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an ordinary flirtation. Marcus Devlin was certainly an entertaining opponent when it came to challenges. “I’m afraid she doesn’t go out of doors, either.”
    “How very inconvenient … or do I mean convenient?”
    “I don’t know what you could mean, Lord Carrington.”
    “Well, what’s to be done? I wish to have private speech with you; how is it to be contrived?”
    “You seemed remarkably expert at abduction the other evening,” Judith heard herself say, astonished at the recklessness of her response.
    He bowed, and his black eyes glittered. “If that’s how you’d like to proceed, I am always happy to oblige. Make your farewells, we’re going in search of privacy.”
    “You would find it difficult to abduct me from this room, I think, sir.” She gestured to the crowd.
    “Do you care to make a wager, ma’am?”
    She caught her lower lip between her teeth, putting her head on one side as she considered the question. This was infinitely more entertaining than simple flirtation. “Twenty guineas?”
    “We have a wager, Miss Davenport.” The next instant, he had swept her off her feet and bundled her into his arms. It was so startling, she was momentarily speechless. And then he was pushing through the crowd with his burden. “Miss Davenport is feeling faint. I fear the news of Napoleon’s advent has quite overset her.”
    “Oh, goodness me, and it’s no wonder,” the bewhiskered colonel said. “We must protect the delicate sensibilities of ladies from such news.”
    “Just so, Naseby,” Marcus agreed. “I’m going to take her into the air. It’s very close in here.” People fell back, clucking solicitously, clearing his path to the door. Judith, recovered from her surprise, still found it impossible to say anything that wouldn’t make the situation even more farcical, and was obliged to close her eyes tight and remain still as he carried her out of the house and into the street.
    There he set his seething burden on her feet, dusted off his hands with great satisfaction, and said, “You owe me twenty guineas, Miss Davenport.”
    “That was shameless!” she exclaimed. “And to say I was swooning with fear of Napoleon was … was … was … Oh, I can’t think of the right words.”
    “Dastardly,” he supplied helpfully. “Despicable, shabby …”
    “Unsporting,” she snapped. “Adding insult to injury.”
    “But irresistible, you must admit.”
    “I admit nothing.” She smoothed down her skirts and adjusted a pin in the diminutive lacy cap, before putting up her parasol. “I don’t have twenty guineas with me, my lord. But I will send it around to your house this afternoon.”
    “That will be quite convenient.” He bowed. “However, I’m more interested at the moment in finding somewhere private. We’ll walk in the park, I think.” He drew her arm through his.
    “I don’t care to walk in the park.” Petulance seemed to have replaced mature challenge.
    “Would you prefer me to escort you home?” he offered with prompt courtesy.
    “You know I would not.”
    “Then it must be the park.”
    And that seemed to be that. Short of turning andrunning, which would be ridiculously undignified, there seemed no alternative but to do as he said. She’d husband her resources for the time being.
    They passed through the iron gates at the entrance to the park and Lord Carrington directed their steps unerringly to a small copse.
    Judith hesitated as they moved into the cool, green seclusion. Something didn’t feel right. “Can’t we have this discussion in the open, my lord?”
    “No, because I can’t be walking around when I say what I wish to say, and if we were to stand still in the middle of the path it would look very odd.” Releasing her arm, he sat down on a stone bench encircling the trunk of a pine tree and patted the space beside him.
    Judith was unsure whether it was invitation or command, but it didn’t seem to matter. She sat down, curiosity now