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felt Eric s hard grip at her waist, swinging her down to the road.
Thank God, she said tearfully, throwing her arms around him. He held her in a brief, crushing grip, and
released her, his gaze raking over her. I m all right, she said, smiling up at him. She lifted her hand to his
face, trying to assure herself that he was real. It was Eric& but he wore an expression she had never seen
before, so cold and murderous that she flinched. His green-gray eyes were as hard as ice as he watched
Chance descend from the carriage.
Lidian s smile vanished, and she broke the silence in a faltering voice. He& wants to duel with you.
Chance tried to summon a cocky smile. I d say there was sufficient provocation for that, wouldn t you,
De Gray?
No duel, Eric said softly. Although I d take pleasure in slicing you to ribbons, I won t have her name
ruined.
Then how shall this be settled
Before the sentence was finished, Eric reached Chance in one swift stride. His fists landed in a hard,
pummeling rhythm while Chance howled in protest and tried to defend himself. The two of them locked in
combat and fell to the side of the street, swearing and brawling. Eric slammed Chance s head to the
ground and continued to hit him mercilessly, not pausing even when Chance began to lose consciousness.
Lidian rushed to him, urgently calling his name. Eric, please& you must stop!
Eric paused, breathing heavily as he stared down at Chance s battered face. Don t ever come near her
again, he said thickly, or I ll finish what I started tonight.
Never, Chance croaked, his eyes slitting open.
Eric wiped his blood-smeared fists on Chance s coat and stood up. Slowly Chance eased to a sitting
position, groaning as he gingerly touched his face.
I knew you d come for me, Lidian said with a wavering smile. Eric glanced at her with no expression
and led her to the hackney. She obeyed his prompting to enter the carriage, and wondered why he
looked so grim.
I m not returning to the boating party, he said. You ll have to go back alone.
Wh-what? Lidian was utterly confused. You& you seem angry with me. Eric, you don t think this is
my fault, do you? You can t possibly believe that I went with him willingly!
I don t know what to believe, he said coolly.
I loveyou , not Chance!
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Not long ago you would have given anything to be with him.
But everything s different now. I thought you understood. She clambered out of the hackney as he
strode toward the chestnut gelding he had ridden. Where are you going?
I don t know, he said over his shoulder. At the moment I don t care.
Hurt, afraid, anxious, Lidian tried to think of how to convince him to stay with her. He must be made to
understand how much she loved him, wanted him, enough that she wouldnever have gone anywhere
willingly with Chance Spencer. You must listen to me
I m in no mood to talk now.
She watched in disbelief as he took the gelding s reins in hand and swung easily onto the horse.
Eric! she called, but he didn t seem to hear. All at once she remembered the whistle around her neck.
He had once promised to come to her whenever she used it. She fumbled with the small object and
managed to bring it to her lips. Using all her strength, she blew until it produced a shrill, piercing blast.
Eric stopped at the sound. Slowly he turned his head, and their gazes locked. Lidian didn t dare breathe
as he approached her. Eric stared at her with frustration, anger, and an odd flicker of amusement. What
the hell do you want?
To be alone with you.
Tension built in the silence that followed. Later, Eric finally said.
Now, she insisted softly.
He contemplated her for a moment. Finally he reached a hand down, and she grasped his taut wrist. His
fingers closed around her arm, and he pulled her up to the saddle in front of him.
Lidian was filled with relief as she felt his arm close around her, holding her steady as he signaled the
horse with the pressure of his thighs. They did not speak for the next few minutes, each of them lost in
private thoughts and questions. At the end of the short journey, Eric reined in the horse in front of an
elegant town house with an ivory Palladian-fronted facade.
Is this yours? Lidian asked.
He nodded, dismounting the gelding and helping her down. A servant appeared to take the horse while
Eric escorted Lidian inside with a firm hand on her elbow. The interior of the house was cool and
refreshing, the walls tinted cream and pale yellow, with French furniture and hangings of burgundy and
gold. Lidian had a brief impression of an imperturbable butler and a pair of servants who politely went
about their work and hid any trace of surprise that their master had brought an un-chaperoned girl there.
Eric took her to his private suite, a receiving room decorated in cream and slate blue, with a
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