Holding it in both hands she whirled about to point the pistol at the unconscious Waycott.

"You deserve to die," she repeated aloud and released the pistol from its half-cocked position. The trigger, which was designed to fit into a small recess for safety's sake, dropped into firing position and Sophy's finger closed hungrily around it.

She stepped closer to Waycott, her mind summoning up the image of Amelia lying on her bed, an empty bottle of laudanum on the table beside her.

"I will kill you, Waycott. This is simple justice."

For an endless moment Sophy hovered on the brink, willing herself to pull the trigger. But it was no good. She could not find the courage to do it. With a wrenching cry of despair she lowered the pistol, returning it to the half-cocked position. "Dear God, why am I so weak?"

She put the pistol back into the basket and knelt to fumble with the rope around her ankle. Her fingers shook but she managed to free herself. She could not take the emeralds or the pistol back to Ravenwood. There would be no way to explain them.

Without a backward glance she opened the door and ran out into the night. Waycott's horse nickered softly as she approached.

"Easy, my friend. I have no time to put a saddle on you," Sophy whispered as she fitted the bridle onto the gelding. "We must hurry. Everyone will be frantic at the Abbey."

She led the gelding over to a pile of rubble that had once been a fortified wall. Standing on the heap of stones, she adjusted her skirts above her knees and scrambled up onto the horse's back. The animal snorted and danced and then accepted her unfamiliar presence.

"Do not worry, friend, I know the route to the Abbey." Sophy urged the horse into a walk and then into a gentle canter.

As she rode, she tried to think. She had to have an explanation ready for the worried staff who would be waiting for her. She remembered the sound of her mare's hoof beats disappearing into the distance when Waycott had kidnapped her. Her horse had apparently run off and would undoubtedly have gone straight home.

A riderless horse returning to Ravenwood Abbey would mean only one thing to the stable lads. They would assume Sophy had been thrown and, perhaps, injured. Search parties would have been combing the woods around the Abbey all afternoon and evening.

It was as good a story as any, Sophy decided as she guided Waycott's horse around the pond. She certainly could not tell anyone she had been kidnapped and held captive by the Viscount Waycott.

She dared not even tell Julian the full story for she knew that Waycott had been wrong when he claimed the Earl would not engage in another duel over a woman. Julian would call Waycott out if he discovered what the Viscount had done.

Damn. I should have killed Waycott myself when I had the chance. Now there is no telling what lies ahead. And I shall be forced to lie to Julian.

She was so dreadfully inept at lying, Sophy thought fearfully. But at least she would have time to prepare her tale and learn it by heart. Julian was still safely away in London.

It was not until she saw the lights of the Abbey through the trees that Sophy realized she would have to abandon Waycott's gelding. If she was going to claim she had struggled home on foot after a riding accident she could not show up on a strange horse.

Dear heaven, there was a lot to be considered once one started conjuring tales. One thing led to another.

Reluctantly, because she still had a long walk ahead of her, Sophy slid to the ground and turned the gelding loose. A slap on the rump sent it cantering off down the path.

Sophy picked up the hem of her riding habit and started walking quickly toward Ravenwood Abbey. Every step of the way she cudgeled her brain, trying to put a believable story together for the waiting servants. She must have every bit of the tale in place or she would surely trip herself up.

But as she stepped out of the woods that surrounded the great house, Sophy realized she had a much bigger task ahead of her than she had anticipated.

Light spilled from the open doors of the front hall. Footmen and stable lads scurried about readying torches and in the moonlight Sophy saw that several saddled horses were being led from the stables.

A familiar dark-haired figure in riding boots and stained breeches stood halfway up the left staircase. Julian was issuing orders in a cold, clear voice to those around him.

It was obvious he had just arrived which meant he had left London before dawn.

Sophy knew real panic in that moment. She had been finding it difficult enough to organize a story for the servants who would be bound to believe anything she told them. But she was very much afraid she was in no condition to lie convincingly to her husband.

And Julian had always claimed he would be able to tell if she tried to deceive him.

She had no choice but to make the attempt, Sophy told herself bracingly as she started forward again. She could not allow Julian to risk his life in a duel over her honor.

"There she be, my lord."

"Aye, thank the good God, 'tis safe she is."

"My lord, my lord, look, over there at the edge of the woods. It be my lady and she's safe."

The loud cries of heartfelt relief brought everyone around to the front of the house as Sophy walked out of the woods. She wondered with a sort of wretched amusement how much of the relief her staff felt was occasioned by the fact that they had been forced to explain her absence to Julian.

The Earl of Ravenwood swung his gaze instantly toward the trees and saw Sophy in the moonlight. Without a word he loped down the stone staircase and crossed the cobbled yard to catch her roughly in his arms.

"Sophy. By God, you have nearly killed me with worry. Where the devil have you been? Are you all right? Are you hurt? I could thrash you for terrifying me so. What happened to you?"

Even as she reminded herself of the ordeal that lay ahead of her, a tumultuous sense of relief poured through Sophy. Julian was here and she was safe. Nothing else mattered just then. Instinctively she huddled into his strong embrace, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her arms tightened convulsively around his waist. He smelled of sweat and she knew he had driven himself as hard as he must have driven Angel.

"I was so afraid, Julian."

"Not nearly so afraid as I was when I arrived a few minutes ago to be told your horse had returned late this afternoon without you. The servants have been searching for you all evening. I was preparing to send them out again. Where have you been?"

"It… it was all my own fault, Julian. I was on my way home from Old Bess's cottage. My poor mare was startled by something in the trees and I was not paying attention. She must have tossed me off. I hit my head and quite lost my senses for some time. I do not remember much until a short time ago." Dear God, she was rambling. Talking much too fast. She had to get hold of herself.

"Does your head still pain you?" Julian thrust his fingers gently into her tousled curls, feeling for a wound or bump. "Were there any other injuries?"

Sophy realized she had lost her riding hat somewhere along the way. "Uh, no, no, Julian, I am fine. That is to say, I have a headache but nothing to worry about. And… and the babe is fine," she added quickly, thinking that would take his attention off her nonexistent injuries.

"Ah, yes. The babe. I am glad to hear all is well in that regard. You will not ride again during your pregnancy, Sophy." Julian stepped back, his eyes searching her face in the moonlight. "You are quite certain you are all right?"

Sophy was too relieved that he appeared to believe her to worry just then about arguing for her right to ride again. She tried a reassuring smile and was horrified when she felt her lips quiver. She blinked quickly. "I am really quite all right, my lord. But what are you doing here? I thought you would be in London for a few more days. We had no word you would be returning this soon."

Julian studied her for a long moment and then he took her hand in his and led her back toward the anxious crowd of servants. "I had a change of plans. Come along, Sophy. I will turn you over to your maid who will see to your bath and get you something to eat. When you are yourself again, we will talk."

"About what, my lord?"

"Why, about what really happened to you today, Sophy."

NINETEEN

We were all so worried, my lady. Scared to death some-thin' had happened to you. You have no idea. The stable lads were beside themselves. When your mare comes runnin' back into the yard, they started lookin' for you right off but they couldn't find no sign. Somebody went to see Old Bess and she was as worried as the rest of us when she found out you hadn't come home.

"I am sorry to have caused so much concern, Mary." Sophy was only half-listening to her maid's description of what had happened after she had failed to return that afternoon. Her mind was on the forthcoming interview with Julian. He had not believed her. She ought to have known he would guess immediately that she was lying about having been thrown by the mare. What was she going to tell him now, Sophy wondered frantically.

"And then the head groom, who is always one for predictin' the crack o' doom, shakes his head and says we should start draggin' the pond for your body. Lord, I about collapsed, I did, when I heard that. But all the fuss weren't nothin' compared with what happened when his lordship arrived unexpected like. Even staff who'd been here at the Abbey during the time the first Countess was here said they hadn't ever seen his lordship in such a fury. Threatened to dismiss us one and all, he did."