Defeat was a word that never entered the Earl’s mind and in war he had always told himself that, if he were not ultimately the victor, then he would die in the attempt to achieve it.

The War with Napoleon was over, but he was now engaged in another campaign.

He would never give up and yet the doubt that he might not win it was there insidiously in his mind, although he tried to shake it off impatiently.

It would be better, he thought as he rode on, if she had been shocked or shy as he had half-expected her to be at what he suggested because she was so young.

But that she should first of all criticise the way he had suggested that he should become her protector and then should find it amusing was yet another experience that he had not anticipated.

Now, because she had almost goaded him into saying that he would win her, she would be suspicious of every move he made.

Because he was very experienced where women were concerned, he was aware that she had quivered when he had kissed the palm of her hand and he thought that it was the one encouraging thing about the whole evening.

And yet she had not swayed towards him as any other woman would have done, when he said he wanted to kiss her.

That she had run away meant that perhaps she was not only running away from him but from herself.

The trouble was he did not know with any certainty the answer to any of his own questions.

What did she feel about him?

When she was alone, did she really feel shocked or perhaps disgusted because he wished her to be his mistress?

If she was the lady she appeared to be, that was understandable, but surely she must have known other men who had complimented her and perhaps because she was so lovely, had attempted, if not to seduce her, at least to arouse her interest.

She had said that there was no one, but was it likely that a girl in her position would admit to anything?

And yet she appeared to be truthful. Except that she would tell him nothing about herself, the Earl was certain that she had not lied to him.

He had learnt to recognise a liar almost before they opened their mouths. He had known that strong men trembled when he asked to see them in his tent or more usually in some dirty peasant’s house that had been commandeered for the few nights they had rested somewhere on their advance into France.

A soldier would always try to lie his way out of having looted or of raping some wretched woman. But the Earl, while he forced himself to listen to what the man had to say, knew instinctively whether or not he told the truth.

Thalia did not lie, he would stake his life on that.