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“Dry your tears. Your face is splotching. You shall have to learn to do for yourself. I cannot be expected to arrange everything for you all the time,” she said severely, then turned her back on her daughter, dismissing her from her thoughts.

"I apologize for taking so long to join you. I took the liberty of stopping by my room for my reticule.” She walked toward Lady Elsbeth, a warm smile on her face.

"Dear, dear Elsbeth,” she said, extending her hands.

Lady Elsbeth kept her hands in her lap.

Lady Serena faltered, then laughed shrilly. "Oh, come now, baby sister, surely you don’t hold it against me to try to see you unencumbered?”

“I do not, and have never thought myself to be encumbered,” Lady Elsbeth said softly.

“Well, naturally not. Yours is too much a warm heart,” Serena placated. "Poor dear, you cannot see how you are dreadfully used. But never mind. I see now I miscalculated with Helmsdon. But when Jane is married to Lord Royce, all will be well.”

“Mama!” cried Millicent. "You promised me I could have Lord Royce!”

Lord Royce’s eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon, ladies, but I do not believe I belong to, nor stand in immediate danger of belonging to any woman,” he said harshly. "I am not to be bought nor bartered for.”

Millicent wailed loudly. Lady Serena turned toward her daughter and slapped her cheeks. Then she turned back to face Royce, all smiles. Shaking his head, Sir Helmsdon led a shattered Millicent from the room.

Jane hardly noticed what had transpired; her thoughts were on Royce’s words, which knifed through her heart. She had dared hope his pursuit of her had meant something. She was foolish. Royce was forever Royce: poison bottled by Vivian Montrechet and lacking an antidote.

A lump formed in her throat, but she tried to swallow it.

Tears welled up. She blinked and took deep breaths, angrily willing the gnawing pain to lessen, willing her pride restored.

Strange, she thought dispassionately, she had not realized until that moment that she loved Royce.

The infamous Ice Witch thaws, leaving only a puddle of water!

“So you say, so you say,” Lady Serena was responding blithely to Royce’s statement. "Men are always ready with a denial,” she told her sister, smiling conspiratorially.

Lady Elsbeth looked at her pityingly. It was apparent her sister was no longer right in her mind. "Serena—” she began.

But Lady Serena wasn’t looking at her. She was looking at the Marquis of Conisbrough.

“What are you doing here? I thought I got rid of you years ago. Well, no matter. You were easy to dispense with before. I foresee no problems now. After all, I can always do to you what I did to Simon and Hedgeworth.”

Jane and Lady Elsbeth exchanged surprised glances. What did she do to Simon? Simon, Lady Serena’s twin, was killed in a fall from a horse—as was David Hedgeworth!

“Serena, what did you do to Simon and Mr. Hedgeworth?” Lady Elsbeth asked carefully.

“I led them to their deaths, of course. It was ridiculously easy. They were both indifferent horsemen. I taunted Simon that he could not ride Blue Lightning. You remember that stallion of Papa’s, don’t you, Elsbeth? He was a skittish, foul-tempered creature.”

Her sister nodded. "I remember Papa had him put down after Simon’s death.”

Serena laughed. "The silly fool took the dare. We rode out by the cliffs. When he was near the edge, I fired my small pistol in the air. As I planned, Blue Lightning took exception to the loud noise. He bucked and reared until my dear twin flew off.”

“He was found at the bottom of the cliff, his neck broken,” Lady Elsbeth said for the benefit of the others. "And what of Mr. Hedgeworth?”

“David, the dullard? A burr under his saddle along with a loosened girth did the trick nicely."

Lady Elsbeth nodded. "And I am to be next?”

“Oh, no dear,” Lady Serena continued conversationally, “I should rather wait until dear Aunt Agatha dies and leaves you all her money—which, of course, you shall leave to me."

"Aunt Serena,” Jane said. "Why do you need more money?”

Her aunt turned a dazzling smile on her.

"I don’t! But you see, Elsbeth was always the family's pampered baby, just like Simon was the favored twin. It was so unfair! No one ever thought of me. So I thought of myself. I married the best, and I wasn’t about to let Elsbeth do better.

I really can’t let anyone do better, you know.

Not even Millicent. But she’s so featherbrained, she’d not have anything if it weren’t for me.

And so you see, that is why you must get married, so Elsbeth will come to live with me.

You have to. Or else I should be forced to kill you. ”

The bald words stunned the company. Conisbrough laid a comforting hand on Lady Elsbeth’s shoulder. She reached up to cover it with her own. Lady Serena’s eyes flared, and she snarled. "No!” she screamed. "You shall not have her!” She lunged toward her sister.

Jane threw herself between them, knocking Lady Serena aside.

Her aunt shifted her attack upon her, her fingers raking her face.

Jane held her aunt’s hands back until they slipped away and Serena’s fingers closed upon the heavy chain about her neck.

With a cry of glee, she twisted it cruelly. Jane started to choke.

As she pulled on the chain with one hand, Lady Serena’s other hand dove deep into her reticule.

When her hand emerged, her fingers were closed around a small pocket pistol, which she pointed at Jane’s head.

"Back!” she snarled to the converging gentlemen.

"I can pull this trigger faster than you can jump me,” she said with relish. "Maybe I should, anyway."

She pulled Jane back against her. Jane struggled to breathe, to stay conscious.

“Serena, my dear, my angel,” cajoled Mr. Burry, sweat standing out on his brow. He licked his upper lip. "Let the chit go.”

Serena’s grip tightened as she dragged Jane backward toward the large Gothic window. "No, you fat pompous baby."

“Angel!” protested Mr. Burry.

Serena snarled and edged farther away. Conisbrough and Royce, moving slowly, tracked her from either side of the room.

“Serena!” pleaded Lady Elsbeth. There was a flurry of movement from outside. Lady Elsbeth blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered, her attention back on her sister. "Serena, let Jane go. It is me you want, not her.”

“I’ll see you all in hell, in the unloved hell I live in.”

“Serena, I love you. I have always loved you,” cried Lady Elsbeth. "You’re my sister!”

On the other side of the window, right behind Serena, stood Jeremy and Sir Helmsdon. They drew their arms back, poised to throw large rocks through the glass.

“I say, what?” protested Burry, seeing them behind Serena.

“Burry!” screamed Elsbeth.

But Serena had already been warned. She spun around, dragging Jane with her as the first rock came.

Her hand flew up to protect her face, letting go of Jane, who collapsed on the floor.

It was all the opening Royce needed. He dove for Serena’s gun hand, slamming it above her head.

His momentum carried them backward, through the jagged edges of the shattered window.

They landed in the grass amid a welter of broken glass.