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herself
    out of the darkened library, blinking a
    few times in the glare of the brightly lit
    hall before she started up the red-carpeted
    stairs. As she reached the landing, her
    gathering sense of excitement was almost
    overpowering.
      You may go, Nan," she informed her
    young maid as she entered her airy, yellow,
    gold, and white bedroom.
      But your lovely gown, ma'am. You'll
    need help getting it off."
    Victoria smiled in resignation, knowing
    she would only create questions where
      there were none if she refused assistance.
    But she dismissed the abigail as soon as
    possible and then turned back to the
    depths of her wardrobe.
    From beneath a pile of shawls she pulled
    a pair of men's breeches and from under a
    stack of blankets she removed some boots.
    She found the jacket where she had stored
    it inside her large, wooden chest and set
    to work.
    Within     a     short    while    Victoria    was
    standing in front of her dressing glass
    examining her appearance with a critical
    eye. She had been quietly gathering the
    masculine clothing for weeks, and this was
    the first time she had tried on the entire
    outfit.
    The breeches fit a bit too snugly, tending
    to outline the flare of her hips and the
    feminine shape of her calves, but there
    was no help for it. With any luck the
    tails of her dark blue coat and the night
    itself would hide the most obvious hints of
    femininity. At least her breasts, being rather
    on the small side, were easily concealed
    beneath the finely pleated shirt and yellow
    waistcoat.
    When Victoria set the beaver hat at
    a rakish angle on her short hair, she
    was pleased with the overall effect. She
    was certain that, at least at night, she
    could safely pass as a young dandy. After
    all, people saw only what they expected
    to see.
    Anticipation welled up deep inside her
    and she realized she wasn't as excited about
    the fortheoming expedition to the fair as
    she was anxious about seeing stone vale
    again.
    It was true, as Annabella had said,
    stone vale must be a gentleman or Lady
    Atherton and Bertie Lyndwood would not
    count him among their acquaintances. But
    a woman, especially an heiress, could
    not depend upon any man's sense of
    gentlemanly honor. She had learned that
    lesson well from her stepfather. Still,
    Victoria knew she would be safe enough
    tonight so long as she stayed in control of
    the situation.
    She relaxed, allowing herself a small,
    assured smile. She'd had a great deal
    of experience controlling situations that
    involved men.
    Victoria crossed the deep blue carpet to
    the yellow velvet armchair near the window
    and settled in it. In a little while it would
    be safe to leave the house.
    Tonight there would be no time to
    worry about the creeping restlessness that
    frequently threatened her in the long, dark
    hours of the night; no time to dwell on
    that sense of something dangerous left
    unfinished; no time to fret about bizarre
      notions such as the possibility of bringing
    the dead back to life with electricity.
    Best of all, it was nearly midnight
    already. With any luck she would be awake
    most of the night, so there would be less
    time for the nerve-shattering dreams that
    increasingly invaded her nights as of late.
    She had come to fear those nightmares. A
    small shiver went through her even now as
    she pushed the memory of the last one to
    the farthest corner of her mind. She could
    still see the knife in his hand.
    No, there would be little opportunity for
    those nightmares to strike tonight. With
    any luck she would not be home before
    dawn. She could deal with the daylight
    hours. It was the darkness she had learned
    to fear.
    Victoria gazed out into the shadowed
    garden and wondered what stone vale
    would think when he saw her dressed
    as a man.
    The cheerful anticipation of his stunned
    expression was enough to banish the small,
    tattered remnant of horror that still hovered
    at the edge of her mind.
    Lucas leaned forward on the carriage
    seat