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until you reached your own maturity. And as I have said, it is inconsequential. I can provide—”
    â€œBut you cannot provide!” she interrupted him on a husky note, and then she fell silent as his sharp gaze queried her. She could not tell him that she didn’t want to accept his charity with one breath and then inform him with the next that she was afraid his charity would not be sufficient to cover her needs.
    What in God’s name was she going to do? It seemed they were all doomed. Even playing this elaborate pretense had not altered their situation.
    â€œMiss Ahearn,” he said, suddenly very impatient, “I am afraid that I am tiring of hearing what you can and cannot do. I have stated the facts to you and they are what they are. Dear Lord, but this could have been easy, and here I am bickering with a whining child—”
    â€œI have never, never whined in my entire life!” Marissa spat out, her hands clenched at her side. And then she realized how close she had moved to him, and felt again the sizzling heat that seemed to emanate from the man. She saw the furious tick of his pulse against the hard cords of his throat and felt the cobalt blaze of his eyes hard upon her. She wanted to back away. She dared not show such a sign of defeat, and yet she wished desperately that she had managed to handle things with more cool dignity and much less drama and passion.
    â€œNor,” she said softly, “am I a child.”
    â€œWell, we shall see, won’t we?” he asked her quietly. “I pray that you are right.”
    â€œAnd what, exactly, does that mean, sir?” she demanded coolly.
    â€œIt means that you are exasperating me beyond all sensible bounds, young woman. I have business in the city. And at this moment I’m afraid I need to bind you to my side as I go about it, for my fears concerning you—Sir Thomas’s fears—seem quite justified.”
    She realized suddenly that he was serious, that he seemed to think she might be ready to run off with the lover she had seemed to admit that she had. She shook her head vehemently.
    â€œYou need fear nothing concerning me.”
    â€œNeedn’t I?” He walked around her once again, and she felt his eyes surveying her as he did so. “What guarantees do I have that you will not run the moment my back is turned?”
    â€œThere is no guarantee,” she said softly, uneasily, whirling to face him. Then she smiled bitterly. “Truly, I have nowhere left to run.”
    â€œMake things difficult for me, Miss Ahearn,” he said in a tone so soft it might have been gentle, “and I swear, I shall hunt you down. I’ve neither the time nor the inclination for this, and if you force my hand, I swear that it can be a ruthless one.”
    â€œOf that I’ve no doubt,” Marissa murmured.
    â€œGood,” he said after a moment, “then we are understood.” He headed for the door and paused before opening it. “I will be back tomorrow evening. We will finalize our plans then.”
    He did not say goodbye. He exited, closing the door firmly behind him.
    Seconds later Marissa heard Mary’s cry of anguish coming from the bedroom, then her friend rushed out, pale, nearly hysterical.
    â€œOh, Marissa! What shall we do now? There is nothing left to do. Dear Lord, I must find Jimmy! I must marry him immediately before he finds out! I don’t care about the future, oh, I swear! I can live anywhere, I can do anything. I can find a position as a governess. That would not be too taxing upon my health. I will live in a cottage or a hovel or a one-room flat, I will scrub it, I will—”
    â€œDie in it, most likely,” Marissa said bluntly, wearily. “Mary, stop. Take hold of yourself. You are barely over your last bout of fever. You are talking nonsense, and Jimmy loves you far too much to allow it.”
    â€œI won’t let him know!” Mary