She hurried through a pair of French doors at the far end of the ballroom and escaped onto a small stone terrace. There was no one around. In the shadows at the far end she saw some artistically arrayed chunks of false stone veiled by a swath of blue velvet. The faint sound of gurgling water could be heard coming from behind a curtain tied back with a golden sash.

The drapery marked one of several such private re-treats that Julia had provided for her guests. They were scattered about the lantern-lit gardens and tucked away on side terraces such as this one. The secluded spaces had been designed for the use of couples or small groups desiring to escape the noise and activity of the brilliantly lit ballroom.

As Caroline had hoped, this particular bower had gone unnoticed here on this remote little terrace.

She ducked behind the swath of blue velvet drapery and found herself in a miniature replica of a Roman garden. A carved wooden bench and a small fountain decorated the setting.

She collapsed onto the bench and allowed herself to breathe again. She was safe for the moment. Luckily she had spotted Ivybridge just as he walked into the ballroom with his wife. He had no reason to search for her in the crowd, she reminded herself. Even if he heard people discussing the fact that Mrs. Fordyce, the author, was present tonight, he could not possibly connect the name to her. She had invented her pen name after the events in Chillingham.

Emma and Milly had vanished into the card room an hour ago. She would have to find a way to alert them to Ivybridge's presence so that they could all slip away from the ball before he accidentally happened across any of them.

As an afterthought, she untied the gold sash to release the blue velvet curtain. The drapery closed, concealing her completely. If anyone chanced to discover this little retreat, they would assume that it was occupied and go elsewhere. She forced herself to concentrate. What she needed now was a plan. She must send a message to Emma and Milly via one of the footmen, instructing them to sneak out through a side door. Then she would have to get word to Adam informing him that she had been forced to leave the ball early. She would explain everything to him tomorrow. Footsteps rang softly on the terrace, interrupting her thoughts. Alarmed, she tried not to move or breathe. Had Ivybridge noticed her and followed her?

"I trust you are not so worn out from dancing that you are unable to waltz with me, Mrs. Fordyce." Adam pulled aside the blue velvet drapery. He was smiling slightly but his eyes were unreadable in the dim light. "I realize that you are much in demand this evening, but we are very good friends, after all."

"Adam." Relief mingled with the anxiety that was making her pulse race. She leaped to her feet. "Thank goodness you are here. There is a disastrous scandal brewing."

"Another one? They are mounting up so rapidly, I confess I am in danger of losing track of all of them."

"This one will cause all of the others to pale into in-significance. You must trust me when I tell you that it is imperative that I find Emma and Milly at once. The three of us must arrange to leave this house as secretly as possible."

"It sounds as though another startling incident has occurred" He shook his head a little, bemused. "I vow, my life has become a sensation novel since meeting you"

"This is no occasion for humor, sir, I assure you." She realized that in her agitation, she was waving her folded fan in a haphazard manner. Embarrassed, she forced herself to still her movements. "I should have told you the en-tire story before now but we have been so occupied with murder and mediums and such that I never got around to the details of the disaster in Chillingham."

"No, I don't believe you did."

"It was quite dreadful, Adam. Truly. And a certain per-son who was the cause of it all is here in this very house. I just saw him. If he happens to see me or my aunts, the scandal in which we are presently involved will become a thousand times worse."

"We are discussing Ivybridge, I assume?^"

She froze. "You know about Ivybridge?"

"I am not in possession of the full particulars of the situation, but I am aware that he was the gentleman who ruined your reputation when you were known as Miss Connor."

"Good heavens. This is amazing. How on earth did you learn that?"

"It wasn't easy, especially given the fact that you deliberately misled me with the mention of Bath"

Guilt assailed her. "Oh, yes, I forgot about that part. I beg your pardon, but at the time I did not want to risk providing you with too many clues in the event that you were not entirely, uh—"

"Not entirely to be trusted?"

She flushed. "I did not know you very well a few days ago, and I had to be cautious."

"I understand.^" He inclined his head. "One cannot be too careful when one is attempting to conceal the past. I have had some experience with that sort of thing myself, if you will recall."

"Yes, of course. I was just concocting a scheme that would allow my aunts and me to sneak out of the house. Given your own expertise in such matters, you could be of great assistance."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking in terms of departing through the servants' hall."

"How odd. I was thinking in terms of a waltz."

She glared. "Have you been drinking heavily tonight, Adam?"

"Not yet. But given the manner in which events are progressing, I would not be surprised to find myself resorting to some restoratives before the night is over."

"I fail to comprehend why you insist upon making light of this extremely serious situation. I promise you, if Emma, Milly and I do not manage to escape without being seen by Ivybridge, you and your family will be embroiled in a scandal far worse than anything that you can imagine."

He unfolded his arms and touched his fingertips to her lips, silencing her.

"First, we waltz," he said.

He took her arm and drew her out of the imitation Roman garden.

"Adam, wait, you do not seem to comprehend—"

"If you continue to glare at me like that, everyone will believe that we are quarreling," he said, guiding her back to the ballroom. "Think of the gossip that would cause."

Mesmerized with dread, she offered no further resistance. She had done what she could, she told herself. She bad tried to warn him. His fate was now in his own hands.

When they reached the dance floor, she felt Adam's, strong and sure, go around her waist. The next thing she knew she was gliding across the room in time to the intoxicating strains of a waltz.

It should have been a dream, she thought. The setting was so very romantic. Adam was disturbingly sensual and dangerously intriguing in his formal black-and-white evening wear. He radiated an aura of masculine power and control that made her intensely conscious of her own femininity.

But in reality it was all a nightmare. Heads were turning everywhere in the room. People had noticed that the mysterious ¬Mr. Hardesty had taken the floor with his very good friend, the author. It was only a matter of time before Ivy-budge spotted her.

When the confrontation occurred, it happened so swiftly and with such military precision that Caroline knew Adam had planned it right down to the last detail.

He swept her to a halt directly in front of a startled Ivy-bridge. The latter stared openmouthed at Caroline as though a spirit had materialized before him.

"Ivybridge,^" Adam said with deceptive ease. "Thought I saw you earlier."

Ivybridge swallowed hard and tore his shocked gaze away from Caroline. "Hardesty." He appeared momentarily distracted by Adam's face. "I say, did you walk into a door, sir?"

"Nothing quite that simple." Adam's smile could have frozen the fires of hell. He glanced at Caroline. "My dear, allow me to present Mr. Ivybridge. The family has some property in a little village called Chillingham, I believe. You may have heard of it. Quite near Bath. Ivybridge, this is my very good friend, Mrs. Fordyce. She is an author who crafts the most astonishing sensation novels. You have no doubt heard of her."