It would be a long time for him, too, he realized. He was not unaware that this incident was at least partly his fault. If he hadn't been so damned angry at her this afternoon and so damned eager to get her alone, he wouldn't have hauled her from the hall into the nearest room. A room that happened to belong to Eversleigh. And that evening—flaunting convention by insisting that he lead Victoria into dinner. Most of the guests would believe his story that they were childhood friends, but Eversleigh knew there was more.

Of course the bastard would think that Victoria was a loose woman. Eversleigh had always been the sort to believe that any female without the protection of a powerful family was his for the plucking. Robert should have realized that from the first, and taken measures to protect her.

He didn't know how long he sat there on the ground, cradling Victoria in his arms. It could have been an hour; it could have been just ten minutes. But eventually her breathing evened out, and he knew she had fallen asleep. He didn't want to speculate on what her dreams might be that night; he prayed she didn't dream at all.

Gently he set her down on her bed. He knew she had an aversion to the spot after Eversleigh's attempted rape, but he didn't know where else to put her. He couldn't bring her to his room. Such an action could only bring about her ruin, and Robert had realized that, regardless of her actions seven years earlier, he couldn't bring himself to destroy her life so completely. The irony of it nearly unmanned him. All these years he'd dreamed about her, fantasized about the revenge he might enact if he saw her again.

But now, with vengeance within his sights, he just couldn't do it. Something within her still spoke to his heart, and he knew he could never live with himself if he purposefully caused her pain.

Robert leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. “Until tomorrow, Torie,” he whispered. “We'll talk tomorrow. I'm not going to let you leave me again.”

When he left the room he noticed that Eversleigh was gone. With grim determination, he set out to find him. He had to make certain that the bastard understood one simple fact: if Eversleigh even so much as breathed a syllable of Victoria's name ever again, the next beating Robert gave him wouldn't stop within an inch of his life.

Victoria woke up the next morning and tried to go about her daily routine as if nothing had happened. She washed her face, pulled on her dress, ate breakfast with Neville.

But every now and then she'd notice little tremors in her hands. And she found herself trying not to blink, for every time she closed her eyes she saw Eversleigh's face as he descended upon her.

She conducted her morning lesson with Neville, then accompanied the boy down to the stables for his riding lesson. Normally she welcomed these brief respites from the demands of her job, but today she was loath to part with the little boy's company.

The last thing she wanted was to be alone with her thoughts.

Robert saw her from across the lawn, and he dashed out to intercept her before she reentered the house. “Victoria!” he called out, his voice a touch breathless from running.

She looked at him, her eyes flashing with a moment of terror before filling with relief.

“I'm sorry,” he said immediately. “I didn't mean to startle you.”

“You didn't. Well, actually you did, but I'm rather glad it's only you.”

Robert forced down the fresh wave of fury rising within him. He hated to see her so fearful. “Don't worry about Eversleigh. He left for London early this morning. I saw to it.”

Her entire body sagged, as if all the tension she was carrying drained right out of her. “Thank God,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

“Victoria, we must talk.”

She swallowed. “Yes, of course. I must thank you properly. If you hadn't—”

“stop thanking me!” he exploded.

She blinked, confused.

“What happened last night was as much my fault as anyone else's,” he said bitterly.

“No!” she cried out. “No, don't say that. You saved me.”

Part of Robert wanted nothing more than to let her go on thinking him a hero. She had always made him feel big and strong and noble, and he had missed that after their separation. But his conscience wouldn't allow him to accept gratitude where none was due.

He let out a shaky breath. “We will discuss that later. Right now there are more pressing matters.”

She nodded and let him lead her away from the house. She looked up with questioning eyes when she realized they were heading for the hedgerow maze.

“We'll need privacy,” he explained.

She allowed herself a small smile, the first she'd felt all day. “Just so long as I know the way out.”

He chuckled and wended his way through the maze until they reached a stone bench. “Two lefts, a right, and two more lefts,” he whispered.

She smiled again as she smoothed her skirts down and sat. “It is engraved on my brain.”

Robert sat beside her, his expression suddenly growing a touch hesitant. “Victoria— Torie.”

Victoria's heart fluttered at the way he switched to the use of her nickname.

Robert's face moved expressively, as if he was seeking out the best words. Finally he said, “You cannot stay here.”

She blinked. “But I thought you said that Eversleigh has left for London.”

“He has. But that doesn't matter.”

“It matters a great deal to me,” she said.

“Torie, I can't leave you here.”

“What are you saying?”

He raked a hand through his hair. “I cannot leave knowing that you are unprotected. What happened last night could easily happen again.”