"Mayhap that will depend upon the man who lays hold of those reins."

"Nay, you do not know what you're getting into." Nicholas heaved a heartfelt sigh. "I concocted a shrewd plan for managing her, you know."

"Did you?"

"Aye, and being the generous man that I am, I'll give you the advice I had intended to take myself."

"What's that?"

"Once you've got her well and truly wed, bed her day and night until you've planted your seed. When you're certain that she is with child, you can leave the isle."

"Leave?" Gareth sounded curious.

"Why not? Let her stay here to see to the running of Desire. Tis what she's good at. You can spend most of the year somewhere out of range of her tongue."

There was a short pause.

"That was your brilliant scheme for dealing with Lady Clare?" Gareth finally inquired. "Get her with child and then leave the isle?"

"Aye, and it would have worked, too. If you've got half the wit they say you have, Hellhound, you'll heed my advice."

Nicholas's words hurt. Clare tired to ignore the pain and embarrassment they caused, but it was impossible. She took a step closer to the entrance.

"You are even more of a fool than I believed you to be, Nicholas,"

Gareth said quietly.

Clare brightened a little. It was nice to be defended by her future lord.

"Bah. We'll see how much of a fool I am after you've had a chance to get better acquainted with Clare," Nicholas grumbled. "Do not expect me to offer you shelter at Seabern whenever you've had enough of the little harpy's tongue."

"Seabern Keep is the last place I will go to seek refuge from my wife."

"You may suit yourself." Nicholas started to turn back into the hall.

"If you have no objection, I'll rouse my men and we'll be on our way. I wish to God I did not have to face that boat trip back to Seabern."

"There is just one more thing before you leave."

"Aye?" Nicholas paused. "And what would that be?"

"It has to do with that visit that Clare made to Seabern Keep a month ago."

"What about it?"

"I am well aware of the true circumstances of her stay there. I know that you held her against her will."

" Twas merely a friendly visit. Ask the lady yourself."

"It was kidnapping, so far as I'm concerned. And make no mistake, Nicholas, there will be a reckoning."

Clare froze.

"God's eyes, man." Nicholas sounded genuinely taken aback. "You don't mean to say that you intend to challenge me because of that visit?"

"Not today. Clare does not want any violence on Desire and I am of a mind to indulge her for the present. But there will come a time and a place when you and I will settle the matter."

"But nothing happened," Nicholas exploded. "I never touched the lady."

"That was not the impression you gave last night."

"I gave out that impression because I hoped you might decide to quit the field if you believed it to be the truth. I knew it was my only chance. I was drunk at the time, if you will recall. 'Twas the wisdom of the wine."

"You cannot expect me to believe that you kidnapped Clare, kept her for four days at Seabern, and did not touch her."

"You don't know much about Clare yet, do your Nicholas retorted. "Devil take it, why am I standing here arguing with you? You'll learn the truth tomorrow night when you claim your bride."

"Aye," Gareth said. "I will." The tone of his voice made it clear that he did not expect to find that his bride was a virgin.

Clare was speechless. Nicholas's earlier words had hurt, but Gareth's calm assumption that she had been dishonored enraged her. He had not even had the grace to ask her for the truth. He had simply accepted the gossip of others as the final verdict.

Her cheeks burned and her stomach clenched. She had never expected much from Nicholas, but she had begun to believe that Gareth was a man of reason and some courtesy. Obviously she had been mistaken.

Clare stalked out of the shadowed hall and onto the sunlit steps.

Gareth glanced at her. "I thought you were fetching something from your chamber."

"I overheard every word." Clare ignored Nicholas and fixed Gareth with a steely gaze. "Sir Nicholas speaks the truth when he says that he did not dishonor me while I was at Seabern."

"Does he?"

"Aye, he does," Clare said very loudly.

Nicholas winced. "Pray, madam, have some consideration for my poor head."

Clare spun around to confront him. "By Saint Hermione's little finger, will you cease prattling on about your aching skull, sir? I do not care if your head falls off your shoulders and rolls down the road."

Nicholas cringed and made for the door. "I shall leave you two to continue this delightful conversation without me. I am going home to Seabern. When I arrive there, I shall go straight to the chapel and thank the saints for sparing me from this match."

"Aye, you do that, Sir Nicholas." Clare was more incensed than ever by his cowardly departure. "Would that I could also be spared. I am very well aware that it was only my lands and perfume recipes that attracted the attention of two such noble and chivalrous knights as yourself and Sir Gareth."

Nicholas groaned and clapped his hands over his ears.

"Lady Clare," Gareth said gently, "mayhap it would be best if we conducted this discussion in a more private place."

She turned on him. "I care not who hears me. Everyone on this isle knows I spent four days at Seabern Keep. Tis no great secret."

Gareth's gaze was contemplative. "Aye, madam."

"I do not expect passion and devotion from you sir, but I do expect that you will believe me when I give you my oath. And I swear to you now that Sir Nicholas did not share my bed while I was at Seabern."

"Your virginity or lack of it has no bearing on our marriage," Gareth said soothingly. "I knew about your stay at Seabern before I came to this manor."

"And you suspected the worst, did you not?"

"'Tis only logical to assume that Nicholas took you while you were at his keep in an effort to force you to marry him."

"Why? Because you would have done so, had you been in his position?"

"Calm yourself," Gareth said. "You are growing agitated."

"Am I? How unfortunate." Clare wanted to scream with frustration. "You have my most solemn vow of honor, sir, that I have never lain with Nicholas of Seabern."

"There is no need to proclaim your virtue to the world." Gareth cast a meaningful glance around the bustling courtyard. "I shall have proof of your words tomorrow night, will I not?"

"Nay, you will not," Clare said through her teeth.

A shocked silence settled on everyone in the immediate vicinity. The groom who had been leading the war-horse across the courtyard jerked the lead and caused the big stallion to rear.

Gareth studied Clare with unreadable eyes. "What does that mean, madam?"

"It means, sir, that I have absolutely no intention of giving you proof of anything, least of all of my virtue." Clare's hands clenched at her sides. "And that, sir, brings me to the subject I told you I wished to discuss with you this afternoon. We may as well have the conversation here and now."

"Nay, madam, we will not have it here and now." Gareth eyed her with cool challenge. "Unless you mean to put on a performance for everyone present?"

"Why not? I confess that I did not originally intend to discuss this in front of the entire household." She gave him a frozen smile. "I thought to show some respect for your pride, you see."

"My pride?"

"Aye." Clare's smile vanished. "But as you do not appear to have any qualms about discussing my virtue with another man right here on the front steps of my own hall, why should I concern myself with your honor?"

"Lady, I think this has gone far enough."

"I have not yet begun, sir. Hear me well, Sir Gareth, you who would become the lord of Desire. Hear me and know that I mean every word of what I say. We shall wed tomorrow, as you demand and as my guardian insists."