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regarded her tenderly.
    â€œDo you mind terribly?”
    She did. “You never decided to go away overnight before.”
    His eyes glinted and a smile loitered. “I didn’t realize you’d miss me so much.”
    Rogan gone overnight? The thought of the dark bedroom without him was suddenly unthinkable. How had she lived all those lonely nights without his arms around her? It was especially troubling that the idea did not appear to be a great concern to him. Was this a way to begin putting some distance between them so that leaving for South Africa would seem less startling?
    He scanned her face, then lifted her chin. “I’ll take the first train back in the morning.”
    Evy was quiet as he strode into their bedroom to pack a few things he’d need. It took her awhile to digest the news. What could have kept Anthony in London when he’d been so anxious to get back to Camilla, who was ailing?
    She was standing where Rogan had left her when he came out with a small overnight bag.
    â€œI wouldn’t have minded going with you if you’d told me in time to prepare,” she said too casually.
    â€œYou’re quite right. I failed to take into account that you might want to come with me. But this is strictly business, and all that. Probably quite boring. Must be something about the diamonds. Cutting, polishing, grading … though Anthony didn’t explain.” He set his bag down and came to her, his arm going firmly around her waist. He drew her to him. “Look, darling, we’ll go again in a few days, or whenever you like. We’ll do it properly, take in dinner and the theater. All the things you enjoy.”
    She wondered uneasily if there was some reason he didn’t want her to accompany him. Why hadn’t he mentioned it in time?
    He kissed her. “It’s not as though I wanted to leave you.” He watchedher; she remained silent. “All right,” he said suddenly, “I’ll tell you. Anthony asked me to come alone.”
    Her brows lifted. “Did he? I wonder why?”
    â€œHe didn’t say.” He enfolded her in his embrace. He started to say something and apparently changed his mind. After touching her hair softly and lingering over a kiss, he turned and was gone.
    The door shut, and she was left standing there, her heart full of unresolved questions.
    A moment later she walked across the carpet of muted pink roses in burgundy, past the Chippendale furniture, to a window offering a view to the front of Rookswood. She pushed aside the burgundy drapery and peered below. The wide front garden hemmed both sides of the long drive down toward the great iron gate. The gate opened to the road that wound past Grimston Woods with many paths branching off into the thick trees. The road ran past the rectory of St. Graves Parish where she’d grown up, and into the village of Grimston Way and, for Rogan, the train junction.
    Puzzled and disquieted, she watched him leave.
Will something come between us?

    London
    South African Diamond Enterprise
    Lord Anthony Brewster was waiting in his office at the family diamond exporting business in London when Rogan arrived on the five o’clock train. It was customary, if not a duty, to have family “sons” work for a year at the business before going to the mine in Kimberly. Parnell had put in over a year to please Julien. Rogan, too, had worked here, but he had left before his year was finished, enraging Julien, who deemed himself the family monarch. Afterward, Julien had shown up uninvited at Rogan’s camp on the Limpopo River insisting that the British SouthAfrica Company had rights to any gold discovered with Henry Chantry’s old map, a map willed to Rogan as a boy upon Henry’s untimely death—untimely because he’d been murdered at Rookswood.
    Lord Anthony’s luggage was packed and sitting in a corner of his office. He stood from behind his large desk