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Kirstie's invisible circle, and rarely did
    they cross the line. But those on the inside, oh, she loved them all; they were hers in the
    truest, most unpossessive light, to cherish and protect them as much as she could from
    the sadder reality the adult in her discovered in the world.
    But what price would she pay now for that fierce protective instinct that was as natural
    to, as inseparable from her as breathing? What would it cost the immovable object to
    hold firm? Her self-respect was already on the line. She thought of her brother Paul, her
    grandfather Whit. She thought of Christian, of Louise, and hoped with all her heart that
    the price would not include their respect for her as well.
    Francis's head had lifted at the sound of Kirstie's retreat, and he listened to the sound of
    the bedroom door closing, the bolt of the lock shooting home. He sat there for some
    time, thinking, and then he calmly made himself another sandwich.
    Morning had appeared with full glorious orchestration right across her closed eyelids.
    Kirstie groaned in real pain and squinted at the source of warm, blinding light. The sun
    had just topped the trees outside and was shining through curtains she had neglected to
    shut last night.
    After staggering upright to shake them closed, she fell back into bed, but the damage
    was already done. She was awake, and her mind had already started to run around the
    problems facing her. They seemed to fall into two categories: the immediate, and the
    ones facing her when she got home. Since she couldn't do anything about what was
    waiting for her back in New Jersey, she thrust it out of her mind and concentrated on the
    present.
    On the good side was the fact that she had successfully managed to transplant Francis
    Grayson and immobilise him for the crucial period before Louise's wedding. However,
    he had managed to immobilise her in the process, and that was terrible.
    She did have control over communications, as she had hidden the helicopter radio, but
    he had control over the helicopter. It was conceivable that she could sneak away from
    the cabin to radio for help, but she wouldn't be able to describe what was wrong with the
    aircraft. Kirstie did not have a mind that could grasp mechanics well.
    That meant Whit or some other mechanic would have to make the six-day trek to check
    out the machine. She could knock two days off that if they used either horses or a cross-
    country Jeep, so that would be four days. If they couldn't fix it on the spot, there would
    have to be another round trip for parts, since the heliport .on the mountain was literally
    the only clear place to land for miles. She scowled furiously. Stealing the helicopter for a
    day or two was a crime of a certain calibre. But half a month lost in manpower and
    equipment would be enough to finish her off as far as her brother Paul was concerned.
    All this, of course, was contingent on getting away from Francis Grayson so that she
    could use the radio in private. And even the most optimistic train of thought meant that
    she too would be missing her sister's wedding. The hurt and uproar that would cause
    made her cringe.
    Kirstie's heartbeat began to accelerate as she gradually became more agitated. She
    buried her head under her pillow in instinctive denial against it. The sheets smelled like
    the pine dresser, clean and tangy.
    She was stuck in an impossible situation. Either she accepted the consequences of acting
    without Francis's co-operation, which was unthinkable, or she would try to strike a deal
    with him in return for mobilisation of the helicopter. He would want immediate
    transportation back to New York, which was the one thing she couldn't give him. That
    just brought her full circle.
    The truth was, she didn't have a clue what to expect next. Louise's description was the
    only definition she had of Francis Grayson, and social normality had been stripped
    away. God only knew what he would do outside the restraint of his life and