ve been"-she hesitated slightly, and then said softly-"free to be out from the rules of others."

"And allowed to care for yourself."

"Yes."

He nodded. He understood. "So what became of the young man you fancied?"

"He married my cousin, and then I was moved to my aunt Agatha's." She shivered. "The woman's a

dragon.""She's the one Woodford wants to ship you off to.""Yes." The curt word cut through the night, and she seemed to think she should soften it. "It's not my relatives' faults. It is awkward having an orphan in the midst at any age."

"I don't agree. In my family, the door is open for everyone. Of course, I'm having to sleep on the floor,but only because I can't stand Boyd's snores and the way Thomas's feet smell."She laughed again, and he thought making her laugh could become quite addictive. "Of course, I'm not a beautiful, unmarried woman amongst relatives who squint," he hazarded.

"I'm not beautiful," she said flatly. "Nor do you need to flatter me. I can catalog my faults."

"Name one," he said, wondering what she would say. From the way she usually wore her hair all pulled

back, he sensed she was not pleased with it."My lips are too large," she answered.Her lips were kissable. "Who told you that? Aunt Agatha?""No one told me. I have a mirror.""I see," Colin said. "But no man has told you this?"She made an impatient sound. "That isn't proper talk between a man and a woman."Colin could have told her it was the best sort of talk, and yet he was secretly pleased. She was untouched physically and mentally. The possessiveness he'd begun feeling toward her grew a bit more.

"There was another gentleman in London during my first Season," she said. "He paid me marked attention even after my aunt Grace told him my circumstances."

"What happened to him?" Colin asked, uncomfortable with the niggling of jealousy. He'd noticed her

voice had softened at the mention of this man.

"He married another one of my cousins. In the end, he said we did not suit. I went through another Season with two of my younger cousins, but I didn't take."

"But your heart," he pressed. "Has no one ever touched your heart?" Damn, when had he started

sounding like a poet?

She moved deeper into the tree's shadows. She did not answer his question. Instead, she said, "Youhave not given up on the Commons seat, have you?"In fact, no, he hadn't, and he hadn't given up on her. He had been letting her cool her heels. His pride had been wounded by her coldness, especially in the church, where all had been witness. He would not

have let her leave for Cornwall without one more attempt. He had been biding his time. "I'd hoped you would come to me," he answered.

There was a beat of silence, and then she said, "I'm here."

"Why?"

"Does it matter? Ours will be a marriage of convenience. Who cares about our motives?"

"I do." And he discovered in truth he did. He took a step toward her. "You've worked so hard to ensure I knew my motives were repugnant to you." And that I was socially inferior.

"It doesn't seem right to be so cold about marriage."

"Marriage should be thought of in the cold light of day. It is a major change in our lives. Now you appear on my doorstep in the night and you are the one to make me an offer. Asking why you've had a change of mind seems a very sensible question."

He expected her to balk at his demand like any high-strung mare. He wouldn't have been surprised if she 'd stormed off.

She did inch away from him as if tempted to run, but then she planted her feet firmly on the ground and said, "Covey. I'm here because of Covey. She can't leave. She's spent over forty years of her life at Maiden Hill. She has no children or family. Her memories are all she has now. I found her tonight at the grave of her husband, and I realized just exactly how much I was asking her to sacrifice for my pride. She'd not last in Cornwall. She'll die, and I've learned she's all I have. She's the only person in the world who has ever given a care to what I genuinely needed or genuinely believed. I can't let anything happen to her. She's too valuable... too precious." She lifted her chin in that resolute way of hers that he was starting to anticipate, daring him to contradict her.

"Then answer the question I asked earlier."

"I thought I had. Or else I've forgotten the questions," she said irritably. "What do you think I'm evading?"

"Has your heart ever been involved before?"

"No."

Colin smiled, pleased. "A straight answer. That wasn't difficult, was it?"

"Men are vain," she answered, accurately pinning him.

"Yes, we are," he said. This was a battle of wills. Rosalyn Wellborne challenged him like no other. "We

shall do well, Rosalyn," he said. Her name alone, without the affectations of a courtesy title, rolled off his tongue like music.

"We shall live separate lives," she informed him. "Isn't that what you said? Separate."

Ah, yes, leave it to Rosalyn to dictate the terms. "Don't worry. Arranged marriages are often the best."She frowned. "My mother's was an arranged marriage. It was a disaster." There was a wealth ofunspoken pain in her words. This was the first time she'd let him have even a glimpse of her true self.

He remembered the story Val had told him. "What happened?" he asked, wanting to hear the tale from

her.

Immediately, she backed away. "All I ask is that you are discreet in satisfying your desires," she said withhigh-handed authority. "Belinda Lovejoyce would not be discreet.""Wait a minute. We will have a marriage of convenience, but not one 'in name only.'""What's the difference?" she asked, alarmed."Sex."He could feel the heat of her blush even in the dark. "Why?" she begged, and he almost pitied her."I want children," he said.She pulled her crossed arms closer to her body. "I do too," she whispered so softly that he could have mistaken her words.

"There's only one way to have children," he told her. He reached out and touched her arm. She stiffened

but did not move away. Gently, he stroked his fingers back and forth on her arm, not threatening her but not leaving her either.

"We may not be as bad for each other as you anticipate."

He could almost hear her heart pounding against her chest. She was either afraid or attracted. He took

another step toward her. She didn't move. A part of him warned this was madness and he should leave well enough alone.

He couldn't.

Her gaze came up to meet his. Her eyes were shiny in the dark. Carefully, he brought a hand up to brush the softness of her cheek. He wondered how long her hair was. Did it reach midway down her back?

Did it curl on the ends? What did it smell like?

He leaned closer for a sniff. She tensed. "This isn't wise," she said."The marriage? Or that I have an urge to seal our troth with a kiss?""Both."For a moment they stood, frozen in desire... and then she started to break away, but Colin wouldn't let her.

He caught her arm. "Rosalyn, you had a reason for coming here. I have a reason for wanting to marry you. But there is also this attraction between us. It is not such a bad thing between a man and a woman."

"You don't know," she said, and at last he heard the fear in her voice. "People hurt those who care for

them.""I won't harm you.""I won't let you," she countered. She brought her hands up to his chest to push him away, but she stopped. For a second, her right hand rested over his heart. It was as if she'd felt its beat and could not move.

"See?" he said gently. "I'm flesh and blood. I have dreams, desires, hungers... just like you. Trust me,

Rosalyn. Trust me even a little."

He would have kissed her then, but as he bent down, she slipped out of his arms as smoothly as if she'd been turned to mist.

She moved beyond the sheltering protection of the tree. The fog drifted around the hem of her skirts."We'll have children," she said, "but not until I'm ready.""Of course-""No easy promise. I must have your word."Colin felt a flash of temper. "Why? So you can make me jig to your tune?"

"You want the Commons seat. Is this so much to ask?"

No, what he really wanted was her. He could face that now. He wanted to be in her. To feel, taste, touch, and experience every inch of her.

He was also aware that the price she asked might be higher than he was willing to pay. The devil with it.

"When do we marry?" he demanded.

"You haven't promised.""To what? To not force myself upon you? Very well, I promise. I've never forced myself on a woman inmy life. I won't start with my wife."

His words didn't seem to satisfy her, but what choice did she have? "I don't care when we marry," shesaid. "You decide, and you'll have to tell George, too. I'm certain he will be irritated that you did not askhim first... if he remembers my name."

"I'll handle him," Colin assured her. "I'll tell him that when I took possession of Maiden Hill, its occupant

took possession of my heart.""He won't believe that," she said flatly, and he realized that her dowdy, sparrow-colored wardrobe andpulled-back hair was a picture of how she saw herself. And he didn't understand why.

Of course, tonight her hair wasn't straight and flat. The mist brought out curls, springy, tight curls."Let's elope," he suggested unexpectedly."What?" She practically stumbled backward."Elope," he said gently, following her. In fact, the more he thought of it, the more he liked the idea."Have you taken leave of your senses?" she demanded, moving around the tree away from him.Colin stopped. "Possibly." He held out his hands. "But why not? We're not far from the Scottish border.

We could be there by morning.""Think of the scandal." She tucked her arms in to hold her shawl tight. "People like us don't elope.""People like us do whatever we wish. Besides, it wouldn't be scandalous. It would be romantic. There would be people who would be surprised, but haven't you ever wanted to shock people, even once in

your life?""People won't be shocked. They will think we are foolish.""Then let's be foolish," he urged her."What of your brother?"Now there she had him. Matt wouldn't be pleased. Colin knew it. Matt would want the banns announced and a respectful period observed before a wedding.

Whereas Colin was the opposite. He answered to no one. And he liked the idea of eloping. It was

daring, bold, and immediate. If they waited for a church wedding, Rosalyn might come to her senses andrefuse him."Matt will understand," he decided."It's a foolish idea, and I've never done anything foolish," she vowed."More the pity you," he said. "As for me, I've done many foolish things, but this may be the wisest thing I 've ever done."

"To elope?" she demanded incredulously, but he sensed she could be persuaded when she asked, "How can you say that?"

"Rosalyn," Colin chided, "think about it. The gossips' tongues will wag whatever we do. Let's give them

something to talk about. Let's send them into a tizzy of gossip. After this, anything we do will not be asurprise to them. Besides, my back is starting to ache from sleeping on my brother's floor. I want to be atMaiden Hill, in my own bed."

Still she shook her head, but he sensed her indecision. From a distance came the sound of a horse'shooves. "That must be John," she said. "He's here to take me home." She took a step toward the road,but Colin hurried to stop her. He caught her hand and laced his fingers in hers.