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enemy on a battle-scarred ship at sea, in the three years since the war had ended he had not been able to summon the courage to face his family. His departure from Weston Manor had been neither cordial nor sedate, and while he wanted to go home, he was not eager for the reception that awaited him.
    “So you’re doing this for your family?”
    “I wouldn’t say that.”
    “You wouldn’t admit that. However, it seems to me a man who is willing to go to such lengths to protect his family is lying to himself about something,” Ephraim mused. “Either how he really feels about said family—”
    “Hardly,” Matt lied.
    “Or about the money.”
    “I’m not entirely certain I’ll take her money.”
    “That”—Ephraim pointed his cigar and squinted through the smoke—“is perhaps one of the most asinine things I have ever heard you say. Why, in the name of all that’s holy, not?”
    Matt bit back a grin at the printer’s indignation. “Pride, I suppose. I dislike the idea of allowing her, or any woman, to purchase me like a sack of grain.”
    “Well, she can purchase me. I’d take her money without so much as a moment of hesitation. In fact, if you’re not interested, I’d be more than willing to volunteer my services. At those prices she can buy me and my pride. Do feel free to pass on my name.” Ephraim paused. “She’s not one of those horse-faced princesses, is she? The ones whose portraits can’t quite hide the truth of their appearance? Knowing you, I assume she’s attractive.”
    “Quite.”
    “Then you’re doing it for the woman.”
    “Don’t be absurd.”
    Ephraim studied his friend curiously. “There’s a great deal you haven’t told me, isn’t there?”
    “Not a great deal.” Matt shifted in his seat, well aware of just how much he’d kept from Ephraim. They had been friends for nearly a decade and had met when they’d served on the same ship. Each had saved the other’s life on more than one occasion, and Matt had shared far more with Ephraim than with any man alive. Yet on the subject of Tatiana he’d never said a word.
    “You said you made her acquaintance in Paris last year.” Ephraim’s voice was thoughtful. “And when you returned to England, you were in the foulest of moods—”
    “Me? The foulest of moods?” Matt widened his eyes in feigned surprise. “I am never anything but jovial and even-tempered.”
    Ephraim ignored him. “—and spent a good six months in an impressive state of drunkenness.”
    “Hardly six months,” Matt said in an offhand manner. “Scarcely more than four. And my condition had more to do with the fact that my work wasn’t going well and I couldn’t—”
    “I stand corrected.” Ephraim waved away Matt’s comment. “Although that’s not the impression I had then. At the time, you indicated that your melancholy, obvious anger and ongoing inebriation were to the blame or credit of a member of the fairer sex. However, you never revealed the details of what was obviously a disastrous liaison. As you had never before been the least bit reluctant to regale me with your amorous adventures, I assumed this was somewhat more serious than usual.”
    Matt puffed on his cigar, then grinned. “She quite broke my heart.”
    Ephraim’s eyes narrowed knowingly. “That’s what I thought.”
    “It wasn’t as bad—”
    “It was.” Ephraim leaned forward. “And it was this woman, wasn’t it? This princess ?”
    Matt met the other man’s gaze and considered his answer. He hated to admit what a fool he’d been for not seeing Tatiana was not who she’d said she was. And more, for losing his heart to her. But now that she was back in his life with her outrageous and too-tempting offer, it was perhaps past time to take an objective look at what had passed between them. He shrugged. “I didn’t know she was a princess.”
    “Didn’t know?” Ephraim’s brows drew together in mock astonishment. “What? She wore no crown?
    Had no royal