The door to the salon opened just as the physician was reaching for the handle. Colin moved out of the way to allow Winters room. He gave the physician a quick nod in greeting and turned to his wife. "Flannaghan said you were ill." He didn't give her time to answer but turned to Winters. "What's wrong with her?"

Alesandra didn't want the physician to lie for her. "I had a tickle in my throat, but it's better now. Sir Winters suggested hot tea," she added with a nod. "Yes, I did," Winters agreed.

Something wasn't quite right, but Colin couldn't put his finger on what was wrong. Alesandra couldn't look him in the eye. He knew her well enough to know she wasn't telling him the truth. She didn't look ill. Her cheeks were high with color, indicating she was embarrassed about something. He decided then he would have to wait until they were alone to find out what was really wrong.

Alesandra stood by Colin's side while he visited with the physician. She happened to glance over her shoulder and found Flannaghan standing just a few feet away. The butler was giving her a sympathetic expression.

She already felt guilty because she'd lied to her husband and Flannaghan's expression made her feel worse.

Her motives were pure, she immediately told herself. She let out a little sigh then. She'd used that very excuse when she'd made the second set of books for the mother superior. A sin is still a sin, or so the nun had proclaimed when she'd found out about the little deception. Large or little, it didn't matter. God, the mother superior assured her with great authority in her voice, kept an accurate list of each and every sin committed by every man and woman on this earth. Alesandra's list, the nun speculated, was probably long enough to reach the bottom of the ocean.

Alesandra didn't believe she'd sinned that much or that often. She imagined her list was about the length of her shadow by now. She wondered if her Maker had two columns on his sheet of paper for her-one for small infractions and the other for more substantial offenses.

She was pulled back to the present rather abruptly when Sir Winters said, "I was sorry to hear about the loss of the Diamond, Colin. Bad piece of luck, that."

"You've lost a diamond?" Alesandra asked, trying to understand.

Colin shook his head. "It's a ship, Alesandra. She went down with a full cargo. Winters, how did you hear about it so soon? I only just found out yesterday."

"A friend of mine had some business dealings at Lloyd's today. One of their agents mentioned it. They insured the loss, didn't they?"

"Yes."

"Is it true it was the second vessel this year you and Nathan have lost?"

Colin nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alesandra asked.

She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice. It was a difficult task.

"I didn't want you to worry," Colin explained.

She didn't believe he'd given her the full reason. Yes, it was probably true that he didn't want to worry her, but more important, he didn't want to share his burdens with her. She tried not to be offended. Colin had kept his own counsel for a long while and it surely wasn't easy for him to take anyone into his confidence, not even his wife.

She was going to have to be patient, she decided. Colin would have to get used to having her around before he felt comfortable enough to confide in her.

Her husband was still talking to the physician when she excused herself and went upstairs. She went to her room and started her list of suggestions Winters had given her to help ease the pain in Colin's leg, but her mind wasn't on the task.

He should have told her about the ship, damn it. If he was worried, she had every right to be worried too. Husbands and wives were supposed to share their problems, weren't they?

Flannaghan came to fetch her for dinner. On the way downstairs, she asked him for another favor.

"Have you heard about the Viscount of Talbolt's troubles?"

"Oh, yes," Flannaghan replied. "Everyone's talking about it. Lady Roberta left her husband."

"Colin has forbidden me to talk to the viscount and I must go along with his wishes. My husband believes I'll upset the man."

"Why do you want to talk to him?"

"I believe there might be a connection between his wife's sudden disappearance and that of my friend, Lady Victoria. She disappeared, too, Flannaghan. I was wondering if you would mind talking to his servants for me. I want to find out if Lady Roberta received any little presents from an unknown admirer, you see."

"What kinds of gifts, Princess?"

She shrugged. "Flowers-perhaps chocolates," she said. "Wouldn't the maids notice such gifts?"

Flannaghan nodded. "Yes, of course they'd notice. They would talk amongst themselves, too. They won't talk to me, though. Now Cook could learn a thing or two when she goes to market tomorrow. Shall I put the request to her?"

"Yes, please," Alesandra replied.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Colin asked that question from the entrance to the dining room. He smiled over the startle he gave his wife. She jumped a good foot. "You seem a bit nervous tonight," he remarked.

She didn't have a quick answer for that remark. She followed Flannaghan into the dining room. Colin held her chair out for her and then took his place at the head of the table, adjacent to her.

"Am I going to have to stay locked inside for a full month?" she asked.

"Yes."

He was occupied sorting through a stack of correspondence and didn't bother to glance her way when he answered her.

The man couldn't even take time away from his work to eat a proper meal. She wondered if he had digestive problems and almost asked him that personal question. She changed her mind and turned the topic to a more pressing matter.

"What about Catherine's first ball? It's only a week away, Colin. I don't want to miss it."

"I'll tell you all about it."

"You'd go without me?"

She sounded wounded. He smiled. "Yes," he answered. "I have to attend," he added. "And you have to be reasonable about this."

The set of his jaw told her he wasn't going to give in. She drummed her fingertips on the tabletop in agitation.

"It's rude to read your correspondence while at the table."

Colin was so occupied reading the letter from his partner, he didn't hear his wife's rebuke. He finished the long missive, then put the papers on the table.

"Nathan's wife has given him a baby girl. They've named her Joanna. The letter's almost three months old and he mentioned that as soon as Sara is feeling well enough, he's going to bring her and the baby back to London for a brief visit. Jimbo will watch the offices while he's gone."

"Who is Jimbo?" Alesandra asked, smiling over the odd name.

"A very good friend," Colin answered. "He's captain of one of our ships, the Emerald, but the vessel is undergoing some much needed repairs so Jimbo has time on his hands."

"This is all good news, Colin," she remarked.

"Yes, of course."

"Then why are you frowning?"

He hadn't realized he was frowning until she asked him why. He leaned back in his chair and gave her his full attention. "Nathan wants to offer ten or twenty shares of stock for sale. I hate the idea and I know that deep down Nathan feels the same way. I understand, however. He has a family now and wants to provide for them. He and Sara have been living in rented rooms, and now that the baby's here he wants more permanent quarters."

"Why are you two so opposed to stockholders?"

"We want to maintain control."

She was exasperated with him. "If only ten or twenty shares are sold, you and Nathan will still be the major stockholders and therefore in complete control."

He didn't seem impressed with her logic, for he continued to frown. She tried another approach. "What if you sold the stock to family members?"

"No."

"Why, in heaven's name, not?"

He let out a sigh. "It would be the same as a loan."

"It would not," she argued. "Caine and your father would make a handsome profit eventually. It would be a sound investment."

"Why did you send for Winters?"

He was deliberately changing the topic on her. She wasn't ready to let him. "Has Nathan given permission for this sale?"

"Yes."

"And when will you decide?"

"I've already decided. I'll have Dreyson handle the transaction. Now, enough about this. Answer my question. Why did you send for Winters?"

"I already explained," she began. "My throat…"

"I know," Colin said. "You had a scratch in your throat."

Alesandra was folding and refolding her napkin. "Actually it was a little tickle."

"Yes," he agreed. "Now I want you to tell me the truth. And look at me while you explain."

She dropped the napkin in her lap and finally looked up at him. "It's rude of you to suggest I would lie."

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because if I told you the truth, you'd become irritated with me."

"You will not lie to me in future, wife. Give me your word."

"You lied to me."

"When?"

"When you told me you didn't work for Sir Richards any longer. I saw the cash entries in the ledgers, Colin, and I heard him talk to you about a new assignment. Yes, you lied to me. If you give me your promise not to lie in future, I'll be happy to give you my word."

"Alesandra, it isn't at all the same."

"No, it isn't."

She was suddenly furious with her husband. She tossed the napkin down on the table just as Flannaghan came through the swinging door with a tray laden with food in his hands. "I don't take risks, Colin. You do. You don't give a twit about me, do you?"

She didn't give him time to answer her question but rushed on. "You've deliberately involved yourself in danger. I would never do such a thing. Now that we are married, I not only think about my well-being, I think about yours. If something happened to you, I would be devastated. Yet if something happened to me, I believe you would only be mildly inconvenienced. My funeral would force you to put your work aside for a few hours. Do excuse me, sir, before I say something more I know I'll regret."

She didn't wait for his permission to leave the table. She ignored his command to sit back down, too, and ran all the way up to her bedroom. She wanted to vent her frustration by slamming the door shut. She didn't give in to that urge, however, for it wouldn't be dignified.

Thankfully, Colin didn't follow her. Alesandra needed to be alone now so she could get a grip on her own rioting emotions. She was a bit stunned she'd become so angry with Colin so quickly. She wasn't Colin's keeper, she told herself. If he wanted to work for Richards, she couldn't and wouldn't try to talk him into quitting. But he shouldn't want to take such risks, she decided. If he cared at all about her, he wouldn't deliberately hurt her this way.

Alesandra tried to walk the anger away. She paced back and forth in front of the hearth for a good ten minutes, muttering all the while.

"Mother Superior would never place herself in danger. She knew how I depended upon her and she never would have taken risks. She loved me, damn it."

Even though she wasn't Catholic, Alesandra still made the sign of the cross after muttering that blasphemy.

"I doubt Richards would ask the nun to work for him, Alesandra."

Colin made that comment from the doorway. She had been so intent on her ranting and raving she hadn't heard the door open. She turned around and found her husband lounging against the frame. His arms were casually folded across his chest. He was smiling, but it was the tenderness she saw in his eyes that almost did her in. "Your amusement displeases me."

"Your behavior displeases me," he countered. "Why didn't you tell me you were upset about all this business with Richards?"

"I didn't know I was."

He raised an eyebrow over that odd admission. "Do you want me to quit?"

She started to nod, then changed her mind and shook her head instead. "I want you to want to quit. There's a difference, Colin. God willing, someday you might understand."

"Help me understand now."

She turned around to face the hearth before she spoke again. "I never would have taken deliberate risks while I lived at the convent-at least, not after the lesson I learned. There was a fire, you see, and I was trapped inside. I got out just as the roof collapsed. Mother Superior was beside herself with worry. She actually wept. She was so thankful I was all right and so furious with me because I'd taken one of the candles out of the holder so I could read Victoria 's letter instead of praying like I was supposed to be doing… and I