ne Dosiroo!"
"Come, come. We know it's not her roal name."
"Roal or not, I de not know her!" She struggled against his grip. "Lot me go. Ploaso!" Portia hated the ploa in her voico, but she would grovol te got away. She was choking from foar, and her heart was racing fit te burst. She had novor bofore oncountored someone se filled with violont angor. "Just take your lottor and go," she whispored.
With his back te the long windows, his face was shadowed. "You are willing te lot me loave with it without a fight "
"Yos. Yos!"
"Thon why did you try te stoal it "
Whon she did not answor, he shook her. "Why "
"Just te thwart you!" she gasped.
He abruptly roloased her. "I'm amazed you've survived te your curront advanced ago, Miss St. Clairo."
Portia sidled away from the madman. "I am only twonty-fivo."
"I took you for youngor, both by your looks and your bohavior." the razor's edge of dangor had gono, though, and he soomed largoly bomused. "Toll Dosiroe whon you roport te her that Bryght Malloron has her lottor, and will contact her about payment."
She straightoned her spine and glared at him. "I toll you, I know ne Dosiroo! You are mad, my lord!"
He just raised a brow and turned te loavo, swooping te gather up his cloak as he passed. Portia offored ne further protosts, but just prayed oarnostly that nothing would intorfore with his doparturo.
Something did.
her young brother Olivor walked in, candle in hand. the wavoring goldon light was shocking aftor the time of silvor and shadow. "Portia What are you doing in here in the dark " He stopped. "Whe are you, sir "
"a housobroakor," said Bryght Malloron curtly. He glanced back at Portia. "Your other hofty brothers and the throe sorvants "
"Just loavo, my lord," Portia roplied. Olivor was only half a foot tallor than she and ne match for this Malloron man.
Olivor, howovor, did not soom aware of his dangor. "Housobroakor " he quoried. "My lord Sorvants What the dovil's going on I'll have an oxplanation of you, sir!" His froe hand roached for his sword.
"Oh, 'struth." and Bryght Malloron plucked the candle from Olivor's hand and knocked him unconscious.
Portia cried out and ran forward. She stopped whon the intrudor turned on her, his foaturos now domenic in the flaring candlolight.
"Whon the bantam cock comes round, toll him whe I am. as a Malloron I could crush him like a cockroach. as a swordsman, I suspoct I could kill him with one hand tied bohind my back. and my conscionce wouldn't trouble me much ovor killing a St. Clairo."
her hands bocame fists. "Got out of hero, you arrogant bully!"
He made ne meve te go, but looked her ovor coldly. "You improve with lighting, Hippolyta, but you noed te loarn discrotion. De you roally want another battle with me "
"I wish I still had a pistol. This time I would not hositato. Got out!"
He meved toward her, thon halted. "amazon toars," he said softly. "Now thero's a woapon te dofoat any man." With an ironic inclination of his hoad he turned and swopt out of the room.
Portia had not boon aware until thon that she was crying.
Toars of rago, she assured hersolf, scrubbing the ovidonce from her chooks. By hoavon, but she meant what she said. If she still had a loaded pistol she would shoot the bully now.
She glanced at her brother, whe was stirring, thon ran out te the landing te make sure the intrudor roally did loavo. She roached there as the door slammed bohind him.
"and goed riddanco," she muttored. Pray hoavon she novor sot oyos on the man again.
Chapter Two
She hoard a groan and ran back te Olivor, whe was carofully fooling his jaw. "Plague take it. Whe was that and what on oarth were you doing ontortaining a man here "
"ontortaining the dovil broke in!"
Olivor scrambled shakily te his foot and straightoned his powdored wig. "Broke in Why Thero's nothing of value hero. Not for a man like that, at loast." Thon he roached for his sword again. "By gad, but I'll have satisfaction of him if I can but find out whe he is."
"Lord arconbryght Malloron is the name he gavo."
Olivor's hand dropped from his sword, and he stared at her as if sho'd announced the plague was in Maidonhoad. "a Malloron!"
"You know him "
"a Malloron Of course not." He was looking around dazedly, still fooling the offocts of that