IPHIGINIA SAT VERY STILL ON THE BLACK SQUABS OF Marcus's ebony carriage. The interior lamps were unlit. Marcus filled most of the opposite scat with his large frame. He had one long leg stretched out along the cushion. The other boot was planted on the floor. There was a dangerous, morose quality about him.

He had said no more than a dozen words since they had left the theater a few minutes earlier. Most of those had been primarily commands to Dinks.

Iphiginia had not been allowed to see the end of Kean's performance. Marcus had muttered something about avoiding the crush of theater traffic, but Iphiginia knew that was not the primary reason he wished to leave early.

When he had brusquely ordered her to accompany him, she had seen the doubt and disapproval in Amelia's eyes. But Iphiginia had quietly agreed. Amelia had remained behind in Zoe and Otis's box. They would see her home.

There had been a thousand questions in Zoe's eyes when Iphiginia and Marcus had escorted Amelia to the box. Iphiginia had ignored them. She knew her aunt had already beard the rumors of Marcus's betrothal, but she had no explanations or answers to give her.

When the carriage moved into the street, Marcus finally broke the thick silence.

"I regret that you were subjected to that unfortunate scene in your theater box." He gazed out into the night. "My brother appears to he immersed in a rather melodramatic phase at the moment."

"Marcus, I think you owe me an explanation." "Mmm."

Iphiginia waited for a few seconds. Marcus said nothing.

"Well?" she finally prompted.

"Well, what?" Marcus did not look away from the window.

Iphiginia made a heroic effort to compose herself in patience. "Well, what is the explanation for that scene in my theater box?"

Marcus hesitated, as though about to tread on uncertain ground.

"I am aware of the fact that you have a rule against explaining your actions to anyone," Iphiginia said. "But I really think that in this instance-"

"Bennet believes himself to he passionately in love with Juliana Dorchester."

"And you do not approve of the match?"

Marcus finally glanced at her. "How did you guess?" "It wasn't difficult."

"It's Dorchester 's fondest wish to shore up the family's flagging fortunes by marrying his daughter into money. Mrs. Dorchester's primary goal is to get a title into the family. Together they have contrived to hurl Juliana at every wealthy, titled gentleman in the ton for the past two Seasons."

"Including you?"

"Last Season I was a target for a short period." Light from a passing coach glinted briefly on the starkly etched Planes of Marcus's grim features. " Dorchester went so far as to attempt to force me into a compromising position with his own daughter."

"Good grief. What happened?" "I won't go into details. It was a shabby little plot, ill-conceived and extremely transparent. Suffice it to say, the attempt faded."

"I see." There was a distinct chill in the air. Iphiginia pulled her white lace shawl a little more securely around her bare shoulders. "I collect that you escaped unscathed."

"Yes." "Unlike the other night in the Pettigrews' Temple of Vesta when you did not discover the truth until too late."

There was a short, brittle pause. Marcus eventually stirred in the manner of a large beast of prey seeking a more comfortable position. He leaned his head back against the cushion, narrowed his eyes, and folded his arms across his chest.

"I made it clear to Dorchester that I would not marry Juliana even if he arranged for the two of us to be discovered nude in bed together," Marcus said deliberately.

"Oh." Iphiginia did not know what else to say. "I reminded him of my rule against marriage. Dorchester apparently took me at my word. He ceased throwing Juliana at my head, in any event. But this Season he seems to have concluded that my brother will make a suitable substitute."

"So tonight you again tried to dissuade him from his goal," Iphiginia concluded. "But this time you find yourself dealing with an additional problem. Your brother is in love with Juliana."

"My brother has succumbed to the lure of physical attraction and the overheated prose of the Byron set. He is not in love."

Iphiginia winced at the disgust in his voice. "How can you be certain that what your brother feels for Juliana is not true love?"

"For God's sake, he's barely twenty. He's in the throes of his first fit of passion, that's all. In the typical manner of young males, he wishes to dignify his perfectly natural lust by calling it love."

"Perhaps his feelings for Juliana run deeper than you believe.»

"Not bloody likely," Marcus muttered. "What did you hope to accomplish by announcing your own fictitious betrothal this evening?"

"The betrothal is not fictitious. We are going to he married, Iphiginia."

"Let's return to that point some other time," she said. "At the moment we are discussing your brother. You think to forestall Dorchester 's plans by causing him to believe that you have changed your mind about remarriage.»

"I have changed my mind." She ignored that. "You may have succeeded in persuading Dorchester that Bennet is no longer a good match for his daughter, but what about Bennet and Juliana?"

"What about them? Juliana's parents wig not allow her to marry my brother if they believe that I will cut him off. Their aim is to get their hands on a portion of the Masters fortune. I control that fortune, not Bennet."

"Marcus, I do not think it will he as easy as all that. I saw your brother's face tonight. He believes himself to be in love with Juliana."

"He'll soon discover that it will not do him any good. Dorchester will remove Juliana from my brother's vicinity and fire her off at another target now that I've removed the primary one."

"Rubbish. You and Dorchester are both idiots if you truly believe that you can control the lives of others in such a fashion. Juliana and Bennet are young, but they are adults. There is no knowing what they might do if you and Dorchester try to bend them to your will."

Marcus watched her from the shadows. "What are you saying? That they might run off to Gretna Green together?"

"It's a possibility, is it not?" "No. I'U admit that in his, present state Bennet might be foolish enough to suggest the notion, but Juliana is a very rational young woman. She is highly unlikely to do anything so impractical as to marry a man whose financial prospects are uncertain."

"Meaning she will marry for money rather than love?"

"Precisely. Do not forget, I saw her in action last Season."

III suspect the people you saw in action were her parents. Poor Juana was no doubt merely attempting to obey their instructions."

"There is no difference." "Marcus, I hesitate to mention this," Iphiginia said, "but you are not quite the great judge of human nature you perceive yourself to be. At least not when it comes to affairs of the heart."

"Affairs of the heart should he handled in the same manner as affairs of business. They should he approached with circumspection and care."

"You mean with cynicism, do you not? I understand what you are trying to do," Iphiginia said gently. "You wish to protect your brother from an unhappy marriage. But I do not think that you are going about it in the right way.

"This does not concern you, Iphiginia." "Nonsense. You have dragged me into it. If you wanted to keep me out of the thing, you should never have told Dorchester that you were about to announce a betrothal. Now we shall both have to deal with all the annoying questions and speculation. It will make everything vastly more difficult.

"I do not see any great problem. I have a rule against answering personal questions."