Sophy sank back down onto the dressing table chair and folded her hands in her lap while she tried to think how to handle this unexpected turn of events. Her mind was fogged from the long, sleepless night. "I collect you are angry with me again, my lord?"

"Again?" His brows rose in their characteristic intimidating fashion. "You are implying, I suppose, that I spend a good portion of my time with you in that mood?"

"It seems that way, my lord," Sophy said unhappily. "Whenever I think we are making progress in our association, something arises to ruin everything."

"And whose fault is that, Sophy?"

"You cannot blame it all on me," she declared, knowing she was getting near the end of her tether. It was all too much. "I doubt if you will take this into consideration, but I would like to remind you that I have had a long, trying night. I have had virtually no sleep and really am not up to an inquisition. Do you think we might postpone this until after I have had a nap?"

"No, Sophy. We are not going to postpone this discussion another minute. But if it is any consolation to you, rest assured we face each other on equal terms. I, too, did not get much sleep last night. I spent most of the time trying to envision where and how you had got hold of this list and why you connected it to the ring. What the devil do you think you're doing? How much do you know about these men and what in bloody hell did you plan to do with the information you have on them?"

Sophy eyed him warily. Something in the way he had phrased his questions made her realize he knew as much if not more about the ring and the list than she did. "I have explained to you that the ring was given to my sister."

"I know that already. And the list of names?"

Sophy chewed on her lower lip. "If I tell you about the list I fear you are going to be even more angry than you already are, my lord."

"You do not have any choice. Where did you get the list of names?"

"From Charlotte Featherstone." There was no point denying any of it now. She had never been good at lying even when she was at her best and this morning she was simply too exhausted to make the attempt. Besides, it was obvious Julian already knew too much.

"Featherstone. Damnation. I ought to have guessed. Tell me, my dear, do you expect to have any reputation left at all once it becomes known that you are socializing with a member of the demimonde or do you simply not care that the gossips will have a carnival with you once this gets out?"

Sophy looked down at her hands. "I did not speak to her directly. A friend of mine sent her the message. Miss Featherstone responded most discreetly. She really is very pleasant, Julian. I think I would probably enjoy her as a friend."

"And she would no doubt find you extremely amusing," Julian said brutally. "An endless source of entertainment for someone as jaded as herself. What was the nature of the message you sent to her?"

"I wished to know if she had ever seen a ring such as that one and if so, who had worn it." Sophy met his gaze defiantly. "You must realize, my lord, that this was all business relating to the project I told you about."

"What project was that?" he demanded.

"On top of everything else, you do not even listen to me half the time, do you? I am referring to the project I said would keep me busy and out of your way. I informed you that I intended to pursue my own interests, remember? Do you recall my telling you that I was going to be exactly the sort of wife you wanted? That I would stay out of your way and not cause you any trouble? I promised you that after you made it clear you were not interested in my love and affection."

"Damn it, Sophy, I never said that. You deliberately misunderstood me."

"No, my lord, I did not misunderstand you."

Julian stilled a muttered oath. "You are not going to distract me now, by God. We will return to that issue later. At the moment I am interested only in what you learned of the ring."

"Through some investigations I did in Lady Fanny's library, I was able to discover that the ring was most likely one worn by members of a certain type of secret society."

"What type of secret society, Sophy?"

"I have the impression you already know the answer to that, my lord. It was a society whose members very probably preyed upon women. Once I had ascertained that much, I applied to Charlotte Featherstone for information about the men who might have been a part of that club. I assumed she moved in a circle of Society that might bring her into contact with that type of man. And I was right. She knew of three who had at one time or another worn the ring in her presence."

Julian's eyes narrowed. "God save us. You are trying to track down Amelia's lover, aren't you? I should have guessed. And what in hell did you think you would do with him once you found him?"

"Ruin him socially."

Julian looked blank. "I beg your pardon?"

Sophy shifted uneasily in her chair. "He is obviously one of the hunters you warned me about, Julian. One of the male members of the ton who preys on young women. Such men value their social status above all else, do they not? They are nothing without it because without it they lack access to the prey they seek. I intend to deprive whoever wore that ring of his social connections, if at all possible."

"Before God, I swear your audacity leaves me breathless. You do not have an inkling of the danger, do you? Not even the smallest notion of what you are dealing with. How can you be so knowledgeable about arcane matters such as your medicinal herbs and yet be so unbelievably stupid about affairs in which your reputation and even your life may be at stake?"

"Julian, there is no risk involved, I promise you." Sophy leaned forward earnestly, hoping to reason with him. "I am going about this in a cautious manner. My plan is to arrange to meet the three men on that list and question them."

"Question them. Dear God. Question them."

"Very subtly, of course."

"Of course." Julian shook his head in disbelief. "Sophy, allow me to inform you that your talent for subtlety and deliberate subterfuge is akin to that of my skill for embroidery. Furthermore, the three men on that list are out-and-out bastards—rakehells of the worst sort. They cheat at cards, seduce any woman who falls into their path, and have a sense of honor that is lower than that of a mongrel dog. In fact, it would be safe to say the dog's notion of honor would be infinitely more acceptable. And you thought to interrogate these three?"

"I intend to use deductive logic to determine which of them is guilty."

"Any one of the three would slice you to ribbons without a moment's hesitation. He would ruin you long before you could ruin him." Julian's voice was tight with fury.

Sophy's chin came up. "I do not see how he could do that as long as I am careful."

"Lord, give me strength," Julian said through his teeth. "I am dealing with a mad woman."

What was left of Sophy's self-control snapped. She leaped to her feet, her hand sweeping out to snatch the nearest hard object. Her fingers closed around the crystal swan on her dressing table.

"Damn you, Julian, I am not a mad woman. Elizabeth was a mad woman but I am not. I may be silly and stupid and naive in your view, but at least I am not mad. By God, my lord, I will force you to stop confusing me with your first wife if it is the last thing I accomplish on this earth."

She hurled the ornament at him with all her strength. Julian, who had started to rise at the beginning of her tirade, barely managed to dodge the small missile. It flew past his shoulder and crashed against the wall behind him. He ignored the impact and crossed the room in three long strides.

"Have no fear, madam," he said fiercely as he swept Sophy off her feet and into his arms. "I am in no danger of confusing you with Elizabeth. It would be a complete impossibility. You are, believe me, Sophy, totally and completely unique. You are a paradox in so many ways it defies description. And you are quite right. You are not mad. I am the one who is fast becoming a candidate for Bedlam."

He strode toward the bed and dumped her unceremoniously down onto the counterpane. As she bounced there, her hair tumbling free of its moorings, he sat down on the edge of the bed and began to yank off his boots.

Sophy was incensed. "What do you think you are doing?"

"What does it look like I am doing? I am seeking the only cure I can find for my affliction." He stood up and unfastened his breeches.

She gazed at him in shock as his heavy manhood sprang free. He was already fully, magnificently erect. Belatedly she gathered her confused senses and started to wriggle off the other side of the bed.

Julian reached over quite casually and wrapped one big hand around her wrist, effectively halting her retreat. "No, madam, you are not leaving just yet."

"You cannot mean to… to bed me now, Julian," Sophy said angrily. "We are in the midst of an argument."

"There is no point arguing with you further. You are beyond reason. And so am I, it seems. Therefore I think we shall try a different means of terminating this unpleasant discussion. If nothing else is achieved, I might at least obtain some temporary peace."

SIXTEEN

Sophy watched, torn between love and a seething anger, as the last of Julian's clothes hit the floor. He kept his grip on her wrist as he finished the process of undressing himself and then he tumbled her down onto her back.