Pilar'seyes found Sebastian's briefly before she turned her gaze back to the smiling face of Ian's wife.

"I'm really not very hungry, but a bath... I think I should like that above all things."

"Then you shall have it at once.And one ofElizabeth's nightgowns. Hers are all much finer than mine,"

Anne confided.

Her arm still aroundPilar's shoulders, she began to lead the girl toward the staircase, chatting easily the entire time. She was still talking as they climbed the stairs to disappear onto the landing.

Unconsciously, Sebastian's gaze had followed their progress. And it was only when he turned that he realized everyone, includingMalford , was looking at him.

They were expecting some explanation forPilar's presence. Dare's brow was lifted, a sure sign that he was waiting. He would simply have to continue to wait, Sebastian decided. At least until they were in private.

"You were going to ask Watson to provide for my man," he reminded.

"Of course," the earl said.

"And I believe someone mentioned food."

"I shall send to the kitchen for something hot,"Elizabeth said, turning to put her intent into motion.

"Forgive me," Sebastian said. "I find I'm far more concerned with the immediacy of the food than with its temperature. Besides, I doubt I've eaten a hot meal within the past year."

"Of course,"Elizabeth said after a minute's hesitation, her eyes meeting her husband's. Apparently some silent communication had passed between them, for she said, "I'll see if there is anything Anne needs. I believe she mentioned borrowing one of my nightgowns."

"The dining room," the earl said, gesturing toward the open door at the end of the hall.

Somehow, what should have been an invitation had become a summons. Sebastian had known the time of reckoning would come, and he supposed now was as good a time as any to get this out of the way.

As if, he thought meeting his brother's eyes, he was going to have any other choice.

"So...I took her," Sebastian said, deciding there was no point in trying to make that kidnapping seem anything other than what it had been.

"You abducted her?" Ianclarified, his tone disbelieving. "You abducted that girl from her guardian's home?"

"I didn't have any other choice."

"I would think it should be obvious even to you--" Dare began.

"You weren't there. And don't try to make me believe you would have done any differently. The man had murdered her father to gain control of her and her fortune. He did this--" his finger touched the scar that was a constant reminder of Delgado's cruelty "--because I interfered with him when she tried to run away. Then, despite knowing he had the wrong man, he killed ViscountWetherly in a trap that had been set for me. I was hardly able to leave the girl in his hands after that. Especially knowing what I knew about how he was controlling her."

There was a prolonged silence. Undaunted, Sebastian took advantage of it to spear another slice of rare roast beef from the pile on his plate. He had eaten his fill, but the habit of continuing to eat when there was suchan abundance would be hard to break.

"I hid her in the house where the duke's party was staying and then smuggled her out of Madrid among the camp followers," he said when the earl's disapproving quietness had stretched beyond even his tolerance for such tactics.

He had been the victim of them too many times in the past to be truly cowed. Besides, after years spent fighting the French, he was no longer the boy who wilted at the first sign of Dare's displeasure.

He was truly satisfied in his own mind that he had done the only thing possible in the situation. If his brother disapproved, thenDare would simply have to learn to deal with the reality that Sebastian was making his own decisions now.

"Then the king gave Delgado her father's titles and sent him toParis as his ambassador.

WhenWellington decided to visit the French capital before he returned toLondon , I knew I couldn't take Pilar there and risk Delgado seeing her. That's why I'm home before the duke. And why I arrived unannounced."

"What titles?" Ian asked.

"The only one I'm sure of is theCondedel Castillo. I'm not certain of any of the lesser ones her father held. And by the way, Val, she seems to feel that your butler is notso well trained as her father's servants were. I thought you might want to know."

He managed to take another bite while Ian's eyes met Dare's. This time it was the brows of his second brother that had inched upward.

"Are you telling me," Ian asked, when he turned back to face him, "that you have kidnapped the daughter of a Spanish grandee and dragged her unescorted acrossSpain andFrance in order to bring her here."

Surprisingly, Sebastian found that he was beginning to enjoy himself. It wasn't often that he could truly shock his brothers.

"She wasn't unescorted.Malford was with her during any time when, because of my duties, I couldn't be. Not at night, of course. She slept with the camp followers then."

Another silence.

"You do realize you'll have to marry the girl," Ian said, the pronouncement awful in its solemnity.As it had obviously been intended to be.

"Actually..." Sebastian let the word trail, looking from one face to the other. "You see, once all those women--the camp followers--got toBordeaux , the army refused to let them on the transports. Those were the quartermaster general's idiotic orders, but I couldn't think of any way to get around them. We had planned to pretend that she wasMalford's wife, but once we found out that they were allowing only the officers' wives on board--"

"You married her," Dare breathed, sounding relieved.

"If you can consider it a marriage.I'm not surePilar does."

"Why wouldn't she?" Dare asked.

"Because she's Catholic for one thing.No French priest was going to agree to marry us, so we were married by a dissenter. Some kind of lay preacher attached to one of the Protestant sects. I don't believe either of us thought to ask which. The vows are probably not binding because I'm not sure any of it was legal."

"But surely--" That was Ian, who was certain to argue that any marriage, if it had been conducted by a minister, might be considered binding.

"With the chaos inFrance , you see," Sebastian continued, "no one seemed perfectly certain which set of laws are in force right now."

The silence after that lasted an inordinate amount of time, but Sebastian was determined he would not be the one who broke it. Let his brothers see if they could have come up with a better solution than what he had done.

It wouldn't really be a fair comparison, he thought, even if they did. They had the luxury of time and no one was trying to kill them. If they believed they might have found one, however, he was perfectly willing to listen to it.

"Then you must be married again here and as quickly as we can arrange it," the earl said finally.

"Special license," Ian suggested.

"Hmm..." Dare said, still looking at Sebastian. And seeing what was in his face, his tone quickly changed. "What's the matter now?"

"I'm not sure she'll agree. She didn't want to marry me before, but of course she was afraid, as Iwas, that if we didn't get onto the transports,Julian's men might find us again."

"Again?"Ian repeated.

"We were attacked the night we leftMadrid .While we were sneakingPilar out of the house to take her to the encampment and hide her among the women. If it hadn't been for the cook coming to our rescue with an ax, I don't know how we would have escaped. I must tellyou, however, thatPilar was holding her own with the swordsman who had putMalford out of commission. I think that attack and the possibility that it might be repeated if we didn't get out of the country were the only reasons she agreed to marry me."

"Good God," Ian said.

"Exactly," Sebastian complimented, smiling at him.

"You seem to think this is all some sort of joke," Dare accused, anger infusing his voice for the first time."Some juvenile prank, undertaken, perhaps, to prove how daring you are."

With that accusation, the amusement Sebastian had felt evaporated, to be replaced by an unexpected anger of his own.

"The bastard I took her away from tied me down and did this with my sword, simply because I had tried to help her," he said, gesturing again toward his face. "At that time, he had already murdered her father. Then he murdered my best friend, a man I owed my life to on more occasions than I can recount.

He beatsPilar's servants when she displeases him. He has stolen everything of value she has ever possessed, including her family and her name. I don't know what else he may have done to her."

Pilarhad been living inJulian Delgado's home for almost a year. Although she had never hinted at anything sexually inappropriate in her guardian's behavior, now that Sebastian understood the depths of depravity of which the man was capable, he had begun to wonder what other horrors had been inflicted on her.

He hadn't realized that particular fear lay so near the surface until he had put it into words. As soon as he had, he wished he might take them back.

Neither of his brothers, however, said anything in response to that litany of abuses. Finally, both of them seemed to be listening to, and more important, hearing, what he was saying about her situation.

"I took her away from him," he said again. "I smuggled her out ofSpain , despite the efforts of his people, who were looking for us. I tricked her into a marriage she didn't want in order to get her out ofFrance . And I promised her the protection of theSinclairs . Believe me,Val, I don't consider any of what has happened to be a prank."

"Our first consideration must be what is best for the girl," Ian said, his voice without any trace of censure.

"I have done nothing less than that from the beginning--at least, as soon as I fully understood her situation. I don't need you and Val second-guessing my actions now. Believe me, they were well considered."

That was only partially true, he admitted. After the abduction, however, her well-being had been his primary concern. There had been something about the act of carrying a helpless woman in his arms that had made him more aware of the proper role of a gentleman than he had ever been before in his life.

"What does she want to do now?" Dare asked.

That was a question Sebastian couldn't possibly answer. They hadn't discussed what she wanted. All along, they had only had time to discuss what had to be done.

"I don't know.At least, not beyond wanting not to go back to her guardian."

"Is he likely to try to force her to?"

"Perhaps.If he knew where she was.I don't believe he does.Pilar seems to think that since he has gotten what he was after--her father's lands and titles--he will be willing to let her go."

"What do you believe?" Ian asked, perhaps recognizing from his tone that it wasn't an opinion he shared.

Sebastian thought about what he really expected Delgado to do now.And although he had far less knowledge of the man thanPilar ...

"I'm not sure he'll give up so easily. She was his possession. He didn't strike me as a man who will surrender anything that belongs to him without a fight."

Her bedroom door opened soundlessly, and Anne Sinclair peered through the opening. When she realizedPilar was still awake, she smiled at her.

"May I come in?" she asked.

Reluctant to appearmore rude than she already had,Pilar hesitated only a second before she agreed.

"Of course."

"I thought you might like some warm milk. It will help you sleep," Anne suggested, carrying a glass on a saucer as she came across the room. She stopped beside the high bed, looking down on her.

In a matter of minutes after she had ledPilar upstairs, the earl's servants had provided a steaming bath, which they had set before the fire in this beautifully appointed chamber. She had also been provided with a maid--a smiling, freckle-faced girl, who had rhapsodized overPilar's now-clean hair as she had combed the tangles out. And, just as had been promised, she had been lent a nightgown to sleep in, one that was as fine as anything her father had ever bought for her before the war.

There had been nothing in anyone's treatment that could be considered the slightest bit insulting or patronizing. She had truly been cared for like a cherished guest. There had been questions in their eyes, perhaps, but they hadn't yet asked any of them. And she had been profoundly grateful not to have to deal with those tonight.

"I don't believe I shall have any trouble sleeping," she said truthfully, but she smiled to soften the denial.

"Just as soon as you are given the opportunity," Anne suggested with an answering smile, as she set the milk on the table beside the bed.

"I didn't mean to imply--"

"Then you should. I have no business bothering you. I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything during the night--anything at all--not to hesitate to send for me.Or forElizabeth, if you prefer."

Pilarknew very well that she wouldn't send for either of them. But, she acknowledged, if she ever had to call on one of them for a favor, she also knew without any doubt which of them it would be.

"Elizabethis really very kind," Anne said, exactly as if she had read her mind. "And don't be put off by the earl's manner. I've discovered in the short time I've been a member of this family that it's all bluff, at least as far as his brothers are concerned."

"You haven't been married long?"Pilar asked.

For some reason she was surprised by that information. Anne seemed perfectly at ease in the presence of her imposing sister-in-law, even teasing about the loan of her nightgown.

"Not so long that it isn't still..."Anne hesitated, and then, her eyes smiling again, she finished softly, "Magical."

"Magical?"Pilar repeated questioningly, not sure that was the word that had been used. It seemed strange in that context.

And then she realized that her mother and father's marriage must have had that quality. She had never thought of the love they shared as magical, but she understood the concept, based on the devotion they had obviously felt for one another. She had always dreamed that one day-- Anne laughed, interrupting that memory. She reached down to takePilar's hand, which was lying outside the covers. She held it in her palm, her other hand almost absently stroking the back of it.

The gesture was again too familiar, just as when she had put her arm aroundPilar's shoulders downstairs. For some reason, now as then,Pilar wasn't offended. Ian's wife seemed to radiate an innate kindness, so that one was quite unable to take offense at her familiarity.

"A strange word, I suppose. And I would believe that marriage is magical only between Ian and me, except I know that it is for Dare and Elizabeth as well. Perhaps it's only Sinclair marriages that are magical," she said, smiling atPilar . "Except that's too narrow, too, of course. It's not only theSinclairs who make such marriages. I'm sure any marriage based on true love shares that quality. Ours simply happen to be the only marriages with which I have an intimate acquaintance."

An intimate acquaintance.Intimate. It was the same word Sebastian had used to describe their relationship. Too intimate for titles, he had said. Yet during the time that had passed between then and now...

If theSinclairs had a tendency to marriages that might indeed be characterized as magical, then something had gone very wrong in this one. She and Sebastian were married, and there was nothing of love or intimacy involved.

He treated her almost exactly asMalford did. And almost, she acknowledged bitterly, exactly as he treatedMalford .

"What is it?" Anne asked softly. Her smile had faded, possibly because of whatever was reflected in Pilar's face. "Have I said something to upset you?"

"Of course not,"Pilar lied.

"Well, I shan't keep you from your rest," Anne said. "I just wanted to make sure that you have everything you need.And to wish you pleasant dreams."

She smiled again, layingPilar's hand back down on the coverlet. Then she crossed the room, closing the door behind her.