All she knew was that because she cared about him-because he'd been so kind to her-she had to protect him.

Her troubles were her own.

Pressing her eyes closed for a moment, she did her best to summon up her usual determination, ignoring the lump in her throat. She forced herself to sit up. Then she left his bed without a sound.

Tiptoeing into the dressing room, she fetched her gray peasant costume and pulled it on once more in silent haste.

There wasn't time to bother with her hair. Her curls flowed over her shoulders, wild and free, just like they had last night in her sensual adventures with the major.

She prayed he would not wake up. She did not want him getting dragged into all this. Nor did she think she could bear to admit her lies. Let him sleep. As she buckled the leather strap around her thigh once more, securing her knife in its sheath, she knew that the last thing she needed was a brawl between her lover...her lover...and her guards.

Leon would probably sense that she had been up to no good when he saw her with her rumpled hair and her flushed cheeks, but Sophia figured she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Clad in her plain disguise a moment later, she peeked out of the dressing room.

Gabriel slumbered on like Mars, the G.o.d of war, in repose.

His breathing was steady and deep. Well, he needed peace, she thought, and for the moment, he had found it.

Let him rest.

Though everything in her longed to go to him and press a gentle farewell kiss to his lips, it would be too hard to say good-bye. She crossed his chamber from the dressing room to the door.

There she paused, glancing back at him with tears in her eyes.

I'm sorry.

How she hoped he would not be too hurt by her desertion-and her cowardice. He'd probably be angry when he awoke and found her gone without a word, but she tried to remind herself that he hadn't wanted her there in the first place. She brushed a stray tear off her cheek, then blew him a silent farewell kiss.

Hearing her men coming closer to the farmhouse, she found the strength at last to tear herself away and slipped out of the room.

Gliding along the upstairs hall, she crept down the staircase, listening for any sounds from the kitchen, but there was no sign of Mrs. Moss yet.

As she stole through the house, she picked up her knapsack on her way to the front door. Escaping at last, she dashed outside, instantly signaling to her men to be silent.

Relief poured across their faces at the sight of her. She saw they had brought a fresh horse for her, a white mare with a black saddle. While Timo slipped a lead rope on the bay gelding, preparing to go, the other two followed as she ran ahead into the barn to collect her things from their hiding place.

"Are you all right?" Yannis murmured as she swiftly climbed the ladder to the hayloft.

"Fine." A moment later, she threw down the red velvet gown and other royal accoutrements that she had hidden under the moldy pile of hay.

The kittens came tumbling over to her, already mewling hungrily for their milk. With a pang, Sophia paused to stroke their tiny heads with one fingertip. "Don't worry, babies," she whispered, "he'll be back soon."

A man like Gabriel wouldn't forget.

"Your Highness, make haste!" Markos whispered from the bottom of the ladder.

Amazed at how reluctant she was to leave, Sophia glanced out the loft window at the little ruined church where she had first spotted the brooding master of this place. She closed her eyes, willing him out of her heart as best she could or she might never find the strength to go.

Her country needed her.

It was time to return to reality. This respite, this little dream, was done. Back to the world of warring factions and soulless a.s.sa.s.sins who wanted her dead.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself, then moved on, hurrying down the ladder. She jumped down onto the floor of the barn again and nodded at her men.

Striding out onto the drive, they mounted up swiftly, and in another moment were riding at top speed down the road. The dusty wind from her horse's gallop made her eyes sting with unshed tears. Sophia could not get Gabriel out of her head. His taste and touch were seared into the memory of her senses.

They rode on, keeping silence, until they had gone a mile or two down the road, where they met up with the others.

Having split up to search the area for her, the rest of her guards greeted her with exclamations of joy and relief, but when Sophia looked around, taking a welcome survey of their familiar faces, the most important one was missing.

She turned to Timo, noticed the tension around the corners of his eyes, and felt her stomach plunge with a sudden, terrible knowing.

Stark horror washed over her. She could hardly force the question past her lips. "Where is Leon?"

Gabriel felt like such a b.l.o.o.d.y fool.

His first reaction upon waking to find her gone had been shock, then a stunned sense of betrayal, which ultimately hardened to brooding anger.

He was furious with himself for sleeping through her departure, letting her sneak off without a word. He could only suppose it had been so long since he'd had any sort of s.e.xual pleasure that afterward he had slept like a log. But as irked as he was at himself, it could not match his anger at Sophia.

He supposed he should be glad she hadn't robbed him while he slept, other than taking the bay gelding. Ah, but despite her protestations of innocence, he had known deep down that she had had something to do with that horse showing up when it did. They had arrived together and now they were both gone, the little liar and her stolen animal, and good riddance. He had no business engaging a mistress, anyway.

Other than the gelding, nothing had been taken, but Gabriel still considered her a thief. She had made off with a piece of him that he hadn't known he possessed.

It was the only way to explain the ache inside. He did not understand at all. I really thought there was something between us.

Half of him wanted to hunt her down and let her tell him to his face why she had walked out on him without a b.l.o.o.d.y word. He wanted an answer as to why she had deserted him. He deserved an explanation, and he needed a clearer-cut ending to this.

Derek would probably know where she could be found, since he had hired her, but Gabriel flatly refused to go chasing after her. He did not grovel for anyone.

He would not budge.

As the days pa.s.sed, he vented his wrath by splitting several cords of firewood with his axe, but his exertions did not help him to forget her, a fact that vexed him to no end. Obviously, she didn't care about him, so why should he still give a d.a.m.n about her? He barely knew the chit, and she had filled his head with lies.

Yet the realization of her indifference left him feeling more frustrated than ever, plagued by the unfulfilled l.u.s.t that she had awakened in him, the pitiless hoyden.

He had come here seeking solitude, but after Sophia's brief visit, the isolation soon became intolerable.

It had been a long time since he wanted anything as much as he still wanted her.

Unable to take any more of his mental battles with himself, he gave up trying to pretend it didn't matter and saddled up his white stallion. Then he rode off to his brother's house to track Sophia down.

Only his intense annoyance with her could have dragged him back out into the world again. But maybe it was time.

He couldn't have asked for a more beautiful autumn day to venture out from the farm. The jeweled leaves were nearing their peak of vibrant changing color; a few shaken loose by the mild breeze whirled and eddied across the road ahead. Above in all directions, plump clouds, white and silver-edged, drifted across the light cerulean sky.

Cantering through the countryside, Gabriel relished the change of scenery as much as his horse enjoyed the exercise.

After an easy ride of about two hours, he turned into the rambling country drive leading up to the large white cottage that Derek had recently bought for his new bride, Lily.

Reining in at last in front of the newlyweds' quaint love nest, he leapt down from the saddle and stalked to the front door, quite ready to accept his brother's certain offer of a drink. His throat was parched after the dryness of the road. Flinging the door open, Gabriel strode inside with all the familiarity of family.

"Anyone home?" he called, glancing in the cozy rooms he pa.s.sed.

No one answered. But then, through the tall, arched window, he suddenly spotted the newlyweds taking tea outside in their garden folly, Derek black-haired and sun-bronzed, Lily blond and fair, both of them visibly enchanted with each other's company.

Relieved that he had not interrupted them at any more private pursuits, Gabriel continued on through the house, heading for the door to their back garden.

"Anyone home?" he greeted them as he let himself out the door and sent a broad wave in the direction of the garden folly.

"Gabriel!"

"Why, who is this bearded stranger come to call?" his brother boomed with a grin, rising to his feet. "Lord, man, don't you have a mirror in your house?"

"Is this my greeting after coming all this way?" he answered mildly, drawing off his riding gauntlets as he sauntered toward the pair.

"Don't listen to him," Lily interjected, sending her husband a scolding smile. "You always look handsome, Gabriel. It runs in the family."

"Well, I think you look like one of the Pindari bandits. To what do we owe this honor, brother? Did you get tired of having conversations with your horse?"

"My horse happens to be excellent company," he replied with a sardonic smile.

Derek grinned as he shook his hand with a clap on the shoulder, and then pulled him in for a manly hug. Every time Derek looked at him, he seemed to be remembering the moment Gabriel had stepped in front of him to shield him from the arrow. "Welcome, brother," he said, releasing him with a meaningful look. "It's awfully good to see you out again among the living."

"Good to see you, too. Lily, you look radiant, as ever." Gabriel bent and kissed her cheek in brotherly affection. "The married life agrees with you."

"It does." She beamed at him and gestured toward the little table they had set up. "Sit, please! Have some tea with us. I am so glad you've come."

"It really is uncanny how you do that," Derek remarked as they all sat down.

"Do what?"

"Show up just when I'm thinking about you. You did it again just now."

"Did I?" he drawled.

"I was honestly going to saddle my horse after these refreshments and ride out to see you this very day."

Gabriel frowned at him. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, no-"

"Is everyone all right? Father? Georgie?"

"Yes, of course. Everyone's fine! I had a message for you, that's all."

"What sort of message?"

"From Griff. But it can wait. How have you been?"

"Ah, much better," he replied with a vague touch to his middle where he had been wounded, though he knew perfectly well that was not what his brother was asking.

Derek raised a brow at him, then sent Lily a tenderly communicative glance.

"Think I'll go inside and make us all another pot of tea," she spoke up in a delicate tone. "This one's gone cold." She smiled at Gabriel. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen?"

Gabriel winced to think he was that transparent, but he did not intend to mention Sophia in front of Lily. He doubted Derek would have told her about his prank of hiring a fetching Gypsy harlot for his reclusive brother. Gabriel didn't want to get the rogue in trouble with his very proper young bride. Both men rose and bowed to her as the lady of the house took leave of them. They sat down again after she had gone.

"What's going on?" Derek murmured, studying him. He leaned back in his chair.

"I need to find Sophia."

"Who?"

Gabriel scoffed. "Sophia, the Gypsy girl you sent me."

"Come again?"

"I'm in no mood for more of your roguery, Derek. Just tell me where she is. I need to find her," he said tersely. "She must have been here recently to collect her payment from you. We're going to have a little chat, she and I."

"Er, my dear brother, what the devil are you talking about?"

"The wench you hired to warm my bed! Remember? Raven hair, big brown eyes like melted chocolate. Gorgeous legs."

"Sorry, but I didn't send you anything, let alone a person."

"Derek, could you please refrain from making sport of your elder brother for once? I don't have time for this. She told me that you hired her, just the way you threatened to. I need to know where you first found the girl. Tell me where she is!"

Derek stared at him with a frown of pure perplexity. "Gabriel, I fear there's been some sort of mistake-"

"You're right about that!" he agreed. "You sent me a d.a.m.ned virgin. Did you know that?"

Derek's eyes widened. "You don't understand! I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"What?"

"I never hired a girl for you. I know I threatened to, but after your reaction, I didn't dare. Gabriel, I was only joking!"

Gabriel stared at his brother uncomprehendingly.

Derek shrugged. "You told me you wanted solitude and I've respected that."

Gabriel leaned closer and lowered his voice, not wanting Lily to hear. "You did not hire a girl to come out and seduce me?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"I think I'd remember something like that," he said dryly.