned. "At least they did that until the end when they.... Oh never mind."

"No, no. Please continue," Spencer urged with great interest.

Destiny rolled her eyes and sighed. "They called it the wall of Jericho. You know, like in the Bible."

Spencer nodded drolly. "Yes, Destiny, I do know the story. I was a gentleman before becoming a pirate,

you know."

"Whatever," she said waving off his sarcasism. "They end up getting married at the end and one of them blows a trumpet and..."

"...And the wall came tumbling down." he finished for her with great satisfaction in his voice.

"I think, 'married' is the key word here. We're only pretending, remember?"

He sighed and preceded to build their "Jericho".

Destiny was the first to rise, the next morning. A quick peek under the blanket, and she saw that Spencer

was dead to the world. He'd slept so fitfully, tossing and turning, that she didn't have the heart to wake

him now that he was sleeping so well.

She chose one of the pretty dresses from the wardrobe (ignoring the corset) and made her way down to the kitchen.

It took her exactly 30 minutes to finally find it. The castle was like a maze! All different corridors leading

here and there...it was better than one of those mazes at the county fair!

But she did finally arrive in the morning room, when a helpful servant pointed the way, and she realized that she would be dining with the duke.

Destiny stared at him from the doorway, before announcing herself. Gone was the stern, larger than life man who was so mean the day before. Instead, there sat a weak, old man who had circles beneath his eyes.

Suddenly those eyes were glaring at her.

"Good Heavens! Are you going to stand rudely there and stare at me, or are you going to sit and eat?" he growled. Destiny hid a smile and walked over to the chair at his left. She observed from yesterdays meal that this was not the proper way to sit in the Kensington household. She and Spencer had sat at the other end, at least 8 s.p.a.ces away, then.

"Just WHAT do you think you are doing?" he asked imperiously.

"I'm sitting by a grouch!" she shot back, and quickly regretted her outburst. She was about to apologized when the man started laughing!

"You may not be our equal in cla.s.s, but you surely have spirit!" he barked out with laughter.

Destiny blinked in bemus.e.m.e.nt. Wow, she thought, He no longer looked tired, but healthy and happy!She thought a moment, then asked, "So...uh...Your Grace, just where do you think I came from?" "Well, according to Spencer's accounts, you are from the colonies. Ghastly lot of heathens, they are.

Always fighting about something and dumping tea in the harbor," he said with a sigh.

"Yeah, well, look what it got us! Freedom!" she countered.

"Freedom from what? Civilized society?"

Destiny sighed. "Oh, never mind. You're mighty fiesty yourself, you know."

He leaned toward her and said in a whisper, "Good G.o.d, don't tell anyone! The whole household would

lose respect for me. They think I'm a tyrant!" The last statement was stated with great amounts of pride.

Destiny leaned forward, also. "You do a good job at playing that part. You had me convinced!"

"What's all the whispering about?" Spencer spoke up from the doorway.

They both turned surprised eyes towards him. Destiny stuttered, "Uh...we we're just...uh..."

"What's wrong with this household. Everyone stands about spying on me. Anyone with eyes to see could

tell that we were breaking our fast!"

"Yeah, Spence! Anyone with eyes!" she repeated with a look of mock Innocence on her face.

Spencer narrowed his eyes as he entered the room. And what surprised Destiny most of all, he came

right up to her and planted a kiss on her unsuspecting lips.

"Good morning, darling," he whispered intimately, then sat down beside her.

Destiny cast a quick eye to his father. He was staring at them like he'd just caught on to a secret.

And he had.

"It would seem we have a lot of work to do, before the nights ending," the old duke said, mysteriously.

Spencers brows rose. "What are we planning, father?"

"A wedding." He took a big bite of cheese.

Destiny's face lit up. "Oh, I love weddings! Who is getting married?"

The duke took his time chewing and when he had finished, he slowly wiped his mouth with his napkin. He

looked at Spencer, then at Destiny and...smiled.

"Really, Spencer. When did you imagine that I turned into a fool? I will not have you dallying with this poor woman's affections any longer. You must do the proper thing, even though she's not in our set." He rose glared at his son. "She is not your wife, now. But she will be before nights end. So, I'm glad you like weddings, Destiny. Because it's you who will be the one getting wed!"

Chapter 11.

"What are we going to do!" Destiny asked when they had reached their bed chamber. After the duke had dropped his little bomb on them, Spencer had put up an argument, but to no avail. His father wouldn't be budged.

"I don't know, woman! Let me think!" he growled, as he paced the floor. "I still don't know how he figured out that we were not married." He then stopped his pacing a and narrowed his glittering eyes on Destiny. "Unless...YOU told him!"

"Now, hold on just one minute, there buster! I haven't told him a darn thing! You've been acting so hateful towards him, it must have looked like you were hiding something!" she threw back at him. The NERVE of the man!

"Oh, no. Don't blame me for this!" he said, shaking his finger in her face.

Destiny looked at the offending finger and did the first thing she thought of.

She bit it.

But not hard. Just enough to make him laugh. Soon they were both laughing at their childish argument.

He raised an eyebrow in that s.e.xy way of his, and said, "I can think of a couple of other places I wouldn't mind you biting."

Destiny rolled her eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Romeo and help me think of how we are to handle this!"

Spencer sighed, "You're right, I suppose. Though my suggestion does have it's merits... All right, all right. We'll do this your way." This time they were both pacing the room, thinking so hard that it was beginning to give Destiny a headache.

"I've got an idea!" Spencer finally said. "Why don't we just admit that the old man is correct in his a.s.sumptions. It'll give him a thrill at any rate. Then I'll convince him that it would be better to wait a fortnight before the ceremony takes place. I'll say that he could throw a large party and let everyone know that his heir has come home and taken a bride, etc. etc..."

Destiny shook her head. "But that will be worse, Spencer. He's going to go to all the trouble to throw a huge party, and then I'm going to up and disappear! Won't it look terrible to your peers - cause a scandle of something?"

"Hmmm.... Not if we make it look like you've been murdered!" he said with great delight.

"Jeez! I have an Alfred Hitchc.o.c.k on my hands! You are going to make it seem like I was murdered?" she ask with horror. "I couldn't just vanish or jilt you or... something!"

"If you vanish, my father will expect me to spend weeks looking for you and if you jilt me, that will DEFINATELY cause a scandal!"

She came back with, "What if YOU are accused of murdering me. Then your whole past as a pirate will come to light and there's not a court in this century or mine that would believe you! And what about a body?"

He rubbed his chin in contemplation. "You have a point. But we make it look like you were kidnapped, and all I found was a b.l.o.o.d.y dress... That's it! We'll make a token search, but will give up knowing that all evidence points to your death!"

Destiny shook her head in bemus.e.m.e.nt. "I can't believe we're talking about this!"

"Do you have a better plan?"

"Well...no, but I don't think you should be enjoying my 'death' so much!"

His face suddenly grew still, and quietly he came over to where she stood with shoulders slumped. "To me, once you are gone, it will be like a death. For I shall never see again. And believe me, I will not enjoy it."

He placed his hands on either side of her face and gently kissed her lips. It was so sweet that it brought tears to her eyes. "Oh, Spencer. I know you don't like hearing it, but I have to tell you anyway. I love you. And when I'm gone I want you to remember that, okay, that someone out there, loves you through all time."

Spencer folded her into his arms, so that she would not see his own tears. Tell her, that small voice inside his heart prompted. Tell her that you love her, too. But he could not. He could not allow himself to explore this love that he had for her when she would be leaving him so soon. It would destroy him. As it was, his heart would be broken, forever.

He cleared his throat as he smoothed a hand down her slim back. "Do not cry for me, Destiny, nor waste your love on someone like me. I'm not worth it. And when you return to your time, you will find someone who is worthy of your love, and this adventure will seem like a distant memory."

She back away from him and she did not look happy. "You just don't get it, do you, Spencer? I've looked for a man to love. I knew that when I found him, that it would be forever. The first moment that I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special, different."

"I was a pirate," he teased, trying to lighten the mood.