"Simon, are you really that powerful?"

"Yes, Emily, I am. Crofton's only hope of using the information was to threaten you with it. And that is exactly what he did."

"Oh. And I fell for his trick."

"Because you love me. But in future you will also trust me enough to come directly to me if you are ever again faced with such a problem. Are we agreed?"

"Yes, Simon." She smiled tremulously.

He carefully removed her spectacles and then he brought his mouth down on hers with a soul-wrenching hunger that sent shivers through Emily.

She moaned into his mouth and joyously gave herself up to the embrace. With utter abandon and excessive passion, she clung to her husband.

"Oh, God, elf, I need you so much," Simon muttered thickly against her throat. "Love me. Love me."

"I could do nothing else except love you, Simon."

Gently, he pushed Emily onto her back. As he undressed her, Simon's hands were everywhere, moving with a tender, possessive urgency across her breasts and alone the inside of her thighs. The raging need in him sparked her own blazing desires. Emily shivered again in the grasp of the dragon.

When he settled between her legs and guided himself into her with one long, powerful thrust, Emily cried out and clawed at his back. Simon gripped her hips and held her to him as he drove himself into her.

And then they were lost in the wondrous world they had created for themselves.

A long time later, Emily stirred sleepily in Simon's arms. "Well, my lord?"

Simon yawned hugely. He looked like a lazy, supremely satiated dragon. "Well, what?"

"Would you agree at last that there is only one way to describe the culmination of our lovemaking?"

"You refer, I imagine, to that immortal line from your epic poem. We are, indeed, cast adrift upon love's transcendent, golden shore."

"Actually," Emily said thoughtfully as she moved her toes up and down the length of Simon's leg, "I think our lovemaking is even better than that. I do not believe the line quite captures the full magnitude of the event."

"You are quite correct. It does not."

"I shall have to work on some new lines for my poem."

"Perhaps you ought to broaden the range of your sensual experience a bit further, madam poet." Simon's fingers trailed warmly over her thigh.

Emily turned toward him. She was about to kiss him when a thought struck her. "Simon?"

"Hmm?" He was busy nuzzling her throat.

"How did you happen to know I was conducting that dreadful scene with Crofton in the alley tonight?"

Simon's bare shoulders moved in a negligent shrug. He pinned her leg with one powerful thigh. "I merely had a hunch something was wrong. I searched for you in the crowd and could not find you, so I went looking."

"Hah. I knew it."

"Knew what?" Simon drew the tip of his tongue across one nipple.

"We do communicate on the metaphysical level, Simon," Emily said excitedly. "The events this evening prove it. How could you have known I was involved in something terrible tonight unless you had received some mystical message on the transcendental plane?"

Simon raised his head to gaze down at her. At first he looked rather nonplussed. And then a slow, wickedly sensual grin curved his hard mouth. "You are quite right, my love. But in future, I would rather you did not rely on metaphysical communication. The next time you are plotting an adventure of any kind, I want your word you will discuss it with me verbally as well as in the metaphysical realm. Agreed?"

"Whatever you wish, Simon. You know, I am having second thoughts about my epic poem."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. I am thinking of changing the title from The Mysterious Lady to The Mysterious Earl."

Simon groaned.

"Just think, Simon. It opens up all sorts of new possibilities for exciting adventures and thrilling scenes."

"Come here and thrill me, Emily," Simon ordered, pulling her closer.

"Certainly, my lord."

Simon sat behind his black lacquered desk and eyed the library full of Faringdons. Broderick Faringdon was occupying the chair nearest the brandy decanter. Devlin and Charles were ranged expectantly on either side of the black mantel, rather like a handsome pair of gilt candlesticks.

Emily, dressed in a dragon-trimmed gown, sat demurely in a red velvet chair near the desk. Simon was not unaware of the significance of her choice of position in the room. She was on his side.

"I have summoned the three of you here today because the time has come to settle certain matters," Simon said slowly.

"Well, well, well." Broderick Faringdon nodded approval. "Must say it's about time you assumed your duties to your in-laws. I can give you the total of my current losses immediately and let you know how much additional blunt I'll be needing to carry on with until Emily can replenish our finances."

Simon drummed his fingers on the desk, aware that Emily was chewing on her lower lip again. "First, we shall discuss the future of Devlin and Charles." Simon glanced at the young men. "You have both agreed to my offer?"

"Jumped at it, is more like it," Devlin said cheerfully.

"Cannot wait to be off to India," Charles agreed. "Good thing I never got around to offering for Maryann Mathews. Much rather go abroad and make my fortune. India's the land of opportunity and adventure and all that. Bound to come back rich."

"Excellent," Simon murmured, amused at the surprise on Emily's face. "I have spoken to my man of affairs and he has arranged suitable positions for both of you in Bombay. Passage has been booked on a ship in which I own controlling interest. It sails tomorrow on the morning tide. Captain Adams is expecting you aboard."

"We are already packed and ready, sir," Devlin assured him happily.

Broderick Faringdon scowled first at his sons and then at Simon. "What the devil is this all about? Dev and Charles are off to India?"

"They have decided to seek their fortunes on their own, without relying on their sister," Simon said smoothly. "And as their father, I am certain you will wish to do the same. You know how important it is to set a good example."

Broderick sputtered in outraged shock. "See here, if this is another offer to fob me off on some menial employment on your horse farm in Yorkshire, you can bloody well go to hell."

"What offer was this?" Emily broke in to demand.

"Your tightfisted husband came to me the other day with the crazed notion of paying off my debts if I would agree to go to Yorkshire to manage some damn horse farm," Broderick said in aggrieved tones. "Can you believe it? Me? Working on a horse farm?"

Emily blinked and turned to Simon. "You offered to do this for him? Simon, that was wonderfully generous of you. I had no notion you had done such a thing."

Simon shrugged. "My offer was rejected out of hand."

"Damn right, it was." Broderick was overflowing with righteous indignation. "Cannot expect a man o' the world to bury himself in Yorkshire."

"Sounds like an excellent suggestion to me," Devlin observed. "You've always had an eye for good horseflesh, Father."

"Should have thought you'd have taken him up on it," Charles agreed. "Perfect solution to the problem."

"Now, see here," Broderick yelped, shocked at the traitorous words of his sons. " 'Twas no such thing."

"Your father had another solution in mind," Simon said quietly. "But as it happens, it did not work out." For some strange reason he did not feel like telling Charles and Devlin just what sort of bastard their father had been. Emily had been right. The twins were different from their parent. They had been languishing for lack of a proper example but had been eager enough to grow up when shown the way.

"Did not work out?" Broderick flicked a startled glance at his daughter and then scowled at Simon. "What are you talking about now?"