"You would do well to remove yourself from this chamber before I lose my patience entirely."

Bennet angled his chin. "I'm going to do it, you know. I am going to seek Juliana's hand in marriage."

Marcus shrugged. "You have made it plain that nothing I say will dissuade you."

"Will you wish me luck?" There was a tentative note in Bennet's voice.

"I regret that I cannot do so." Marcus stood looking down at the mechanical butler. "I do not believe that you will find any lasting happiness with Juliana Dorchester."

"What would you know about finding happiness with a woman?" Bennet asked bitterly. "You have made so many bloody rules for yourself that you can no longer find any joy in your life."

"Get out of here, Bennet." "So he it. I will not ask for your good wishes, then." Bennet stalked toward the door. He paused with his hand on the knob. "Do you know something, brother? I believe that I actually feel sorry for you."

"Don't waste your sympathy on me. You will need it for yourself if you go through with this marriage to Juliana Dorchester."

Bennet went out of the chamber without a word. He slammed the door so hard that the electricity machine shuddered on its bench.

Marcus reached down and snapped the switch that released the springs within the mechanical man. Wheels and gears clanked and whirred as the clockwork butler jerked into action.

The automaton lurched blindly forward, silver salver extended.

Marcus watched the progress of the soulless creature as it crossed the laboratory. How easy it was to be an automaton, guided only by a mechanical spring.

The artificial man stared straight ahead, looking neither to the right nor to the left, heedless of what lay before it or behind it. It had no past and no future. Its present was governed by the inflexible rules of a mechanical universe.

It did not know pain.

But neither did it know joy.

"There is a small item in the morning papers concerning the death of Mrs. Wycherly," Zoe said. "No mention of her being a blackmailer, of course. Good lord, who would believe it?" She flung herself back against the elegant curve of her red velvet Roman sofa. "It is utterly astounding."

"It is the only conclusion that Masters and I were able to reach." Iphiginia picked up her teacup.

"I can hardly credit it," Zoe said. "It is simply too fantastical."

Lord Otis's bushy brows drew together in a considering scowl. "Has a certain logic to it when you think about it."

"Yes, it does," Amelia said. "It explains why Iphiginia could not discover a clear link between Guthrie's circle of friends and that of Lord Masters. There wasn't one."

"So much for all my clandestine searches for black sealing wax and a seal engraved with a phoenix." Iphiginia heaved a small sigh of regret. "I was so certain that I was on to something there."

"How positively brilliant of Masters to hit upon the notion of making inquiries into the whereabouts of our former paid companions," Zoe said in tones of great admiration.

Iphiginia rolled her eyes. "His original hypothesis was not entirely correct, you know. Neither of the companions proved to be the blackmailer."

"No, but his theory led straight to the real blackmailer," Otis observed. "Man has an excellent intellect."

Iphiginia made a face. "Yes, and he is well aware of it."

Amelia gave her one of her infrequent smiles. "I do believe that you are somewhat jealous, Iphiginia."

"Well, I was quite partial to my own hypothesis," she admitted. "Masters's notion is fascinating, however. And Otis is right, it's very logical. just think, all those years Mrs. Wycherley was using certain governesses and companions to collect damning information about some of the best families.»

"I never really cared for Miss Todd," Zoe said. "She had eyes that reminded me of a small rat. I did not retain her for long."

"You should have let her go much earlier than you did," Amelia remarked. "She was obviously around long enough to conclude that Maryanne was not Guthrie's daughter.»

"Obviously." Zoe shook her head. "One wonders how many other victims the woman had. Is every house in London infested with spies?"

"I doubt it." Iphiginia pursed her lips. "From all indications, Mrs. Wycherley was very selective and quite cautious, at least until recently. She no doubt chose her victims carefully.»

"Hah." Otis's whiskers twitched. "She made a serious blunder when she undertook to expand her list of victims to include my Zoe and a good friend of the Earl of Masters, by God."

"Yes," Iphiginia said. "She did." "Well, it's over at last, thank heavens." Zoe helped herself to a small pink cake from the tea tray. "Now we can get on with the Season. I confess I have had some difficulty planning Maryanne's marriage, what with this blackmail business hanging over my head."

Otis gave Iphiginia a shrewd look. "Masters is certain this is the end of the matter?"

Iphiginia hesitated. "He seems quite satisfied that it is."

"Well, then, that's the end of it," Otis declared. "Yes." Iphiginia rose to her feet and picked up her white bonnet. "Amelia and I must he on our way. We have an appointment with our man of affairs. Perhaps we shall see you at the theater later this evening."

"Very likely," Zoe said cheerfully. "What a relief it will be to be able to sit in my box without wondering if a blackmailer's eyes are fastened upon me."

"There's just one more thing." Iphiginia fixed each of the other three in turn with a deliberate look. "I trust that you all realize that merely because the blackmail situation is finished, nothing else has changed."

Zoe looked blank.",Whatever are you talking about, Iphiginia?"

"For all intents and purposes, I am still Mrs. Bright so far as Society is concerned."

"Damnation," Otis exclaimed. "She's right. Cannot go changing her identity at this point. She'd be ruined."

"We agreed at the beginning of this affair that when the matter was resolved I would disappear discreetly from the scene," Iphiginia said. "But I have changed my mind."

Zoe eyed her with grave interest. "You're going to finish the Season as Masters's mistress?"

"Yes." Zoe exchanged uneasy glances with Amelia and Otis. Then she turned back to Iphiginia. "Masters has agreed to this plan?"

"More or less," Iphiginia said airily. There was no point in telling them that Marcus had actually insisted on marriage. She feared that they would all side with him.

And Iphiginia knew that she could not possibly marry Marcus unless she could find a way to make him fall in love with her.

Discovering the identity of the blackmailer had been a simple matter compared with her new problem.

She was confronted with the daunting task of persuading Marcus to change his own rules.

Iphiginia was aware of Amelia's deep silence as they walked down the front steps of Zoe's town house. Her companion said nothing until they had each been handed up into Iphiginia's white and got carriage.

"Out with it, Amelia." Iphiginia settled back against the white velvet cushions and arranged her skirts. "What is troubling you?"

Amelia watched her closely. "I sensed that you hesitated when you told your aunt and Lord Otis that you were certain the blackmail matter was concluded. Something is worrying you."

The little carriage started to roll forward. Iphiginia looked out the window. It was nearly five o'clock in the afternoon. The street was filled with fashionable carriages en route to the park.

"What bothers me," she said slowly, "is that Masters and I searched Mrs. Wycherley's desk before we left yesterday."

"So?" "So we did not discover a seal engraved with a phoenix. Nor did we find any sign of black wax in her wax jack."

"I can promise you that Constance Wycherley was many things, but she was no fool. She must have lived in constant fear of discovery. She would not have left any obvious evidence of her guilt lying about."