He shook his head. “I must admit I’m disappointed you’ve wasted all these years thinking up your revenge against me when you could have worked on becoming a decent human being.
“Going after me will earn you Papa’s loathing. Then where will you be? What will you have accomplished?”
Her question coincided with Andrea’s appearance outside the château. His pulse raced just looking at her.
“You’d be surprised,” Corinne muttered.
Without waiting to hear anything else he got out to open the door for his future wife. She was carrying precious cargo. He’d do whatever it took to see her safely through this pregnancy.
EIGHT hours later Andrea was finally alone with Lance in her bedroom. The solemn look on his handsome face set off alarm bells.
“You know your father better than anyone in the world. He wasn’t putting on an act at dinner tonight, was he?”
“No. In fact I would go so far as to say he had to hold back most of his joy in order not to hurt Corinne.”
“Then what’s wrong besides the obvious?”
“It’s Corinne.”
Andrea nodded. “I know that.”
“I thought I knew, too …”
A strange nuance in his voice sent a chill down her spine. “What did she say to you before I came down to the car with my purse this afternoon?”
He slid his hands up and down her arms. “Corinne made a threat.”
“What kind?”
“I didn’t give her the chance to tell me.”
“But you can’t dismiss it? Why didn’t you say something to me while we were in the village. I thought we were in this together.”
His eyes roved over her upturned features. “Because I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”
“I already am worried. Her behavior is irrational, Lance. One minute she’s hysterical. The next she’s like the calm before a storm.”
“She’s mentally ill. I’m sure my father believes it, too. He chose his words very carefully tonight.”
“I have to know what you’re thinking!”
His hands circled her upper arms. “Last night I asked if you trusted me, and you said yes.”
“I do.”
“Then let me deal with this in my own way first. I’ve already taken some precautions. If the need arises to talk to you about it, I swear I will. In the meantime we’ll do everything together. I’m not leaving you alone.”
For him to say that could only mean one thing. “You think she could be physically dangerous?”
Lines marred his face. “At this point I believe Corinne is capable of almost anything.”
Andrea groaned. “When your father gave us his blessing, she saw her dreams smashed. There’s a violence in her, Lance.”
“It’s always been there.”
“At the lake you told me it was a woman who gave you that scar. Women commit crimes against men on a regular basis. When I think Corinne once came to your room uninvited—there’s nothing to prevent her from doing it again to make certain you don’t get married.”
He kissed her forehead. “Nothing’s going to happen to anyone, Andrea. Until our wedding I’ll be sleeping with you in this room.”
“But, Lance—”
“Don’t worry about the servants talking,” he cut in on her. “That’s exactly what I want to happen. The gossip will reach Corinne’s ears. Knowing you and I are together will act as a natural deterrent.”
“I was thinking of your father.”
The trace of a smile formed on his lips. “Since it only took me four days to propose to you, he would wonder about me if I continued to spend my nights apart from you.”
He relinquished his hold of her and reached for the phone at her bedside. “I’ll let the staff know about my new arrangements, then we’ll call your family with our news.”
His eyes swept over her. “You look tired. Why don’t you get ready for bed first? It was designed so half a dozen people can gaze at the paintings comfortably. You won’t even know I’m in there with you.”
Andrea’s thudding heart accompanied her into the bathroom where she clung to the sink until she could get herself under control.
The brilliance of the diamond ring he’d given her drew her gaze.
It’s in the shape of the lake, he’d said.
The lake hidden in a mystical forest was where this whole thing had started—where she’d met Lancelot Du Lac come to life. Only he was bigger than life.
The myth wasn’t a myth after all.
He’d put Andrea under his spell. How else would she have agreed to enter into this marriage with Lance?
He was waiting for her when she emerged from the bathroom wearing her nightgown and robe. In the short time she’d been occupied, he’d changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. No matter what he wore, she was aware of his incredible male physique made hard by his life in the military.
His slumberous eyes followed her progress, taking in every inch of her, starting at her bare feet.
“Ready to make that phone call? Afterward I want to hear which painting you think is my favorite.”
Andrea sank down at the side of the bed and put a phone call through to her aunt. The whole time they talked, Lance lay stretched out on the other side of the bed with his hands propping his dark head. He proved to be such a distraction, she had trouble concentrating on the conversation.
“If you’re so attracted to him this soon, why don’t you stay on in France and get to know him better before you commit yourself to another marriage?”
It was a good question. One Andrea would have asked her aunt if their positions had been reversed.
“Lance has been in the military a long time, Aunt Kathy. He wants to settle down.”
“That’s fine for him, but what about you? Even though you’re free, you’re still grieving. I should think you’d want to take a couple of deep breaths first.”
Her aunt didn’t understand Andrea’s problem. Andrea had been grieving in her marriage for
