For a moment there was silence in the handsome room, broken only by the ticking of the French clock on the mantel. A little cascade of chimes announced the quarter hour and as if the sound had been an alarm, Seaforth suddenly turned around to face the two men. "I have gone too far, haven't I." It was a statement, not a question, and uttered with absolute contempt.

Astonishment flashed across Mathieson's handsome face, to be quickly replaced by his most devilish grin, "Ma foi, I would hazard it has been an age since you went far enough!"

"Damn you, Roly!" Seaforth paced restlessly from fireplace to window and back again, stopping this time in front of August Falcon. "Have I completely compromised Miss Tillbury?"

Falcon chose his words carefully, "You have, perhaps, been somewhat... |reckless."

Seaforth shook his head, his well-shaped mouth thinning into an angry line. "I should never have brought her here, I see that now - but when I think how close Tillbury came to..."

"It is an ugly business," Mathieson said. "And she is in very great danger." He hesitated a moment, "And, mon ami, she may be a very great danger to us."

Seaforth's customary high color drained away, leaving his face pale as marble. "I cannot believe that," he whispered. "She is the very soul of integrity, I would stake my life on it."

"You may have to," said Mathieson softly.

Falcon made an impatient gesture and interjected, "I haven't your taste for melodrama, Mathieson. This is no Cheltenham tragedy, and your Miss Tillbury is doubtless neither heroine nor villainess. But, having made your feelings for her painfully obvious to anyone who isn't wits to let, you must now choose. Can you make her an honorable offer of marriage at this time? Is it possible that offer, however welcome to her, might put her in greater danger? I think if you look at this calmly, you will see that you cannot choose other than to withdraw."

Seaforth laughed, but there was little humor in it. "I never knew you to have ice in your veins, Falcon. What a damnable coil! It will hardly help her reputation if I just cast her out into the street..."

The door opened suddenly, the unexpected sound causing all three dark heads to swivel towards it so that Anne found herself the focus of the three men's eyes as Flora ushered her back into the room. She allowed the girl to fuss around her, pressing a glass of ratafia into her hand and showing her to the most comfortable chair in the room, all the while thinking that it was most uncomfortable to be in a room with so many handsome men - it was quite beyond her experience. She glanced from Theo's burnished gold beauty, to Mathieson's quite extraordinarily handsome face, to Falcon's lean elegance and most unusual eyes, and finally allowed her gaze to linger on the Marquis. He was perhaps not as breathtaking as the other men, but only he made her heart beat faster and she watched him a little longer, hoping that his lovely grey eyes would meet hers and that she would feel again that little spark of awareness and attraction between them.

But his eyes were shuttered and he would not meet her glance. Bewildered and a little hurt, it was a moment before Anne realized that Mathieson was speaking to her. "I-I- beg your pardon?" she said confusedly, turning toward him, "I didn't quite hear..."

Mathieson smiled and began again, "I was only saying that I believe the Tillbury family has a most interesting history, does it not?"

"D-does it?"

"Quite interesting. And we would be most obliged if you would honor us with a few of your family's most - fascinating stories."

Anne took a deep breath. "Surely my family can be of very little interest to you, Mr. Mathieson."

"Au contraire." He smiled at her, but somehow the smile did not reassure and Anne was uncomfortably reminded of a hawk lazily circling above its doomed prey. "It is of very great interest. I think it is time for you to tell us about Cecily."

For the first time in her life, Anne wished she knew how to faint, if only to gain herself a little more time. Cecily! She twisted the little silver cup in her hands, and then looked up suddenly at Mathieson and said, "But you already know about Cecily, do you not?"

"I do," he replied. "There is not a rogue, a cut-throat or a scoundrel alive today that I do not know. But my friends do not have the advantage of my - experience in such matters."

Anne's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears and impatiently she dashed them away. Lifting her head defiantly she said, "You know that it is not a pretty story. And you know that forcing me to tell it is not gentlemanly."

Mathieson laughed then and made her a little bow, "But that is, of course, why it is I who will ask you to tell it. Because of everyone here, I am the very least a gentleman."

In spite of herself, Anne glanced up at James one more time. His face was impassive, turned away from her as if he could not bear to look at her. And he hadn't even heard yet...

"You know that Sir Paul is my uncle, and - until I came of age - was my guardian. He has always been an ambitious man, and a greedy one, determined to rebuild the Tillbury fortunes. When his first wife, Cecily's mother, died, he had hoped to ally himself with my mother's family - she was niece to the Duke of Plaistow - but she had already chosen Sir Paul's younger brother, Edward - who was everything Sir Paul was not - kind and gentle, and devoted to his scholarly pursuits." Anne bowed her head for a moment, remembering the quiet, pale man who had taken such pleasure in teaching her Latin and Greek.

As the little clock chimed again, she raised her head. "Sir Paul hated Edward for that, and hated my mother, too. As soon as they were married, Sir Paul sent them to his tea plantations in India."

"Sent them!" August Falcon stirred impatiently, "Your father was wealthy in his own right, and married to an heiress - whatever kind of power could Tillbury have brought to bear against him?"

Anne went on as if she had not heard him, "When I was born, Sir Paul insisted that the climate would not suit me and demanded that I be sent back to England. He said that he would raise me with his own child - with Cecily - and that my parents should be grateful to him for the opportunity. My own little sister he left in India - he had no interest in her - and..." the treacherous tears welled up in her eyes again and this time she could not check them. "And he - he was very particular about how often I could see them - I never knew how long a visit would last, or even if I would be allowed to visit them at all..."

Flora slipped a gentle arm around her shoulders and, as fierce as a little terrier herself, turned against the men. "There is surely no need to go on with this. You need no more proof that Sir Paul is a villain!"

"Ah, but there is more that we need to hear." Mathieson said sadly. He leaned forward and covered Anne's cold hands with his. She looked up at him and saw now that the hawk was gone, and that his one good eye was dark and tender with compassion. "I am very sorry Miss Tillbury - I have myself known what it is to be separated from a beloved parent. So - you and Cecily were raised as sisters?"

Anne drew her hands away from his and wiped her tear-stained face. "Only," she said coldly, "only as Cinderella and her step-sisters were raised together. Miss Cecily was the daughter of the house, and I was there to only to serve her - to wear her cast-off clothes - to show her up as so much more accomplished and beautiful than I. And I was meant to be dutiful and grateful and ever so pleased that Sir Paul had taken notice of me."

"The DEVIL!" the oath burst out of Theo, and even Flora did not berate him for his language. Anne gave him the ghost of a grateful smile and said to Mathieson, "Cecily has never been checked, never had any guidance or correction. She lives for her own pleasure and is as grasping and ambitious as her father. She will let nothing stand in the way of what she wants."

With one smooth, economical movement James suddenly turned to Theo, wrenched the younger man's arm up behind his back and sent him to his knees. "You fool!" Seaforth snarled, "You idiotic fool! What were you about paying court to such a wretched girl!"

"OW! Uncle - let go - OW!" Theo struggled up into as dignified a position as he could manage and protested, "I knew she was a bit of a goer, but I..."

"Oh let him go, Seaforth" August Falcon said in a tone that conveyed utter boredom with the conversation and all its participants. "The great looby hasn't had time enough to get into trouble with Cecily Tillbury, and I don't believe she's given him a taste of her true accomplishments."

James released Theo, who rubbed his wrist sulkily and said, "I don't know what 'accomplishments' you mean, Mr. Falcon - I was never alone with her."

"Wretched girl," Anne whispered to herself. Is that what they would think of her when they had heard the whole? "A most fortunate thing for you, Mr. Havershaw," she said aloud, unable now to call him Theo. "My cousin has spent considerable time in India, and - my uncle always saw that she had an Indian nurse. Cecily neglected learning some of the more gentle arts like music and needlework, but she proved an eager student in other areas, and has become quite knowledgeable in the mixing and giving of poisons. She had as much practice as she needed, you know. She poisoned every animal I ever loved."

James did turn to look at her then, his eyes widened in horror. "How dreadful!" Flora whispered, coming to kneel at Anne's feet. She laid her golden head in Anne's lap, as if she were the one in need of comfort. "She must be a monster."

Not taking her eyes away from James, Anne gently stroked Flora's hair. "Cecily has always enjoyed hurting others. And... she... Sir Paul..." her voice faltered.

"Enfin du courage, Miss Tillbury," Mathieson said gently, "Your tale is almost done."

Anne looked at him in astonishment, "But how can you know? I have only suspected myself since last summer."

"I told you I am well-acquainted with every villain in England, and Sir Paul is perhaps not as intelligent as he thinks he is. He has been known to speak too freely to those who profit from other's indiscretions."

Anne took a deep breath and determined to finish the story. "Last summer I found some papers I know that I was not meant to see, and among them - I found something that leads me to think that - that I am - that the power that Sir Paul has always had over my family is because - I believe that he may be my father."

"Flora, Theo - get out," James commanded, his voice cold and hard. When they hesitated he snapped again, "I expect you to obey me. At once!"

"But Uncle..." Theo protested. "We are hardly children..."

"At once, Sir!"

Now pale and silent, the twins slipped obediently out of the room. Anne gazed unseeing at the rich Brussels carpet. He thinks I will contaminate them, she thought miserably. He wants to protect them from me.

"You must leave this house at once," Lord Seaforth said stonily.

"Yes, of course," she whispered. Dear God, where was she to go?

With her head bowed, Anne couldn't see the imploring look James flashed at the other two men, and she didn't see August Falcon sketch him a little bow.

"Miss Tillbury, you must not be so tragical," he drawled. "Lord Seaforth knows very well that Flora is hardly an adequate chaperone for an unmarried lady like yourself. We hardly wish to give the ton something more to twitter about."

Startled, Anne looked up at him and Falcon smiled with surprising warmth. "I shall in truth take you to Miss Rossiter, who will be very pleased to see you."

"B-but..."

"Miss Rossiter is, poor girl, betrothed to me, and is presently among married ladies in abundance. You shall be quite safe with her."

Both Mr. Falcon and Mr. Mathieson seemed to be accustomed to making things happen quickly - before Anne knew what she was about, a carriage had been sent for and arrangements made to convey her things after. She only needed to bid Lord Seaforth farewell, and as Falcon hovered impatiently at her elbow, she went up to the tense, unsmiling man.

Was it only this morning that he had held her hand tightly, as if to promise her that she could depend on his strength and protection? Now he offered her nothing, only stood still as a stone while she sank into a deep curtsey and murmured, "Thank you for your - hospitality, my lord."

He bowed a little, but made no reply and in the next moment, Falcon and Mathieson had ushered her out of the room.

As the door closed behind her, James' knees buckled beneath him and he sank heavily down into the nearest chair. Pain, sharper than any wound he'd ever had, stabbed through him - followed almost at once by a searing rage. How much she had had to endure at the hands of both Sir Paul and the unspeakable Cecily, and how bravely she had borne it. The utter desolation in the droop of her slim shoulders, the despair in her quiet voice - if Falcon had not spoken when he did, James would have flung himself howling at her feet and begged her not to go.

Whatever dreams of happiness he might have cherished were vanished now, destroyed by his own reckless disregard for propriety, and by the terrible danger that hovered around them all. When he had sought to protect her, he had only brought her into greater jeopardy and forced her to tell a story that pained and shamed her. She would never trust him again. She would never turn to him again. He would never... his eyes stung with the unaccustomed heat of tears and for just a moment he covered his face with his hands and let the deep sadness wash over him. 'Anne, oh my dearest...'