"Didn't you get any rest?"

"Yes," she said, not opening her eyes. "Toward morning Sam finally quieted."

"May I ask why you didn't call on me during the night?"

"You aren't Sam's father, and I-" Her voice stopped dead the instant she realized what she'd said.

"That is a truth I can't deny," Knight agreed." Ah, here's Thrombin with some tea."

He said nothing more until the butler had bowed out of the drawing room and Lily had sipped several times on the hot, strong brew.

"You know, Lily, you would have seen through Laura Beth's remarkable act had you not been so bloody tired."

"She wanted attention, my attention."

"True, but she must learn that she isn't the only inhabitant in the world."

"She's just a little girl, Knight."

"Now, hopefully, she's a somewhat chastened little girl, at least for the next thirty minutes or so."

"Perhaps fifteen minutes," Lily said and gave him her crooked grin that made him instantly and over poweringly as randy as the head herd goat.

"I don't like this overmothering of yours," he said. "It smacks of being a martyr and I find that nauseating."

She remained quiet and Knight developed his theme. "I had hoped, Lily, that you would have more sense. I don't want my bride-to-be white-faced and skinny, her eyes red from lack of sleep."

He was very talented at goading her into giving herself away, she thought, even as she and her temper slid over the edge. She was shouting as she rose. "Why won't you believe me? I don't want to be your damned bride."

"I do hesitate at calling you a liar, Lily, but if you don't want to be my bride, then it must be the position of mistress you're aspiring to. Whichever, you want my poor body very badly. Why, last night all I had to do was touch your breast, caress you ever so lightly, and-"

She threw her teacup at his head. He ducked, but not before hot tea splattered over the front of his coat.

Knight picked up a napkin and patted the tea stains on the pale blue superfine material. "Should you like me to thrash you for that, Lily?"

She drew a deep breath and tried to draw on a near-exhausted supply of patience, but she was so tired. "I'm sorry I threw my teacup at you, but you deserved it, Knight."

"It wasn't my intention to revolt your finest feelings, Lily, just to point out the truth to you. You're a very responsive woman, and after Friday I'll see to it that every need, every twinge you feel, is satisfied."

Knight went over to her and drew her into his arms. He kissed her hair and his hands lightly stroked up and down her back. After a few moments, she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I will take care of the children until their bedtime. Rather, I will see to Sam and direct John to earn his generous wages and look after Theo. Our little actress will stay in her bedchamber until-well, how about dinner? I don't want her to go hungry. But don't give in to her and let her out until then. And you, my dear Lily, you will go to your bed, unfortunately alone."

She stiffened just a bit and he chuckled in her ear.

"That was a very small attempt at humor, no more."

"You give orders so smoothly."

"Naturally, I'm a man."

Her fist curled hard into his belly and he obligingly grunted for her. He kissed her hair again, hugged her hard, then set her away from him.

"There's another thing I'm going to do. You're not interested? Well, I'm going to search everything you and the children own and I'm going to find those damned jewels. Are you with me? Tomorrow morning?"

Lily sighed and rubbed her fingers over her temples. She could count on her left hand the number of headaches she'd suffered in her lifetime. One was coming and it wasn't going to be pleasant. She spoke before she thought. "I've already looked. I can't find them. In fact, I looked last night after-"

"Do continue."

"Very well. After you humiliated me again last night, I went on another search. I tell you, there aren't any jewels."

"Hmm," Knight said and stroked his jaw. That paled quickly and he brought Lily back against him. It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize to her, even to deny what he'd done, but the fact of the matter was that he had tried to dominate her, to make her realize that she wanted him and he was the one in control and he always would be and there was nothing she could do about it.

Thinking about it in such stark terms made him feel rather petty and small. He was aware that he was hard, and if he pulled her any closer she would feel how much he wanted her. It was a matter of control. He didn't want to relinquish it. It was frightening as hell.

"What's the matter?"

"Just a headache."

"Do you have many headaches?"

She shook her head. "Hardly ever."

"I suppose these circumstances warrant one. Come, let me walk with you to your bedchamber. Shall I lock you in? It would keep you in and all the children out." He paused, flicked his fingertip over her soft cheek. "And me as well."

"Give me the key."

He grinned. "No."

He left her at her door, looked down at her beautiful face, and smiled. "Don't worry, Lily. Everything will be fine. You might consider trusting me, just a bit."

She said nothing. Her head was pounding and she felt nausea roiling about in her belly.

"You might even consider that marriage to me won't turn out to be the awesome degradation you're envisioning. We'll deal well together, you know."

He gently pushed her into her room and closed the door. He wished he could lock her in but knew even he couldn't get away with something that gothic.

Knight was thoughtful as he walked down the long corridor to his bedchamber. She would try something, he knew her that well. He would simply have to spike her guns, the sooner the better. He paused outside Sam's door and smiled.

He allowed another hour for Laura Beth's punishment, then had the child fetched to Sam's room. She gave him a bright smile which made him instantly wary until he realized she was four years old and didn't harbor the least bit of ill-will toward him.

When Theo arrived he gave Knight a very uncertain look, the kind that Knight had hoped to have disappear by now. He smiled at the boy and motioned him to sit on Sam's bed.

"Now that we're all here," Knight said, looking at each of the children in turn. "I have something to tell you. I'm going to marry your mother. On Friday."

Utter silence.

"That is the day after tomorrow."

Sam looked at him with very narrowed eyes.

"You were cuddling her last night. Is that why you're marrying her, Cousin Knight?"

"Cuddling is part of it. Your mother and I are fond of each other. We wish to do what is best for us and for you."

"It's awfully soon," Theo said, his thin face pale and suddenly tense.

It was awfully soon, Knight thought. "Come here, Laura Beth." He gathered her up and placed her on his knee. "Theo, please attend me. Sam, are you comfortable enough?" At Sam's nod, Knight continued. "You are my legal wards. Your mother agreed to that so Ugly Arnold couldn't ever again threaten her about your welfare. Fortunately, even though your aunt Gertrude is more closely related to you than I am, I have the resources to ensure that they can't hurt you or take you away from me. Unfortunately, Lily isn't your real mama, so she can't protect you by herself."

"She is!"

"She's my mama!"

Knight held up a quieting hand. "You love her, I know that, but the fact remains that-"

"She's my mama!" Laura Beth cried again, bouncing up and down on his knee.

"No, snippet, she isn't your real mama, but that isn't important. She's your mama in every way that counts. But, you see, the English courts wouldn't take that into account."

"We had to do that, sir," Theo said.

"Do what, Theo?"

Sam shrugged. "Tell him the truth, Theo. He already knows most of it."

Theo gave Knight a long, searching look, seemed satisfied, and began. "When we went to the Damsons in Yorkshire, Lily told them the truth, that she had been our father's financee. Aunt Gertrude didn't behave like a lady toward her and Ugly Arnold tried to hurt her, but I stopped him. We all escaped the next morning. The only thing we could come up with was to make Lily Laura Beth's mother and my father's widow."

"She is my mama," Laura Beth said again, turning on Knight's knee. For the first time he noticed a resemblance to her father. That stubborn chin of hers.

"Once she is wed to me, no one will ever challenge it. Theo, what's the matter? You're worried about something?"

"Mama is very beautiful. Men are always staring at her. Usually she doesn't even notice. But sometimes they are very obvious and it makes her unhappy. Sam and I have tried to protect her. We truly like you, Cousin Knight, but Mama comes first. Do you promise that you're not forcing her to marry you?"

My God, Knight thought, poleaxed, from the mouth of a nine-year-old. He couldn't answer that question. He wouldn't. He said instead, "Is it that you mind having me for a father?"

"You're too young to be our father," Laura Beth said, twisting around to look up at him. Her thumb promptly went back into her mouth. Why? he wondered. Because she was afraid of both her statement and his reply?

"Not really. I'm twenty-seven. Surely that's a great enough age to have sired the lot of you."

He saw the flash of pain in Theo's eyes and added quickly, "You had a father, a wonderful father. Tris was my cousin and I cared about him. Unfortunately, he had to leave you. I will be your stepfather and I hope you will allow me to take care of you. Even though you're all devils, absolute heathens, I do find that I'm quite fond of you. Most of the time."

"You like to order us about," Sam said.

"That's right. Particularly your actress sister here."

Laura Beth took her thumb out of her mouth and gave Knight a beatific smile.

"Will we have to go to Eton?" Sam asked in his most belligerent voice, but he couldn't quite meet Knight's eyes.

"Certainly. I went there, as did my father before me. It's a tradition among Winthrop men, you know."

"Did Papa go to Eton?"

"Yes, Sam, he did. He was a terror there. A scourge, and he had many friends, I understand."

"When will we go, sir?" Theo asked.

"Perhaps in January. We'll see."

"Will you hurt Mama?"

"Oh, Sam, of course not. I will take very good care of her and you. If, that is, you promise to stay away from an angry mare's hind legs."

Sam grinned.

Theo rose and extended his hand. Knight, nonplussed, shook it. "What's that for, Theo?"

"We'll let you marry Mama," Sam said.

"Thank you," Knight said. "Thank you very much for trusting me."

Laura Beth took her thumb out of her mouth and beamed at Knight. "You're Papa now."

If Knight didn't look utterly taken aback, he certainly felt it. He stared at the child, thinking: I, a father? Ridiculous, absurd. Oh, God, they are mine now and I am responsible for them.

"Now, Laura Beth," Theo said, and Knight saw that he was rubbing his hands together, a nervous habit. "Cousin Knight isn't used to children. Surely he doesn't want-"

"Stow it, Laura Beth," Sam said more forcefully. "Cousin Knight is our guardian, not our papa."

Knight rose slowly, setting Laura Beth on her feet. He looked from Sam to Theo to Laura Beth. "Actually, I think if you can bring yourself to call me Papa, I should like it very much."

"Papa," said Laura Beth.

Sam's lower lip suddenly jutted out. He shook his head. "No," he said in a very aggressive voice. "No, my papa's dead. I shan't forget him. I shan't."

"I should hope not," said Knight. He felt at a loss for a moment and wondered if it had been such a good idea to speak to the children without Lily being present. He drew a deep breath. "Think about it, Sam. I'm truly not trying to take your papa's place." But he was and he realized it at that moment. He wanted the children, wanted them to love him and look to him when they were in trouble, which, he thought with a small smile, just might make him gray-haired in a very short time.

"Sir," Theo said, clearing his throat, "we will think about it."

"Oh, close down your scarmy trap, Theo."

"Sir, Sam's not feeling too well right now and-"

Before Sam could take further exception, Knight said, "I understand. Now, Theo, Laura Beth, let's leave Sam to garner his strength. He needs it to be on crutches next week." Knight paused and smote his forehead with his palm. "Oh, Lord, what will you do on crutches, Sam? Should I warn the neighbors and the magistrate?"

"You what?"

"I spoke to the children and they gave me their permission to marry you."