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learned that her grandfather Sunninghill had not been a faithful husband. With money to spare, he had indulged himself in the pleasures of the flesh, including mistresses.
    Mrs Colwell had considered long before divulging this to her daughter, but had eventually decided that some worldly knowledge was essential, if the girl was not to be left completely vulnerable.
    And so Rena knew of her grandfather's scandalous habits and the way he had broken his poor wife's heart.
    But her greatest education had come from the kindly way her mother had spoken of these girls.
    "They weren't really wicked, my dear, although the world calls them that. They were just sad, misguided creatures who loved him and mistakenly trusted him.
    "One of them came to the house once. She was desperate, poor soul. My father had set her up in a fine house, lavished gifts on her, then thrown her out when she was with child. Even my mother pitied her, and gave her some money."
    "Was Grandpapa a wicked man, Mama?"
    "He was like many a man, selfish and indifferent, concerned only with pleasing himself. That's why a kind, loving man like your father should be prized. There are so few like him."
    In that modest, virtuous household there had been nobody to tell Rena that she was growing into an attractive young woman. Her hair was a pale honey colour, and her eyes which seemed almost too large for her small face, were the blue of the sky.
    In fact, if she had been properly dressed and her hair well arranged, a man might easily have called her beautiful.
    As it was, when she had seen herself in the mirror recently, she was not impressed. Her illness had left her thin, especially her face, so that her large eyes now seemed enormous.
    "I look plain and haggard," she had thought, but without emotion, for what difference could it make to her now? But suddenly she remembered the Earl saying - "Hurricanes, mermaids, beautiful young women springing up through trapdoors - Her Majesty's Navy is ready for anything."
    He had called her beautiful.
    But he was only joking, of course.
    But no man had ever used that word in connection with her before. And she couldn't help smiling.
    She had come to the drawing room where the lamp showed her a large sofa that might do for a bed, just for tonight. Some moonlight came through the large windows and she decided to return the lamp to the kitchen.
    Turning, she headed for the door and immediately collided with a chair that she hadn't seen in her path. It went over onto the wooden floor with a mighty clang that seemed to echo through the house.
    She stood listening while the echoes died away. Then there was silence.
    She made her way back to the kitchen where Clara was inspecting the floor.
    "You'd better come with me," she said. "After tonight I don't want to let you out of my sight. Parish property indeed."
    She turned out the lamp, scooped Clara up and returned along the passage to the drawing room. She had left the door open, so that although the passage was dark she could see her destination by the glow of moonlight.
    But as she took the final step through the doorway a mountain seemed to descend on her. Clara escaped and flew upwards, squawking horribly.
    After the first moment's blind panic Rena fought back fiercely, kicking out with her feet and threshing her arms. She even managed to launch some sort of blow, if the grunt from her assailant was anything to go by.
    Then they were on the floor together, rolling over and over in the darkness, each trying to get a firm grip on the other, gasping, thumping, flailing, until at last her head banged against the floor and she let out a yell.
    "What the devil - ?" said a voice that she recognised.
    The fight had taken them into a patch of moonlight near the window. Rena found she was lying on her back with a hard, masculine body on top of her, and the Earl's face staring down at her with shock.
    "M-Miss Colwell?"
    At that moment Clara landed on his head.
    "Miss Colwell?" he said again,