“Do you have any idea what time it is?” asked Lord Shale.

He was busily tying the sash of his dressing gown as he walked into the ground floor sitting room of the elegant mansion in Duke Street. Will noted the tussled hair and lack of footwear on his cousin's feet and frowned. He had dragged the earl from his bed.

Will looked at his pocket watch. It was almost midnight. A time when once he and Bartholomew Shale would have been in full swing stalking the streets of Paris conducting covert operations.

“Gotten old have we Bat?” he replied. Only the earl's closest friends were accorded the privilege of calling him by his old school moniker.

Bat raised an eyebrow. He knew Will well enough to immediately sense something was troubling him. Something of great importance.

“And a good evening to you too dear cousin. Can I take it from your demeanor and unshaven appearance that you did not have a pleasant journey home from the continent?”

Will snorted. It had been a long and trying day.

“Let me just say it was an interesting one.”

“Then you had better tell me all about it. Have a seat,” replied Bat.

Lord Shale and his wife Rosemary, had been undercover British agents working alongside Will in Paris. He and Rosemary were the only two people in Will's life who had known Yvette. Bat had been with Yvette the night she died, but a skillful poisoner had rendered him unable to save her. Lord Shale had barely escaped with his life.

Will then proceeded to tell Bat all but the very intimate moments of his time with Hattie. It was a rare thing for them to keep anything from one another. When Will was finished he sat and waited.

“And she gave you the slip. You have become soft my lad,” chuckled Bat.

Will looked down at his generously filled glass of brandy. He pondered the statement for a moment before meeting Bat's enquiring gaze.

“The edges may have dulled a little I will grant you that, but this mission is far from over. Which is why your home was the first place I chose to go to once I knew Hattie was not dead. If anyone can help me get my head straight about this mess it is you,” replied Will.

He set his glass down on the table, shaking his head as he did.

“I still cannot believe I let my judgement be clouded in such an appalling way.”

He was disgusted with himself. The thought had been rolling around in his head all day, but to give it voice stung his stubborn pride.

Bat dismissed Will’s words with a wave.

“And you are the first man in the world to allow a woman to get in the way of clear thoughts?”

His gaze moved to the doorway, in which a tall, raven haired beauty stood. Will followed his cousin's gaze.

“Rosemary.” Will got to his feet.

Lady Shale gave him a warm kiss on the cheek before allowing Will to embrace her.

“Will, I’m so glad you are here. Finally, you are home. Adelaide sent word this afternoon that your luggage had arrived, but you had not. From the tone of your mother’s note you had better have a very good reason for not having made it home tonight,” she exclaimed.

Will grimaced.

“It wasn't the simple homecoming that I had expected, let me put it that way. I just need a night back in London to get my thoughts together before I face the family,” he replied.

The clock on the mantelpiece chimed one. The cream silk dressing gown Lady Shale wore providing an added reminder that he was intruding on the earl and countess's slumber.

“My apologies, I lost track of time. I am keeping you both from your bed.”

Bat rose from his chair and came to Rosemary’s side. Will saw the sparkle in his cousin's eyes as he looked at his wife. A spark of envy lit in Will's mind as he watched Bat effortlessly slip an arm around her waist.

“You know anytime you need us, we are here. Always.”

Beside him, Rosemary stifled a yawn.

“Come upstairs. We had the servants make up a room for you as soon as your mother’s missive arrived. In the morning we can discuss things further over a decent English breakfast and come up with a plan to run your Miss Wright to ground. Sleep is what I daresay you need right now,” said Bat.

“An excellent suggestion. Of course, by then my dear husband you will have debriefed me on all the pertinent details,” added Rosemary.

She took hold of her husband’s hand and a smile appeared on her face. Her husband would be shortly finding himself under interrogation.

“Good night Will, welcome home to England.”

* * *

Upstairs in his room, William dropped down on the end of the bed and sat staring at the fire which had been lit for some time, judging by the warmth in the room. It was nice to have others thinking of his welfare once more.

He hadn’t realized how big the hole of loneliness had been in his life. With Hattie’s disappearance he was once more staring into the void.

He was tempted to take off his coat and climb in under the blankets, but he was still too restless. The day had forced him to face some uncomfortable truths.

He pulled the heavy counterpane off the bed and draped it around himself before taking a seat by the fire.

He closed his eyes, intent on calming his mind. Sleep however quickly took him and he slipped into a deep dream.

For so long the woman in his dreams had been Yvette, but another had recently taken her place.

Hattie.

He saw her standing looking out to sea from Europa Point. He smiled in his sleep remembering the way the sun picked out the gold highlights in her hair. Hair which kissed her shoulders and curled softly at the ends.

She turned and smiled at him, happiness evident in her face. He was her hero. He had saved her from a terrible fate and given her a new life. She held out a hand and his body felt light as he took it. Drawing her close to him he heard her whisper.

“I love you.”

Will woke with a start.

He was still seated by the fireside, but the logs had burned down, leaving a golden glow of embers.

His mouth was dry and an erection strained at the buttons on his trousers. His body hungrily demanded the sexual release it had so recently rediscovered.

“You are under my skin,” he whispered.

Sex was only part of the reason he wanted Hattie back in his bed. He wanted to know everything of her, possess both her mind and body. He had known her body, but she had held fast to what lay within her soul. When Hattie finally yielded up the truth she would be willing to give him her all.

“You my little minx are going to tell me everything.”

And that included uttering the words that would make her his forever.

“Rest well my love, wherever you are tonight. Tomorrow you become my quarry.”