Early the next morning, Daniel crept quietly into the pink room. Julia was still sleeping, as he had expected. Her hair lay spread in tendrils across her pillow in a way he found most inviting and erotic. He moved to the side of her bed and lifted a long dark strand, smelling the clean fragrance and feeling the silkiness of its texture as it slid through his fingers.

He had stayed in the guest room he used whenever he stayed at the stables, waking before dawn to see to chores before taking a quick bath and slipping into Julia’s room. He had lain awake most of the night thinking about her, about how she felt in his arms, about the way she looked when he kissed her. After many long hours awake, he had finally drifted to sleep only to have her invade his dreams. He dreamed of her smiling up at him, her hair spread across his pillow, just as it now lay across her own. Her tender erotic body exposed to his explorations, her lips locked with his as her legs wrapped around his waist.

Shaking himself back to reality, he looked down at her angelic face as she slept peacefully. Daniel wanted to ask how she was feeling, but he mainly wanted to ask about the accident itself. Somehow, he felt she knew more than she had told him, but last night wasn’t the time for questions. She was neither in the state of mind to answer him, nor was she well enough. He knew someone had tried to harm her, likely kill her, but he had no idea as to who would do something this heinous.

With a reluctant sigh and a soft kiss to her forehead, he turned to leave. He wanted to see her eyes sparkling at him again, as they had the night before. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and take every opportunity to love her now, before the reading of the will, because he was certain she would want nothing to do with him once she learned what her father had done.

Daniel shook himself consciously and hurried out the door. Now wasn't the time to think about any of this. The woman was recuperating from a very nasty accident and was in no condition to experience what he secretly hoped to someday share with her.

With the promise that someone would be with Julia when she woke, he hitched his steed to the small runabout Louise allowed him to use and steered the carriage down the road to the small town of Mayfield. He glanced at the numerous horses scattered among the many acres of Turner Stables and smiled. It was very relaxing to watch the horses in the pasture, though now was not the time for such thoughts.

Neighboring farms and open fields pass with a familiar sense of awe. Nothing could compare to the beauty and majestic splendor of Kentucky. It was beyond anything he had ever seen. Only the ancient beauty of Britain’s lush rolling hills was an equal match to this small Southern state.

Daniel pulled the carriage to a halt in front of his office and climbed down, tying his horse to the post. The building was smaller than most of the town's structures with only three stories overlooking the street. The first floor of the large brick building contained his office and that of his partner, Harold Leonard. The second floor held the town's accounting office, and the third floor was rented out as bachelor apartments, one of which was his.

"Well, hello there, stranger," Anna said as Daniel entered the office.

The aroma of the woman's floral cologne drifted around the room like a fragrant spring breeze. He smiled as he accepted his mail from the attractive young brunette, glancing about the empty office. The well-furnished, yet spacious waiting room contained Anna’s desk and two large file drawers. A settee of imported leather, an extravagance Harold insisted upon, was seated across from two matching armchairs.

A large potbelly stove and several waist-high bookcases, holding magazines and literature from all over the world lined the other wall. The cuckoo clock hung above the stove, ticking the seconds like raindrops falling against a tin bucket. The floor was a dark wood to match the crown molding and the walls were decorated in rich gold and beige wallpaper. A large window looked out onto the streets, revealing a view of Mayfield's city life as it passed by.

"What's been happening around here?" he asked with a smile, as bright as the morning's light.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Harold’s been going half-crazy around here without you. Victor Turner’s death seems to have made a lot of farmers around these parts remember they were mortal. We’ve had five wills this week alone."

"Sorry to be so distant. I’ve had a lot on my plate with Victor’s stables. Besides, I’m sure Harold can take care of a few wills."

"He's had a lot on his mind lately."

"Yes, I know. So where is the old badger?"

Anna chuckled softly and pointed at the closed door that separated the reception area from the man’s office. Daniel winked a friendly blue eye at her before he stepped to the door and rapped lightly on it.

"Anybody home?" he asked, poking his head around the corner of the wooden barrier.

"Daniel, where the bloody hell have you been? I was beginning to think I didn’t have a partner anymore.” The slightly bald, somewhat plump man pushed his way out of his chair and headed toward the man.

"I've been staying out at the Turner place, remember?" Daniel reminded the man gently, shaking his hand. “I've been trying to help out the family."

"I guess it’s true when one life ends, another begins,” Harold smiled and blushed at the disapproving frown his friend offered him. “Margie had the baby two days ago," he said in explanation. The new father’s enthusiasm echoed in his voice and showed proudly on his face as he handed Daniel a cigar from his vest pocket.

"That's great, what is it?" Daniel took the cigar and shook the man's hand again, before sitting in one of the two chairs facing Harold's desk.

"A boy and he's as cute as his old man, but he has a little more hair than I do.”

“How’s the mama?”

“She’s perfect, already out of bed. She can’t wait to start showing him off. Oh yeah, before I forget, we want you to be the boy's godfather. How about it?"

"I’d be honored. Just let me know where and when and I’ll be there."

"So," Harold said, returning to his chair behind the large oak desk. "How’s the Turner family holding up?"

"Alright, I suppose, under the circumstances. Louise wants the will read this evening if you can arrange it."

"What's wrong?" the older man asked, his honey-brown eyes examining his friend and business associate closely. "I don't think I've ever seen you so...professional before."

"Meaning what? You think I don't do my job?" Daniel knew his friend was only teasing and decided to dwell on it for a while longer.

"I never said you didn't do your job and you very well know it. It's just that you seem different somehow." The man's voice took on a serious tone.

"You're not thinking about your father - are you?"

Daniel knew he couldn't go through a funeral without reminiscing on his own tragic loss. That was the one reason he avoided funerals at all expense. This one would have been the same if it hadn't been for Julia. He knew how hard it would be for her to bury her father and he wanted to be with her, to offer her comfort and support, and perhaps get a little in return. The thought of the young woman brought a rise in his temperature, but the image of her laying on the floor of the family room with blood running down her face, her eyes closed in oblivion, brought a slight frown to his handsome features.

"It’s rather a moot point,” he answered softly, trying to avoid his friend’s eyes. “I often wonder where I’d be now if he hadn’t died, and Uncle William hadn’t taken over the family business. It's rather impossible to see a cemetery and not feel a little remorse, but that's not what's bothering me."

"Then what is it? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Harold’s voice sounded serious and filled with concern for his friend's safety.

"No, I'm fine. It has to do with Turner's daughter, Julia. Yesterday during the wake, she was attacked."

"Attacked? How? Is she alright?"

"She has a concussion and a laceration on the head, nothing too serious, but it will keep her down for a couple of days."

"What's the doctor say about it?"

"The official report is she had a bad fall, but I'm not convinced of it. I don't really know too much about what happened yesterday, but I tend to believe Julia knows more than she's letting on. I'm going back out to the ranch this afternoon and see what I can do to get her to open up. There were an awful lot of people there yesterday and about a dozen or more new servants helping. I'm hoping somebody saw something that can explain what happened. There’s something else. When I found her, there was a pillow beside her with blood on it. I thought she was dead, she was barely breathing."

"Do you think someone tried to kill her?”

“Yes,” Daniel nodded. “But I don’t know why or who. As far as I know, she has no enemies. Louise said she was very popular when she lived here, so I can’t seem to think of any reason someone would want to harm her.”

The room fell silent for a moment as Harold studied his friend’s face.

“Daniel, I have to ask. Is this girl special to you somehow? I mean, are you involved with her?"

"Not the way you think," he said, feeling the color rise to his cheeks. "I promised Victor I'd keep an eye on her and help out if she needed me."

"In other words, you haven't gotten her as far as the bedroom yet, right?" The joyous chuckle of the man's deep tone brought a smile to Daniel's lips.

"Hey, you make me sound like a rogue."

"Is she cute?"

"She's gorgeous," he admitted, with a chuckle.

"You, old dog, I knew there was more to it than professional courtesy."

"I just don't know how much she'll want me around once she hears the old man's will."

"There really isn't much she can do about it, Daniel. You know as well as I do, Victor made out his will the way he did in order to protect his family and to make certain his land is safe. That boy of his sure as hell isn't going to be much help, from what I understand."

"Don't be too hard on Jeremy," Daniel warned, gently. "I've met the boy and he's not as bad as Victor made him out to be. I don't know what went on between the two of them, but he's got more going for him than his father gave him credit."

"Enough to take over Turner Stables?"

Harold's question brought a frown to Daniel's dark brows. He had asked himself that same question the first time he met Jeremy, and he still didn't know the answer.

"I honestly can't say. I don't know him that well, but I do know Julia. It's not going to be easy trying to make her accept her father's conditions. I only hope she gets over her anger quickly enough to see reason. I know she's going to blame me for all of this."

"She sounds like a real winner, pal," Harold criticized, shifting in his seat unconsciously.

"She's stubborn and demanding and very hot-headed, but I don't think she's unreasonable. It's just hard to make her see reality when she gets her emotions involved."

"Are her emotions involved, Daniel?" Harold’s frown returned as he considered his friend's comment.

Daniel had hoped to bring Julia around, to have a little more time with her, to get to know her better and perhaps help persuade her not to reject her father's decision before he died, but fate hadn't been on his side. He never wanted Victor to make out his will the way he had - although he knew only a small portion of what was planned, but he couldn't prevent the man from doing what he would with his own land. Now, he only hoped he could stand against Julia when the time came and help her feel a different set of emotions, then the ones he knew would follow the reading of her father’s will. Somehow, he had to make her understand he was as much against this whole thing as she soon would be.

“She’s a complex woman,” Daniel said at last. “I can’t predict what she’ll do when she hears her father’s plans.”

“That’s not what I asked you,” Harold said again. Daniel smiled.

“I would like to think she has feelings for me, but there are moments when I could just turn her over my knee.”

“What would you do with her, once she was there?” Harold chuckled at the wicked gleam that crossed his friend’s face.

“Many wonderful and unspeakable things.”

The two men laughed as Harold removed the bottle from his bottom drawer and poured two glasses of whiskey. He knew he would need all the strength he could get before tonight.

“So, what time should I be there?” Harold asked after a few moments, again shifting in his seat, draining the last of the liquor from his glass.

“I’ll send a message. Louise wanted to wait and see how Julia’s doing this morning.”

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Harold asked his partner, watching the frown that crossed Daniel’s face.

“Strange things have been happening at the stables the last few weeks, and several of the ranch hands have seen a dark-haired woman riding away whenever things go wrong.”

“Do you think it was Julia?”

“Not a chance,” Daniel shook his head. “The sightings started before she returned to Kentucky and the problems have been going on for a lot longer.”

“Maybe somebody knows what’s in the will and doesn’t like it. After all, Turner Stables are worth millions. That’s a lot of money to pass over.”

“That’s true, but is it bad enough to try and kill for?”

“I don’t know, Daniel,” Harold replied. “Money does make a powerful enemy.”

“Perhaps, we’ll just have to wait and see what pans out. Anyway, I want to get a few things from my flat,” Daniel added as he stood and walked with Harold into the outer office. “I plan on staying at the ranch for a while longer.”

“For personal or professional reasons?” Harold asked with a raised eyebrow, causing Daniel to smile a half-grin.

“I’ll let you know what Louise says,” Daniel said, patting the man’s back.

Harold watched his friend ascend the stairs to the upper level before returning to his office and shutting the door. He sat down at his desk, removing the small key from his inner pocket and sighing as he unlocked the bottom drawer of his filing cabinet and pulled out the folder of papers. He opened the folder and began to flip through the pages, refreshing himself of its contents. With a twist in his stomach, he looked out the window and into the street beyond. Daniel was pulling the small carriage away from the front of the building, waving to his partner as he passed by.

The evening was going to prove interesting, to say the least, and Harold was secretly hoping for a reprieve. Maybe Louise didn’t want him out so soon, maybe he could ease into the reading without emotions. Maybe Daniel wouldn’t want to strangle him when he learned of the contents of the will, and then again, maybe hell would freeze over in the next two hours, and the earth would quit spinning.

Sounds of rustling echoed through the silent room, shuffling feet across the carpet followed by the clicking of a doorknob, all added to a difficult awakening. Julia struggled to open her eyes, focusing on the dimly lit room around her. The curtains had been pulled to allow her to sleep longer, the door shut to block out the noise of the day and the added blanket across her feet to help keep her warm. The whole setup had her mother’s signature to it.

With a frown, Julia struggled to sit up in bed and glanced around the room again. She had a strange sensation she wasn’t alone. The room was empty except for her, no sounds or smells to alert her to anything out of the ordinary, but still, there was a feeling that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She shook her head softly, it was just a lingering image from the night before, she assured herself, closing her eyes again as she laid back against the pillows.

Nightmares had filled her dreams with fear and confusion, images of the past, and the future being distorted by visions of death. She had dreamed of her father, seeing him riding across the fields on his stallion, until his image dissolved into a wooden coffin that opened up to her. She could hear his voice beckoning her, calling her to him as blood flowed from many roses lying around a gravesite. Flames leaped up from the bowels of hell to claim her soul, as she heard her brother’s voice repeat his warning.

He always wanted to control you and now he has. Your future is over, your life is a mirror of his.

Julia sighed deeply, opening her eyes again. Somehow, she had to get out of Kentucky and back to Boston as soon as possible, but the thought caused a giant knot in her stomach.

Thoughts of her mother flashed before her eyes as she considered their futures. Her mother would survive, it’s what she did, always facing each task with a headstrong logic that kept order to life. She could envision Jeremy standing beside an attractive faceless blonde, happy and content but far from Kentucky. It all felt so normal, so right. Julia knew they would both be fine, so what caused the confusion? And then another image came into focus and she knew immediately it was the real reason she regretted leaving. blondish-brown hair and turquoise eyes were going to be very difficult to forget, perhaps even harder to leave.

A knock on the hall door echoed through the silent room, bringing a jump to Julia's heart and a halt to her daydreams. She fought to contain her self-control but found her forehead suddenly damp and her heart pounding wildly. She subconsciously ran a hand through her long hair, smoothing it from her face as she adjusted her position in the bed, straightening the blankets quickly across her lap. A moment later the door pushed open and Louise poked her head around the corner. She carried a small tray with Julia's breakfast plate and a teapot.

"Good morning darling," her mother smiled, her tone cheerful and light. "How do you feel?"

"Better, thank you, Mother," she answered, still trying to pull herself under control.

“Are you ready for some breakfast?”

Louise placed the tray across her lap, smiling as she sat in the chair next to the bed. A brief hint of disappointment echoed in her eyes as she accepted her mother’s offerings of eggs, toast, and bacon with a frown. It looked less than appetizing and smelled more like the stables, than food, but she had not eaten in many hours and knew she would need something to sustain her.

The two women talked lightly while Julia tried to swallow her food. The doctor had mentioned the shot he gave her would make her queasy, but she didn't imagine it would make her downright sick. She struggled to keep the food in her stomach and quickly found her body accepting the offering, the nausea dissolving to nothing more than a slight headache. When the plate was clean and the teapot empty, she was able to broach the subject most important on her mind.

"Do you remember anything odd about yesterday, Mother?" she asked, leaning her sore head against the mound of pillows behind her.

"Other than your fall? Not that I can think of. Why do you ask?"

"I didn't fall, Mother," she told her, feeling a strange tightening in her stomach. "Somebody hit me.”

“Daniel was the one who found you and shouted for help,” Louise said with a deep frown. “The only thing near you was the pillow you had been using.”

“I wasn’t using a pillow.” Julia fell silent as the feelings the noises and the sensations began to flood back to her. “Mother, did anyone see anything out of the ordinary? A stranger, or someone who didn't seem to belong, anyone who maybe have stood out? "

"Well, your Aunt Joyce did mention something about a woman sticking close to the corners, but I didn't take it seriously. You know your Aunt Joyce, she’s prone to exaggerations. I figured it was her way of eliminating the competition when it came time for dishing out the inheritance."

"Please don't think I'm crazy, but I think it was a woman who hit me. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I heard a strange noise, like paper rustling. I just figured it was birds outside the window, but the noise got louder, and when I tried to stand up..." She paused, as she realized the person who had attacked her had been standing behind her the whole time. A chill ran down her spine and a feeling of terror screamed a silent warning between her ears.

"Are you certain about this Julia?" her mother asked softly, a frown creasing her slender brows.

"That's not all," Julia continued, the need to tell her story to its completion, felt overwhelming. "I remember the scent of flowers and a sound of...scraping...like something sliding across the carpet. No, not like that,” she frowned as she tried to remember exactly what the sound was. “It wasn't rough or hard, but it was definitely a scraping sound, and then I felt like I was suffocating, I wasn’t able to breathe, and I felt like a weight was on my chest."

Louise stood and paced to the open doors of the veranda. "Do you know what you're saying, child?" her mother asked, softly.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. I heard someone, and I remember the smell of lilacs."

"Lilacs? There are no lilac bushes around the house." Louise turned and examined her daughter's tortured features. "Could it have been perfume, perhaps?"

"Do you think I'm right? Do you think it could have been a woman, Mother?"

"Maybe the same one Joyce said she saw."

"But who could it have been, and why would she attack me?"

"I don't know," she answered, then added softly, "maybe I do."

Louise turned as someone knocked on the door, putting a stop to her thoughts. Daniel cautiously opened the wooden barrier, poking his head around the corner and smiling softly at the woman in the bed, then to Louise who stood by the patio doors.

“Am I interrupting?" he asked, taking a step through the threshold.

The feeling between the two women seemed thick and tense and Daniel immediately remembered the last time he had witnessed an argument with the two. Louise forced a smile across her lips and drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Of course not," she answered. "I was just making certain our patient followed doctor's orders and ate some breakfast. Now that you're here, I'll leave her in your care. I have some work to do anyway." She offered her daughter a brief kiss and a gentle squeeze to her arm.

“We’ll talk more later,” Louise promised before turning and leaving the room.

"I didn't mean to do that," Daniel replied, sitting on the edge of Julia's bed. She looked up at him and frowned.

"Do what?"

"Chase your mother off," he explained, gazing into the pale face that stared back at her. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything’s fine and I'm feeling much better, thank you, just a bit of a headache."

"You don't sound better. What's wrong?"

Julia smiled softly, aware of how easy it was for him to read her mind.

"I'm fine, Daniel, I promise. I just need a bath and a brandy, but I don't think my mother will accommodate me on the brandy part."

"Then perhaps I can," Daniel winked, pulling a small silver flask from his jacket pocket. He offered it to Julia, who took it with a frown. She twisted off the top and sniffed it gently and stared at the man with wide eyes.

"It's for emergencies," he told her with a grin.

"Such as?" Julia couldn't help but smile as she put the silver flask to her lips. Daniel watched silently for a moment as she tipped it up and took a long drink.

"Beautiful, accident-prone women, mostly."

"I'm not accident-prone," she defended herself, handing the man back his brandy.

"Then how do you explain last night?" He knew this wasn't the right way to approach the subject, but now that he had, there was no turning back.

Julia stared at the man for a long moment, before lowering her eyes.

"I can't," she told him, briefly.

Just when he would have pushed the subject further, the door opened, and Louise hurried through followed by three maids. She pointed them towards the wash closet, turning an apologetic grin to the couple.

"I thought perhaps you would like a bath, while you're still awake and feeling up to it."

"She was just saying that same thing," Daniel said as a wicked smile curved his full lips. "I didn't know you two were gifted with mind-reading abilities?"

"It's not being gifted, it's called woman's intuition," Julia replied, listening as the maids poured water into the freestanding tub in the adjoining room.

Louise cleared her throat, watching the three leave the room before following them out, a sly smile caressing her lips.

"I promise, you won't be disturbed again, dear," she assured them and with that said she left, closing the door tightly behind her.

"Sounds like an invitation if ever I heard one," Daniel whispered, leaning across the slender brunette.

Julia tried to scoot away but was trapped by the man's hand holding the blankets taunt across her legs. She couldn't squirm or move, and once his lips met with hers, she no longer wanted to.

His kiss was tender and filled with a promise Julia couldn't quite comprehend. She cursed herself silently for her lack of experience when it came to men, yet she found her curiosity and desires rising. This man proved to be an excellent instructor. How could he do so many wonderfully wicked things to her heart and mind? She had never known a man, who induced such passion from her with just a kiss.

As she felt his hand gently edge its way up the front of her nightgown, she sighed, his nimble fingers slowly caressing and teasing her erect breast that begged for his attention. Her body responded automatically arching upwards, daring him to go further without knowing what exactly that meant. Her lips parted, and Daniel immediately accepted her invitation and deepened his kiss. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, it wasn’t proper. He was her father’s lawyer, a paid employee, but the sudden urge to know as much about these feelings as she could, began to heighten her curiosity, begging her to experience them fully, making her feel daring and wanton.

Daniel heard a soft moan escape Julia's throat and knew he was nearing the edge of a dangerous cliff. He had to pull back, he had to push her away, but his body had its own ideas. Instead, he pulled her closer, his tongue darting between her lips, teasing and tormenting her with unspoken promises as his free hand held her gently behind the neck. His other hand slowly slipped the strap of her gown from her shoulder, allowing her full, firm breast the freedom of clothing. He moved back to her nipple, his hand warm and slightly rough against her tender skin, making the sensations more erotic.

He moved his hand behind her head just enough that her head was tilted upward as he deepened his kiss even further. He pinched her nipple softly, rolling the pebble-like flesh between his thumb and forefinger until she moaned. His desire to know her deeper, to explore her more fully was becoming a controlling factor of his mind, forcing him to obey.

He eased the pillows from behind her head, laying her against the mattress gently until she was flat on her back, never breaking his contact with her lips. He stretched out beside her, his long legs pinning her beneath the blankets, as his mouth roamed eagerly across her face and neck. He burned a searing path of heated desire along her collarbone and down her sternum then slowly across her breast to the nipple he had been silently torturing. It was a sensation that made her head spin and she closed her eyes to it, absorbing it fully as she basked in the warmth that spread from the roots of her hair down to the tip of her toes.

Daniel suckled and nipped at the delicate skin until she moaned again, his hand slowly, cautiously moving over her abdomen to the indent in the blankets between her legs. The tight cocoon that encased her became unbearable and Julia found herself struggling to gain freedom from its confines. Daniel misunderstood her actions and quickly broke his contact with her, easing his long frame off the bed. He ran a large tanned hand through his blondish-brown hair, trying hard to pull himself under control.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he told her in a deep husky whisper, still looking down at her, his eyes absorbing the sight of her breast, pink from his assault on it. "I had no right to do that."

"I didn't mind," she said, hearing the husky shake in her own voice.

"Go take your bath," he ordered, his voice a soft growl. "I'll give you some privacy."

"No!" Julia started at her own desperation but couldn't stop the panic from tearing through her voice.

She stood up out of the bed so quickly, she nearly toppled back down, her head spinning, her eyes distorted for the briefest of moments.

"What is it?" Daniel came back to her, putting his hands firmly on her shoulders as he raised the strap to hide her chest from his eager eyes.

"Julia, what's wrong?"

"I just…don't want...to be alone," her hesitation made the frown he wore, deepen. "Please stay. I won't be long, just please don't leave me."

"I won't go anywhere," he assured her with a suspicious expression etching his handsome features.

The need to protect her outweighed his present need to seduce her, as the only thoughts that he could envision was her lying on the floor unconscious, blood dripping down her forehead. He groaned inwardly, his emotions were a jumbled mess, tangled between desire, passion, confusion, and the urgent need to comfort and protect. God, what she did to him was lethal.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, after a moment. "I guess I just overreacted."

"Are you ready to tell me what it was all about?"

He slipped his hand against her cheek, tipping her face up so he could look into her tear-filled eyes.

"I just didn't want to be alone, that's all," she lied, with a soft blush. "Besides, I thought all men wanted to watch women undress?"

"Not when the woman is terrified of her own shadow and not when the man is in another room," he told her. "But I'll stay all the same. You go on in and take your bath and I'll wait for you here."

Julia sighed. She really didn't want him to leave and was relieved when he agreed not to. She felt safe whenever he was around, even if he was in the next room.

She walked slowly to her washroom, the thought of Daniel waiting for her made her feel courageous and warm all over. She heard a quiet little voice inside her head, warning her against falling in love with this very masculine man, but the voice that screamed from within her heart told her to ignore logic and follow her desires.

Closing the door to her washroom, Julia quickly disrobed. The tub was filled only halfway with warm water and scented oil, yet it was enough for her to wash in. She wanted to relax, to just allow the water to engulf her, but the thought of the man in the next room made her dispose of the idea.

Julia washed her hair before piling it up on her head and reaching for the small barrette she kept on her wash table. Her fingers brushed the jewels that decorated the top, flipping it over, causing it to tumble onto the floor. With a silent curse, she leaned over the edge of the tub, ignoring the soft pounding sensation in her head as she tried to find it under the foot of the tub. Water splashed out onto the pink carpet and she again cursed, feeling around the carpet until her fingers brushed the jewels, but she succeeded in pushing it further away. She groaned softly and tried again, leaning a little further out of the tub.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she complained, stepping out of the tub completely and kneeling on the rug.

She reached her hand under the porcelain basin and felt around for her barrette, her long hair falling in wet ringlets across her face, making it impossible for her to see. She brushed an object, cool and long like a handle to a broom, but when she tried to pull it out, it moved away, slithering from her grip.

Julia screamed, jumping away from the tub and nearly falling into the box that held the chamber pot. The water from her hair slid into her eyes and stung the green depths like red-hot pokers, but the sensation did nothing to distract from the terror she felt ripping at her insides.

Daniel heard Julia's scream and ran to the wash closet, throwing open the door. What he saw made the frown he’d been wearing for the past several minutes deepen. Julia stood between the chamber pot and the tub, her hair wet, dripping across her breasts and down her back. She stood before him completely naked, brushing hair from her face and rubbing her eyes. He stood there for several seconds staring. She was more beautiful then he’d ever dreamed, and he was quite certain it was a vision he was not likely to forget. When he realized she wasn’t trying to hide her nakedness, he came back to the events that had brought him bursting through the door.

"What the hell..." he began, only to have her point to the floor beneath the tub of water.

"Under there," she gasped, pushing her hair away from her face.

She didn't seem to notice the fact that she was standing before the man, naked and dripping wet. The only thought on her mind was the object that had slithered through her grip.

Daniel knelt in front of the tub, his eyes still roaming across her exquisite figure in a mixture of concern and desire. He wanted to forget what he was doing and just pull her to him, tasting and teasing the dark triangle of hair that was now at nose level. But instead, he forced his eyes off her and back to the task at hand, seeing exactly what it was that had caused her to scream.

“Hand me that towel,” he ordered as she picked up the small towel on the hamper next to her.

He tossed the cotton cloth across the reptile, gathering it in his hand as he rose to his feet, keeping the twisting bundle away from her as he pulled her into his strong embrace.

"Calm down," he told her, holding her naked body against his growing arousal. "It won't hurt you."

"I don't give a bloody damn, get it out of here!" she ordered, pushing the man and the towel in his hand away from her.

The door to her bedroom swung open and Jeremy rushed in. He stared at Daniel's large frame filling the doorway of his sister's wash closet, his arm around Julia's slender waist and Julia, standing wet and naked in front of him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled, laying a hand on the shoulder of what he assumed was his sister's attacker.

Daniel turned and grinned at the younger man, noticing the umbrella he had grasped in his shaking hand.

"I didn't know it was raining?" he said, as Julia reached for her robe, struggling to put it on.

"Did he hurt you?" Jeremy demanded, still uncertain what was going on.

"No Jeremy," she insisted, tying the robe around her waist. "Put that umbrella away."

She marched past both men going back into her room and lay down on her bed, desperate to hide her embarrassment and her body from them. The room was quickly filling with people as Louise and Thompson rushed in, a pistol in the older man’s firm grip. They stared with concern at Julia, and then looked to Jeremy and Daniel - who still held a squirming towel in his hand.

"Why did you scream?" Louise asked, uncertain of what was going on.

Daniel unwrapped the towel enough to display the snake for their inspection. Louise gasped, as did Bridget who had appeared behind the older woman.

"It was in her washroom," he told them, glancing across the room to Julia. "She screamed when she saw it."

"I did not see it," she insisted, pulling her robe tighter around her chest as she tucked her feet up on the mattress. "I felt it and it nearly attacked me."

"It's a garter snake, Princess. It wouldn't have hurt you, and what was it doing under your tub?"

"How the hell should I know?" she demanded anxiously, watching as Daniel wrapped the repulsive reptile back into the towel. "Maybe it had an overwhelming urge to wash its hair!"

Daniel nudged Jeremy on the arm and nodded toward the door.

"Come on sport," he said, with amusement. "Let's get rid of your sister's friend." Daniel stepped to Julia's bed and gently kissed her forehead.

"Your mother will stay with you while your brother and I dispose of your visitor."

"He's not my visitor or my friend, Browning!" she snapped, anger flushing her pale face.

Daniel and Jeremy left the room, following Thompson down the hall. Once they were out of earshot of the women, Jeremy turned to the man next to him and tried to pull up to his full height of five feet, ten inches.

"I owe you an apology, Daniel," he said, softly. "I thought you were trying to..."

"I know what you thought and believe me, Jeremy, I nearly did," Daniel chuckled lightly. "Damn snake anyway."

"How do you suppose that thing got into Julia's washroom?" Jeremy asked as they continued walking.

"I was wondering the same thing. It's not unusual for a snake to come near a house, even into an open door, but to climb up a winding flight of stairs, crawl into a room and close the door behind it? I wouldn't want to set a bet on those odds."

"What are you getting at, Daniel?"

"Look, I know there’s more going on here than Julia’s admitting to. I know she didn’t hit herself on the head and that pillow beside her last night was not a cushion for her to rest on. There’s no way in hell she would have put a snake in her own bathroom, either."

They stepped into the back yard and released the three-foot reptile, which eagerly slithered away, disappearing between two nearby bushes. The silence welled up around the two men threatening to rob the breath from their very lungs. It wasn't impossible to envision somebody trying to scare a woman, especially with a childish prank like a snake, but to deliberately go to the length of assaulting and possibly trying to kill her was another subject altogether. One - at present - that needed a much closer investigation.