The children sat on the grass, their elders standing behind them. Among the last to join the throng, just as the makeshift curtain arose to whoops, claps and expectant shrieks, Antonia and Philip found themselves at the very back of the crowd. Philip could see; despite ducking and peering, Antonia could not.

"Here." Philip drew her aside to where a low retaining wall held back a section of lawn. "Stand on this." Gathering her skirts, Antonia took his proffered hand and let him help her up. The stone was not high but narrow on top.

"Put your hand on my shoulder."

She had to to keep her balance. He stood beside her and they both turned to watch the stage.

Geoffrey's script was hilarious, the puppets inspired. Some of the props, including such diverse items as the cook's favourite ladle and a motheaten tiger's head from the billiard room, were both novel and inventively used. By the time the curtain finally dropped-literally-Antonia was leaning heavily on Philip's shoulder, her other hand pressed to the stitch in her side.

"Oh, my!" she said, blinking away tears of laughter. "I never knew my brother had such a solid grasp of double entendres."

Philip threw her a cynical look. "I suspect there's a few things you don't know about your brother."

Antonia raised a brow. She straightened, about to lift her hand from his shoulder. And sucked in a breath as her bruised back protested.

Instantly, Philip's arm came around her.

"You are hurt."

The words, forced out, sounded almost like an accusation. Leaning into the support of his arm, Antonia looked at him in surprise. Courtesy of the stone wall, their eyes were level; when his lids lifted and his gaze met hers, she had a clear view of the stormy depths, the emotions clouding his grey eyes.

Their gazes locked; for an instant, his sharpened, became clearer, then he blinked and the expression was gone. Her heart thudding, Antonia dropped her gaze and let him lift her gently down. She stretched and shifted, trying to ease the spot between her shoulder blades where Horatia Mimms's elbow had connected. She wished he would massage it again.

He remained, rigid, beside her, his hands fisted by his sides. Antonia glanced up through her lashes; his face was unreadable. "It's only a bit stiff," she said, in response to the tension in the air.

"That witless female-!"

"Philip-I'm perfectly all right." Antonia nodded at the people streaming across the lawns. "Come-we must bid your guests farewell."

They did, standing by the drive and waving each carriage, each family of tenants, goodbye. Needless to say, Horatia Mimms was treated to an unnerving stare; Antonia held herself ready throughout the Mimms's effusive leave-taking to quell, by force if necessary, any outburst on Philip's part.

But all passed smoothly; even the Castletons eventually left.

When all had departed, Antonia returned to the lawns to supervise the clearing. Philip strolled beside her, watching the late afternoon sun strike gold gleams from her hair.

"I'm really very impressed with Geoffrey," he eventually said. "He took on the responsibility of staging the Punch and Judy and saw it through."

Antonia smiled. "And very well, too. The children were enthralled."

“Mmm. As far as I know, none fell in the lake, either- for which he has my heartfelt thanks." Philip glanced down at her. "But I think some part of his glory is owed to you." They had almost reached the nearest shore of the lake. Brows rising in question, Antonia stopped on a small rise; meeting her gaze, Philip halted beside her. “You must have had a hard time bringing him up, essentially alone."

Antonia shrugged and looked away across the lake. "I never regretted having the care of him. In its way, it's been very rewarding."

“Perhaps-but there are many who would say it was not your responsibility-not while your mother still lived."

Antonia's lips twisted. "True, but after my father died, I'm not entirely certain my mother did live, you see."

There was a pause, then Philip answered, "No. I don't."

Antonia glanced at him, then turned and headed back towards the house. Philip kept pace beside her. They were halfway to the terrace before she spoke again. "My mother was devoted to my father. Totally caught up with him and his life. When that ended unexpectedly, she was lost. Her interest in me and Geoffrey sprang from the fact we were his children-when he died, she lost interest in us."

Philip's jaw set. "Hardly a motherly sort."

"You mustn't misjudge her-she was never intentionally negligent. But she didn't see things in the light you might expect-nothing was important after my father had gone."

Together, they climbed the rising lawns towards the terrace. As they neared the house, Antonia paused and looked up, putting up a hand to shade her eyes so she could admire the elegant facade. "It took a long time for me to understand-to realise what it was to love so completely-to love like that. So that nothing else mattered anymore."

For long moments, they stood silently side by side, then Antonia lowered her hand. She glanced briefly at Philip then accepted his proffered arm.

On the terrace, they turned, surveying the lawns, neat again but marked by the tramp of many feet.

Philip's lips twisted. "Remind me not to repeat this exercise any time soon."

He turned-and read the expression in Antonia's eyes. "Not that it wasn't a roaring success," he hastened to reassure her. "However, I doubt my temper will bear the strain of a repeat performance too soon."

The obvious riposte flashed through Antonia's mind so forcefully it was all she could do to keep the words from her lips.

Philip read them in her eyes, in the shifting shades of green and gold. The planes of his face hardened. "Indeed," he said, his tone dry. "When I marry, the problem will disappear."

Antonia stiffened but did not look away. Their gazes locked; for a moment, all was still.

Then Philip reached for her hand. He raised it; with cool deliberation, he brushed a lingering kiss across her fingertips, savouring the response that rippled through her, the response she could not hide.

Defiantly, her eyes still on his, Antonia lifted her chin.

Philip held her challenging gaze, one brow slowly rising. "A successful day-in all respects."

With languid grace, he gestured towards the morning room windows. Together, they went inside.

"Ah, me!" Geoffrey yawned hugely. "I'm done in. Wrung out like a rag. I think I'll go up."

Setting the billiard cues back in their rack, Philip nodded. "I'd rather you did-before you pass out and I have to haul you up."

Geoffrey grinned. "I wouldn't want to put you to the trouble. G'night, then." With a nod, he went out, closing the door behind him.

Philip shut the cue case; turning, his wandering gaze fell on the tantalus set against the opposite wall. Strolling across, he poured himself a large brandy. Cradling the glass, he opened the long windows and went out, thrusting his free hand into his pocket as he slowly paced the terrace.

All was still and silent-his home, his estate, rested under the blanket of night. Stars glimmered through a light cloud; stillness stretched, comforting and familiar, about him. Everyone had retired, to recoup after the hectic day. He felt as wrung out as Geoffrey but too restless to seek his bed.

The emotions the day had stirred still whirled and clashed within him, too novel to be easily dismissed, too strong to simply ignore. Protectiveness, jealousy, concern-he was hardly a stranger to such feelings but never before had he felt them so acutely nor in so focused a fashion.

Superimposed over all was a frustrated irritation, a dislike of being compelled even though the compul-sion sprang from within him.

In its way, it was all new to him.

He took a long sip of his brandy and stared into the night.

It was impossible to pretend that he didn't understand. He knew, unequivocally, that if it had been any other woman, he would have found some excuse, some fashionable reason, for being elsewhere, far distant, entirely out of reach.

Instead, he was still here.

Philip drained his glass and felt the fumes wreathe through his head. Presumably this was part of being thirty-four.

Chapter Six

Two days later, Philip stood at the library windows, looking out over the sun-washed gardens. The business that had kept him inside on such a glorious day was concluded; behind him, Banks, his steward, shuffled his papers.

"I'll take the offer in to Mrs Mortingdale's man then, m'lord, though heaven knows if she'll accept it." Banks' tone turned peevish. "Smiggins has been doing his best to persuade her to it but she just can't seem to come at putting her signature to the deed."

Philip's gaze roamed the gardens; he wondered where Antonia was hiding today. "She'll sign in the end-she just needs time to decide." At Banks's snort, he swung about. "Patience, Banks. Lower Farm isn't going anywhere-and all but surrounded by my land as it is, there'll be precious few others willing to make an offer, let alone one to match mine."

"Aye-I know," Banks grumbled. "If you want the truth it's that that sticks. It's nothing but senseless female shilly-shallying that's holding us up."

Philip's brows rose. "Shilly-shallying, unfortunately, is what one must endure when dealing with females."

With a disapproving grunt, Banks took himself off.

After a long, assessing glance at his gardens, Philip followed him out.

She wasn't in the rose garden, the formal garden was empty. Deserted, the peony walk slumbered beneath the afternoon sun. The shrubbery was cool and inviting but disappointingly uninhabited. Eyes narrowed, Philip paused in the shadow of a hedge and considered the known characteristics of his quarry. Then, with a grunt to rival Banks's, he strode towards the house.