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Chapter 1

It was the first rule of friendship aentlemen: Never, ever lay a hand on your best friend's sister

Don't do it Don't even think about it

Not One Finger

Sebastian Ives, Lord Byrne, had never been one for following rules But promises? He took those seriously indeed His friendship with Henry Clayton had been the anchor in his turbulent youth, too valuable to risk So he'd made a vow to himself, and he'd steadfastly held to it--as best he could, anyhow--for years

Eleven years

Eleven long years

More than four thousand days of wrestling the temptation to take Mary Clayton in his arms and

Well, from there the specifics varied

Suffice it to say, aside from the casual contact necessitated by social convention, he'd never touched her--with one exception After Henry's funeral, he'd held her for hours as she wept That didn't count, surely

But today, Sebastian found himself tempted to break his promise No, "break" was too weak a word He wanted to bundle his principles, snap therind them to sand beneath his boot

Daown

Not only lovely, but inexplicably alone

"Where the devil is your groom?"

"I'm not certain," she said

He paced the floor of the chapel's tiny annex, averting his gaze froentle curl of auburn hair that adorned it "How dare he keep you waiting, the bastard"

"Mr Perry's not a bastard He's the legitimate son of a barrister"

"I don't care if he's the Prince of Wales The man made a promise to you, and he's not here to keep it That makes him a bastard A tardy bastard, at that"

"He isn't late, Sebastian" She paused "He's not co"

"Impossible"

"It's quite possible In fact, it's evident He's not here, and neither is his fah "He ed his mind at the last moment"

"Changed his e hisyou?"

"One anted a different sort of wife, I suppose Someone less opinionated, more amenable You of all people know I can be difficult"

Difficult? When it ca his distance

He supposed he could see why a weakerShe'd always been ether She was strong and self-reliant, because losing her iven her no other choice

And she was passionate If she believed in so she had, and never back down She believed that women should have the vote, that prisoners should have better rations, that s should have pensions

And that sons of violent drunkards should never spend Christmas alone

Any o was a bloody fool

"It's done," she said "I'll have to find the curate and tell hi has been called off"

"Oh no, you won't I' him here"

"I don't want to ed to the altar Even in my current state of bruised pride, I think I deserve a bit better than that"

"Of course you do You always deserved better than Giles Perry in the first place But he proposed to you, and you accepted hiet aith this"

"Sebastian"

He relented "Very well I won't drag hiood on his word to you"

"And if he doesn't accept that invitation?"

Sebastian stopped pacing and turned to her, staring directly into her brilliant blue eyes "Then I'll call the bastard out"

"A duel?" Mary's heart missed a beat "Oh, no You can't"

"Oh, yes I will"

He gave her the classic Sebastian look, corown lare It didn't help that he was built like a Viking warrior, tall and broad-shouldered, with features struck fro soft on him, anywhere

Not on the outside, at least

"That look doesn't work on me," she said "I know you too well"

"You don't know everything, Mary"

"I know I've watched you cradle a sparrow hatchling in your hand and feed it from a tincture dropper"

He tipped his head back and groaned "That was ages ago"

"Mashed worms, three times an hour, for days"

"Rescuing the thing was not my idea It was Henry's"

"But you were the one who saw it through The dear little bird thought you were its ers and skipped them up his arm "Hop, hop, hop"

"Stop"

She withdrew her hand "I' me, it disappeared that su You're not a man who'd kill another in cold blood"

"Your honortwice"

"He put off the wedding once," she corrected "The other ti That wasn't his fault"

"No, that wasn't his fault," Sebastian said in a low, bitter voice "It was mine"

Mary silently cursed herself She never should haveyourself It ar; men die You weren't responsible for Henry's decision to enlist"

"Perhaps not But when he was killed

, I became responsible for you"

"I'ht years old I should think by now I'm responsible for myself And I may have been jilted, but I'm not heartbroken Giles and I held each other in esteem, but it wasn't a love match I'll survive"

"Yes, but your reputation will not You know the things people say when a long engagement is broken They will assume that you've Well, that the two of you" He churned the air with one hand "Help me here What's a polite way to say it?"

Mary was suddenly curious about the impolite ways to say it But that wasn't a conversation for thevows"

"Yes," he said with obvious relief "That"

"I can't help it if people gossip"

"You'll be ruined You don't have the money or connections to overcome even a hint of scandal If you don't ht never wed anyone at all"

"I'm aware of that" Painfully so

Spinsterhood wasn't an especially appealing prospect--not only because she'd always drea children--but because with Henry gone, the modest family fortune had passed to a third cousin Thus far, her cousin had been both sye his rim

"And what about your political causes and all those charitable organizations?" he asked "I kno iood reputation, you'd lose a good measure of influence, too"

Yet another blow, and one that struck nearer her heart

She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant "Perhaps I'll have to surrender my s were rather a bore, anyhow"

"I'll take care of this," he said "Once I have hi into the end of my pistol, he'll reconsider Don't worry"

Don't worry? The only emotion she could feel at theSebastian in a duel were slim, but they weren't nonexistent

"Sebastian, I won't let you risk your life for me Not over this"

"I'd give ht"

Goodness For once, she was caught without a response He'd taken her breath away She'd already lost her father, then her only brother

Mary couldn't bear to lose him, too