“Out with it,” she said when they reached Number 7. “You are annoyed with me because I agreed to ask Aunt Lavinia to accompany Priscilla and me to see Dominic’s laboratory.”

“I’d rather not discuss the subject.”

“No, you would rather seethe in silence. Allow me to tell you, sir, that while such a mood is quite dramatic for a short time, it rapidly becomes annoying.”

She reached into her reticule for her key and opened the door. A

gentle breeze wafted down the long hall that ran the length of the house. The back door stood open. She glanced toward the far end of the passageway and caught a glimpse of gray skirts moving about in the kitchen garden. Mrs. Chilton was collecting vegetables and lettuces.

“Emeline removed her bonnet and gloves. Why don’t you tell me why you have taken such a dislike to Mr. Hood?”

Anthony shut the front door and turned to face her. “I dislike him because I know his intentions.”

“Indeed? What, in your opinion, are Mr. Hood’s intentions?”

“He has taken to hanging about wherever we happen to be because he wants to entice you away from me.”

Startled, she paused in the act of hanging her bonnet on a hook and stared at him. “That is absolute rubbish.”

“On the contrary, it is the absolute truth.”

“Tony, I really do not think that is the case at all.”

“It bloody well is the case.”

“You’re jealous,” she said, more than a little amazed.

“Do you blame me?”

“Yes, I do, sir. There is no need for you to worry about my association with Mr. Hood. I think he is just somewhat lonely, that’s all. He is obviously new in town and he evidently has no friends or social connections.”

“The lack of friends is perfectly understandable.” Anthony tossed his hat down onto a table. “Hood does not possess what anyone would call a winning personality.”

She thought about the manner in which Dominic had held himself apart from the crowd in the lecture hall. “He is rather aloof, is he not? And I will grant you that there is a certain intensity about him that no doubt makes it difficult for him to be at ease with people, I have the impression that he has not spent much time in Society.”

“I do not know about his experience in Society, but I can tell you that he must have some connections. He is a member of my club.”

“Is that where you were introduced?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” he muttered. “He has become my shadow because he seeks to find a way to separate you and me.”

“Anthony, you are behaving in the most ridiculous fashion. I assure you there is absolutely no need”

She broke off on a small gasp, because he abruptly took a long stride forward, gripped her forearms, and pinned her hard against him.

=

“He is not like the other gentlemen who flirt with you, Emeline,”

Anthony said quietly. “They are annoying but harmless. Hood is different. He is dangerous.”

Her irritation was suddenly transformed into anger. “Surely you do not believe for one moment that I am attracted to him? How can you even imply such a thing? Do you really think that I am so fickle?”

“Of course not. I trust you completely, Emeline. Don’t you understand? It is Hood’s determination to destroy what you and I have found together that alarms me.”

She relaxed a little. “I still do not believe that is his goal, but even if it were, I promise you he could not possibly tear me away from you.”

He shook his head once, as if she were the most naive creature in the world. “You still do not comprehend my real fear. It is that he will do you some great harm.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“I would not put it past him to attempt to compromise you in some fashion.” He paused grimly. “Perhaps worse.”

“She searched his face and saw that he believed every word of what he had just said. You think he would… would…” She could not bring herself to say the word rape. “But that makes no sense.

“Why would Mr. Hood want to do something so utterly beyond the pale?”

“I wish to God I knew,” he said quietly.

“He cannot possibly hate me so much,” she whispered. “He is barely acquainted with me.”

“You misunderstand, my love.” Anthony raised his hands to cup her face. “I do not believe that he hates you.”

“Then why would he want to hurt me?”

“It is me he despises. I am the one he wants to hurt. And he has guessed quite correctly that nothing in the world would cause me more pain and grief than seeing you harmed.”

She gazed at him, shocked at the deep certainty in his words. “But you have only just met him. What possible reason could he have for conceiving such a strong dislike of you?”

“I do not know. But I mean to find out. Meanwhile, I do not want you anywhere near him.”

“Even if I were to agree to keep my distance from Mr. Hood, you know very well that you cannot prevent him from coming near me.

Not unless you intend to keep me locked up in this house, which I will never allow’

“Damn it, Emeline.”

She covered his mouth with her fingertips, silencing him gently.

“Listen to us. Once again we sound like Aunt Lavinia and Mr. March when they are engaging in one of their heated discussions. It was our intention to go about things much differently, if you will recall.”

He narrowed his eyes. “This is not about our personal relationship.”

“On the contrary, it goes to the very heart of it. Our association is supposed to be a harmonious metaphysical connection of two likeminded souls. We agreed that we would not quarrel and snap at each other as my aunt and your brother-in-law are so inclined to do.

“We vowed that we would not become as stubborn and set in our ways as they are, that we would not follow the same prickly path that they have chosen to travel.”

Anthony’s mouth curved slightly. For the first time that day, she glimpsed a dash of genuine amusement in his eyes.

“I am starting to think that we are each just as strong-willed, opinionated, and stubborn as Mrs. Lake and Tobias. I regret to say, Emeline, that we may indeed be headed down the same thorny path.”

“Nonsense. I’m certain that with a bit of effort we can avoid that fate.”

“There, you see? You have just proven my point. We cannot even refrain from arguing about whether or not we are doomed to argue.”

His mouth was very close to hers now, and she could feel the sparkling excitement uncurling within her. She tried to retain her concentration.

“We are not quarreling,” she insisted, a little breathless. “We are having a serious-minded discussion.”

“Call it what you will.” He contemplated her mouth as though it were a rare and precious fruit that he planned to eat. “At the moment I do not particularly care.”

“But we must settle this matter.”

“In my opinion, we cannot settle it satisfactorily, so we may as well do something else that is infinitely more satisfying.”

“Anthony, you are trying to change the subject.”

“How did you guess?”

He kissed her, cutting off the remainder of her protests. She told herself they could finish the discussion later. It was exceedingly difficult to think clearly when he held her like this.

She slid her arms around his neck and abandoned herself to the exquisite delight of the moment. A heavy shudder of desire swept through him, leaving her in no doubt about the depth of his passion.

It had not escaped her notice that Anthony had begun to find an increasing number of opportunities to embrace her of late. Each kiss was more bold and more daring than the last. She had never allowed any other man such liberties, but, then, she had never loved any other man.

Society had rules about this sort of thing. She knew those rules.

It was all very well for a widow such as Lavinia to indulge in a discreet affair. But a young lady who had never been wed was obliged to avoid any action that might possibly taint her reputation.