'It's true.' I seconded Cingar's reasoning.

'All right.' Devere resigned himself to the plan with a smile of grat.i.tude.

'I feel it best that you come alone,' Cingar advised. 'Your companions might give you away.'

'Not a worry.' Lord Devere spoke up for us. 'A couple of nights in Ma.r.s.eilles won't be too hard to bear.' My husband served me a wink. 'We'll leave word at the British Emba.s.sy where to find us.'

'Give Ashlee my love,' I requested, feeling a little teary now that our journey was drawing to a close. 'Tell her to come and see me, once you've set everything to rights.'

'Go and enjoy yourselves,' Devere bade us. 'I've ruined your honeymoon long enough.'

'Poppyc.o.c.k!' Lord Devere rejected his claim. 'This is one holiday we shall never forget.'

LESSON 15.

MASQUERADE.

FROM THE TRAVEL JOURNALS OF MRS ASHLEE DEVERE.

The weather could not have been finer for an outdoor wedding.

There had been a few new arrivals in the camp overnight-wedding guests I was told-and among them was a masked man.

He was dressed in black, including the mask that had small slits to see by. It covered the top half of his face and tied at the back of his neck. The ponytail that sprouted from his head cover in one long curl at the nape of his neck was dark blond, and his skin was fairer than that of his gypsy companions. Still, his physique was just as fetching as any of the gypsy men's and he seemed a carefree soul. He carried a pistol and a sword, as I did, and spoke only Italian, so he was not a Rom. His light-body was very beautiful, although there was a brooding dark ma.s.s around his heart. Judging from the extended size of his light-body I had to a.s.sume that this man was rather psychic.

'Hmmm, interesting.' I attended to my broth and bread. 'What do you know about him?' I asked Chavi who was sitting beside me.

'He is part of the bride's party,' Chavi informed me, but then, gazing at the masked man, she said, ''Tis seldom you see a man that psychic with a broken heart.'

'I noticed that, too. I wonder what the mask is for?'

'He could be disfigured,' Chavi suggested, 'or hiding from someone.' She seemed more disposed toward this theory. 'Interesting, as you say.'

I'm afraid our curiosity was rather obvious, for Cingar brought the new arrival over to meet us.

'This is my grandmother, Chavi, the woman responsible for today's event,' Cingar was telling the man in black. 'And this wonderful woman saved me from the Duc de Guise...Miss Winston. Ladies, may I introduce Danior Terkari, a long-time a.s.sociate of Jessenia's family.'

'So, you are the woman who vanquished the best swordsman in Orleans.' Terkari took up my hand and kissed it; even his leather gloves were black. 'This is a rare honour.'

I noticed the dark spot on the man's heart lighten a little. I felt his attraction and it frightened and excited me at once. 'You know all about me and yet I know nothing about you, sir.'

'There is little in my past worth telling.' He let go of my hand and looked at Chavi. 'But perhaps Chavi would do me the service of telling me something of my future?' he asked lightheartedly. 'I have been hearing of your talent as an oracle. I would be happy to pay you, of course.'

The old gypsy's frown lifted. 'Would you like a private reading?' She smiled her toothy grin.

'I have nothing to hide.' Terkari took a seat beside Chavi at the campfire and removed one of his gloves.

'Then why the mask?' I queried and was sorry that I mentioned it, because Terkari's joviality lessened considerably.

'I was speaking metaphorically,' he replied, managing to regain his smile as he offered his hand to Chavi.

He must be disfigured, I thought, and yet I was sure such a wound would register on his light-body, to some extent at least. I felt awful for raising the subject in any case, d.a.m.n my curiosity. Still, remorse didn't stop me from staying to hear what Chavi had to say about the mysterious fellow. Of course, I was tempted to peek inside his thoughts, but after my experience with Devere I decided that people's thoughts best remained their own. If I had been any other woman, I would still be living in blissful ignorance with a man who made me deeply content and happy. I thought, and yet I was sure such a wound would register on his light-body, to some extent at least. I felt awful for raising the subject in any case, d.a.m.n my curiosity. Still, remorse didn't stop me from staying to hear what Chavi had to say about the mysterious fellow. Of course, I was tempted to peek inside his thoughts, but after my experience with Devere I decided that people's thoughts best remained their own. If I had been any other woman, I would still be living in blissful ignorance with a man who made me deeply content and happy.

'You are very psychic yourself,' Chavi began, and then raised both eyebrows in surprise. 'However...this is only a recent development for you.'

Terkari nodded to confirm this.

The old woman closed her eyes briefly, and then gasped, looking at me before her attention darted back to the man she was reading for. She seemed a little hesitant to go on.

'Please continue,' Terkari urged.

'A woman's love ails you deeply. I've never felt such mourning for the love of another.' Tears filled Chavi's eyes. 'She has made you doubt your worthiness, but you are most worthy. She has no idea of the precious gift she has forsaken in you.' The old gypsy let go of his hand, and sniffled back her emotions to kiss his cheek. 'So sad, but,' she held up a finger, 'you will love again, and soon.'

It was a short reading, but it had me teary and even Cingar was all choked up. It was hard to tell how Terkari felt about the prediction. Was he in tears under that mask?

'Your rea.s.surance is a great light in my heart.' He reached for his money pouch, but Chavi wouldn't have it.

'That promise comes free of charge.' She rose and departed to ready herself for the wedding.

'Well, that's dampened the mood.' Terkari attempted to disperse the heavy sentiment of the moment. 'Curiosity killed the cat.'

'At least it was good news.' I encouraged him to look on the bright side and his smile warmed. d.a.m.n, now I was even more intrigued, and I felt a kind of electricity pa.s.sing between us. Oh no, Oh no, I warned myself, I I warned myself, I am sworn off men. am sworn off men.

The captain made me promise to take care of his new friend. I think Cingar was trying to play matchmaker, and I didn't need any persuasion to keep Danior Terkari company.

I had never much enjoyed singing, dancing and parties of a formal nature, but I had never before had the pleasure of attending a celebration so joyous and rowdy as this one. I danced until I was dizzy and was more deeply under the spell of my mysterious companion as every hour pa.s.sed.

When evening fell the celebration showed no sign of winding up, but I swore I could not dance or laugh any more-surely it was illegal to have so much fun in one day.

The sound of guns firing raised a cry that the caravan was under attack. Panic seized my heart as hors.e.m.e.n began riding through the camp, firing weapons and wielding swords. All I could think was that I didn't have Albray's stone on me. It was in my caravan and I immediately ran to fetch it.

Terkari called after me to stay by him, but was forced to draw his sword and engage an oncoming mounted attacker.

Between myself and my caravan a rider reared on his horse to challenge me. Without Albray, my sword was useless, so I pulled my pistol and fired across the front of the horse. The near miss startled the animal, and it threw its rider to the ground. In the commotion I darted past him.

I scampered into my caravan, only to be wrenched off my feet before reaching the stone. I kicked my attacker with my free leg, but he refused to release me and as I was dragged back to the door I held my hand out toward the stone and willed it to me with all the determination I could muster.

The item slapped into my grasp. Albray, Albray, Albray! Albray, Albray, Albray!

I was finally yanked outside, but as my attacker turned me to face him, my being filled with all the strength and stamina of my knight.

'A woman,' laughed the man, surprised and delighted.

'Oui.' I noted he was French, so I smiled sweetly and belted him right between the eyes. I noted he was French, so I smiled sweetly and belted him right between the eyes.

'Miss Winston! Behind you!' cried Terkari as he ran to my aid.

I drew my sword and turned to confront a mounted opponent charging at full speed toward me. To my surprise he did not raise a weapon against me, but was reaching out to grab hold of me. Albray did not hesitate to take his lower arm off as he pa.s.sed, and he rode from the camp screaming.

'Are you all right?' Terkari reached me, looking stunned that a woman could strike such a blow.

No, I was not all right, but, thankfully, I did not have control of my body. 'Never better,' replied Albray on my behalf. 'And you? Duck!'

Terkari had quick reflexes. He dropped to one knee and Albray engaged the sword of the man we had punched earlier. It didn't take long for Albray to disarm the fellow and with a kick up the behind, Albray sent him running after his handless friend.

Terkari had grabbed the discarded sword and was in the process of fending off two swordsmen at once. Fairly impressive, Fairly impressive, Albray mused quietly, but I heard him and those were my sentiments exactly. We were hesitant to give Terkari any a.s.sistance, as he seemed to be having too much fun. Albray mused quietly, but I heard him and those were my sentiments exactly. We were hesitant to give Terkari any a.s.sistance, as he seemed to be having too much fun.

I heard the hooves too late to turn and I was s.n.a.t.c.hed up into the air by one of the riders. He was surprised to be belted so hard and dropped me on the ground.

'Come on,' Albray challenged, sword raised and ready to strike, as the rider turned his horse around. 'You can be handless, just like your friend.'

Clearly the bandits were losing the battle, and as most of his a.s.sociates had already withdrawn, the rider wisely decided not to accept Albray's offer.

A loud cheer sounded from the gypsy camp as the bandits were driven off. Albray departed my form at once, leaving my heart thumping in my throat and my body shaking from the shock.

'Miss Winston.' Terkari was at my side at once and caught me up when my knees threatened to buckle beneath me. 'You need to lie down.'

I nodded to agree and pointed him toward my caravan.

Unwittingly, I had placed myself in a very compromising position.

There I was, laid out on my bed, Terkari seated beside me wiping my head with a damp cloth. I was noting how gentle he was for a man so fearless, n.o.ble and forbearing in spirit-all fine qualities that I had never seen in Devere.

'The day has been rather enjoyable apart from that last adventure,' he commented.

'Yes...I haven't had so much fun in forever.' I looked away for only a second as I considered how true my statement was and when I glanced back his lips were but a breath away. I wanted to return his kiss and put Devere from my mind forever, but when it came right down to it, I urged Terkari back. 'I'm sorry.'

'No, don't be,' he a.s.sured me rather oddly, as if he was more relieved than bothered by my rejection.

'Please don't be offended...as much as I don't want to be, I am a married woman.' I was relieved to get that off my chest. When would I learn to kill these attractions before they started and not wait until they burned out of control? 'I still love him, you see.' A tear escaped my eye and I brushed it away, frustrated by how much Devere haunted me.

'Then why do you persist in keeping us apart when it makes us both so miserable?' Terkari said in English and I recognised his voice.

The shock struck me witless a second. 'Devere?'

He removed the mask and forced a very sweet smile.

'Are you testing me?' I was referring to the kiss and shoved him off my bed.

'I forgot that I wasn't myself for an instant,' he defended.

'Did you have anything to do with that attack?' I demanded, getting to my feet. Now that I thought about it, I didn't see the attackers take anything. They looked more like they were searching for something. 'Those men seemed awfully keen to cart me off somewhere.'

'Yes, I noticed,' Devere impressed on me. 'They belonged to the Order of Sion, which I have nothing to do with. Perhaps your friend in Paris sent them after you.'

I took offence at his tone and implication. 'Molier locked me in a room on your behalf,' I pointed out, glad that he'd raised the subject of Christian Molier. 'So, whose friend was he again?'

'Please, Ashlee,' Devere appealed, weary of fighting. 'I have pursued you for weeks just to talk to you. Won't you please hear what I have to say?'

'And how do I know you are not just feeding me more lies?' I was angry as I recalled why I had left him. 'Keep her safe, Devere. Learn about her, learn from her and keep me posted. If you can please please this woman, you will become a very powerful man!' this woman, you will become a very powerful man!'

Devere was devastated that I had perceived that particular memory. 'I know it looks bad, but you were my choice. I was fighting for your hand in marriage long before you ever knew I existed.'

The fire in his eyes struck at my heart and I crumpled. 'I so want to believe you...'

'Then take my hand, scan my mind and know it all,' he offered, 'just as Chavi did.'

'I am the woman that she was speaking of.' Recalling Chavi's reading, my tears welled again. That was why he'd had Chavi read for him in front of me when they'd first met, so that I would know it had not been prearranged-not that any amount of money would cause Chavi to betray me. Devere had been clever enough to know that there was no better a.s.sertion of his love-I would always believe the word of a fellow psychic. I had been touched by Chavi's description of this man's deep feelings for his beloved and I forgot my anger, suspicion and pride, and kissed him. am the woman that she was speaking of.' Recalling Chavi's reading, my tears welled again. That was why he'd had Chavi read for him in front of me when they'd first met, so that I would know it had not been prearranged-not that any amount of money would cause Chavi to betray me. Devere had been clever enough to know that there was no better a.s.sertion of his love-I would always believe the word of a fellow psychic. I had been touched by Chavi's description of this man's deep feelings for his beloved and I forgot my anger, suspicion and pride, and kissed him.

'I didn't know that you suspected my Grand Master of killing Hereford,' he confessed between kisses. 'I swear to you, I would never have allowed it.'

'I believe you,' I a.s.sured him, encouraging him to cease talking and free his lips for other pursuits.

In retrospect, it was a great relief that Devere and Terkari were one and the same man, for now I could have the pleasure of loving them both.

I did adore life this morning.

To awake warm and snug in my lover's arms held a kind of security that I'd never envisaged before. For the first time in my life I understood what home really meant and, instead of feeling trapped as I always imagined I would, I felt a deep sense of belonging and contentment.

It was most fortunate that everyone in the gypsy camp was so inebriated during the wedding celebrations, as we emerged from my caravan to hear talk of objects being spotted floating around my abode late last night.

I'm sure the red flush on our cheeks did not increase people's faith in our plea of disbelief.

'You know, I believe you folks need to abstain from the drink for a while,' I said, to take the heat off us.

'Yes.' Devere backed me up. 'I fear the excitement has gone to your heads.' He wound a finger around beside his ear, to imply they had all gone a little loopy.

Chavi approached me, looking pleased that Devere was unmasked this morning, and I noticed her son was headed our way too. 'I told you love would catch up with you,' the old gypsy ribbed me.

'Yes, you did,' I was happy to concede.

'You both hang on tighter from now on,' she suggested, and we both a.s.sured her that we intended to follow her advice. Chavi wandered off to be about her ch.o.r.es.

'It fills my heart with joy to see you together,' Cingar stated, his arms flung wide as he embraced us both, 'and that you were both unharmed by the raiders last night.'

'Were there many casualties?' I pulled back from the group hug.

'A few scratches and bruises.' Cingar shrugged and then smiled. 'We gypsies are not unaccustomed to such raids.'