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under my authority. I swore an oath to control you, and I expect your cooperation and obedience."
    Authority? Control? Obedience? She was so stunned that he was gone before she found the voice to curse him.
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER FOUR  
     
    Miss Blair's willingness to compromise on the memoirs improved Elliot's mood. He would obtain the necessary denial from Merriweather, pack Miss Blair off on the next ship sailing west, and turn his attention to more interesting matters.
    Merriweather would undoubtedly cooperate. He better than anyone knew that Drury's story about that officer's death was false. Furthermore, his diplomatic career would be harmed if the whole world read that he had been indiscreet while in his cups. He would become an ally in efforts to have Miss Blair remove the incriminating paragraphs.
    Elliot discovered within the hour that the matter would not be settled as quickly as he hoped. A clerk at the British legation in the Palazzo Calabritto informed him that Merriweather had gone to Cyprus on a mission, and was not expected back for a fortnight at least.
    Elliot returned to his hotel and rearranged some of his plans. As afternoon cooled into evening he rode in a hired carriage lo the Spanish Quarter to once more call on Phaedra Blair.
    Her blue eyes blazed on seeing him al her door. "What do you want now, Lord Elliot?"
    "You said that you wished to stroll along the bay this evening. I am here to escort you."
    "I do not require your escort."
    "You either stroll with me or not at all. It would be a pity if you did not enjoy your freedom now that you have it."
    She pursed her lips. Debate reflected in her eyes. "Very well, let us go now."
    She stepped forward in anticipation of him stepping aside.
    "You forgot your hat, Miss Blair. The sun has not set and your lovely complexion will still be in danger. I am sure that you would like to avoid more of those tiny sun spots on your nose, charming though they are."
    Her hand flew to her nose. For an instant feminine vanity conquered her pose of indifference to such silly concerns.
    "You mix false flattery with criticism most adroitly, sir."
    "The flattery was not false. The spots are adorably girlish, but you still need a hat. I will wait while you put one on. You do own a hat, don't you?"
    "Of course." Exasperated, she turned on her heel and aimed for her bedchamber. "Do not follow me this time."
    "I would never enter a lady's bedchamber twice in one day. Like four dances at a ball, it might be misunderstood."
    "I misunderstand little about men, Lord Elliot. They are the most transparent of creatures."
    He expected they were, for her. She was not inexperienced. She had known where his thoughts wandered earlier today when he saw her standing next to that bed. Her unbound hair made her appear like a woman prepared for an afternoon of pleasure.
    She had not reacted with shock or modest embarrassment. There had been no virtuous indignation. Instead she just watched him while the sensual possibilities teased them both. Her expression frankly acknowledged the pull and its possibilities.
    He had never experienced anything quite like it before. She managed to taunt and reject without saying a word. You want me and I may want you but it will not happen now. It may not happen ever. I haven’t decided yet. She had to know that her manner would raise the devil in a man.
    She returned wearing a straw hat that was far more attractive than he expected. Its diagonally angled brim and silk flowers in white and blue enhanced her eyes and fair complexion. Her long, streaming hair, her lack of paint, and those tiny spots gave her a fresh, country appearance.
    Her garments marred the image. Black, lightweight, undecorated fabric swathed her from neck to toe. A sash bound her midriff but otherwise little of her shape could be seen in the voluminous, loose drapery.
    The dress provoked more speculation than she probably anticipated. It hinted at what she had told him earlier. No maid