Dark Rider

She looked around the room to choose another man.

"Stop watching her, Jared," Bradford said in a low voice as he handed his nephew a glass of punch. "You're causing more stir than she is. After all, it's only a gown."

"You know better." She was a scarlet ba

Let me choose a man to pleasure me.

"That crystal goblet is going to break if you put any more pressure on it," Bradford observed. "You'll get a nasty cut."

"Then take the damn thing." He thrust it back into Bradford's hand. "I didn't want it anyway."

"It was better to have a goblet in your hand than a sword."

"I didn't have a sword."

"That didn't mean you might not acquire one." He took a sip of punch. "Tell me, whom are you going to call out? Young Fred Monteith? He appears very ardent. Or the Earl of Tempkar? No, he couldn't put up a very satisfactory fight. He must be almost seventy."

Jared shot him a sour glance. "You appear to be in fine spirits."

"Actually, I'm not at all happy at the way things are proceeding," he said. "But not because of those hounds baying at the moon. It's probably just as well they're causing a distraction. I don't like the set of Lani's mouth."

"What?"

"When she's upset, she holds her lips a little tighter and turns her head with a quick, jerky motion." He frowned. "Things aren't going well."

"I don't see any sign-"

"But, then, you can't see anything but a scarlet gown and your own lust. It might do you well to use your head instead of your nether parts for thinking." He turned to look at him. "Did you ask Cassie why she wore that gown?"

"I didn't need to ask. Defiance has a voice of its own."

"And she probably wouldn't have told you the truth anyway." He nodded at Lani. "Cassie wouldn't let her be alone even if it meant being ostracized herself."

"Very noble."

"But you don't want to believe it."

"I believe she loves Lani."

"I'm weary of arguing with you," Bradford said finally. He put his glass down on the banquet table. "I have to go to Lani. She's definitely upset."

"And you think she'll tell you why?"

"Probably not. But she'll know I'm there supporting her. Please refrain from glaring for the rest of the evening. Some of these guests think I raised you with a modicum of ma

Jared moodily glanced across the room at Carolyn Carradine. She was holding court of her own, smiling brightly, talking quickly, too quickly. She was furious. He should follow Bradford's injunction and go to her.

You would think nothing of going to bed with her.

He felt another rush of fury as he remembered Cassie's words. It was true; he had considered the necessity of bedding Carolyn to keep her well-disposed toward Lani, and it would have meant nothing to him. Why should it be otherwise? Carolyn knew the rules, but she had overestimated her influence with Jared.

Sexual desire for him lasted for only the moment and then was gone.

Until Cassie. Until that damnable little savage had come into his life and then had the temerity to tell him she would take another man with the same ease as she had taken him.

Christ.

He wanted to kill her. No, he wanted to kill every one of those libertines gathered around her like bees around honey. If he stood here much longer watching her, he wouldn't be able to keep himself from going over there and- He turned on his heel and strode across the ballroom toward Carolyn.

The evening was like a pe

If anything could go well on this damnable night.

"I have to talk to you," Josette murmured in Cassie's ear after she had insinuated herself into the crowd around Cassie. "Slip away from them and come to the punch bowl."

"I tried to do that an hour ago," Cassie answered, exasperated. When she had started this game to a

Josette chuckled. "I'll help." She raised her voice. "Faint? Oh, dear, we must get you outside for some air." She slid a solicitous arm around Cassie's waist, dug an elbow into the stomach of one of the young men who had stepped forward in concern. "Sorry." She whisked Cassie to the French doors a few yards away and out into the garden. She closed the doors with a flourish. "Done. We'll probably be safe for a few minutes." She shivered. "If we don't freeze to death first."

Cassie drew a deep breath of cold air. "I don't care. Just so I don't have to go back in there. What strange mating rituals you have here. The men do nothing but gather around and stare and say sweet words. They don't even listen. Every time I tried to speak of something of interest, they just laughed."

"Kapu?"

"The Earl of Tempkar said I should get a nice little mare so that I would come to no harm." She snorted in disgust. "They're all idiots."

"No, but they think we are," Josette said. "And they'll be coming out here any minute. I must speak quickly."

"Lani?"

She nodded. "Lady Carradine has given Lady Huntley the task she can't do herself."

"Which is?"

"Subtle insults, little cuts that bleed but don't kill. Lady Carradine evidently prepared the way ahead of time. Outwardly she shows her support for Lani and then lets one of her minions stab her and disavows any responsibility. If Lani complains, she'll tell Jared she did everything possible, but that some people are just intractable." She added grimly, "It's much the same indirect way she finds to punish me. She chose an excellent substitute in Lady Huntley. She's almost as competent at cruelty as her daughter."

Cassie went rigid. "You're sure about this?"

"I overheard Lady Huntley telling Lani that she never dreamed savages would ever be permitted within the doors of Carradine House, but that Lady Carradine was such a Christian woman. She had even hired Negroes and those coarse brown creatures from India as servants." Josette added bitterly, "And her tone dripped honey with every word."

Cassie's hands clenched at her sides. A red tide of anger obscured her vision. How dare they hurt Lani? Couldn't these strangers see what she was? She wanted to strike out, pound them into the ground.

"What did Lani say?"

"Nothing. She only gave her a look that would have shriveled anyone who wasn't already a husk anyway." She raised a brow. "Well, what do we do?"

"You don't do anything. This isn't your concern." She whirled and moved toward the French doors. "Stay out of it."

"Of course it's my concern. All of this was done for my sake."

"Then don't let it go for nothing." She jerked open the door and entered the ballroom.

"Ah, you're feeling better," Freddy said as he approached her. "What a lovely color you have in your cheeks. A bit of air is-"

She swept by him and moved around the edge of the ballroom until she was beside Lani and Bradford. Lani took one glance at her face and said, "No, Cassie."

"Josette told me."

"A few more hours and it will be over."

"I won't stand for it."

"Stay out of this. I choose and fight my own battles."