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me with a husband?"

"Then you can, still the proper lady, plead a wish to make your own choice. The king loves his queen and is a supporter of the ideal of marital fondness. It might well sway him."

"And if it does not?"

"Your time in London will be limited, as the letter says. The queen expects to be confined in August, and at that time both king and queen will lose interest in other matters. They are doting parents. If you have lulled them, you will doubtless be allowed to return here then."

"Ah." She sipped some more of the comforting port though it was his calm practicality and expertise that was soothing her best. "I will be a perfect lullaby, then."

"I see you understand."

Bitterness rose. "I will be allowed to come home, but wings well clipped, never to stir questions again."

"If you don't challenge the king's sense of propriety, you should be able to live your life here as usual."

"A caged bird knows it is surrounded by bars."

"Lady Arradale, I am offering a return to what you have now."

"But not a return to what I had an hour ago."

He studied her, then nodded. "True. But an hour ago, you thought like a child. You thought you could live without restriction."

The galling thing was that he was right. He was even right, she supposed, that she needed this imprisonment in the south in order to fully understand the world in which she wanted to play a part.

She drained her glass. "What happens," she asked, "if it does not go as you expect? What if the king insists on a marriage - to one of his favorites, no doubt? What if he tries to paint me mad for refusing."

"Then," he said, "you will marry me."

Alarm flaring, she almost snapped something rude, but she made herself think. "Clever," she eventually acknowledged.

He inclined his head. "I'm pleased you can leap beyond instinct to reason."

"The ultimate security," she said, trying to hide how unbalanced the notion made her. "It saves me from threat of forced marriage, and of confinement for insanity, because a husband would have the last word there."

"And of course, if it should come to that, it would be a marriage in name only. You would remain in complete control of your property, your person, and your life."

She rested her chin on her hand, eyeing him. "In that case, my lord - "

He rose. "No. To save you from dire fates, Lady Arradale, but not for your convenience."

She rose too, smiling, and it was a true smile because he was offering a sacrifice. "I do thank you, my lord."

"If you are wise and clever, it will not be necessary."

"I fear I may be tempted to be unwise, you know, just to cause a thousand ladies to tear out their hair."

A hint of humor echoed hers. "Don't. I promise I will beat you every day."

"You won't. I'd tell Elf."

He actually laughed. "A monstrous regiment of women. Lady Arradale, remember, at court, you are to act the perfect dull lady."

"Or... ?"

"Or I will leave you to your fate."

He turned to leave, but she put a hand on his arm, perhaps startling him as much as she startled herself. "We could seal this pact with a kiss, my lord."

His eyes rested on hers for a moment, but then he removed her hand. "I think not, Lady Arradale. Can you be ready to leave tomorrow? I can delay for a few days, if necessary."

The rejection stung a little, but his expression made her think it might have been self-protection rather than rejection. He had flirted with her, and there was a connection between them. She could even think that he was right. If she was to travel with him to London it would be dangerous to move their relationship into more intimate areas.

She considered his offer and shook her head. "Like a trip to the dentist, this is best done swiftly. If we start a little later than you planned, I can cancel my engagements, speak to my officers, and be ready."

"Very well. I do regret this development, Lady Arradale, but it will have many benefits."

"Exactly like a trip to the dentist. Unpleasant, but beneficial in the end."

"You have it. There only remain the details of the journey. Will you want your own coach?"

That pushed her directly into some startling thoughts. Days beside him in a closed carriage? And yet, how ridiculous to roll down the Great North Road in separate vehicles. "I would be delighted to travel