Emily slowly inched her way down the makeshift rope, uncertain of the strength of the knot she had tied around the bedpost. Her heart pounded in her chest as she expected the rope to give way at any moment and send her plummeting to the ground. She reached a second-story window at last, and, while braced against the narrow embrasure, her slippered toes clinging to the window ledge, she thought to chance calling for help. The room appeared to be dark; there was no glow from a fire or branch of candles. Taking a deep breath, discounting the folly of disturbing perfect strangers who might be more threatening than her cousin, she tapped on the glass. There was no response.

"Oh, please!" she whispered as she tapped louder. "Someone please be there!"

Still there was no response, and she was forced to admit that the room was unoccupied. She tried to force the window open, but it appeared to be locked from the inside. "Damnation!" she cried as she slapped the flat of her hand against the window in despair. There was nothing for it but to continue down to the ground.

Emily gave the knotted linen a cautious tug. It seemed to be taut enough, and so she grasped it tightly with both hands and began once again to ease her way down. She kept her eyes on the ground below.

It was close now—if the linen rope gave way, she would fall only a short distance. She began to relax. When her toes were no more than three or four feet from the ground, Emily braced herself to jump.

Suddenly she was grabbed from behind, strong arms closing tightly around her waist.

"No!" she screamed as she was pulled free from the rope. "No!"

A wail of despair rose up from the back of her throat as she realized she had been caught. She had almost done it. She had almost gotten away. But, blast it all, she would not give up without a fight. She began kicking and struggling against her captor who, damn his eyes, was actually laughing.

As she kicked she was pulled close against a heavy coat over a broad chest. She realized this man was taller and broader than Hugh. Who was this? Her uncle? One of his henchmen? She kicked out harder, though her soft evening slippers were useless against the thick leather boots of her captor. As she was pulled tighter against the broad chest, she caught a fleeting hint of the aroma of musky shaving oil. Could it be ...

"What kind of welcome is this?" a soft, seductive, wonderfully familiar voice said against her ear. "And after all the trouble I've been through to rescue you."

Robert!

Emily turned in the arms that held her and threw her own around his neck. He gathered her close as tears of relief fell down her cheeks.

"I-I thought you were Hugh," she said in a quavering voice.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, my love."

"Oh, no," she said, pulling back so that she could look up at him. Her eyes bright with tears, but she gave him a tremulous smile. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in all my life!"

"My sentiments exactly, my dear," said Robert, the laughter gone from his voice as he gave her a look of such warmth that her breath caught in her throat. She was immediately reminded of the look in his eyes last night just before he kissed her.

"B-but, what of my cousin?" she asked, unable to take her eyes from his. "He was the one who abducted me, was he not? I never actually saw him, but I thought I heard his voice."

"Yes, it was Faversham who took you, the bloody fool."

"What has happened to him?" she asked. "Did you—"

"I am afraid he's lying on the taproom floor," Robert replied. When Emily gasped, he added, "Nursing a bloody nose."

"Oh, my." She steered him away from the shadows and into the moonlight. After studying his face she reached up a hand to touch his bruised chin. "He did this to you?"

Robert smiled. "He got lucky. But I assure you he looks much worse."

"I am glad," Emily said with conviction. "Although I almost wish you had killed him." She thought of the hat and greatcoat on the chair. "I was so afraid." She shuddered as she buried her face against his shoulder.

He tightened his arms about her. "Emily," he whispered.

After a moment he reached down and tilted her chin up with the edge of his hand. "Emily," he whispered against her lips. He kissed her gently, then pulled away and looked into her dazed eyes. Suddenly he crushed his mouth to hers. He kissed her with a hunger and passion Emily could not have imagined, and she responded with her own shy desire. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer, savoring every new sensation as his mouth plundered hers.

Finally, reluctantly, Emily pulled her lips away from his and pushed against his shoulders. My God, she had let it happen again! This was foolishness. This was wrong. She must step behaving like a doxy, for that is all she could ever hope to be to him. And she would never be that. Never.

"Robert, we can't," she said breathlessly, trying to escape the arms that still held her.

"Why not?" He began softly stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I love you, Emily."

She wrenched away and turned her back to him. She couldn't bear this.

"Don't do this, Robert," she said plaintively. "I am not a lightskirt. I will not be your mistress."

Robert chuckled. "Then I suppose you'll just have to be my wife."

"Please don't tease me, Robert," she whispered. "This is much too painful for me. You know I cannot be your wife. I cannot bear for you to kiss me like that and tell me you love me and then go off and marry Augusta Windhurst. Please," she said, choking back a sob. "Please go away."

Robert came up behind her and curled his arms around her waist, gently pressing her back against his chest. Emily thought she would collapse with grief, thought her knees might actually buckle, and so accepted the support of his strong arms. Tears coursed down her cheeks.

"But I'm not going to marry Augusta," he said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Emily stiffened involuntarily. A tiny thread of hope wound its way around her heart. She sucked in her breath.

"You're not?" Her voice came out in an unnatural squeak.

"No." Robert laughed, pulling her closer. "We have decided we would not suit. In fact," he said, his breath tickling her ear, "if my guess is correct, Miss Windhurst is even now finding comfort in the arms of my cousin Ted. Perhaps he is kissing her, like this." He nibbled her ear, caressing it with his tongue.

"Or like this." He feathered kisses down her neck onto her bare shoulder.

"Or like this." His lips moved up to her throat and Emily threw back her head and sighed with pleasure.

"Or ..." He turned her in his arms, and his mouth came down on hers. He moved his lips tenderly against her mouth, teasing her lips with his tongue. She moaned softly, threw her arms around his neck, and opened her mouth to his.

Some time later Emily sat perched sideways in front of Robert on his horse, his greatcoat enveloping her like a cocoon. She leaned comfortably against his chest, his arm holding her close, tilting her head up frequently to receive his kiss as they made their leisurely way back to Grosvenor Square. Both cherished this private interlude, savoring the physical intimacy required by their position on the horse, and were in no particular hurry to reach Mayfair.

As they plodded along the deserted midnight roads, they spoke of all that was in their hearts, recounting, as lovers do, those moments when they first recognized their love for one another. They spoke of their future together, of the family they would have, and marveled at the depth of their happiness.

"You know, Robert," Emily said as she snuggled deeper into the warmth of his greatcoat, "I still do not understand what happened tonight. I cannot for the life of me comprehend why my cousin abducted me."

"Oh, good lord!" Robert exclaimed. "You don't know."

"Know what?"

Emily began to bounce against his chest as Robert exploded with laughter.

"What?" she repeated, thoroughly puzzled. "What should I know?"

Robert rocked her in his arms as he laughed. Emily pounded his chest with her fists in her impatience, which only made him laugh harder. When he was finally able to speak, he said, "Emily, my love, you are an heiress."

She blinked owlishly. "I beg your pardon?"

"You are an heiress," he repeated, still chuckling. "A very rich woman."

"I-I don't understand. I haven't a sou, as you well know, except for the generous salary your grandmother pays me. And I intend to use most of that to repay her for all the clothes and other things she has bought me for this stay in London."

"My dear girl, you may more than pay her back. I meant it when I said you were an heiress. You see, it seems your grandfather decided to acknowledge you after all and left you a sizable inheritance."

"My grandfather?" She shook her head, not fully comprehending. "But—"

"He left you with a sum to be used as a marriage settlement. But your uncle, may he rot in hell, claimed he was unable to locate you. He has been living off your inheritance for the last five years."

"I can't believe it! How did you discover all this?"

Robert told her of his initial suspicions, of Huntspill's investigation and the recovery of her grandfather's will. He also told of his confrontation with Lord Pentwick, omitting several of the less pleasant details.

"As you were now becoming known in Society," he continued, "it became more difficult for Pentwick to pretend ignorance of your whereabouts. I believe his intent initially was to cause you such public embarrassment that you would retreat once again into the country, away from the prying eyes of the ton. He had not counted on Grandmother, Louisa, myself, and others rallying to your defense, however." He bent down and kissed her gently.

"I suspect," he said, "that Pentwick decided to change tactics and have his own son marry you in order to get, or rather to keep, his hands on your money."

"So that's why Cousin Hugh was forever at my side."

"Indeed. And when you showed no interest, you made it necessary for him to take more drastic measures. My meeting with Pentwick this afternoon only made it more urgent to act quickly."

"Oh, but this is monstrous!" Emily cried. "He knew I would never consent to marry him and so he set out to... to ..."

Robert gathered her close. "Yes, I'm afraid his intentions were less than honorable, my love."

"Oh, Robert," Emily said as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder, "thank goodness you came after me. I could not have borne it if... I don't know what I would have done if..." She chewed on her lower lip, attempting to hold back tears.

"Hush, love, everything is all right now." He bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek. "But I shall never forgive Faversham—or Pentwick—for tonight's sorry business."

"No," she said, "and I hope never to set eyes on either of them again. The hateful beasts!"

"And not only for tonight does Pentwick earn my wrath," Robert said, "but for all those years that you were left to struggle, forced to take employment, to be little better than a servant, when—"

"No, no, Robert," she interrupted, tilting her head to look up at him, "I shall never regret my years of service. If I had not been in service, I would never have met you."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I suppose I am obliged to thank Pentwick, then, for allowing you to brighten my life. I shall have to remember that whenever I feel the need to throttle him. Nevertheless, I cannot but hope that the man disappears after turning over to you the thirty thousand pounds."

Emily stiffened and pulled back. "What did you say?"

"I said that I hope he disappears—"

"Not that part! Something about"—she swallowed—"thirty ..."

"Thirty thousand pounds." He grinned. "Had I failed to mention the amount?"

"I am to have thirty ... thousand ... pounds?"

Robert nodded, and she fell back against him, shaking her head in disbelief. "But this is incredible!"

He laughed and said, "I did say you were an heiress, did I not?'

"Indeed you did." Emily was thoughtful for a moment, then bit back a smile. "And now suddenly it all makes sense to me. You wish to marry me for my money."

"The devil you say!"

"Admit it, my lord," she said, "you never had the least interest in me until you discovered I was an heiress."

"But—"

"There's no sense in denying it, my lord. I shall not be so easily manipulated, however. Now that I am a rich woman I believe I should wait to see what other gentlemen may come forward." She could no longer hold back a smile. "I imagine I could have my pick of the lot."

"I'm afraid not, my dear," Robert said. "You see, I have already told Sedgewick that I would kill him before I let him marry you."

"You didn't!"

"I did. And I will similarly challenge any other gentleman who attempts to take you away from me."

"You will?"

"I will. I'm not letting you go, Emily," he said, crushing her against him, "now that I've finally got you."

"That sounds perfectly wonderful to me, my lord."

Robert dropped the reins and took her in both his arms and kissed her soundly.

The horse, with no one guiding him, ambled toward the side of the road and came to a complete stop while he investigated a nearby berry bush. It was some time before his passengers decided to continue their journey.

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