"Impossible. I shall be on my guard." Harriet started to pace up and down in front of the dying fire. The glow from the embers shone through the thin fabric of the chemise, revealing the curves of her breasts and thighs. "Gideon, please promise me you will not fight Applegate."

"You go too far when you ask me to refrain. Say no more about the matter."

She glowered at him, still pacing furiously. "You cannot expect me to simply stop talking about it."

"Why not?" he asked mildly, his gaze on the enticing curve of her buttocks. He did not think he would ever get his fill of this woman.

"I am very serious about this, my lord," she declared. "I will not tolerate any dueling on my account. I mean every word In any event, it is totally unnecessary. Nothing happened and Lord Applegate meant no real harm. In his own way he and the others were trying to protect me."

"Damn it, Harriet—"

"Furthermore, he has devoted himself to the study of geology and fossils. I will wager he knows absolutely nothing about dueling."

"That is not my problem," Gideon said.

"It will serve no purpose to shoot him."

"I have already explained that it will serve a purpose."

She rounded on him like a small tigress. "Gideon, you must promise me now, tonight, that you will not go through with this challenge."

"I will give you no such promise, my sweet. Now come back to bed and stop fretting over something that does not concern you."

She went to the foot of the bed and folded her arms beneath her breasts. She stood there, very straight and very determined.

"If you do not give me your word of honor on the matter, sir," Harriet said, "I will not consent to marry you on the morrow."

Gideon responded almost as if he had been thrown from a horse or kicked in the stomach. He could not breathe for an instant. "Applegate means that much to you, then?" he demanded harshly.

"Applegate means nothing to me," she raged "It is you who are important to me. Do you not understand, you stubborn, obstinate, arrogant man? I will not have you risking more gossip and possibly even your life because of an incident which amounted to little more than a jaunt into the country."

Gideon tossed aside the quilt and surged up out of bed. Hands planted on his hips, he stalked toward her. Harriet did not back up a single inch. She was quite probably the only woman on earth who was not afraid of him.

"You dare threaten me?" Gideon asked very quietly.

"Yes, I do, sir. If you are going to be so ridiculously stubborn about this, then I must resort to threats." Her expression softened. "Gideon, do stop carrying on so and be sensible."

"I am being sensible," he roared. "Eminently sensible. I am attempting to prevent further incidents such as the one that occurred today."

"There is no need to challenge Applegate. He is but a young man trying to play the gallant knight. Is that so very hard to understand and forgive?"

"Damnation, Harriet." Gideon raked his fingers through his hair, frustrated by her logic. Of course he understood that young Applegate was no great threat. It was the principle of the thing.

"Can you say that you never sought the role of the gallant knight when you were that age?"

Gideon swore again, more violently because he knew now that he was going to lose this encounter. She had the right of it. Of course he had sought such a role when he was Applegate's age. Most young men did.

It was clear Harriet was not in love with the boy, so there was no real problem in that direction.

Perhaps he could allow this incident to pass. Gideon realized he really did not want to argue the matter further. All he seemed to be able to concentrate on right now was the sight of Harriet's lovely body backlit by the fire. He ached for her. His shaft was rigid. His blood was singing. And she was so generous in her passion.

Perhaps there were more important matters than teaching Applegate a lesson.

"Very well," Gideon finally muttered.

"Gideon." Her eyes glowed.

"You shall have your way this time. Mind you, I do not like the notion of letting Applegate get off so lightly. But mayhap there will be no great harm done."

Harriet's smile was brighter than the coals on the hearth. "Thank you, Gideon."

"You may consider it a wedding present," Gideon announced.

"Very well, my lord. It is your wedding gift to me. I shall consider it such."

He swept down upon her, seized her by the waist, and lifted her high into the air. "And what is your gift to me?" he demanded with a wicked grin.

"Whatever you wish, my lord." She braced herself against his shoulders and laughed in delight as he swung her around in a circle. "You have only to name your desires."

Gideon carried her back to the bed. "I intend to spend the rest of the night doing exactly that. Each and every one of them. And you shall fulfill them all."

Chapter Thirteen

The Earl of Hardcastle was obviously not pleased to have a daughter-in-law presented to him on such short notice.

The Countess of Hardcastle was making an effort to be civil, but it was obvious she was taken aback at the announcement that her son had married so suddenly. Harriet imagined the lady was also somewhat put off by the notion of Gideon having formed an alliance with an unknown creature from Upper Biddleton.

For his part, Gideon was clearly preparing to enjoy the fireworks he had set off by arriving on his parents' doorstep with his new wife.

It was not the most comfortable welcome a new bride had ever experienced. But Harriet consoled herself with the knowledge that it probably was not the worst reception one had ever received, either.

Even though she took a philosophical stand on the matter, there was no getting around the fact that dinner was a rather strained affair. The earl sat stiffly at one end of the long table, his lady at the other.

Gideon sprawled like a great, predatory cat in his chair across from Harriet. His eyes glittered with a watchful amusement that Harriet knew could switch instantly into cold anger.

"We understand you have been in London quite recently, Harriet," Lady Hardcastle murmured.

"Yes, madam, I have." Harriet helped herself to a small portion of the tongue in red currant sauce that a footman was offering. Tongue was not one of her favorite foods. "My aunt took me there to acquire a social polish. She convinced me that I needed some, so as not to disgrace myself when I became a viscountess."

"I see," Lady Hardcastle said. "And did you? Acquire a polish, that is?"

"Well, no," Harriet admitted, adding some potatoes to her plate. She really was quite hungry, she realized. It had been a busy day, what with getting married and the long drive to Hardcastle House. "At least not a very thorough one. But I decided there was not much point in my becoming polished, as St. Justin certainly is not."

Lady Hardcastle flinched. She cast an uncertain glance down the table at the earl who grunted something beneath his breath.

Gideon grinned briefly as he picked up his wineglass. "I am crushed, madam wife, that you think so little of my social skills."

Harriet frowned at him. "Well, it is perfectly true. You must admit that you enjoy baiting anyone and everyone in Society. And you are quite willing to quarrel over the smallest of matters. Do not think I have forgotten that ridiculous challenge you planned to issue to poor Applegate."

The earl looked up sharply. "What is this about a challenge?"

Lady Hardcastle's hand fluttered in the air. "Dear heaven. Surely you have not provoked a quarrel with Applegate, Gideon?"

Gideon looked bored, but his eyes were gleaming as he gazed at Harriet. "Applegate started it."

The earl bristled. "How the devil did young Applegate start anything that could possibly lead to a challenge?"