The Sulphur, with Rory FitzGerald at the wheel, sailed from Greystone's natural bay. Johnny and Bowers, the ex-Montague captain, stood at the ship's prow scanning both the sh.o.r.eline and the horizon for the Seagull. Sean O'Toole was high in the rigging with his telescope to his eye.

They swept Dublin Bay twice, identifying every ship they pa.s.sed, but saw no sign of a Montague vessel of any sort. The Sulphur then sailed around the Eye of Ireland that sheltered Dublin Bay from the open sea. When they did not sight their prey, they scoured the coastline in both directions, from Bray all the way to Lambay Island.

Satisfied that no Montague ship lurked within thirty miles of Greystones, Sean gave the order to head home. He came down the rigging and had a private word with Johnny. "What do you think?"

"Bowers must have been mistaken," Johnny declared.

Sean slowly shook his head. "I have a gut feeling."

"The last time I saw Father he was pathetic. He was crying like a broken man, and I made sure Jack Raymond couldn't even walk. I don't think we have much to worry about."

"I'm glad you've lost your fear of them, Johnny, but so long as there is breath left in their evil carca.s.ses, they could pose a threat."

"Well, if they were here, they are gone now."

Gone where? Sean asked himself. "Anglesey," he said aloud. "Tomorrow we'll take a run over to Anglesey, just to be certain sure." As the Sulphur headed back to Greystones, Sean could not dispel the uneasy feeling that something was wrong.

The premonition did not leave him even as he climbed from the jetty up to the house. Greystones was strangely quiet; not one servant was in evidence. Suddenly a baby's cry broke the eerie silence, but the grim look did not leave O'Toole's face. He knew the baby was neither his son nor his daughter; he could tell their cries from those of a hun-dred other infants.

1.

Sean burst into the master bedchamber with curses already dropping from his lips. He did not need to throw open the wardrobe doors to know that Emerald had packed everything and gone. He knew exactly what she had done. The minute his back was turned, she had left with Amber. Emerald had done what was expedient!

His eye fell on the envelope that she had left on his pillow. He s.n.a.t.c.hed it up and thrust it inside his leather jack. He's be d.a.m.ned if he'd read it! He wasn't interested in any of her reasons for doing what she had done. He focused all his energy on one thing only. He would return Emerald and the twins to Greystones this night!

Sean O'Toole stalked a direct path to the stables and saddled Lucifer. He did not stop to consult with anyone; he needed no one else's help or advice to bring his wayward woman to heel. He had no idea how long ago the carriage left Greystones.

It made no difference to him; no matter how many miles it had traveled, he would overtake it and return it.

The first ten miles he looked neither right nor left, but straight ahead. Then Sean glanced at the sky, gauging how much light was left before evening turned into night. He realized there was only about an hour left before darkness fell. The city of Dublin lay before him, and its busy streets forced him to slow his reckless pace.

Suddenly, he spotted Amber's carriage plodding along in a line of coaches, wagons, and pony carts that had just reached the center of the ancient capital. He spurred Lucifer onto the bridge that spanned the River Liffey and caught up with the carriage just as it reached the other side.

"Stop this coach!" he ordered.

The driver took one look at the dark and dangerous face of the Earl of Kildare and drew rein immediately.

Emerald, already exasperated with the slow-moving traffic of Dublin, again glanced out the window to see what this new delay was all about. When her eyes fell on the black horse with its black-clad rider, she wanted to scream with frustration.

He had caught up with her before she had even left Dublin!

Anger came to her defense. With bright red flags flying in her cheeks, she flew from the carriage to confront him.

Sean's eyes flashed their terrible dark anger. "Get back inside the carriage, madam, I shall deal with you at home."

Emerald tossed her head in defiance, even though she knew she had never seen him as furious as he was at this moment. "I am going to Wicklow. Don't try to persuade me otherwise, you are wasting your time!"

"Persuade you?" His deep voice warned her he had no intention of doing anything so civilized. "The only persuading I'll do will be with the flat of my hand,"

he said quietly.

He had never once been harsh or fierce with her in all the time she had known him. Never once had he touched her in anger. Perhaps that's why Emerald still chose to defy him. "Must you make a scene in the midst of all this traffic?" she demanded.

"Obviously, I must," he said, dismounting and advancing upon her. He loomed above her, his eyes glittering a dangerous silver.

"I am going to Wicklow!"

"Greystones," he said implacably.

People began to climb from their carriages to watch the row that threatened to explode into violence at any moment. Sean's powerful hands cupped her shoulders; there was no gentleness in the touch.

"Get into the carriage this instant, madam."

"Make me!" she flung.

Without the slightest hesitation he raised one iron-hard thigh, bent her over it, lifted her skirts, and gave her three resounding slaps across her a.r.s.e. As the crowd applauded, Sean opened the carriage door, lifted her by the waist, and plunked her down on her stinging bottom. He tied Lucifer to the back of the carriage, then strode forward. "Move over," he ordered the driver.

Her dignity in tatters, Emerald ignored the shocked young nursemaids and stared at her mother through tear-filled eyes.

"Darling, I told you this was an exercise in futility."

When they arrived back at Greystones the nursemaids carried in the twins, and Emerald followed behind. Kate, Tara, Nan, Johnny, Mr. Burke, and Shamus were all in the front room as if they had been awaiting their return. Amber rolled her eyes at Kate and Tara as if to warn them of the impending storm.

When Emerald heard Sean's unmistakable step behind her, she whirled on him, ready to take up the battle where they had left it. Sean held up an all-powerful hand that warned her she had better remain silent.

"I shall give you one hour to attend to the children."

With her stubborn little chin in the air Emerald swept from the room into the grand entrance hall, placed her hand on the banister,

and climbed the stairs, her back as stiff as a ramrod.

Sean followed her to the foot of the stairs. "One hour, on this very spot."

Emerald tossed her head and did not dignify his words with a reply.

She washed the telltale sign of tears from her face, then fed her babies. It was all she had time for in one hour. Emerald made up her mind to ignore his ultimatum.

Then she realized that if she did not go downstairs, he would immediately take the offensive to make sure she obeyed him. Waiting for him to seek her out would put her on the defensive, so she changed her mind.

Emerald turned her babies over to their young nursemaids. "I would be most grateful if you would put the children to bed tonight." She brushed her hair until it crackled, then she straightened her back and marched down the staircase to confront the man who was spoiling for a battle royal.

When her foot hit the bottom step, she opened her mouth to fire a broadside.

As his hand closed about her forearm, he cut off her verbal attack. "Not one word, madam."

He strode to the front door, taking her with him. An ominous silence descended as he marched her down the driveway in the direction of the gatehouse.

He did not loosen his grip from her arm until they had reached the tower steps.

Emerald had nowhere to go but up. Her anger was now tinged with apprehension. Whatever it was he planned to do to her, he wanted no witnesses.

When he let go of her, Emerald dug her fists into her hips.

"Do you enjoy playing the bully?" she demanded.

"You are clearly in need of a firm hand. You are out of control."

"I felt your firm handa"in the middle of Dublina"with everyone gaping at me!"

she shouted.

"It put a stop to your defiance," he growled.

"Temporarily!" She was angry as fire, her temper flaming and crackling in reckless pa.s.sion.

"Explain yourself. How dare you try to take my children away?" he thundered.

"I left you a note."

He pulled the envelope from inside his shirt and thrust it beneath her nose.

"You didn't even read it!" she accused.

"And never shall! If you have something to say, be woman enough to say it to my face."

"How dare you be angry with me? You are the one who is in the wrong. You deserve everything you get!"

"I am the one who saved your life. I am the one who spoiled you rotten. You repay me by taking away my children and then pretend outrage when that angers me."

Emerald flew at him, pummeling her fists against his chest. Her hair tumbled about her shoulders like a cloud of dark smoke. "You self-righteous swine. My outrage is no pretense; it is very real, as you will learn the minute I leave again."

He grabbed her hands and held them immobile. "You mean as soon as my back is turned?"

"Yes!" she hissed defiantly.

"I shall never allow you to leave!" he shouted.

"How will you stop me?" Her eyes blazed green fire. She was panting from her fury.

"I'll lock you in this tower and throw away the b.l.o.o.d.y key, if I have to!"

"Why don't you beat me again?" she flared.

"Beat you?" he said incredulously. "You deserve a d.a.m.n good beating, but I've never laid a hand on you in anger . . . yet! I've been antic.i.p.ating your reckless behavior, Emerald; give me credit for a little intelligence. I am aware that you have been keeping a part of yourself from me, and knew it was just a matter of time before you ran off altogether."

"You have always kept your inner self from me, along with your thoughts.

Now you know what it feels like."

"When I tried to tell you that I love you, you wouldn't listen," he accused.

Her anger cooled to impatience. "For G.o.d's sake, I know you love me; I've always known you love me."

"I gave you jewels, a house, a ship," he said in a quieter tone.

"This isn't about jewels or houses or ships," she cried.

"Then tell me that you don't love me," Sean challenged.

"Of course I love you; I've always loved you beyond reason. This isn't about love!a "Then what in the name of G.o.d is it about?" he demanded.

"It's about trust," she said softly.

Dear G.o.d in heaven, what could he say? She had suddenly swept away every defense.

"Sean, you taught me to live for today, but you don't do that; you live for yesterday. You live for vengeance. I trusted you completely and you betrayed me for revenge."

The pain in his eyes told her he could not deny it. "So you want to leave me.

Whether you realize it or not, Emerald, you, too, want revenge. You won't be happy until you've taken your pound of flesh. You want to take the children and never see me again."

Emerald stared at him in horror, her eyes flooding with tears. Dear G.o.d, that wasn't what she wanted at all! She wanted him to sweep her into his arms and swear his undying love for her. She wanted him to vow that he would do anything to keep her. She wanted a pledge that she and their babies would come first from now on.

He l.u.s.ted for revenge when she wanted him to l.u.s.t only for her. She wanted to come first, last, and always. She wanted a bond of trust that would never be broken again, no matter what.

As his eyes searched her lovely, heart-shaped face, he knew he had loved her from the beginning. Even while he was denying it and closing his heart to it, love for Emerald had found its way inside, blithely disregarding his protestations. He had never dared to acknowledge love's existence, because he believed he could not keep her.

Sean touched her tear-stained face with poignant tenderness. "My love for you and our children is absolute and unconditional. I will agree to anything you want."

You say it, but do you mean it? She had to be sure. Though she hated what she was doing, she tested him. "What ifa"what if I let you keep your son?"

She watched the anger return to his dark eyes.

"Emerald, are you mad? Surely you know any son of mine could fend for himself if necessary, it is my little daughter who needs my strength. But I would never separate them in a million years. I want both or none."

Sean had pa.s.sed the first test with flying colors, but would he pa.s.s the rest?

"What if what if I let you have both?"

His black brows drew together in rage at her suggestion. "Without you? The answer is no! I want all or nothing. I would never consider separating the twins from their mother."

Emerald smiled tremulously. She never wanted to doubt him again. She wanted him to remove the threatening cloud of revenge from her horizon. She wanted someone she could count on.

"Sean, your need for revenge was so great, I became expendable. If people cannot let go of the hatred of their enemies, they risk sowing the seeds of hatred among themselves. I know you lost your brother and your beloved mother, but revenge isn't the answer. To deal with loss you must celebrate life. It isn't enough to survive; you must thrive. To thrive, we must love."