"And good fortune had nothing to do with it?" Lani asked.

"Absolutely not." She reached into the pocket of her jacket. "I took these francs from Jared's desk drawer. He always keeps French currency on hand for his trips abroad." She pushed the bills into Cassie's hand. "You may need them until you can find a safe way to exchange your English pounds."

"You stole them?"

"Borrowed," she corrected. "You need them more than he does." She rummaged in another pocket and brought out something that glimmered in the light. "The ruby necklace Jared gave me for my last birthday. If you need to, sell it. Otherwise send it back to me."

Cassie felt tears rise to her eyes. "Josette, I can't take-"

"Hush." She stuffed the necklace into the pocket of Cassie's cloak and delved again into her seemingly bottomless pockets. "One more thing. It was in the desk in the library, too."

She handed Lani a small dagger with a bejeweled hilt sheathed in engraved Moroccan leather. "You should have some means of protection since I'm not going with you." She held up her hand as Cassie started to speak. "I don't have time to argue." She gave Cassie a hug. "Go with God." She turned and embraced Lani. "I'll miss you."

Before they could speak, Josette was wading back toward the sailboat. She gave it a push into deeper water, then scrambled over the side. She called, "And you'll miss me. I should really go with you. You see how well everything goes when I'm in charge."

"We'll suffer through without you," Lani called. "Difficult though it may be. And Jared would be most upset if we took you along."

Josette nodded glumly. "He's not going to be pleased now." She looked at the lightening sky. "He should be reading my note soon."

"Note?" Cassie said. "You left a note?"

"Of course. I love Jared. I wouldn't worry him longer than necessary. I left a note on Kapu's stall door that told him where I'd gone and that I'd be returning by nightfall."

"You shouldn't have done that," Cassie said.

"Why not? Now that he knows I'm coming back, he'll wait until I get to Morland to question me about where you're going. That will give you time to make your way to Paris." Josette grinned. ''Isn't that clever?"

She could find no fault with Josette's reasoning. "I guess it can do no harm."

Josette was busily turning the small sailboat. "You'd better change your gowns in that thatch of trees. The hems are wet and might attract attention. Be sure you think of a good story about your presence here. I really should have done it myself while we were sailing. And I think you should-" She was still giving orders when the wind took the sails and the boat skittered beyond earshot.

Josette sighed and lifted her hand in farewell before turning her full attention to the sail.

Cassie waved and kept on waving until Josette's small, valiant figure was lost in the half darkness. It had been a long journey, and Josette had borne the brunt of it. Now she must make the same journey alone. "Will she be all right?" she murmured.

"Of course she will. She'll be out of sight before it's fully light, and it's a calm sea." Lani gently took Cassie's arm. "Come along, we must obey Mademoiselle General and change our gowns."

"They're gone." Jared crushed the note in his hand. "Christ, I may strangle Josette."

Bradford took the crumpled note from him and spread it out with shaking hands. "When do we leave?"

"Send a message to have them ready the Josephine." He stared blindly at Kapu. "We'll leave as soon as we talk to Josette."

"If the little devil comes back," Bradford said. "She may decide to go with them."

"She'll come back. She promised. Besides, Cassie wouldn't let her endanger herself any more than necessary." But there would be danger for Cassie and Lani. Two women alone in an enemy land with no papers or friends. Panic tore through Jared as he realized they might already be facing danger while he stood here helpless. How would he even find them when he reached France?

Josette. She might know something, and, by God, he would force her to tell him.

But she could not possibly be here before nightfall, perhaps later if the winds weren't with her. So he would be forced to wait, going mad with worry.

He had to keep busy. He whirled and headed for the stable door. "I'm going to order our luggage readied and tell Mrs. Blakely to pack clothing for Cassie and Lani. They can't have taken very much on the sailboat."

As he crossed the courtyard, he was barely aware of Bradford beside him.

It was only a little after eight in the morning, but the sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky.

Let there be good winds. Jesus, let them all be safe.

"You knew this was bound to come," Bradford said quietly.

"Not like this." He knew now he had deliberately kept himself from thinking about the reason Cassie was here. The time at Morland was a time apart. He had not wanted to remember Deville, because then he would have to remember Cassie would never belong to him.

But she did belong to him.

"They're intelligent women," Bradford said. "They'll be careful."

"Is that supposed to comfort me?" he asked savagely.

"No, it's supposed to comfort me. I really don't give a damn about your feelings at the moment."

Jared glanced at Bradford's face and for the first time realized it was both pale and drawn. Any other time he would have had a twinge of compassion, but not now. "Because you think this is my fault?"

"No, you could no more stop yourself from going after Deville than they could stop trying to save him." He smiled crookedly. "Destiny, my lad."

Destiny. Jared didn't argue with him as he had the last time. For the first time in his life he felt as if he had no control, that he was being sucked helplessly into a giant whirlpool of circumstance.

"I beg pardon, Your Grace." Mrs. Blakely met them as they came in the front door. "But a messenger came a few minutes ago and brought this." She proffered an envelope. "He said I should give it to you at once."

"Thank you, Mrs. Blakely." He took the envelope and waved her away. "I have a few tasks for you to perform. Please come to the library in a quarter of an hour."

"Certainly, Your Grace."

He broke the seal, ripped open the envelope, and scanned the letter. He felt the blood drain from his face as he finished it. Then he read it again.

"What is it?" Bradford's alarmed gaze was fastened on his face. "For God's sake, who is it from?"

"Guillaume."

Jared was standing on the dock when Josette sailed into the small harbor just after darkness had fallen.

Her expression was wary and became even more so when she saw his face illuminated by the lantern in his hand. "I had to do it. They needed me," she called. She jumped out of the sailboat and secured it before turning to face him. "So you needn't shout at me."

"I'm not going to shout at you."

"You're not?" She said uncertainly, "That's very understanding of you. I didn't think you'd-"

"Where are they?"

"France."

Jared drew a long breath. "Josette, I'm trying to be patient with you. Where in France?"

"You know I can't tell you that. They trusted me. It wouldn't be honorable."

"Would it be honorable to let them have their throats cut and be thrown into the Seine?"

Her eyes widened. "What!"

"Would it?"

"No, of course not, but they won't-" She frowned. "Are you trying to trick me?"

"I'm trying to tell you that you may have taken them to a place that will only bring them death."

"I knew there was danger, but Cassie has to find her father." She added with a touch of defiance, "Before you do."

"Charles Deville is dead."

She stared at him in shock. "You can't know that's true."