family in the area. But for reasons of his own, he chose not to make an offer."

Ivybridge tut-tutted. "Family finances proved not to be as represented," he explained in a confidential tone to Wilson and Adam.

"In other words, the lady's inheritance was not rich enough to suit you," Caroline said icily. "You withdrew from that quarter and fixed your interests in a different direction."

"My lovely Helen," Ivybridge agreed, his satisfaction plain. "It proved to be an excellent match."

"She was not only quite pretty, she came with a hand-some property that bordered the Ivybridge estate," Caroline said. "But there was a small problem with Miss Aurora Kent, who did not take kindly to being cast aside."

Ivybridge grimaced. "My change of plans evidently affected the lady's nerves in a rather peculiar fashion. She began acting decidedly odd. Actually showed up at my house on two occasions, unescorted during both instances, I might add. Demanded to know whom I had chosen to take her place. There was a dreadful scene in the course of the second visit. Threats were made"

Adam's stomach clenched. "Aurora Kent was mentally unbalanced?"

"Afraid so." Ivybridge shuddered. "I had a very close call, I can tell you. When I think of how close I came to marrying that woman, well, it still sends shivers through me."

"Ivybridge perceived, quite rightly, that Aurora Kent was not entirely sane," Caroline said. "When he withdrew his offer, she became a woman obsessed. He concluded that it would be most unwise to give her the name of his real intended"

"I feared she might do some harm to Helen," Ivy-bridge said, once again looking to the men in the room for understanding and approval. "Obviously I had a duty to protect my future wife from a madwoman."

"So he gave Aurora Kent my name instead" Caroline's gloved hands tightened into small fists at her side. "He told that poor, demented woman that he intended to marry me. And he never even had the courtesy to let me know what he had done."

Ivybridge's face pinched in rage. "How dare you accuse me of putting you in harm's way?"

"That is precisely what you did," Caroline said. "You wanted revenge"

"Nonsense," Ivybridge said swiftly. "You are inventing more fiction here."

Caroline's gaze was unwavering. "You were infuriated because I had repulsed your lecherous advances. When you saw an opportunity to punish me for turning down your despicable offer to make me your mistress, you seized upon it."

"How dare you accuse me of making unwanted advances?" Ivybridge glanced nervously at Adam and then just as quickly looked away. "You invited my attentions with your unconventional behavior. Always wandering about the countryside on your own without a respectable chaperone—what did you expect a gentleman to think?"

All of the oxygen seemed to have been sucked out of Adam's lungs. He dared not move. He knew that if he did not control himself utterly at this moment, he would surely kill Ivybridge.

"It is true that I was in the habit of going off on long walks to think through my plots and ideas," Caroline said. Her mouth tightened. "Things are different in the country. Manners are more relaxed. No one in the village took any notice of me except you. And you were furious that day when I refused your advances. Later, when Aurora Kent showed signs of becoming quite dangerous, you pointed her in my direction."

"What happened?" Julia asked.

"Aurora followed me one afternoon," Caroline said. "I swear, she stalked me as if she was a hunter and I was the quarry."

"Dear heaven," Julia whispered.

Ivybridge rolled his eyes. "Such a melodramatic imagination. No wonder Miss Connor became a sensation novelist."

Caroline looked at Adam. "Aurora came upon me while I was sitting beneath a tree, making some notes. I saw at once that something was terribly wrong. She was dressed in only a nightgown and a pair of shoes. I spoke to her, asking her if she was ill. She did not seem to hear my question. She just kept repeating the same words over and over again."

Adam could not abide the cloudy veil of old terror gathering in her eyes. He straightened and crossed to where she stood in the center of the room. He put his hands gently on her bare shoulders.

No one moved or spoke. Even Ivybridge seemed suddenly bespelled.

"What did she say?" Adam asked Caroline, speaking to her as if they were alone.

"She said, You have to go away. Don't you see? He will come back to me if you go away."

When she repeated Aurora's words, her voice changed subtly, sliding into an eerie singsong. She was falling back into the memory, he realized, reliving a nightmare. Beneath his hands, her skin had gone cold. He could feel the shivers arcing through her. Very carefully, he tightened his fingers, forcing her to take notice of him.

"What happened next?" he asked into the crystalline silence.

Caroline watched him as if she were trapped in a whirlpool and he held the rope that she could use to pull her-self to safety. "She had been clutching a carving knife be-hind her back. She brought it out, raised it high and rushed at me. She tried to kill me, Adam"

He pulled her close against him, wrapped his arms around her and tried to warm her with the heat of his own body.

"You lived," he said into her ear, rocking her gently. "You lived. You are all right, Caroline. It is over."

"I turned to run," she whispered into his coat. "But my skirts got tangled around my ankles, tripping me. I fell. She was right there, almost on top of me. She went for my throat with the blade of the knife. I managed to roll to the side and scramble to my feet. I ran."

"Caroline" Emma started forward, one arm outstretched.

Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Milly wrap her hand around Emma's shoulders, silently halting her.

Ivybridge gave another disgusted snort. "For the information of everyone present, no knife was ever found. I fear it was but another figment of Miss Connor's overheated imagination."

"I picked up my skirts and fled toward the river," Caroline said numbly. "She was right behind me every step of the way. So close. I knew that I could not outpace her for long in my heavy dress. I reached the river and started across the footbridge. But she was almost upon me"

Caroline was as tense as though she were still in the act of fleeing for her life, Adam thought.

"What in God's name did you do?" he asked tightly.

"I finally remembered my parasol. It was attached to my waist by the new chatelaine that Aunt Emma and Aunt Milly had given me for my birthday. I unsnapped it and stopped on the bridge. I used the parasol as though it were a long sword, stabbing toward Aurora's face. She fell back, instinctively trying to protect her eyes, I suppose. But she was off balance. The back of her knee struck the low railing of the footbridge. She went over the edge and into the river. The water was very deep. She could not swim."

"She drowned?" Adam asked.

Ivybridge snorted. "Nothing so neat and tidy. It happens that, among her other unladylike accomplishments, Miss Connor is an excellent swimmer. She stripped down to her chemise without a thought to propriety, went into the water and dragged the wretched Miss Kent to safety. Both women were discovered, soaking wet and dressed in their lingerie, by one of the tenants on my estate. A shocking sight, I as-sure you. The gossip did not die down for months."

"What happened to Aurora Kent?" Richard asked. "I trust she was sent to an asylum?"

Caroline raised her head from Adam's shoulder. "She took her own life later that same afternoon."

"Used her father's pistol to accomplish what the river had failed to do," Ivybridge said offhandedly. "Rendering Miss Connor's ridiculous rescue entirely moot."

"What happened to the knife?" Adam asked.

"Aurora Kent had it in her hand when she fell into the river," Caroline whispered. "She dropped it in the deep water beneath the footbridge. I suppose it is still there in the mud on the bottom."

"It was all a great uproar, I assure you" Ivybridge said. "Just to top it off, there were rumors to the effect that Miss Connor and I had been involved in an illicit affair. What with one thing and another, Miss Connor's reputation was in tatters."

Richard took his hand off the mantel and bowed respectfully to Caroline. "I stand in awe of your heroic nature, Miss Connor."

Julia got to her feet. "As do I, Caroline. Indeed, I am greatly moved by this sad tale. In my opinion, Ivybridge's actions lack any semblance of honor or nobility."

Ivybridge was thunderstruck. "I beg your pardon, madam. I am a gentleman."

"I agree entirely with my wife," Richard said. He looked at Ivybridge. "You, sir, are no gentleman."

"I never did like you, Ivybridge," Wilson said. "Please find your wife in the ballroom and leave immediately. You are no longer welcome as a guest in this household."

Ivybridge's face scrunched up first in disbelief and then in growing alarm. Adam could see that it had finally dawned on him that his role in the episode in Chillingham was not viewed with approval by anyone present.

"Now, see here" Ivybridge lurched to his feet. "I was at-tempting to do you a favor, Hardesty. If you wish to offend Society by forming a very public liaison with a woman who was involved in a great scandal, that is your affair."

"You're right." Adam released Caroline and started across the room toward Ivybridge. "It is my affair. And there is another aspect of this situation that you would do well to bear in mind."