She sucked in her breath.

"A great shame, Catriona."

"You're...threatening me?"

"I am not threatening you. I don't need to. Your own wanton acts will betray you. You were in a very dangerous situation. You were about to take a most unwise detour in your life. You can't trust yourself."

"I can."

"You cannot control yourself."

"I can!" She had almost shouted the word. The effort caused dizziness to swirl inside her head, sickening her. She took a deep breath and continued softer. "I will."

"You can't. Think on your failures. Think on how they have proven just how little you can trust yourself."

She could say nothing.

"What gives you any confidence that you can control yourself?"

"I think Lord Blayne can help-"

"Catriona, ah Catriona, my poor gullible girl. Have you learned nothing about men? After all your mistakes, you've learned nothing."

"I trust him."

"He wants to fuck you, Catriona."

Shock washed over her. She gaped at him.

"Has he fucked you? Did you spread your legs and offer your hungry, wanton little cunt to him?"

She gasped. Heart hammering, she shook her head.

"But you wish he had fucked you? Oh, that's what you want, is it?" Dr. Meeker's voice was hard, cold. "To be the receptacle for James Blayne's lust?"

"You make it all sound..." Her stomach lurched and she swallowed hard. "Very base."

"It is very base." He released her. "You are very base."

She looked up at him.

He glowered down at her.

She had made him angry before, but never like this. Her heart pounded.

"I will not punish you. Not today."

Her mouth dropped open.

"I would not waste my time and energy on it now."

She was free...She had freed herself!

"Go then and fuck James Blayne." His lip curled in a sneer. "When he's done with you he'll toss you aside, as any man would do with you as you are now. No man wants a whore for a wife."

"He would no' be cruel to me."

"He will."

"No, I can no' believe it."

"Well, Catriona, I should let you go and debase yourself. You deserve it. But I know myself. When he's done with you and you realize your mistake, come back to me and I will be helpless to turn away from you. I will try to pick up the pieces and do my best to put you back together. Just as I did before."

Her blood froze. "What are you saying?"

"As much as you deserve to be abandoned, I will not do that to myself. I must protect you against the worst sides of yourself, and I must forgive you for your weaknesses, as I always do."

He leaned over her then put his hand on the coverlet. "There's no time to waste." He ripped the covers off of her. Coldness penetrated the thin material of her shift.

"Catriona!" The angry male voice startled her.

A hard fist pounded on the door. Each pound on her door seemed to echo in her chest, in the beat of her heart.

Dr. Meeker paled. He dropped the covers and backed away.

Chapter Twelve.

Sunny yanked the coverlet up over her breasts.

Dr. Meeker stared at the door. Was his hand trembling?

It was the first time she'd ever seen him show weakness.

Or fear.

"Damn it, where is she?" James' voice thundered.

"Don't use language like that in this house, James Blayne." Aunt Frances' voice.

"I'll be saying a lot worse than that if you don't open that damned door."

"I'll do no such thing! Sunny is home to stay."

"The devil she is."

"Listen to you!" Aunt Frances' voice lowered. "You must be as mad as she is. Wait!" A pause. "What are you-"

A loud bang reverberated against the door. Wood cracked.

The door burst open and James barreled inside.

Sunny cried out.

Dr. Meeker stood taller, straighter. "I am her doctor, I have every right to-"

"I told you to stay away from her." James' voice sounded cold as death.

"Your aunt and grandmother engaged my services. You cannot interfere-"

Dr. Meeker's voice died suddenly.

Aunt Frances screamed.

James yanked a pistol from his waistband and pointed it at Dr. Meeker's chest.

Sunny attempted to sit and giddiness swirled about her. She struggled upright and she saw James pointing a pistol directly at Dr. Meeker's chest.

"How dare you?" Dr. Meeker said. "I am an intimate friend of the Earl of -"

"Get out," James ordered.

"My lord, you're making a grave mistake." Had there been a quaver in Dr. Meeker's voice?

James pulled back the hammer. "Get out."

The doctor's eyes widened. He whirled and pushed past Aunt Frances as he ran from the room.

James uncocked the pistol and stuffed it into his waistband and took two steps to the bed. He scooped Sunny up, coverlet and all, into his arms.

She buried her face in his chest and cried as he strode from the chamber. "You cannot just carry her out of this house!" Aunt Frances' strident voice echoed down the corridor.

James quickened his steps down the stairs now. He reached the landing and strode down the hallway and pushed out the front door.

Suddenly, it seemed they were outside. They were outside! The brilliant September sunshine hurt her drug-dilated eyes. She gave a small cry and had to not only close them but to throw her hand over her eyes.

He tightened his arms about her.

"We'll be in the carriage soon," he promised.

Chapter Thirteen.

A hard jolt startled Sunny awake. With the scent of fresh leather and paint threatening to overwhelm her, in the yellow glow of lamplight, she slowly focused on the interior of a grand, roomy traveling carriage. The seats made squeaking noises as she stretched her aching body. Across from her, a tall shadow moved.

"Thank God you're finally awake," James said.

She noticed the pressure to relieve her bladder was incredible and she had to cross her legs "H-how-" a huge yawn forced its way out of her mouth "-how long did I sleep?"

He pulled out his watch and glanced at it. "Seven hours, love."

Love.

How naturally he said that.

She hadn't pictured him as a man who used many endearments. But the word filled her with warmth. Then the meaning of what he said struck her. "Seven hours?" She shook herself more thoroughly awake then pulled one of the leather curtains aside. It was a dark, moonless night. "Where are we?"

"We are headed to Brownwood."

Without her needing to request it, he rapped on the forward wall. The coachmen brought the carriage to a halt and he left her alone to avail herself of the necessary. The simple act of emptying the china basin and rinsing it all on her own indicated the reality of her new situation as nothing else could have. Privacy. Sweet privacy. Without so much as a lady's maid to watch her pee.

And then they were back on their way, and despite the light from the lamps he'd lit, the steady roll of the carriage might have lulled her back to sleep, except for one thing.

"He'll come after me." She couldn't help but give voice to her fears.

James looked up from the paper he'd been reading. His eyes were brilliant blue and cold as December. "He'll be a dead man if he does."

His voice held a hardness that lent unshakable seriousness to what might have been bluster for another man. It sent a shiver through her. She couldn't imagine Papa or Freddy ever making such a declaration.

"I have dismissed Robert from my personal service. I sent him back to Mayfair where he may cool his heels mucking out the horse stalls." His voice still rang with coldness. "But you must know, he didn't realize what they intended. He thought they simply wanted to talk to you. He thought the medication was only enough to calm you, to make you agreeable to conversation. When he saw the extent of their plans, he came and found me and confessed the whole matter."

She had to tell him the whole truth. "That first night, when we left Blayne House, I was so relieved; yet deep inside, I had been so very frightened that I would return."

The look he gave her! So stern yet so probing.

It sent a nervous shudder through her.

He continued to stare for several moments. Peeling away her defenses. Iciness wound through her stomach. Was he finally seeing her as she truly was?

She swallowed, hard. When he finally saw her, when he finally had to admit who and what she'd grown up to be, would he turn away in disgust? Or would he sympathize with her? Would he then provide her with the guidance she needed? Would he share himself?

He frowned. "You mean return on your own?"

"Yes." She couldn't keep the sadness from her voice.

"Why would you ever return to those who had manipulated and hurt you so much?"

She stared at him helplessly. How to explain?