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  As soon as Elizabeth sent the letter off with the messenger, she wanted it back. In truth, she’d never met Judith Montgomery. If just a small portion of what Alice thought was wrong with the woman was right, Judith was a monster. She could hurt Elizabeth’s chances with Miles.

  The month before an answer came nearly drove Elizabeth mad. Roger kept asking her what was wrong. Alice did more than that—she sneaked into Elizabeth’s room, found Judith’s letters and read them, giving a detailed account to Roger afterward. When Roger merely turned away, Alice threw herself into a fit of rage which lasted nearly a whole day.

  Judith’s answer to Elizabeth was short: Miles would be camping twenty miles from the Chatworth estate on 16 February, just outside the village of Westermore. Sir Guy was willing to help Elizabeth in any way he could.

  This letter Elizabeth slept with, carried about with her and finally hid behind a stone in the fireplace. She walked about on a cloud for a few days, then came down. Why should she think Miles would want her again? What could she do to make him want her?

  “You are mine, Elizabeth,” he’d said. “You were given to me.”

  A plan began to form in her mind. No, she couldn’t, she thought. A giggle escaped her. She just really wouldn’t have the nerve. What if she “gave” herself to Miles again?

  As Elizabeth was in the solar conjuring delightful, naughty visions, Alice was in Elizabeth’s room, slipping about and searching. When she found Judith’s latest letter, she took it to Roger, but this time he didn’t turn away. For the next few days there were three people in the Chatworth house who were making plans—all in direct opposition to each other’s.

  Chapter 15

  “I MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT!” SIR GUY SAID AS HE looked down at Elizabeth. His voice was low but it seemed louder than a shout.

  “But Judith said you were willing to help me.”

  Sir Guy drew himself up to every inch of his extraordinary height. The scar across his face was a brilliant purplish red. “Lady Judith”—he emphasized the word—“had no idea you’d ask something so preposterous of me. How can you think of such a thing?” he said in a shaming voice.

  Elizabeth turned away from him, gave a swift kick to the carpet on the ground. It had seemed such a good idea at the time: She’d get Sir Guy to deliver her to Miles, nude, rolled in a carpet. Perhaps the repeat of the scene would make him laugh and he’d forgive her. But Sir Guy refused to cooperate.

  “Then what am I going to do?” she asked heavily. “I know he won’t see me if I ask him straightforward.”

  “Lady Alyx sent her daughter to Lord Raine and the child acted as an emissary.”

  “Oh no! I’ll not let Miles get his hands on Nick. Miles would hire another nurse and add the boy to his collection. I’d never see Miles or Nick again.” She leaned against a tree and tried to think. If she did arrange a meeting with Miles she doubted if he’d listen to her. Her only real chance was to make his eyes darken with passion and then he wouldn’t be able to help himself. Perhaps she could talk to him, after they’d made love.

  As she was thinking, she toyed with her long black cloak, a lovely thing of velvet lined with black mink. It covered her from neck to feet. A new light came into her eyes as she looked back up at Sir Guy. “Can you arrange to give me some time alone with Miles? Not in his tent but in the woods? And I mean really alone! No doubt he’ll call for his guard, but I want no one to come.”

  “I don’t like that idea,” Sir Guy said stubbornly. “What if there were some real danger?”

  “True,” she said sarcastically, “I might wrestle him to the ground and take a knife to his throat.”

  Sir Guy lifted one eyebrow and ostentatiously shifted off the foot Elizabeth’d injured.

  Elizabeth gave him a small smile. “Please, Guy, I haven’t hurt a man in a long time. Miles is my husband and I love him and I want to try to make him love me again.”

  “I believe Lord Miles more than loves you—he’s obsessed with you, but you’ve hurt his pride. No woman anywhere has ever given him any trouble.”

  “I’ll not apologize for leaving Scotland with Roger. At that time it’s what I had to do. Now, will you give me time alone with my husband?”

  Sir Guy took his time before he nodded once. “I will no doubt come to regret this.”

  Elizabeth shot him a dazzling smile, her whole face lighting up. “I will make you godfather to our next child.”

  Sir Guy snorted. “In one hour Lord Miles will be standing here. I will give you an hour with him.”

  “Then you’ll find us in an embarrassing situation,” she said frankly. “I mean to seduce my husband. Give us at least three hours alone.”

  “You are no lady, Elizabeth Montgomery,” he said, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

  “Nor do I have any pride,” she agreed. “Now go while I ready myself.”

  When she was alone, Elizabeth lost some of her bravado. This was perhaps her only chance to win her husband back and she prayed that everything would go well. With trembling hands, she began to unbutton her gown. She hoped she knew Miles well enough to know that he might be able to resist her logically, but could he resist her physically?

  She hid her clothes under leaves and, nude, she wrapped the concealing cloak about her body. To the world she’d appear to be a lady of decorum. When she was ready, she sat down on a stump and began to wait.

  When she first heard someone walking toward her, she stiffened, recognizing Miles’s step, quick, light, purposeful. She rose to meet him.

  At his first sight of her there was a look of welcome, of eagerness, but then his vision clouded and he looked at her coldly. “And have you misplaced your brother?” he asked.

  “Miles, I have arranged this meeting in order to ask if we might live together as man and wife.”

  “All three of us?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “The two of us with our son Nicholas.”

  “I see. And what, pray tell, will your brother do without the sister he has so often killed for?”

  She stepped closer to him. “A great deal of time has passed since we last saw each other, and I’d hoped that by now you’d conquered some of your jealousy.”

  “I am not jealous!” he snapped. “You had a decision to make and you made it. Now I will have someone escort you back to your brother. Guards!”

  A look of puzzlement crossed Miles’s face when no men appeared at his call, but before he could say a word, Elizabeth opened her cloak, revealing her nude body. Miles, gaping, could only gasp.

  Elizabeth let the cloak fall closed but held it open to reveal the length of her from her waist to her toes, rather like when she’d first met him and was draped in the fur pelts. Stealthily, like a huntress, she walked toward him, put her hand to the back of his neck.

  Involuntarily, his hand went to touch the satin skin of her hip.

  “Do I have to beg, Miles?” she whispered, her eyes on his lips. “I have been wrong in so many things. I have no more pride. I love you and I want to live with you. I want more children.”

  Slowly, Miles’s lips moved closer to hers. He appeared to be using all his willpower to resist her. “Elizabeth,” he murmured, his lips touching hers lightly.

  Long-repressed and banked fires ignited between them. Miles’s arms slid under the cloak, pulled her off the ground as he clutched her to him, his kiss deepening. His mouth moved over her face as if he meant to devour her. “I’ve missed you. Oh God, there were times when I thought I’d go insane.”

  “I’m sure I did,” she answered, half laughing, half crying. “Why couldn’t you realize I loved only you? I could allow no other man to touch me.”

  He kissed away her tears. “I hear John Bascum had four stitches taken in his head from where you struck him.”

  She kissed his mouth and stopped him from talking. Without either of their realizing it, they were starting toward the ground. Elizabeth’s fingers were buried in the fastenings of Miles’s clothes, while his hand