“And, as I have no intention of marrying you,” he jeered, “such fire is quite unnecessary. But, as I have told you before, it delights me to see you in a rage. When your eyes are flashing, you are infinitely more beautiful than at any other time.”

He had not touched her, but his assurance and the way he was looking at her made Gretna feel as if his big hands and thick lips besmirched her.

She gave a little cry of horror and turned from him, looking wildly round the cabin.

“I cannot – escape you, my Lord,” she said desperately. “I know that. So I must ask you, if you have a spark of decency within you, to take me back. I – beg you to do so, to be – merciful.”

He laughed.

“So now you are pleading with me. This is indeed a different tone. You will plead with me a great deal more, little Gretna, before I have finished with you. The first time we met I told you that you were a filly that was unbroken. Well, it will amuse me to break you, to hear you plead with me, to watch you cry out because you are afraid. Nothing is more boring than a woman who loves too easily. I think I shall enjoy our honeymoon.”

“You cannot mean it, you – cannot!” Gretna cried. “I beg of you, my Lord, to listen to me. You cannot do this. You know it is wrong, wicked and evil, because I am only a woman, I have no strength to fight you – physically. Spare me – and I will be grateful to you for – the rest of my life.”

“While I should never forgive myself for relinquishing what I had won before I had even tasted the delights of conquest,” he answered.

“Please! Please!” Gretna implored him, clasping her hands together, the tears starting in her eyes.

He chuckled thickly in his throat.

“Delightful. Delightful. And how pretty you look in your anxiety! We have plenty of time for such theatricals. Let’s drink some wine. Beautiful women and wine go so well together.”

There was a bell lying on the table. He picked it up and rang it Almost immediately a servant appeared at the door.

“Bring me a decanter of wine,” Lord Wroxhall ordered.

And then, as the man made to turn, Gretna moved forward.

“Wait!” she called out. “I – ”

She got no further. Somehow she could not bring herself to make a scene in front of a servant and, as if he sensed her dilemma, Lord Wroxhall laughed again and said,

“The lady is but asking that you should bring champagne and make haste about it.”

The man went from the cabin. Gretna covered her face with her hands and sank down on a chair.

Lord Wroxhall watched her bowed head with a smile of satisfaction and, picking up his quizzing glass, twirled it by the ribbon.