“You can't!” she yelled. “You can't kill me.”

Carlotta smiled. “Oh?”

“You're out of bullets.”

“I have another gun.”

“You'll never escape without me.”

“Is that so?”

Caroline nodded frantically, then spied something that made her so thankful she was one inch away from committing herself to a convent just to show her gratitude.

“And why, pray tell, is that?”

“Because the boat is leaving.”

Carlotta whirled around, saw Oliver's boat heading back out to open waters, and spat out a word Caroline had never before heard spoken in a female voice.

When Blake's feet hit the gravelly beach, it was all he could do not to race into the ocean and yank his wife to safety. But he'd chosen the steeper path so as not to lose the element of surprise, and he knew he had to proceed with care and caution. James landed softly next to him a moment later, and together they surveyed the scene.

Carlotta seemed to have gone positively unhinged, waving her fist and screaming curses at the receding boat, and Caroline was inching slowly backward, edging ever closer to the beach.

But just when she'd managed to go far enough so that she might possibly be able to run to safety, Carlotta whirled around and leveled her gun at Caroline's midsection.

“You're not going anywhere,” she said in a deadly voice.

“Couldn't we at least get out of the water?” Caroline replied. “I can't feel my feet any longer.”

Carlotta nodded curtly. “Move slowly. One false move and I'll shoot you dead. I swear I will.”

“I believe you,” Caroline replied, with a meaningful glance toward Davenport's body.

Slowly, without ever taking their eyes off each other, the two women moved out of the water and onto the beach.

From his hiding place behind a tree, Blake watched the entire interchange. He felt James edge closer to him, then heard his whisper in his ear.

“Wait until they get a little closer.”

“For what?” Blake asked in response.

But the marquis made no reply.

Blake watched Carlotta like a hawk, waiting for the exact right moment to shoot the gun out of her hand. There was no finer shot in all of England, and Blake was confident he could do it, but not while Caroline was blocking his way.

But then, before Blake could stop him, James stepped suddenly out into the clearing, both of his hands in the air.

“Let her go,” the marquis said in a low voice. “I'm the one you want.”

Carlotta's head swung around. “You!”

“In the flesh.”

Caroline's mouth fell open. “James?”

Carlotta's gun made an arc through the air as she changed her aim. “I have been dreaming about this day,” she hissed.

James jerked his head to signal to Caroline to move out of the way. “Is that all you've been dreaming about?” he purred.

Caroline caught her breath. James sounded positively seductive. What on earth had happened between those two? And where was Blake?

“Caroline,” James said in forceful tones. “Move aside. This is between Miss De Leon and me.”