I am Serena Fairchild, Sir Knight”

Bedamned! “Lady Serena? The Incomparable?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, startled. “Though I very much doubt I am incomparable, no matter what others might think.”

“What the devil are you doing here?”

“I was abducted.”

“Bedamned! My apologies. Why?”

She was quiet a moment “Now that sir, is something I would like to know. I imagine, though, that my disappearance has caused any number of rumors in Town.”

“Quite,” he said again, more concerned about her present situation than any damage, real or imagined, to her reputation. For the moment, though, they seemed to be safe. He eased Samson to a canter. “My estate is near here. Once I find a different way to it, you’ll be safe.”

“Thank God,” she said, so fervently that for the first time he realized that she wasn’t so nonchalant as she had appeared. With the danger behind them, he could feel her trembling, a reaction he knew too well, from the aftermath of battle. He was also uncomfortably aware of her body, so close to him, and of her breasts pressing into his back. “Mayhap I could have a bath.” He smiled to himself again. “I believe that can be arranged. Oakhurst has—”

“Oakhurst?” she said sharply.

“Yes.”

“That is the name of your estate?”

“My brother’s, actually, but yes.”

“Oh, no,” she moaned.

For the first time she sounded so dispirited that he wanted to turn and comfort her. “What is it?”

“I heard them say that was where they were taking me.”

TWO

“Bedamned!” Charles swore. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. ’Twas unmistakable. The carriage stopped on the way, so I presume they were lost. I heard them arguing about a crossroad, with Mayfield in one direction and Maresfield in the other. One said Oakhurst quite distinctly.”

“Bedamned,” he swore again as he came to a stop. She relaxed her grip at last. Thank God he’d come along when he had, else she wasn’t certain what would have happened to her. Of course, she’d been uncertain of that for the last four days, but yesterday both of her captors had begun looking at her in a different, speculative way. She shuddered, in little doubt of what that look meant. “I don’t know where to take you.”

“Surely there are any number of houses about here?”

“Certainly, but I’m not known at any of them.”

“People must know your name.”

“Yes. Your reputation will be ruined, though.”

“Oh, hang my reputation! I just want to go home.”

“I realize that, but if it becomes known you’ve spent any time in my presence, people will believe we were together the entire time.”

She sucked in her breath. “But you’ve only just arrived from London!”

“Nevertheless, there are always those who think the worst. I did not go about in company much.”

Would her father be one of those who believed ill of her? she wondered, with a lost, sick feeling. Sometimes it was so hard to tell what he thought. She couldn’t bear his disapproval. “ ’Tis my reputation, Mr.