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shared had not dimmed but had in fact grown stronger. Strong enough to finally overcome a lifetime of perfect behavior, of the weakness of not questioning the life laid out for her. When she had learned the jewels that were hers to wear and indeed to protect, as a hereditary princess of Avalonia, were imitation and the real gems had been long since lost, she had seized upon it. If she could recover the jewels, she would fulfill her responsibility to her title, her family and her country. At least in her own mind. Why, had any princess before ever accomplished such a feat? Success would give her the courage and perhaps even the right to demand to be able to live her own life with the man she loved. Even abdicate her position, if necessary. How could anyone deny her? After all, what could be more significant than restoring the legendary Heavens of Avalonia, the symbol of her family’s right to rule and her country’s very existence, to their rightful place?
    And while recovering the jewels, she fully intended to recover Matthew’s love as well. She refused to consider the possibility of failure on either count. Did she not already have something of a plan for finding the Heavens? Surely she would think of some way to win Matthew’s heart as well. She had no doubt, given his actions today, that he already desired her. Perhaps that was the place to start.
    “Do you know how potent an aphrodisiac laughter is?” Tatiana said without thinking.
    “I have an idea,” Katerina said softly.
    “Of course. How thoughtless of me.”
    Katerina’s marriage had been a love match on both sides. When her husband had died of a swift and violent illness, Katerina was devastated. She had become the princess’s official companion while both women were still in mourning. For Tatiana, helping her friend find her way through her grief eased her own bitterness as well as an odd touch of sorrow that her marriage had been so disappointing.
    “Is that how you intend to charm your way back into his affections, then?” Katerina asked. “With laughter?”
    “Perhaps not entirely into his affections. But it may well be the first step to charming my way back into his life.”
    Tatiana cast her friend a wicked grin. “And his bed.”
    Chapter 3
    Ephraim Cadwallender leaned back behind his desk in the new offices of Cadwallender’s WeeklyWorld Messenger and blew a long, low whistle. “That’s quite a proposition.”
    “Indeed it is.” Matt balanced a glass of the excellent whiskey Ephraim kept in his desk in one hand and held a cigar in the other. The whiskey was the publisher’s one true extravagance and well appreciated by his friends. The cigars were Matt’s contribution to the evening.
    “Are you going to take her up on it?”
    Matt swirled the liquor in his glass. “Absolutely.”
    “For the money, of course,” Ephraim said without a doubt in his voice.
    “The money, old man, is the least of my reasons.”
    “The least?” Ephraim raised a brow. “I would think it would be the best.”
    “There are certain aspects of this that are considerably more important than money,” Matt said slowly.
    “What could possibly be more important than money?”
    “To begin with, she’s up to something beyond writing a family history. Her story is absurd and I don’t believe her for a moment.”
    “Forgive me for mentioning the obvious, but what difference does it make?”
    “It makes a great deal of difference.” A dozen unanswered questions crowded Matt’s mind. “She’s not quite as clever as she thinks. It’s apparent there is something she hasn’t seen fit to tell me. I want to know what it is.”
    Ephraim blew a long breath. “I thought you’d had your fill of ferreting out secrets long ago.”
    “One never gets tired of ferreting out secrets; part of one’s nature, I suppose.” Matt chuckled. “In one way or another, I seem to be constantly trying to do just that. To uncover the secrets of the forces of physics and