Caroline watched Ivybridge's eyes tighten at the corners. "Mr. Ivybridge," she said, trying for the same cold, aloof tone that Adam had used.

It was obvious that Ivybridge had been blindsided by the introduction. Uncertain how to respond, he took the safe way out and acknowledged Caroline with a curt inclination of his head.

"Mrs. Fordyce," he mumbled.

"Come, my dear, we must be off." Adam tightened his grip on her arm. "I believe I see my sister at the door of the buffet room. She seems to be signaling us."

He whisked her away through the crowd so quickly that neither she nor Ivybridge was obliged to make their farewells.

"What on earth did you hope to accomplish with that maneuver?" she whispered to Adam.

"When I engage the enemy, I prefer to do so on grounds of my own choosing, not his."

"Another one of your rules?"

"Yes."

"Adam, I don't know what you're planning but I am very worried," she said, her anxiety growing with every passing second. "You do not know the enormity of the scandal that hangs over my head"

"I'm sure I shall find out soon enough. Events always happen quite rapidly in a sensation novel, I have discovered. One never gets bored."

He brought her to a stop in front of Julia, who stood with a small group of guests.

"There you are, Adam" Julia beamed at Caroline. "The two of you made such an attractive couple on the dance floor."

"I am going to leave Caroline with you for a while, if you don't mind," Adam said. "I have some business to at-tend to in the library."

"Business? Tonight?" Julia gave him a reproachful look. "Really, Adam, surely you could put it off until tomorrow."

"I'm afraid this is an extremely pressing matter." He raised Caroline's hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly. "See to it that Wilson dances with my very good friend, will you?"

Julia seemed to comprehend immediately that some-thing was amiss. She did not question him further.

"I'm sure Uncle Wilson will be delighted to dance with her."

Caroline cleared her throat. "I appreciate your consideration, but I am not actually in a mood to dance at the moment."

"Pity." Wilson materialized at her side. "I was so looking forward to a waltz. I hope you will relent."

"But—"

It was too late. He had already taken her arm and was guiding her back through the crowd to the dance floor.

"I do not know what the three of you think that you are doing," she said in low tones as Wilson put his arm very formally around her waist. "But I can promise you that you are only making matters worse."

"I admit I have no notion of what is going on and I can see that Julia does not, either," Wilson said, unperturbed. "But Adam is obviously in command of the situation"

"He certainly appears to think he is. The problem is that he doesn't know what is going on, either, at least not all of it." She realized that she was becoming breathless trying to keep up with Wilson's surprisingly energetic dancing. "I assure you, there is another great scandal brewing"

"Indeed? It will be interesting to see if it can top the current one."

"But Adam told me that he has a rule against becoming involved in public sensations."

"Adam has a long list of rules," Wilson said. "But evidently he has not told you about the most important one of all."

"What is that?"

"Why, that there is an exception to every rule." THIRTY-THREE

"Regret to be the messenger who brings the bad news, old chap," Ivybridge said. He settled comfortably into one of the leather-upholstered wingback chairs and gave Adam a man-to-man look. "But we are members of the same club and all that sort of thing. It would be remiss of me not to pass along a word or two of advice concerning your association with the woman who calls herself Mrs. Fordyce."

Adam leaned back in his chair and contemplated his visitor. When he had returned to the library, he had sent Filby away to another room along with a bottle of claret and some sandwiches ordered up from the buffet. Then he had sat down to wait for Ivybridge. His intuition had told him he would not be obliged to wait long. He had been right.

"You know the traditional fate of the messenger," Adam said without inflection.

Ivybridge blinked, frowning a little at that. Then he relaxed into a chuckle. "You'll thank me for this news, Hardesty."

"Will I?"

"Indeed. No man likes to be cast in the role of fool."

"I can see you are very eager to impart your gossip."

"It's not gossip, sir. What I am about to tell you are facts. For starters, the lady's name isn't Mrs. Fordyce", Ivybridge glanced expectantly at the brandy decanter. "Caroline Connor is her real name. I suspect she invented the alias of Mrs. Fordyce to conceal her past"

Adam ignored the unsubtle hint concerning the brandy. He had no intention of serving his excellent spirits to the likes of Ivybridge.

"I assume you are going to tell me why she would wish to hide certain facts," he said.

"I will not bore you with all of the details but I can as-sure you that Miss Connor was involved in a great scandal that left her reputation entirely in ruins."

"I see."

"I must say, I am astonished to learn that she somehow managed to resurrect herself under a new name. But then she did strike me as a rather clever woman"

Adam steepled his fingers. "I have found her to be very intelligent and resourceful."

"Well, those are necessary qualities in a successful adventuress, are they not?" Ivybridge laughed. "I admit that she is an interesting creature, assuming one is in the mood for a taste of something out of the ordinary. But hardly a model of proper female behavior, eh?"

Adam pondered the various methods he could employ to dispatch Ivybridge. Unfortunately, most of them involved creating a considerable mess on the carpet.

"Not your sort?" he said instead.

"Alas, I fear that given the unfortunate circumstances in Chillingham, she has become a woman whose reputation is such that no gentleman would even think of introducing her to his family" Ivybridge winked knowingly. "I'm sure you take my meaning."

"I do, indeed," Adam said. He allowed himself to con-template briefly the temptations offered by the extremely sharp point of the silver letter opener. "I suggest we return to the subject of dead messengers."

Ivybridge scowled in confusion. "Beg your pardon?"

The door crashed open without warning and with such force that it banged against the wall. Caroline swept into the room, jewel-red skirts flaring out behind her. Wilson followed in her wake. He appeared highly amused.

"My dear." Adam got to his feet. "What an unexpected pleasure."

She ignored him. "There you are, Ivybridge" She came to a halt in the center of the carpet. "I saw you leave the ballroom and I knew exactly what you intended. You could not wait to give Mr. Hardesty your version of the events in Chillingham, could you?"

Ivybridge surveyed her with a derisive glance, not bothering to rise. Then he looked at Adam. "As I was saying, hardly a model of womanly behavior."

Adam paid no attention to the remark. "Please be seated, my dear"

Either she did not hear him or else she was not of a mind to sit down. She continued to fix Ivybridge with a glare that was a mix of fury and disdain.

Adam looked at Wilson.

"Sorry," Wilson said cheerfully, not looking the least bit regretful. "Couldn't stop her. Once she realized that

Ivybridge had left the ballroom, she was off like a hound after a fox."

He should have known better, Adam thought. Wilson was enjoying himself enormously. So much for maintaining control over the situation.

He walked deliberately around to the front of the desk and propped himself against it. Bracing his hands on either side of his thighs, he studied his small audience.