Honoria looked back at the Dowager-she understood what was being asked of her, and that a positive response would be interpreted as confirmation of another understanding-a matrimonial understanding between Devil and herself. But the appeal in the Dowager's eyes was very real, and of all the ladies present, she was unquestionably in the best state to deal with whatever disaster had befallen.

Torn, Honoria hesitated, then inwardly grimaced and nodded. She stepped toward the door, then remembered the twins. She glanced over her shoulder. "Come with me."

She swept regally across the room. Webster opened the door and stood back; Honoria sailed through. After waiting for her two escorts to pass, Webster followed, closing the door behind him.

In the hall, Honoria found Mrs. Hull waiting. "What's happened?"

Mrs. Hull's gaze flicked to Webster's face, then returned to Honoria's. The significance of that glance was not lost on Honoria; Webster had confirmed that she'd been deputed by the Dowager.

"It's the cakes, miss. What with all we've had to do, we sent out for them to the village. Mrs. Hobbs is excellent with cakes. We've often used her in such circumstances."

"But this time she hasn't lived up to expectations?"

Mrs. Hull's face tightened. "It's not that, miss. I sent two grooms with the gig, like I always do. Hobbs had the cakes ready-the boys loaded them in their trays. They were most of the way back"-Mrs. Hull paused to draw in a portentous breath-"when that demon horse of the master's came racing up, rearing and screaming, and spooked the old mare in the gig. The cakes went flying"-Mrs. Hull's eyes narrowed to flinty shards-"and that devil horse ate most of them!"

Pressing her fingers to her lips, Honoria looked down. Then she glanced at Webster. His face was expressionless.

"His Grace did not have time to ride the horse today, miss, so the head stableman turned him out for a run. The track from the village runs through the stable paddock."

"I see." Honoria's jaw ached. Despite all-the solemnity of the occasion and the impending crisis-the vision of Sulieman chomping on delicate petit fours was simply too much.

"So, you see, miss, I don't know what we're to do, with all these visitors and not even enough biscuits to go around." Mrs. Hull's expression remained severe.

"Indeed." Honoria straightened, considering possibilities. "Scones," she decided.

"Scones, miss?" Mrs. Hull looked surprised, then her expression turned calculating.

Honoria glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's just four-they won't be expecting tea for at least half an hour. If we arrange some distraction…" She looked at Webster. "What time were you intending to serve dinner?"

"Seven, miss."

Honoria nodded. "Put dinner back to eight-notify the valets and ladies' maids. Mrs. Hull, you've an hour to produce scones in quantity. Take whatever helpers you need. We'll have plain scones with jam-do you have any blackberry jam? That would be a nice touch."

"Indeed, miss." Mrs. Hull was transformed. "We have our own blackberry jam-there's no other like it."

"Very good-we'll have cream for those that wish it, and we'll have cheese scones and spiced scones as well."

"I'll get onto it immediately, miss." With a quick bob, Mrs. Hull sped back to her kitchen.

"You spoke of a distraction, miss-to gain half an hour for Mrs. Hull?"

Honoria met Webster's eye. "Not an easy task, given the cause of this gathering."

"Indeed not, miss."

"Can we help?"

Both Honoria and Webster turned to view the twins.

Amanda colored. "With the distraction, I mean."

Slowly, Honoria's brows rose. "I wonder…?" She looked along the hall. "Come with me."

With Webster following, they entered the music room, next to the drawing room. Honoria waved at the instruments ranged along one wall. "What do you play?"

Amelia blinked. "I play the pianoforte."

"And I play the harp," Amanda supplied.

Excellent examples of both instruments stood before them; Webster hurried to maneuver the required pieces into place. Honoria turned to the girls. "You play together?" They nodded. "Good. What pieces can you play? Think of slow, mournful pieces-requiems or sections thereof."

To her relief, the twins were true to their class, well taught and with decent repertoires. Five minutes later, she'd also discovered they possessed considerable skill.

"Excellent." Honoria exchanged a relieved glance with Webster. "Don't let anyone distract you-we need you to play for at least forty minutes. Start at the beginning of your list and start repeating once you've finished. You can stop when the tea trolley arrives."

The girls nodded, and commenced a liturgical excerpt.

"Shall I open the doors, miss?" Webster whispered.

"Yes-the ones to the terrace as well." Both the music room and the drawing room gave onto the long terrace. Webster set the two doors flanking the fireplace wide, joining the two rooms. Heads turned as the haunting chords flowed over the conversations.

Gradually, tempted by the music, both ladies and gentlemen strolled in. The twins, used to performing before their elders, did not falter. There were chairs aplenty; gentlemen obligingly set them out, the ladies subsiding in groups, the gentlemen standing beside them.

From her position by the open terrace door, Honoria watched her distraction take hold. Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"This was inspired."

Glancing back, she met Devil's green eyes; they scanned her face.

"What was wrong?"

Honoria wondered if there was anyone in the entire assembly who had missed her assumption of the Dowager's authority. She'd been prepared to swear Devil had been deep in conversation at the far side of the room at the time. "Your devil-horse ate the tea cakes. Mrs. Hull is not impressed. I believe she has visions of turning your steed into cat's meat."

He was close, his shoulder propped against the doorframe behind her; she felt his chest quake with suppressed laughter. "Hully wouldn't do that."

"Just mention your horse and watch her reach for her cleaver."

He was silent, looking out over the room. "Don't tell me you don't play?"

Honoria caught herself just in time-and reframed her answer. "I play the harpsichord, but I'm not Tolly's sister. Incidentally," she continued, in the same mild tone, "I give you fair warning that regardless of whatever imbroglio you and your mother concoct, I will not be marrying you."

She felt his gaze on her face; when he spoke, the words feathered her spine. "Would you care to wager on that?"

Honoria lifted her chin. "With a reprobate like you?" She waved dismissively. "You're a gamester."

"One who rarely loses."

The deep words reverberated through her; Honoria abandoned speech and opted for a haughty shrug.

Devil didn't move. His gaze swept her face, but he said nothing more.

To Honoria's relief, her strategem worked. The tea, when it arrived, was perfect, the scones fresh from the oven, the jam sweet. The twins retired to subdued but sincere applause; one glance at their faces showed just how much their contribution had meant to them.

"We'll get them to play again tomorrow," Devil murmured in her ear.

"Tomorrow?" Honoria fought to quell an unhelpful shiver.

"At the wake." Devil met her eyes. "They'll feel better to be doing something useful again."

He left her musing-and returned with a cup of tea for her. She took it, only then realizing how much in need of refreshment she was. Other than understanding her too well, Devil behaved himself, smoothly introducing her to family friends. Honoria didn't need to exercise her imagination over how the company viewed her-their deference was marked.

The events of the afternoon, orchestrated by Devil and the Dowager, aided and abetted by Devil's demon horse, had conveyed a clear message-that she was to be Devil's bride.

The evening passed swiftly; dinner, attended by everyone, was a somber meal. No one was inclined to entertainment; most retired early. A brooding, melancholy silence descended over the house, as if it mourned, too.

In her chamber, cocooned in down, Honoria thumped her pillow and ordered herself to fall asleep. Five minutes of restless rustling later, she turned onto her back, and glared at the canopy.

It was all Devil's fault, his and his mother's. She'd tried to avoid acting as his duchess-to-be, unfortunately unsuccessfully. Worse, as Devil had stated, on a superficial level, she was perfect for the position, a fact apparently obvious to any who considered the matter. She was starting to feel like she was fighting fate.

Honoria shuffled onto her side. She, Honoria Prudence Anstruther-Wetherby, was not going to be pressured into anything. It was patently obvious both Devil and the Dowager would do everything possible to tempt her, to convince her to accept his proposal-the proposal he hadn't made. That last was not a fact she was likely to forget-he'd simply taken it for granted that she would marry him.

She'd known from the first he was impossible, even when she'd thought him a mere country squire; as a duke, he was doubly-triply-so. Aside from anything else-his chest, for example-he was a first-class tyrant. Sane women did not marry tyrants.

She clung to that eminently sound declaration, drawing strength from its unarguable logic. Keeping Devil's image in mind helped enormously-one glance at his face, at the rest of him, was all it took to reinforce her conclusion.