"She depends on him for more than we realize. I'm sure he'll recover soon."

"I hope so. This not knowing is so hard on everyone."

"Thank you, Quentin," Angelique said as they entered the foyer. "You have no idea how much just talking to someone about this has helped."

"Anytime," he said, his hand on her elbow as he looked up, straight into Barnabas' eyes. Seeing the jealousy there, he smiled. "h.e.l.lo, Cousin."

"Quentin. I was expecting you to be here when I arrived, Angelique."

"I had a - problem to discuss with Quentin," she said, making no move to go to him."

"Don't I get a kiss from my loving wife? I've been gone all day," he reminded her.

"Of course." She came forward to give him a very chaste and brief salute.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"So soon? You just got here. Don't you want to go up and see Elizabeth? And Amy was asking for you." She gave Quentin a look of grat.i.tude when he handed her a gla.s.s of port, missing the narrowing of her husband's eyes.

"I'll go and do that now. Excuse me, Carolyn, Quentin."

Carolyn frowned as he left. "I know it's none of my business, but, is something wrong between you and Barnabas, Angelique?"

Angelique smiled thinly. "Nothing serious. We had a - slight disagreement, that's all. They're quite the norm for us. We're both a bit short-tempered at times.

"Oh. I'm glad it's not serious." She stood. "I think I'll go spend some time with Mother, then go to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."85.

Angelique finished her drink and held out the empty gla.s.s for another. "I had hoped things like this were over and done with," she sighed. "Why can't life be simple, Quentin?"

"I'm not the one to ask. My life's been anything but simple," he reminded her, lowering himself to sit beside her on the sofa. "I guess people like us don't get simple lives. We'd probably be bored by them anyway."

"I wouldn't be," she said fervently. "I was so looking forward to a nice, simple life as Barnabas' wife. Now, I'm afraid that I may have lost him again."

"Why? Once Judah is destroyed, he'll be the same -"

"Will he? I keep remembering that the only way he was stopped in 1840 was by killing Gerard Stiles. I don't want that to happen to Barnabas."

"It won't," he said, trying to rea.s.sure her. He placed an arm around her shoulders, intending to comfort her, just as Barnabas returned. Seeing the fire in his cousin's eyes, he moved away, and Angelique turned to look up at him.

"I'm ready to go now, Angelique," Barnabas said, his voice cold. The sound of it sent a chill through her soul.

She rose to her feet. "Was Elizabeth awake?"

"Yes. Julia's just given her another sedative. I wished both she and Amy goodnight for us both." He placed her coat on her shoulders. "Goodnight, Quentin."

"Good night. Remember what I said, Angelique."

"I will. Goodnight."

Barnabas was silent on the walk back to the Old House, and the silence only tightened Angelique's already tightly strung nerves to the snapping point. At the house, she poured another drink and went to the window.

"Don't you think you've had enough of that tonight?" Barnabas asked, watching her.

"No, not nearly enough."

"What were you and Quentin discussing that required going to his rooms?"

"I need to talk to him, that's all.

"About something that you can't talk to your husband about?"

"Leave me alone, Barnabas. I'm tired and I don't want to argue with you."

"Very well. But you will listen to me, Angelique. You are my wife, and as such you will stay away from Quentin. I will not have the family gossiping about us and our problems."

"What are you implying? That I'm -interested in Quentin?" She began to laugh. "You really do think that, don't you? Well, think whatever you like. Because I don't intend to stop seeing him simply because you are jealous and suspicious. Quentin is a friend, nothing more." She finished her port and set the gla.s.s on the table. "Goodnight, Barnabas. I'm going to bed." She walked quickly past him and up the stairs.

Angry, Barnabas picked up the empty gla.s.s and flung it into the fireplace, where it shattered against the back wall.

Quentin examined the dark circles under Angelique's eyes the next morning. "Looks as if you didn't get much sleep last night."

"I didn't. We had another argument."

"What about this time?"

She gave a humorless laugh. "You. He thinks we're having an affair."

"Really? But - if he's Judah, it wouldn't matter, would it?"

"Yes, it would. Judah once considered me his - possession, and Judah never liked to lose anything he considered his."

"Are we still going on with your plan?"

"Yes. How is Elizabeth this morning?"

"A little better, I think. She's in the drawing room with the kids."

"Where's Maggie?"

"How should I know?"86.

Angelique frowned, but said nothing as she turned toward the door.

A few minutes before dusk found Quentin and Angelique in the parlour of the Old House. "Do you remember what to say?" she asked.

"I remember."