It was clearly not at all what she wished to hear.

"But what of Mr. Ryan? He is determined to speak with my brother."

"He has nothing more than a vague description of a large gentleman with dark hair. That could easily include half the gentlemen in London."

She wrapped her arms about her tiny waist. "Yes, but not half of the gentlemen in London were in the lane during the murder," she pointed out in worried tones. "Once he speaks to William, he might very well be convinced he is guilty. If only ..."

Her words trailed away, and Sebastian stepped forward as an odd expression crossed over her countenance. He experienced a decided chill. He already sensed that the expression could mean nothing but trouble.

"What?"

She nibbled her bottom lip as she considered her inner thoughts. "If only we, knew who did commit the murder, then William would be safe."

The chill struck again and Sebastian regarded her with a guarded expression. "You intend to reveal to Mr. Ryan that you saw a shadow kill the maiden?"

"Of course not. He would think me mad. And besides, I would have to confess I was not at home with William as I told him."

"Then what do you speak of?"

Her features hardened abruptly. "I will discover the truth of this shadow myself."

Although he had expected something ridiculous and carelessly imprudent, Sebastian still found himself caught off guard.

"No."

She flinched at his sharp refusal, her spine stiffening and her chin rising in an ominous manner.

"I beg your pardon?"

Sebastian was intelligent, even for a vampire. His mind was well honed and trained to seek the truth. He had even studied the philosophies of mortals so he could possess a greater understanding of their tumultuous existence.

The moment called for subtle manipulation, whispered the voice of reason in the back of his mind. A gentle hand upon her reins. To challenge her pride blatantly would make her more determined than ever to behave the fool.

His intelligence at the moment, however, was astonishingly absent as he regarded the stubborn female with rising annoyance. She would not be allowed to put herself, nor the Medallion, in peril.

Not for any reason.

"I have warned you of the danger," he retorted in clipped tones. "The creature that attacked that woman would kill you without mercy."

The dark eyes narrowed abruptly. "How do you know? What do you hide from me?"

"This is no harmless diversion, Amelia. Thus far it has been sheer luck that your reckless nature has not brought you sorrow. Such luck will not remain forever."

Her hands landed upon her hips in open defiance. "If you will not tell me the truth, then I must discover it for myself. I will not allow anyone to harm William."

Sebastian battled the urge to reach out and shake some sense into her. "You will risk death?"

The color drained from her at his stark question but she never faltered. "If I must."

"This is foolishness," he growled. "I forbid you even to consider such an absurd scheme."

"Forbid me?" The features hardened with a dangerous determination. "By what right?"

"The right of common sense," he retorted in exasperation. "If you wish to protect your brother, then return home and make sure he is not allowed to roam the streets."

"I do not need your consent, Mr. St. Ives. I am in command of my life and make my own decisions."

"Decisions fit only for a wayward child."

Even as the angry words flew from his lips, Sebastian realized his error. Nothing, nothing could have been more perfectly calculated to make her dig in her heels.

Visibly bristling in anger, Amelia drew in a shaky breath. "I believe you have said quite enough, sir. I will wish you a good day and assure you that I shall not trouble you further."

"Amelia . . ." He stepped forward, intending to make amends for his hasty words, but even as he held out a hand she was whirling on her heel and storming toward the door. He could follow, of course. She could not outrun him. She could not hide. But for the moment, he realized it would be futile. There was no doubt that she was being devilishly stubborn. And more than reckless.

Still, he could not lay the entire blame upon her shoulders. She did not truly understand the danger. She could not possibly realize that the shadow she sought was a legendary vampire that could brutally kill her before she could blink. Until she knew the truth, she would rush blindly into danger and risk everything for her blasted brother. "Bloody hell."

Not surprisingly, Amelia returned home in a foul mood.

The man was an impossible, arrogant, overbearing beast, she told herself as she stormed to her home and slammed the door with a force that made her teeth rattle.

He had no right to order her about as if she were a child. For heaven's sake, she had boldly established her own life, her own household, and taken on the care of her brother. She had far more responsibilities than most females twice her age.

And she had been plodding along quite well without the interference of Mr. Sebastian St. Ives, she reassured herself grumpily.

Quite, quite well.

But as the day passed, her wounded pride had slowly given way to common sense.

Sebastian St. Ives had no right to give her orders, or even to question her decisions. He had been highhanded and utterly out of line. But despite his harsh words, she sensed that it had not been mere arrogance that had caused his annoying behavior.

Instead she sensed that his anger had come from a very genuine concern for her welfare, a concern that had been absent from her life for so long that she round it difficult to accept.

Ruefully, she began to realize that perhaps she had overreacted. She was so accustomed to battling for her right to defend and protect her brother that she had instinctively lashed out. It was now so deeply ingrained that she did not always realize when her heart was overruling her common sense.

And, too, if she were being completely honest with herself, she had to admit that a portion of her prickly reaction had been pure self-preservation.

She might not fully understand why her blood tingled and her heart raced when she was near Sebastian. Or even why he lingered in her thoughts when she had far more important matters to ponder. But she was wise enough to realize that her awareness made her wish for dangerous things. Feelings and sensations better left forgotten.

She was still pacing aimlessly when a noise from the garden had her moving toward the window. Just for a moment, her heart stopped and she feared what she might discover prowling in the dark. A shadow. A killer. A monster.

Instead, her eyes caught sight of the sleek, black cat that prowled haughtily across the garden, knocking over a crumbling statue and a forgotten bucket as he slowly strolled toward the nearby hedge.

Her momentary fear shifted to annoyance. The noise the cat was making was certain to wake William. Gads, it might wake the entire neighborhood. And when he discovered his beloved pet missing, nothing would keep him from going in search.

Blast, blast, blast.

How could she risk having her brother out of the house? Not only did she worry that the madman might return, but she could not deny a lingering fear that Mr. Ryan might be lurking about the neighborhood, hoping to capture her brother the moment he appeared.

The answer, of course, was that she could not.

With a heavy sigh, Amelia reluctantly made her way through the silent house and into the garden. Although she had boastfully stated she would do whatever necessary to protect William, she was not completely witless, no matter what Sebastian might claim. Indeed, she was quite intelligent enough to feel a measure of unease as she pursued the demon-spawned cat across the garden and around the narrow town house.

She would not go far, she promised herself silently. No further than the end of the block. After that, the stupid cat would be on its own.

Almost as if sensing her determination, the stray hovered a moment at the edge of the narrow street before streaking across the pavement to the tall hedge. From the leafy concealment, two shining eyes regarded Amelia, as if daring her to come and rescue him.

Muttering a string of curses wholly unfit for a proper young maiden, Amelia marched across the street and bent down to attempt to recover the beast. One day she would discover precisely how the cat continued to find its way from the house, and then she would bring a firm end to these midnight outings. A very firm end.

Intent upon her efforts to force her arms through the hedge and still uttering words fit only for a stable hand, Amelia took little note of the odd chill that suddenly seemed to fill the air. Not even when a rash of goose bumps feathered over her skin.

"Ah. A most peculiar, if rather delightful, sight."

Amelia nearly leaped from her skin at the sound of the faintly mocking voice. With a small squeak she abruptly straightened to discover a handsome gentleman with golden curls and elegant attire standing mere inches from her.

"Oh."

"Did I startle you? Forgive me—that certainly was not my intention."

The stranger smiled, but Amelia was unnervingly aware that it did not quite reach the hard, dark eyes. She took an instinctive step backward. Despite the aristocratic features and refined manners, there was something about this gentleman she did not trust.