Shall We Dance

Shall We Dance

'Will you marry me?'

Tamara listened to the question, not answering immediately. As she looked at him, seeing his wavy black hair, deep gray eyes, and that mischievous grin, she couldn't help admiring his broad shoulders and muscular build. He was a head taller than her 5 foot 9 inches. Tall, dark, handsome, the vice president of the local bank and in line to inherit one of the largest holdings in the area, Mark appeared to be everything any girl could want, especially a girl like Tamara Myers.

They had left the stables half an hour earlier for a ride along the scenic trails behind the Carlisle estate. Now, looking out over the valley, Tamara marveled at the beauty of the Montana mountains. She had spent her whole life in Miles City, first with her parents, and then, after their death in a car accident when she was twelve, with her aunt Mildred. After high school, she had gone to the local junior college, and then got a job as a teller at the National Bank. She loved her job and had been promoted to head teller after only two years. Now, at the ripe old age of 24, she was facing a decision which could destroy her entire world.

She met Mark the first day she went to work at the bank. He had smiled politely at her, and then totally ignored her, as he did all the other tellers. He was already vice president of the bank, and didn't have time or an interest in the girls who filtered through his world, staying at the bank only long enough to gain experience, then move on to a larger bank in a larger city, or, more often than not, simply leave the work force to get married and have a house full of children. It was one when Jill Lincoln left to get married and move to Chicago that Tamara had been promoted to fill her position as head teller. With her new responsibilities, she found herself more and more often in close contact with Mark.

It was only four months earlier, when everyone was leaving for the long Christmas weekend, that Tamara realized Mark was interested in more than her job performance. As she was preparing to leave the bank that cold afternoon, Tamara found herself alone. The other girls, anxious to begin their holiday, had scurried out the back door as soon as possible. She was still securing the last money drawer in the safe when the lights suddenly went out. She knew it was probably just one of the many power outages a Montana winter could cause, but for some reason that knowledge couldn't stifle the scream of panic which rose in her throat.

Almost instantly, the bank's emergency lighting came on, and Tamara was able to see to leave the vault. As she turned to do so, she screamed again as she saw the dark shape of a man filling the door of the vault. In shadow, in the semi-dark, with no one else in sight, Tamara's heart leaped to her throat as thoughts of bank robbery and murder ran through her mind. She fainted.

When she regained consciousness, she knew she was no longer on the hard floor of the vault. The smooth, cool leather of a couch greeted her fingers. A cool cloth was over her eyes. As she reached to remove it, a hand stopped hers. It was almost enough to make her faint again, but she resisted the urge to scream.

'Are you feeling better? I didn't mean to scare you.' The deep voice was familiar and concerned.

'I'm fine. What happened?'

'When the lights went out, I heard you scream. You took one look at me and fainted dead away. I must say, I'm not used to getting that reaction from women.' There was a hint of hurt and humor in his voice. Tamara knew her boss was no stranger to the female world. Every woman in town considered him a prime candidate for either herself or her daughter, and there was a steady stream of beautiful women dropping by for lunch dates.

'I'm sorry. I thought I was alone. When I saw you, I thought there was a robbery.' She sat up, removing the cloth and straightening her skirt in one smooth motion. 'I have to finish locking the safe.'

'It's taken care of. Are you sure you're all right? Should I call a doctor?' He moved back to his desk, sitting on the edge of it as he watched her intently.

'I'm fine. Thank you.' She glanced at her watch, noting the whole episode hadn't lasted more than ten minutes. 'I have to be getting home. My aunt will be worried.'

'Can you drive?' He jumped up as she stood, half expecting her to keel over again.

'I'm walking. I only live a couple blocks from here.' She headed for the door, anxious to get to the cloak room and away.

'Walking! In this weather! Forget it. There's a blizzard blowing up out there. You wouldn't make it a hundred yards before it blew you over. I'll drive you.'

'But….'

'Get your coat. My car is right outside.' He strode to the closet, grabbed his coat, and was holding the door for her before she could think of a logical response. Minutes later, she was ensconced in the passenger seat of his Lincoln Town Car, again feeling leather under her fingers as she smoothed her skirt. He quickly cleared the snow off the windshield before jumping in and starting the engine. 'Which way?'

'Right to the first corner, then right again, and straight two blocks.'

He pulled out into the thin traffic, driving slowly in the near white out conditions. When they got near her aunt's house, she directed him into the long drive way.

'Isn't this the Wilton estate?' He gave her a questioning look as they drove up to the large portico.

'Yes. Carl Wilton was my uncle.' She didn't elaborate further, preferring not to go into details of her personal life.

'I'll see you inside.'

'That's not necessary.' But her words fell on empty air as Mark hurried around the car to open her door. He took her arm and guided her the short distance to the front door, a look of surprise crossing his face as the heavy wooden door was opened as if by magic as they approached.

'Good afternoon, Miss Tamara.' Samuels had been a part of the household since well before Tamara had come to live with her aunt.

'Good afternoon, Samuels.' Tamara removed her coat, finding herself assisted by a somewhat stunned Mark Carlisle.

'Shall I tell your aunt there will be three for tea?' Samuels queried Tamara as he gave Mark as half hidden glance.

'Mr. Carlisle can't stay. The storm is getting worse, and we wouldn't want he to be stranded.' Tamara had no interest in becoming another one of a long list of women trailing after Mark Carlisle. 'Thank you for the ride home, Mr. Carlisle. I'm sorry I was such a bother.'

'No bother at all.' Mark had never found himself so totally confused or so totally shocked at the off hand way he had been dismissed, particularly since the dismissal came from one of his own employees. 'I'll see you at work.'

He found Samuels already at the door, waiting to open it for him. The whole exchange had moved so quickly he was on the outside, listening to the door close firmly behind him, before his confusion had a chance to turn to anger. When it did, there was nothing he could do but stare at the door and vow to make Tamara sorry for her insolence.

Inside, Tamara smiled at Samuels.

'I suspect I'm going to hear about this when I go back to work.'

'Is he someone important?'

'My boss.' Samuels raised his eyebrows, but didn't say a word. 'At least, he was my boss before this happened. I really like my job, too.'

'Maybe it won't mean you have to quit.' Samuels was always optimistic. Tamara wished she could believe he might be right.

'Quit what?' Mildred Wilton, elegant in a simple outfit of black slacks and a red sweater breezed into the room. At 47, she still retained her perfect size 6 body and carried a mane of dark auburn hair which flowed in thick waves around her shoulders. Tamara could never understand why her aunt had not remarried after the untimely death of her husband almost fifteen years earlier. She knew her aunt had a variety of men friends she would see on her frequent trips to New York or Los Angeles, but she never dated closer to home, and never invited any of her friends to visit her home.

'My job.'

'But you love your job. Why in the world would you quit?'

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Tamara filled her in on the afternoon, finishing with 'I'm sure he will be furious with me once he has a chance to realize how rudely he was treated.'

'Why were you rude? I've never heard Mark Carlisle described as anything but a total gentleman and a wonderful catch.' Tamara and her aunt had gone into the living room and were seated on the facing couches, a tray of tea items displayed on the low table between them. As Tamara poured, her aunt studied her intently.

'I'm sure he is a gentleman, but I have no interest in him outside the bank. Truth be told, I find him totally uninteresting.' Tamara sipped her tea in silence for a few minutes. 'I just wish I could have avoided the whole situation. I could have gone on with my life, my job, and he never would have noticed I was even alive. Now, I'll probably be fired.'

'It's not as if you need that job.'

'I know, but I like to work. I'm not sure I would enjoy the life of the idle rich.'

'Like I do?' There was a touch of pain in her aunt's words.

'I'm sorry, aunt Mildred. I didn't mean….'

'Don't worry, Tamara. I know you and I are totally different. You have a drive, a need to contribute more than just through charitable contributions. I just wonder if it might have been a mistake to keep yourself a secret from the rest of your social peers.'

'You know I didn't want anyone to be my friend just because I'm rich.' Tamara's words had been repeated, in one form or another, for years, and her aunt had abided by her wishes. When her parents died, Tamara had inherited a stock portfolio worth close to seven million dollars. Thanks to judicious financial management over the years, the girl was now worth close to twelve million. Tamara didn't know it, but one of the reason's Mildred Wilton stayed away from the social life of the area was to help Tamara keep the secret of her wealth. Mildred was all too familiar with the way men would react to a beautiful, rich girl. Between the two of them, Tamara's secret had been kept, until today.

'It had to come out sometime.' Mildred recognized the pain in Tamara's eyes. They had both wished the girl could find the man of her dreams without the question of money coming up. 'Maybe Mark Carlisle will just forget the whole thing.' Mildred looked into Tamara's eyes, and both women knew the truth would be far different from her wish.

When Tamara returned to the bank after the Christmas weekend, she was surprised and relieved to hear that Mark Carlisle would be out of town until the middle of January. He had gone to New York on bank business. Tamara breathed a sigh of relief and went about her life, but the thought of his return continued to haunt her.

He was in his office three weeks later when she took her position in teller cage number one. As the day progressed, she glanced occasionally into his office, and noticed on more than one occasion that her fleeting glance caused a flurry of activity at his desk. She knew he had been staring at her and it made her very uncomfortable. At the end of the day, she tried to finish her work in order to leave when the other girls did, but at the last minute, the phone rang, and she was forced to watch the last of the tellers leave as she continued to speak with an irate customer concerning a mistake on his account statement. Finally, his fury was abated as she made the necessary correction. Hanging up, Tamara quickly moved to the cloakroom. Attempting to make her escape out the back door, she was stopped by that same dark form which had frightened her so badly before Christmas.

'I was hoping we would have a chance to talk.' Mark Carlisle stepped aside, but in such a way as to block her exit to the outside.

'Is there some bank business we have to discuss.' Tamara knew her attempts to keep it off a personal level were going to be impossible.

'No. I was hoping you might agree to have dinner with me.' His words were innocent enough, but there was something in his eyes that made her know he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

'I really should be getting home. My aunt will be expecting me for tea.'

'I'll pick you up at seven.' She hadn't agreed to go out with him, and his authoritarian attitude was less than amicable.

'I don't recall agreeing to go out with you.'

'But you will, or…' He stepped aside, then quickly returned to his office, closing the door behind him, never finishing his sentence, and not giving her a chance to respond. Tamara quickly left the bank and walked the short distance to her home.

Not wishing to encourage him in any way, Tamara changed into a very simple wool A-line dress in a deep purple, foregoing the more elegant cocktail dresses she had hanging in her closet. The dress was suitable for the occasion without appearing to be 'dressing up'. She had explained things to her aunt and had received her approval for her choice of dress, along with suggestions on how to behave politely but without encouragement. He was ten years older than Tamara, and had probably never been rejected by any woman. Mildred hoped Tamara could handle him. At the worst, she would lose her job. At least, Mildred hoped that was the worst that could happen.

At exactly seven o'clock, the doorbell rang and Samuels admitted Mark Carlisle. He was dressed in a dinner jacket and looked elegant yet understated. When Tamara came into the room, it was easy to see the cloud which passed over his eyes as he examined her simple dress.

'I thought I said seven o'clock.' The implication in his voice was that he didn't think she was 'ready'.

'And you are very punctual. Shall we go?' Samuels handed Mark her coat, a black sheared lamp. Recovering slowly, Mark held the coat for her, not sure how to politely suggest that a fancier dress might be more appropriate.

'We have reservations at the country club.' He hoped the hint would be enough.

'I've heard the food is excellent there. Shall we go?' Samuels stood at the door, ready to open it as their first move in his direction.

'Oh, Mr. Carlisle. So nice to see you again.' Mildred Wilton came into the room dressed in blue jeans and a tailored cotton shirt in pale blue. 'Tamara, you look lovely. Where will you be dining?'

'Good evening, Mrs. Wilton. We'll be at the country club.' Mark made no move to leave, hoping the older woman would suggest Tamara change once she knew where they were going.

'Wonderful! Have a lovely time.' Mildred turned and moved to the back of the house, leaving Mark puzzled and perplexed. He had no intention of showing up at the country club and being embarrassed in front of his friends, but there didn't seem to be any way to get Tamara to change, and he had no intention of giving up their date.

'I was thinking. Maybe the country club isn't the best place to go for our first dinner out.' Tamara could almost read his mind, and she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

'But you have reservations, and it sounds lovely.' She smiled at Samuels, hoping Mark didn't catch the subtle flicker of a grin on the old man's lips. 'Good night Samuels. You don't have to wait up for me, I have my key.'

'Good night, Miss. Sir.' He held the door for them, closing it firmly as they left.

'I'm sure you would much prefer the Campton Inn.' Mark suggested. The Inn was secluded, seldom visited by his friends, and much more low key than the country club.

'I believe I heard the Campton Inn is closed for renovations this month. There was a small fire in the kitchen over the holidays.' Tamara didn't let her inward smile escape to either her face or her voice.

Mark knew he was running out of options. He couldn't keep her in the car much longer without making a decision about a destination. Gritting his teeth, he headed toward the country club. They had to pass the bank on their way to the club. As they did so, he suddenly pulled over.

'Stay here. I thought I saw a light in the bank.' He jumped out and ran back toward the bank. Less than five minutes later, he was back in the car, apologizing and saying it was nothing but a reflection. Tamara was puzzled, not only by his strange behavior, but by the smile she saw creeping across his face. Once they got to the club, she figured out what the smile meant.

Parking the car himself rather than taking it to the valet, they found themselves near a side entrance to the club. He took her arm and led her to the side door where they were met and escorted into a private dining room. It didn't take a genius to figure out he had used his time away from the car to call the club and arrange a room where none of his friends would see them and be embarrassed by her less than formal appearance. Tamara let him have his hollow victory.

Not wanting to leave her job, Tamara promised herself she would put up with Mark's attentions as long as they did not embarrass her at the bank. For his part, Mark never again made the mistake of trying to introduce her to his friends. Tamara noticed that the only time he seemed to really relax was when they had dinner with Aunt Mildred.

On more than one occasion, Tamara and Mildred discussed Mark over their afternoon tea, each marveling at the way he persisted in his attentions even though Tamara was not encouraging him in the least.

'Aunt Mildred,' Tamara started, 'do you have any idea what's going on?' They had both come to the conclusion things would have to come to a head soon.

'There are two possibilities.' Mildred looked intently at her niece, wondering how blunt she should be. She didn't think the girl was in love with Mark Carlisle, but she could be wrong.

'Two?' Tamara queried.

'It could be he is interested in a serious relationship with you. Or…'

'Or he might be after my money.' Tamara didn't seem upset by this possibility.

'Exactly.' Mildred studied the girl, trying to read the answers in her clear blue eyes. 'Do you love him?'

Tamara was take aback by the bluntness of the question, but the answer was simple.

'No, I'm not in love with him. He's nice, but…'

'But no sparks.' Mildred nodded. 'Do you think your feelings would change with time?'

'Maybe, but I don't know. And how can I fall in love if there is the question of my money haunting us? That's why I wanted to keep it all a secret.' The girl looked totally devastated by the situation.

'Tamara, I did something you may be upset about.'

'I could never be upset with you. I know anything you do is for my own good.'

'I hope you think so when I explain.' Tamara didn't say a word. 'You know I have friends in New York. When Carl disappeared after Christmas, you said he went out of town on business. I found out where he went.'

'And it wasn't bank business?'

'It was back business, alright. Unfortunately, it was your bank business he was interested in.'

'Mine! What do you mean?' Fire blazed in her eyes. Tamara did not get angry easily, but certain things infuriated her, and anyone prying into her personal life was sure to do it.

'He went to New York and had his lawyers and bank friends do a complete investigation of your finances. By the time he got back, he knew exactly what you were worth.'

'How long have you known?'

'I got the report this morning. It took time to find out who knew what and to put it all together. I'm sorry, Tamara.'

'There's no need to be sorry, Aunt Mildred.' In a lot of ways, knowing was much better than wondering.

That had been yesterday. He date to go riding was already scheduled by the time she had her chat with her aunt. Now, as she looked out over the beauty spread below her, she felt a agonizing tug at her heart.

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Only seconds had passed since those words had intruded on the beauty of the day.

'You know I have that trip to Toronto next week. I thought we could get married right away and honeymoon in Toronto, then go on to Montreal for a week or so.' Mark was rambling on, not paying any attention to the almost blank look on Tamara's face.

'No.' Her voice was very soft.

'If you like, we can go to New York and see a few shows before we come home.'

'No.'

'Of course. That might be too much.' Tamara looked at him. He wasn't paying any attention to her. She turned her horse away from the view, pointing him back toward the stables.

'Mark, listen to me.' She said it quietly. 'I said no. I'm not going to marry you.'

'Of course you are. It's all arranged.' He voice had hardened just a shade, but enough for Tamara to know he wasn't happy.

'Nothing is arranged because nothing is going to happen. I'm not going to marry you.' Tamara nudged the horse, feeling his muscles tense as he moved along the trail. When the trail leveled out, she gave the animal another nudge and he broke into an easy gallop. Behind her, Mark was giving his mount his head, closing the gap slowly but surly. They arrived at the stables in a dead heat. The grooms rushed out to grab the over heated animals as their riders jumped down. Mark ran over to Tamara and grabbed her arm.

'What do you mean you aren't going to marry me? Who do you think you are? No one treats me like this.' His fingers bit into her arms. She knew they would leave bruises, but she didn't care.

'Let go of me!'

'I'll let go when you show signs of having some sense.' He pulled her against him, his hard muscles easily stopping her attempts at escape. Suddenly, his mouth was on hers, cruelly bruising her lips as he ground his against hers. She tried to kick him, but her small feet made no impression on him.

'Am I interrupting anything?' It took a second for Mildred's voice to penetrate Mark's brain and for him to release Tamara from his embrace, but he still held her arm firmly in his grip.

'I was just kissing my future bride.' Mark almost snarled at Mildred.

'Really.' Mildred looked enquiringly at Tamara.

'No, not really.' Tamara replied. She used all her strength to pull her arm free. 'Mark proposed, and I told him the answer is no.'

'But I don't accept that. We're getting married this Saturday.' Mark said it so calmly both women were temporarily nonplussed. Mildred came to her senses first.

'My niece says she is not marrying you, Mr. Carlisle. That settles it. Now, if you will excuse us, Tamara, get in the car.' She took the girl's hand and moved toward the car.

'Not so fast! Tamara isn't going anywhere unless I go with her.' Mark took two quick steps and stopped them before they could reach the safety of the car.

'Is there a problem, Mrs. Wilton?' Samuels stood by the car, watching the scene with interest.

'Stay out of this, old man. It's none of your business.' Mark's good manners had disappeared the second Tamara had refused him. If Tamara had any doubts before, this exhibition took them away.

'I'm making it my business, Mr. Carlisle. Now, kindly step away from the ladies and let them get in the car.' Samuels casually brought his arm up to rest on the car, leveling the 9mm Luger at Mark. Mark's hand made a tentative move toward his belt. 'I wouldn't do that, Mr. Carlisle. It would be a shame to scare the horses with any loud noises.'

Tamara and Mildred took advantage of Mark's distraction to move quickly to the car. Once inside, they locked the doors and waited for Samuels.

'This isn't over, old man.'

'The lady said no. Let that be the end of it.' He slid into the car, keeping his eyes on Mark as he turned the key and put the car in gear.

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'I don't think Mr. Carlisle is going to let it drop.' Samuels was helping them off with their coats.

'I think you are right, Samuels.' Mildred confirmed. 'Who wants a drink?' Setting action to words, she went to the bar and poured whiskey into three glasses. She handed one to Tamara, ignoring her protestations. When she moved toward Samuels, he deprecated, moving toward the door, but she called him back.

'Samuels, you did one Hell of a job back there, and you need this as much as we do.' He took the glass and she lifted hers in a silent toast. Following suit, they each took a solid drink of the burning liquid. 'Sit down, Tamara. You, too, Samuels. We need a war council, and you're as much a part of it as we are.'

Awkwardly, the mad took a seat on the edge of a wing back chair, perching as if he thought it would bite him. Tamara curled her feet under her in the matching chair, and Mildred settled on the couch facing them. The lounge was silent for a few moments as each of it's occupants considered the situation.

'Obviously, Miss Tamara can't go back to her job at the bank.' Samuels broke the silence, stating what everyone was thinking.

'I'll go in and clear out my cubby Monday.' Tamara conceded.

'Forget them There's nothing there you can't replace.' Mildred knew the girl wasn't thinking straight. 'I think the first thing we have to do is get you where Mr. Carlisle can't find you.'

'Run away?' Tamara didn't want to leave. 'Where would I go?'

Mildred glanced at Samuels. Without a word, he rose and left the room.

'Leave that to me. Finish your drink. I have to make a phone call.' Tamara sipped her drink as her aunt moved to the phone and began dialing. She talked in a low voice, her back to Tamara. Three calls later, she turned and smiled at her niece. 'Come on. Samuels is waiting.' She pulled Tamara to her feet and headed for the front door.

Once in the car, Samuels drove slowly toward the garages. Tamara couldn't imagine what was going on. As the car slid slowly over the crushed stone of the driveway, another car came to a screeching halt under the portico. Tamara flinched against Mildred as they watched Mark get out of his car and charge up to the doors, pounding on them as he shouted for her to open them.

Without lights, Samuels continued his slow drive toward the garages. Once there, he opened the one on the far end. Tamara had spent half her life living on the estate, yet she had never really explored the garages. To her surprise, they didn't slow down as they entered the building. Instead, they actually increased speed. Tamara expected the sound of splintering wood as they hit the back wall. To her surprise, the back wall slid up just as the door had. Still without lights, they drove quickly down a well paved road through the trees. Once away from the mansion, Samuels flipped on the lights and stepped on the gas. Half an hour later, they were pulling into a private hanger at the airport.

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'Where are we?' Tamara looked out the window of the private jet as it came smoothly to a stop outside a strange hangar.

'Las Vegas. We'll be here long enough for the plane to refuel. Come on. We have time to pick up a few necessities.' Mildred led Tamara away, taking control of the confused girl as if she were a helpless child. Two hours later, they were back in the air.

'We still need to do some major shopping, but that can wait for a couple days.'

'Where are we going?'

'A small vacation. You need to relax and enjoy yourself. First stop will be San Francisco.'

'I'm not sure…'

'Which is why I'm in charge.' Mildred smiled warmly at her niece. 'Besides, you aren't the only one who needs a break from snow and cold weather.'

'I like the snow!'

'As do I, but enough is enough.'

'What about Mark?'

'What about him? He revealed his true colors. You're better off without him, as you well know.'

'He's not going to like this.'

'Do you care what he likes?'

'No. Of course not. But what happens if he tries to stop us?'

'Like any intelligent person, we'll call the police.'

'You wouldn't! His family would be mortified.'

'Watch me.' Seeing how discomfited Tamara was, Mildred added, 'Don't worry, child. It was only his ego that got bruised. He'll be over it in a day or so and will forget all about you.' The relief in Tamara's eyes was not reflected in her aunt's mind.

They spent the next four nights at the Huntington Hotel in the Nob Hill section of San Francisco. Their days were spent shopping, each filling half a dozen large suitcases and assorted trunks with everything from shorts and t's to evening gowns. Every evening, after a quiet dinner in their suite, they packed the day's purchases before sinking into exhausted sleep.

On the third evening, after Tamara was safely asleep, Mildred slipped out of the hotel, caught a taxi, and went several miles before stopping to use a pay phone.

'What's happening, Samuels?'

'Mr. Carlisle was very upset. When the maid informed him Tamara was not at home, he forced his way in and insisted on searching the entire mansion. I'm afraid there was some minor damage to several doors. He took exception to them being locked. It took him almost two hours to complete his search.'

'Good work, Samuels. Get the doors fixed.'

'The workmen will be here in the morning.'

'Anything else?'

'The police came this morning.'

'Whatever for? Did you call them?'

'Mr. Carlisle called them in. He told him his fiancé was missing and he wanted them to question me as to her whereabouts.'

'What happened?'

'They interviewed me, searched the house, and left. I did not tell them about the scene at the stables, but there was no way to hide the damage to the doors, and I had to explain it. They asked me where Miss Tamara had gone, and I informed them that she had accompanied her aunt on vacation.'

'Did you tell them where to reach me?'

'I couldn't since I have no idea where you are.' There was a hint of laughter in his voice. 'May I ask when you will be returning?'

'We're taking an extended trip. I wouldn't expect to see us back home for at least a couple months.'

'And the police?'

'I'll call them. If they bother you again, refer them to Mr. Mathews.' She had already spoken to her lawyer, and he could easily handle the local arm of the law.

'Yes, Mrs. Wilton. Bon Voyage.'

When the line had gone dead, Mildred dialed another number.

'Mrs. Wilton. How good of you to call.'

'Chief Turner. I understand from Samuels that you had the effrontery to demand entrance into my home.'

'We had reason to believe something….untoward had happened to the gentleman's fiancé.' The Chief didn't like dealing with the wealthy members of the community, much preferring the known reactions of thieves and murderers.

'Mark Carlisle is no gentleman. He physically accosted my niece and then forced his way into my home in his wild pursuit of a woman who told him plainly that she had no interest in marrying him. Inform his parents that any further contact between their son and my niece will result in criminal charges.'

'But…'

'Miss Myers will be accompanying me on an extended holiday. If you have any further interest in our affairs, kindly address them to my attorney, Kenneth Mathews.' She didn't give the police chief time to utter a word.

The next morning, she arranged for their belongings to be transported to the cruise ship. By nightfall, they were ensconced in their cabin onboard ship, dressing for their first dinner at sea.

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The cruise to Alaska was not exactly what Mildred had in mind for a vacation, but it was the only option on such short notice. To her surprise, she was quite enjoying the scenery and serenity as they sailed north along the Canadian coast.

'No!' Mildred's exclamation startled Tamara. They were sitting on deck enjoying the air while reading, Tamara a cheap novel and Mildred the New York Times.

'What's wrong?'

'My old friend, Walter Lindquist, he's been in an accident. Something about skiing in Switzerland. It doesn't say how badly he's hurt. I need to contact the hospital.' Tamara had never seen her aunt like this. She couldn't seem to put action to word, just sinking deeper into her deck chair.

'I'll do it.' Mildred barely acknowledged her as Tamara hurried away, taking the newspaper with her. Quickly checking the article, she noted the name of the hospital. In the purser's office, she sent a cable. While she waited for a reply, she returned to the deck to check on her aunt. She was coaxing her to eat a light lunch when they received an answer to the cable.

'He's going to recover.' The cloud lifted from Mildred's face as she read the cable again. 'He will be in the hospital for several weeks.' She looked steadily at her niece. 'Tamara, I…'

'Aunt Mildred, you're in love with him!' The idea was so totally unexpected to Tamara she could hardly believe it. She knew her aunt dated occasionally, but she had no idea there was anyone special in her life.

'Is it that obvious?' She blushed deeply.

'When did you meet him?'

'When I was at Oxford."

'But….that was….before you married Uncle Carl.'

'At the same time, actually. The three of us were inseparable that summer. When it ended, I had to decide between them. Walter was going to South America as an engineering consultant. Carl was going home to work for his father.'

'Did you ever regret your decision?'

'Never! I loved Carl deeply, and he made me very happy.'

'But you loved Walter, too.'

'Yes, but it wouldn't have lasted. I could never fit into his life style.'

'But you never stopped loving him. Did Uncle Carl know?'

'Of course. We talked about it, the three of us. When we left England, it was with the understanding that we were breaking all ties. It was very…..civilized.'

'And it worked?' Tamara couldn't imagine having to make such a choice.

'Carl and I got married and had a wonderful life. I saw Walter's name in the papers occasionally. He got married, had a family, became as successful as we all knew he would.' She lapsed into silent thought. Tamara left her to her memories.

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'Mrs. Wilton?' The voice was deep and unfamiliar. Mildred didn't want to be pulled from her trip down memory lane, especially by someone she didn't know. As she opened her eyes, she was confronted with a tall man of about 30, not particularly muscular, but definitely handsome. His hair was deep auburn, rather unusual for a man, and his eyes added to his uniqueness by being almost emerald green. He was dressed in shipboard casual, slacks and a turtleneck shirt, but on him they looked perfect.

'Yes.'

'Please excuse my intrusion, but I need to talk to you for a moment.'

'I can't imagine why.'

'Would you consider joining me for a drink while I explain?' He had a winning smile, and Mildred saw no harm in listening to the man. She glanced at her watch.

'I believe I have a few minutes before I have to dress for dinner.'

'Wonderful.' He extended his hand to assist her from the lounge chair, then took her arm as they headed for the bar. Once seated, he began immediately.

'My name is Adam Barns.' Mildred's eyebrows went up in recognition of the name. 'So you know who I am.' He smiled at her.

'CEO of one of the largest advertising agencies in the country.' She returned his smile.

'I'm surprised anyone outside the business world would recognize my name.' Mildred realized that even though she knew who he was, he had no idea who she was.

'Your picture was in the Times a few weeks ago, something about a gala in Houston.' Mildred had learned a long time ago that it wasn't always wise to reveal her identity. She could almost see switches clicking as Mr. Barns moved her from the intelligent to the dumb socialite category. There drinks arrived, and Mildred smiled at him over her glass of white wine as he sipped his whiskey sour.

'I believe that was the dedication for the new wing at the hospital. A very….social event.'

'You didn't enjoy it?' Mildred exuded mild surprise with just a touch of pity for a man who didn't enjoy the social whirl. 'It looked like everyone who was anyone was there.' She added dreamily, encouraging his opinion of her as a social climbing wannabe.

'It was….necessary for me to attend.'

'As this cruise is a necessity?'

'Actually, I'm on a business trip.'

'On a cruise ship! What a wonderful way to conduct business.' She could see he wasn't enjoying it in the least.

'Sometimes people do what they have to do.' He lapsed into a moment of silence, finishing his drink and signaling for another round. 'And that brings me to why I have approached you.'

'I can't imagine what I would have to contribute to your business trip.' The waiter came and exchanged their empty glasses for new ones, then made a hasty retreat.

'I noticed you are traveling with a companion.' Mildred nodded slightly. He seemed very uncomfortable, but Mildred wasn't going to make it any easier for him. 'Look, I don't know you, but I have a problem and from what the purser tells me, you are the only one on board who might be able to help me. My assistant was supposed to make this trip with me. On the way to the ship, he was in a car accident and is in the hospital. I have back to back meetings and planning sessions for the entire trip and without an assistant I'm swamped. I noticed your companion, saw her in the purser's office typing out a cable, and wondered if there was any chance she might have enough secretarial skills to help me out.'

'You want my…..companion,' Mildred had almost said "niece", 'to work for you?'

'I would pay her, of course.'

'I can't speak for Miss Myers, of course, but I'll present your offer to her this evening.'

'Thank you. I look forward to hearing from her.' He stood as Mildred rose from her chair and left the bar.

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'Tamara, something has….presented itself.'

'I beg your pardon.' They were in their cabin, preparing for dinner.

'Someone offered you a job this afternoon.' She explained her meeting with Mr. Barns, making it clear he thought Tamara was simply a paid companion.

'So he has no idea who I am.'

'That's right.'

'Well, I have the time, and the skills, but what about you? I can't abandon you while I go off all day.'

'I've been thinking about making a quick trip to Switzerland.' She smiled at Tamara.

'What about his wife?'

'I did some checking. She died about three years ago.'

'When will you leave?'

'We'll be making a port call tomorrow. I'll catch up with you when the ship returns to San Francisco.'

As they continued to discuss details of their plans, they made the short trip to the main dining room.

'Mrs. Wilton, what a pleasant surprise.' Adam Barns greeted them as they approached the glass doors leading to the dining room.

'Mr. Barns.' Mildred acknowledged him with a nod. 'May I present my….companion, Miss Myers. Tamara, Adam Barns.'

'My pleasure, Miss Myers.' At that moment the steward approached them. 'Would you join me for dinner, ladies?'

'Of course.' Mildred answered for them. They followed the steward to a table. Every eye in the room followed their progress. The men openly admiring the women. Tamara had chosen a white silk jacquard dress in a decidedly oriental style. The almost thigh high slit accented her height and drew the eye upward to her long neck and her shiny black hair which she had pinned up in a tight, but very elegant, French twist. Mildred had gone with basic black, but there was nothing basic about the sequined cocktail dress. While Tamara's dress covered her from her neck to her ankles, Mildred's did nothing to hide her exquisite figure or her shapely legs. The chiffon skirt swirled with each step, mirroring the bouncing swirl of her auburn hair which she wore loose around her bare shoulders. Tamara had opted for the barest minimum in jewelry, letting the simple diamond drops highlight her ears. Mildred was bedecked with a king's ransom in emeralds.

But while the men watched the women with a mixture of admiration and lust, the women in the room had mixed feelings. Some, the older, married women, were envious, trying to envision themselves with the strikingly handsome man who accompanied the two women. Envy was the mildest emotion which could be attributed to the younger women.

Mildred recognized what was happening. Tamara was oblivious.

'I've discussed your offer with Miss Myers.' Their meal had been served and, as they ate, Mildred broached the subject they were all thinking about. 'She is willing to assist you,' relief shown on his face, 'but I have certain reservations.' Both Tamara and Adam Barns looked at her in surprise.

'I'm sure we can come to an understanding. If it's the matter of compensation…'

'No, I'm sure you will be quite generous with Miss Myers. My concerns are of a totally different kind. You see, Mr. Barns, I have had to change my plans and will be leaving the ship tomorrow when we make port. I am not sure I feel totally….comfortable with the idea of leaving her here, alone.' Tamara rolled her eyes slightly, unnoticed by Adam Barns. 'Her safety is my responsibility, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.'

'I assure you, Mrs. Wilton, Miss Myers will be totally safe.'

'I understand you are leaving the cruise in Valdez.'

'My business will be concluded by then, and I plan to fly back from there.'

'Then I'm afraid Miss Myers will not be available. She cannot be abandoned in mid cruise, and I am unable to join her until the ship returns to San Francisco. She will have to accompany me tomorrow.'

They could almost see the wheels turning in Adam Barns head as he weighed his options.

'It appears I will be returning to San Francisco a little later than I expected.' He smiled at Mildred as Tamara gave a barely audible sigh of relief. 'I'm sure I can find something to keep me busy on the return trip.'

'In that case, Miss Myers may assist you. And now, if you'll excuse us, I need Miss Myers assistance to prepare for my departure tomorrow.' Mildred rose abruptly and breezed out of the room, Tamara hot on her heels.

Back in their cabin, the door securely locked, the women looked at each other for a short moment, then burst into gales of laughter.

'You are horrible.' Tamara accused her Aunt, falling into a chair and removing her shoes. 'How could you blackmail him like that?'

'It wasn't blackmail, it was coercion.'

'Big difference.'

'Men like him are rarely put in the position of having to do something against their wishes. It will do him good. Besides, I meant it when I said I would leave you here unprotected. Adam Barns may not know why you need protection, but you and I do.'

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They made port during the night, and Mildred left the ship on the first launch. As soon as she was gone, Tamara called Mr. Barns. He had an extra cabin which had been turned into a temporary office. Tamara was installed behind a desk complete with a computer, with orders to take notes on the meetings he held each day. She would also type any correspondence and contracts which might be needed. It was a lot of work, and nothing she had ever done before, but her typing was accurate and fast thanks to her slave driving typing teacher, so she had no trouble. At the end of the first day, Mr. Barns looked over her work, expressing satisfaction, but she could also hear a bit of surprise in his voice.

'Unless I've totally worn you out already, there's one more thing I would like you to do today.' Tamara looked at the clock. It was after 5 and it had been a very long day. All she wanted to do was get a bite to eat and fall into bed. 'Mr. Lester has invited me to join him and his wife for dinner tonight.' Mr. Lester was the business man he had been meeting with all day. 'I was wondering if you would join us.'

'I was thinking about just having a sandwich in my cabin.'

'Please reconsider. You would be doing me a tremendous favor.' She thought he almost blushed. 'You see, Mrs. Lester is a inveterate matchmaker. There are several young women on this cruise that she thinks would be "simply perfect" for me, and if I show up for dinner alone, I'll have to spend the next several hours peeling clingy females off my arms.'

'And you want me as camouflage!' Tamara was incredulous.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insulting.'

'You weren't. I just can't believe Mrs. Lester would think I was any deterrent to her plans.' She finished clearing her desk and picked up her bag. 'But, if it will help you out, I'll be happy to join you.'

'I'll call for you at seven.' Adam watched her leave the cabin, wondering if he was being cruel to allow her to be fed to that bunch of man-eating sharks Mrs. Lester had lined up. If he wanted to keep her as an assistant, he would have to be sure to do what he could to protect her.

Tamara took a quick shower, wishing for the luxury of a long, hot soak in a deep tub. Before dressing, she phoned the purser and had her jewelry case brought to her cabin. Surveying her wardrobe, she finally settled on a strapless gown in a color which could only be called scarlet. The dress clung to her in all the right places without being the least bit "cheap". The matching shoes, with four inch heels, would be perfect. Mr. Barns had to be at least 6'4" tall, so the added height wouldn't matter. She considered her jewelry, deciding on a necklace of diamonds set in platinum. She wondered how many of the women in the room would think they were cubic zirconium and silver. The necklace and matching earrings had been a wedding present from her father to her mother, and were the premier set of her jewelry collection. By the time she had finished her hair and makeup, the steward had returned for her jewelry case. She really didn't think there was much chance of someone stealing her things, but her aunt had insisted on their valuables being locked in the ship's safe, and she had to agree it was probably wise. It was just such an annoyance at times.

At exactly 7 o'clock, there was a knock on her door. To Adam Barns' total surprise, she was ready. As she opened the door, he couldn't stop a whistle of admiration.

'You are absolutely stunning.'

'Thank you, Mr. Barns. I hoped you would approve.' She gave him a smile which almost took his breath away.

'We're out of the office. Please, call me Adam.'

'Are you sure that’s…appropriate.'

'It is if we're going to keep the piranha away.' He joked.

'In that case, I think you should call me Tamara.'

They had reached the dining room, and quickly spotted Mr. and Mrs. Lester. Mrs. Lester was chatting animatedly with a young woman in a green dress which did nothing for her olive complexion. At the urging of her husband, she turned to greet Adam. When she saw Tamara, her entire body stiffened. The girl in the green dress didn't even wait to be introduced. She almost ran toward the ladies room.

'Darling, I believe you know Adam Barns.' Mr. Lester passed the conversational ball to Adam.

'So nice to see you again, Mrs. Lester. May I present my friend, Tamara Myers. Tamara, Wanda Lester.'

'How do you do, Mrs. Lester. Adam has told me so much about you.'

'And he has told me so little about you, my dear.' A decided chill flowed over the group. Behind his wife's back, Mr. Lester gave Adam a knowing smile. Tamara suspected the two men had discussed the situation in advance.

'Shall we go in?' Mr. Lester played host and the evening progressed along it's expected path. Several times during dinner, various women caught Mrs. Lester's eye before glancing at Tamara and returning to their own dinner companions.

The men were talking about their meeting. Mrs. Lester seemed totally bored. To Tamara's surprise, Mr. Lester drew her into the conversation, asking her opinion of various ideas. Tamara answered honestly, sometimes to the chagrin of Adam and the obvious delight of Mr. Lester. They were so absorbed in their discussion that none of them noticed the scathing looks Mrs. Lester was directing at Tamara.

By nine o'clock, Mrs. Lester had had enough. She didn't have to say a word to get her point across. Standing, she glanced at her husband.

'We'll leave you young people to enjoy the music. Until tomorrow, Adam. Tamara.' He smiled at them, shrugged resignedly, and followed his wife from the room.

'Fly on the wall.' Tamara said.

'I beg your pardon.' Adam seemed confused.

'I was just thinking I would like to be a fly on the wall of their cabin when she gets him alone.'

'No doubt about it, he's in for a hard time.' His mischievous smile matched hers. 'Then again, after the way you agreed with him on certain things tonight, he isn't the only one having a hard time.'

'I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?' Tamara seemed genuinely apologetic and he had to smile at her naiveté.

'Nothing a few dozen hours of hard work in the creative department won't fix.'

'Oh no! What did I do?' If he didn't know better, he would think she was ready to burst into tears.

'It's OK. Really. You just gave us both a crash course in public opinion.'

'I don't understand'

'We had been haggling over some ad concepts.'

'I remember. I didn't understand it though.'

'Our experts felt one concept was right, his people wanted to go another way. We spent almost two hours discussing it today and I had him convinced my people were right. Then, you came along and blew me out of the water with a viewpoint neither of us had considered.'

'You're kidding! I didn't mean…'

'And in the end, you probably saved us tens of thousands of dollars.'

'How?'

'You are the consumer we are aiming at. If you could spot a problem so easily, it's obvious everyone else would do the same. It was better to find out now than after we had spent a small fortune on a mistake.'

'So you aren't angry?' Tamara was so relieved he had to laugh.

'Not in the least.'

'I wish I could say the same about Mrs. Lester. She hates me.'

'I noticed. I don't think she will be doing any more matchmaking where I'm concerned.'

'Don't believe it. Right now, she hates me so much she will do anything she can to destroy me. You should know, tonight was just the first salvo in the war to get you married to one of her friends.'

His moan was almost audible at the next table.

'Tamara, you have to help me!' There was a tinge of panic in his voice.

'I'll do what I can, but…'

'Thank you! You are an angel.'

'It's the least I can do since you agreed to protect me while my….Mrs. Wilton is away.' She had almost revealed that Mrs. Wilton was her aunt. She would have to be more careful.

'We'll protect each other from the bad people of the world.' He was being facetious, but the world had a way of handing people surprises. 'Would you like to aggravate a few more people?' Tamara couldn't help smiling at the way he was acting like a little boy rebelling against his parents.

'How?' She leaned toward him conspiratorially, unknowingly giving him an enticing view of her cleavage. He almost choked as he tried to get his mind back on the conversation. What in the world was wrong with him? She was nothing but a child and he had no business thinking what he was thinking.

'Dancing.' Her face fell. 'What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't dance!'

'Of course I dance.'

'Then what's wrong?'

'Two things.' She swiveled in her chair, exposing her feet in their four inch heels.

'Ah, vanity, thy name is woman.'

'Tomorrow I'll wear grubbies and flats.' She retaliated.

'I suspect that even at your grubbiest, every man in the place would be watching you.'

'But the women wouldn't be intimidated.' She opined.

'Probably true. But for now, let's go blow them off the dance floor.'

'My feet!'

'Will be mine to protect. Trust me.' Trust him. Tamara wasn't sure she could trust any man ever again, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in this small matter.

'If I can't walk in the morning…'

'I'll come and carry you to work.' He laughed at her chagrin, but she rose and put her arm through his as they went to the lounge where a band was playing. They found a table near the dance floor, and Adam ordered a bottle of wine.

'Everything is so beautiful.' Tamara was looking around the lounge, candle light dancing everywhere.

'It certainly is.' Tamara didn't notice he was looking intently at her. 'Shall we dance?'

'But…' Before she knew what he was doing, he stood, came around to her chair, bowed deeply, then dropped to his knees, picked up each foot and removed the offending shoes. Setting them aside, he stood, extended his hand, and to her blushing mortification and the stunned looks of everyone in the room, he escorted her onto the dance floor. The band instantly began playing a waltz and she was swept into his arms and twirled across the floor in her stocking feet.

'Everyone is staring.' She whispered.

'Let them. Even without shoes, you are the most beautiful woman in the room, and everyone knows it. How are your feet?' He smiled down at her.

'Ready to dance the night away.' She beamed back at him. They had danced the entire waltz alone on the floor, but when they showed no signs of leaving it as the band switch to a Tango, other couples joined them. Tamara almost choked when she saw another woman slip her shod feet under the table to remove them a second later sans shoes. By midnight, when Tamara and Adam decided to call it an evening, most of the women still on the floor were barefoot.

'Think we started a new fashion trend?' Tamara queried as, once more wearing all her clothes, they left the lounge.

'Stranger things have happened.' He turned toward her cabin, surprised that she was going in the opposite direction.

'I have to stop at the purser's office.' He didn't ask why, but simply followed her lead. Once there, he stood aside while she spoke quietly to the man behind the counter. Minutes later, he came from the safe with a medium sized case. She had removed her earrings and necklace, keeping only the small sapphire ring she always wore on her right hand. She placed the jewels in the case and watched as it was returned to the safe.

Tamara was so tired she didn't even think about what this scene might mean to Adam. If she had, she would have been relieved to know he assumed she was taking security to extremes to think anyone would believe the mountain of gems in her cases were real.

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The next three days were a repeat of the first with the exception of their dinner companion. While Mr. Lester was more than anxious to dine with them, his wife not. She did, however, make a point of "casually" showing up whenever they stepped out of the office, almost always with some new debutante in tow, and with some excuse for just "having" to talk to Adam for a second "in private". After the first such ambush, Adam and Tamara had coordinated their battle plan, settling on a very subtle signal Adam could give her whenever he wanted her to run interference.

By the time they reached Valdez, Adam and Mr. Lester had wrapped up their business dealings. They saw the Lester's off at the airport, had lunch in town, then returned to the ship. They closed up the office, then went to the bar for a drink.

'You did a fantastic job.' They were sipping tall, fruity drinks in the almost deserted bar.

'It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.'

'Have you ever done anything besides being a paid companion?'

'I worked in a bank for a while.'

'As a secretary?' He was surprised to realize he had spent the last week with this woman and still didn't know much about her.

'Teller, then head teller. I enjoyed the work very much.'

'And being a paid companion is better?' He didn't believe she found catering to the whims of a middle aged matron more interesting than even the dullest bank job.

'This was a….spur of the moment trip.'

'Will you be going back to the bank?'

'No.' Her clipped reply told him there was much more to the story. 'I'll be traveling with Mrs. Wilton for the next six weeks or so.'

'Well, now that we're officially on vacation for a week, how shall we spend our time?'

'How do you feel about scuba diving?'

'Scuba diving? In the North Atlantic?' He couldn't believe she was serious.

'Of course not. I was thinking more along the lines of in the ships heated indoor pool. Lessons are at six.' His face relaxed. 'In the morning.' She laughed out loud at the way he went into shock.

'Is there a six in the morning? I'm not sure I've ever been awake at that time of day unless it was because I was up all night.'

'You'll love it. The air is crisp and clean and there's no one else in the world.'

'Yeah, because they are all intelligent enough to stay in bed.'

'I'll be at your door at 5:45. Don't make me come in and drag you out of bed.'

'Then I think we should have an early dinner and skip the dancing tonight. Remind me to bribe the steward to keep you away from my door until at least nine.'

'Don't bother. I've already bribed him to give me a copy of your key.' She smiled impishly. 'Gotta go get dressed. Pick me up at six for dinner.' She ran out before he could get the last word.

Adam signaled the waiter for another drink, then ignored it completely. At 37, he was too old for these schoolboy games. Tamara was a child. All he was supposed to be thinking about was keeping an eye on her for the next week. He was her babysitter. And therein lay the problem. The way he was thinking about Tamara, he knew he was the one he should be protecting her from.

Adam wasn't adverse to having casual affairs with women. He had spent many a pleasurable evening with various women his friends had introduced him to. A man in his position had to have a beautiful woman on his arm for a multitude of events. And, when some of them led to more intimate relationships, he had enjoyed them. His only problem with women was their incessant desire to push everything to the next level, to marriage.

The time he was spending with Tamara was just for fun. They were enjoying each other's company without the stress of social obligations or any expectations a sexual relationship might raise. Scuba diving lessons at six in the morning wouldn't kill him any more than dancing barefoot had embarrassed Tamara to death. The problem was he just wasn't used to doing fun things with a woman. For that matter, it had been years since he had done anything for fun with or without a woman.

Fun. For the last twenty years, the concept had been alien to him. He spent his teen years in boarding school, graduating at sixteen, and had been sent immediately to college. He finished with a degree in economics three years later. At the ripe old age of 19, he had been placed, with much influence by his father, in the executive training program of a major advertising agency in New York. Hard work, ambition, and not a little amount of talent had propelled him up the corporate ladder. At 27, he had a personal worth of just over 1 million dollars. He doubled it by the time he was 30. Now, at 37, he was worth just under 9 million, had three houses in the States, a villa in France, and a twelve room "cottage" in Ireland. At the snap of his fingers he could summon anything from a horse to a jet. He could as easily have any woman he wanted in his bed. He was happy.

So why was he analyzing his life and thinking about Tamara. She was a child and he was responsible for another week. After that, he would never see her again. On that thought, he stormed out of the bar and headed for his cabin to dress for dinner.

Behind him, the bartender looked over at the waitress.

'There's a man trying to deny everything.' he opined.

'And losing the battle.' She laughed.

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'This is insane!' It was 6:15 a.m. and Adam was decked out in a wetsuit, air tanks, weights, flippers, face mask, and all the other accouterments needed for safe scuba diving. Tamara stood beside him, similarly adorned, he long hair pulled back in a pony tail. She looked about twelve years old while Adam felt every second of eighty.

'Shut up and learn to breathe or I'll leave you on the bottom of the pool.' Tamara laughed at his pained expression as she fitted the mouthpiece and practiced what the instructor was telling her. If Adam ever found out she had paid extra to arrange this private, and very early, lesson, he would kill her.

'How come we're the only one's here?' Adam had a feeling she had pulled a fast one on him, but he wasn't sure what it was.

'I imagine everyone else who was interested took lessons last week while we were working.' He gave her a suspicious look, but she was putting on her mask and adjusting her mouthpiece yet again and didn't see it.

At the instructor's direction, they stepped into the water and walked toward the deep end, each of them more than a little nervous when the water actually eased up over their faces.

An hour later, they were changed and hungrily approaching the breakfast buffet. With plates piled high with everything they could find a place for, they went on deck and settled down for a leisurely breakfast.

'I can't remember the last time I had so much fun.'

'I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't so sure after the way things started.'

'Trust me, I'm never at my best before my first cup of coffee.'

'Speaking of which, I think I smell the miracle elixir approaching.' A steward pushed a cart along the deck, passing out steaming cups of coffee to the few passengers who were enjoying the early morning beauty of the North Atlantic. For their entertainment, an ice float passed nearby, a polar bear and cub sunning themselves before diving back into the water.

'This chaise is so comfortable I could sit here forever.' Tamara closed her eyes, letting the slight vibration of the ship and the early morning quiet engulf her.

'Mmmm. My feelings exactly.' But Adam's eyes weren't closed. He couldn't take his eyes off the girl. This was the first time he had seen her in anything but evening clothes or dresses in the office. In black slacks that seemed to fit her like a second skin, and an emerald green silk shirt she hadn't bothered to tuck in, she drew glances from every male who passed even while they ignored equally shapely women who were so silly as to be wearing bikinis on deck this early in the day.

'Tamara, may I ask you a personal question?'

'Sure.' Her light hearted answer belied her real feeling at his question.

'I'm just curious. How old are you?'

'Are you serious?' She opened her eyes and turned toward him. 'Don't you know that's not the kind of question you ask a lady.' She smiled at him, letting him know she was just kidding.

'Come on. Give me a break. You know men are impossible at guessing ages. That's how so many of us get into trouble.'

'OK, I'll tell. As a matter of fact, my birthday is tomorrow. I'll be 27.'

'That's impossible! You don't look a day over 21.' Without a second thought, she reached in her pocket, pulled out her wallet, and produced her driver's license. 'Montana. I don't think I've ever been to Montana.'

'You should visit sometime. It's beautiful. Mountains, clear lakes, mountains, sheep, and, did I mention mountains.'

'Sounds…peaceful.'

'Sometimes.' He noticed the tension in her voice and the cloud that replaced her smile with…..fear?

'Want to tell me about it?'

'No. Not this morning. It's too beautiful a day for that conversation.'

'In that case, how about a little exercise?'

'I thought that's what we did before breakfast!'

'That was fun. This will be work.' She groaned loudly as he pulled her to her feet and propelled her along the deck. When he led her into a room full of exercise equipment, she turned and tried to get away.

'No way! That looks like real WORK!' He turned her around again and signaled a female employee.

'The lady needs something to workout in.'

'We'll fix her up.'

'Adam, you're going to pay for this!' She called over her shoulder as the woman led her into the dressing rooms. A man on a stationary bicycle grinned at him.

'She looks like the kind who can make good on that promise.'

'She already is, and she doesn't even know it.' Adam went into the men's dressing room, picked up a sweat suit and shoes, and returned to the gym in time to see Tamara come out dressed identically. She gave him a distinctly threatening look, then followed her trainer across the room.

Adam was hoping a strenuous workout would exhaust his body and get his mind off other activities. Unfortunately, he found out exercising in the same room as Tamara was definitely not conducive to distracting his mind. Seeing her in the all encompassing sweat suit was bad enough, but when she stripped off the jacket and baggy pants, he saw she was dressed in a spandex exercise suit which accented every inch of her body. There was more than one wolf whistle from the other occupants of the gym as she stepped onto a treadmill and began an easy trotting pace. To Adam's amazement, she kept right on running for almost an hour, and she didn't even break a sweat. Stepping off the treadmill, she waved to him and headed for the showers.

'I thought you didn't like exercise.' They were sampling the lunch buffet.

'I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't do it.' She gave him a joking smile. 'And don't say I didn't warn you.'

'Warn me? About what?'

'Making me workout when I'm supposed to be on vacation. After lunch, you're going to pay.' She walked away, leaving him to wonder what torture she had in mind. Whatever it was, he suspected he was going to be sorry.

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'Ready?' Tamara led him along the deck.

'As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Want to give me a clue?'

'Nope. Trust me, you'll love it.'

'Why do those words make me nervous?" She laughed as she led him into a small room. The attendant gave her two bundles. She handed one to Adam, then pointed him at a changing room.

'You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding. There's no way I'm going to do yoga.'

'Who said anything about yoga?' He took a good look at her, noting the white "pajamas" he took to be yoga gear. Then he noticed hers weren't tied with the same white belt he sported. Her belt was black! She bowed at him, walked over to him, took his shirt in her hands, shifted her hip, and he was looking up at her from his position flat on his back at her feet. 'I told you you were going to pay.' She smiled down at him. 'Come on, I'll take it easy on you.'

He rolled over, got to his feet, and prepared himself for a very painful hour. To his surprise, she spent the next hour teaching him the basic moves without inflicting more than the occasional bruise, mostly to his ego.

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He knocked on her door at precisely 7 p.m. Punctuality was something he admired, and he appreciated her similar feelings. She opened the door, exquisitely dressed in a shimmering rainbow of material so fine he wondered how it was held together. Every movement seemed to change the way the fabric floated over her body.

'You look ravishing.' And that's what he wanted to do, ravish her. It took every bit of his willpower to keep himself from seducing her on the spot.

Dinner was followed by a few turns on the dance floor. It had been a long day, and both of them were feeling the affects of their early morning. Adam escorted her back to her cabin. Unlocking the door for her, he pushed it open and flipped on the light switch.

Obviously, the man standing in the middle of her room with her belongings strewn around his feet wasn't expecting the lights coming on so suddenly. He dropped her camera on the floor, looked straight at Adam, and tried to break through the door. Thinking Tamara was the weaker of his two obstacles, he stiff armed Adam and tried to push past Tamara. Having had a couple extra seconds to think, she was ready. She stepped to the side, letting the thief think she was afraid of him. The second he came in range, she reached out, grabbing his shirt as she used his momentum to propel him into the wall. Adam had regained his feet and came out in time to stop the dazed man from making a break for it down the corridor.

'Call for help.' Tamara grabbed the phone and made the call while Adam held the man on the floor, occasionally applying a little more pressure than necessary to the arm he held behind the man's back.

Half an hour later, the man was gone, and the Captain was apologizing profusely to Tamara. Her cabin had been ransacked, the lock on the door broken, and everything except her clothes thrown around the floor.

'The lady will need another cabin for the remainder of the cruise.' Adam took charge as Tamara absentmindedly picked up her things.

'I'm afraid we have a problem. We don't have an empty cabin available.'

'What about the cabin we used as an office on the trip out?'

'Booked for the return trip. I'm sorry. I can have someone repair the door immediately, but there just isn't anywhere else we can move her.' Adam looked at the door. Not only was the lock broken, but part of the door itself was shattered. He and the Captain both knew the door was not going to be an easy repair job.

'Get somebody in here to pack her things. She's moving into the spare room in my cabin.'

'I'm not sure…'

'I don't recall asking for your permission. The lady is my responsibility until we reach San Francisco, and I'm not going to have her in danger because your security is less than useless.' The Captain flushed with anger, but he didn't say a word.

'The decision is for the lady to make.'

'Do what he says.' Tamara was close to shock. She needed to lie down immediately. Even as the thought crossed his mind, Adam saw Tamara sway ever so slightly. He caught her just as she was slumping to the floor.

'Get the doctor! Tell him to meet us in my cabin. You!' he snapped at a cabin boy. 'Reach in my pocket, take my key, run ahead and make sure the doors are open.' The boy was faster on the uptake than the Captain had been. Even before he finished talking, the boy had the key and was running full tilt toward Adam's cabin.

When the doctor reached her, Tamara was regaining consciousness. She tried to sit up, but he pushed her back, checked her pulse, and pronounced her in need of rest.

'I can give you a sedative, but I don't like to prescribe them if the patient will voluntarily stay in bed for at least 24 hours.'

'I'll stay.' 'She'll stay.' Everyone looked at the two of them as they replied simultaneously.

'Well, I guess that's settled.' The doctor turned to Adam. 'She's to have complete rest for the next 24 hours. No visitors. No trips to the dining room.' Adam nodded agreement and the doctor looked sternly at Tamara. 'Do what your told, young lady, and you'll be right as rain.' He snapped his bag shut and went to the door. 'Now, everyone who isn't necessary clear out.' The cabin boy and the Captain moved into the hall. As he closed the door, Adam heard the doctor talking to the Captain. 'We'll have to airlift the prisoner off the ship. His shoulder has been dislocated, and he may have a mild concussion.' Adam had a very satisfied smile on his face when he turned back to Tamara.

'What the Hell do you think you're doing?' He rushed across to stop her as she slid her feet off the bed.

'I'm going in the bathroom, if that's allowed.' She smiled as she saw the blush creep up his neck. He helped her to the bathroom door, then was saved from further blunders by a light tapping at the door. He opened it to find four cabin boys and a mountain of luggage. Minutes later, they were gone and he was rummaging in the bags looking for something for her to put on in place of the bedraggled evening gown. He finally found something which looked almost as filmy as the dress had looked when he picked her up just hours earlier. It was pale pink, with ribbons and lace in what looked like interesting places. Another minute and he found the slightly less revealing wrap he assumed went with the negligee. He located her toiletries and a pair of slippers.

'Tamara.' He knocked lightly on the bathroom door. He could hear the shower running and tentatively tried the door. It was unlocked. She hadn't heard him. The shower door was fogged over, but he could still see her silhouette as she let the hot water flow over her. Before he could make a mistake he would regret forever, he lay her things on the counter and backed out of the room.

By the time she came out of the bathroom, he had most of her bags unpacked and moved out of the way. He was right. The ribbons and lace were definitely in all the right places.

'Straight into bed with you.' He almost added 'young lady' in a fatherly way, but he wasn't feeling very fatherly at the moment.

'Yes, sir!' She climbed into the bed, pulling the blankets snugly up to her chin. He moved over to the bed and smoothed the blankets, tucking them firmly under the mattress.

'Would you like anything?'

'You mean like a cup of hot cocoa?'

'If that's what you want, then that's what you'll have.' He reached for the phone on the bedside table, but she put her hand on his, stopping him instantly. Her fingers touching his hand was the most sensual experience he had ever known.

'I was…..joking.' Tamara was finding it very difficult to speak, and impossible to pull her hand away from his.

After an eternity that lasted less than a second, Adam slowly withdrew his hand.

'Maybe I should let you get some sleep.'

'Good night, Adam.'

'Good night, Tamara. I'll leave the connecting door open in case you need anything.' He switched off the light, then pulled the door almost closed. Every fiber of his being wanted to go back through that door. He stood there, listening, until he heard the steady breathing which told him she was sleeping soundly. He turned off the light in his room, and slipped back into hers. Standing by the side of her bed, he watched her for several minutes, then returned to his own room.

As he flipped on the light in his room, Tamara smiled, turned over, and went to sleep.

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'You heard the doctor. You are not to leave that bed for 24 hours.'

'Except to go to the bathroom.' She amended. She loved the way he blushed.

'Enough. Get back in that bed or I'll call the doctor and he'll give you something to knock you out for the duration.'

'But this will be boring for you, babysitting me all day.'

'Nonsense. We can use the time to get to know each other.' He smiled as she crawled back into bed. 'Now, what would you like for breakfast?'

'Scrambled eggs, bacon, wheat toast, strawberry jam, orange juice, white milk, and coffee.'

'Is that your usual breakfast?' He couldn't believe anyone who ate like that could look like her.

'No, but I'm not really very hungry this morning.' She said it so simply he had to believe it was the truth. He picked up the phone, placing their order, adding strawberries to the menu.

'Oooo, I love strawberries.' The simplest things made her happy. He wanted to make her happy forever. 'Could you do me a favor?'

'As long as you don't ask me to let you out of bed.'

'Nothing so radical.'

'Then your wish is my command.'

'Somewhere in that mess there should be a large, white t-shirt with a yellow duck on the front. Could you find it for me?' He gave her a bemused look, but he went searching for the duck. A few minutes later, he handed her the special shirt. 'Excuse me.' She slipped out of bed, her negligee swirling around her in billows of pink, his willpower almost as tenuous as the thin material. A few minutes later, there was a tap at the door. He was busily arranging the breakfast trolley near the bed when she came out of the bathroom wearing the sleep shirt, her hair in double pony tails, one high on each side of her head, her face bare of all makeup, and her feet no where near her slippers. She was the sexiest woman he had ever seen.

'Ahh, that feels better. Is that breakfast?'

'Coming right up.' He pushed the trolley closer, thankful for the diversion. He watched in amazement as she went through the food as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. He had noticed before that she wasn't like most women who just pick at their food whenever a man is around, but he wasn't prepared for just how hearty her appetite was.

'Delicious. I think my appetite is back.'

'Would you like me to call for something else? He finished his own eggs and was working on his second cup of coffee.

'Actually,' she saw the shocked look on his face and laughed uproariously. 'I was just going to say that I was fine for now, but if there's any more coffee left, I could use another cup.' She made a mental note to stop teasing him. All that blushing couldn't be good for a man. Maybe she should ask the doctor about it.

As if by magic, there was a knock at the door and the doctor came in when Alan opened the door.

'No need to ask how you are this morning. It looks like you will live.' His eyes wandered over the empty plates, wondering where she stored all those calories. Even as he talked, a bowl of strawberries was systematically disappearing.

'I feel fine. May I get up.'

'Not a chance. I'll come back later this afternoon, and if you have followed orders and haven't suffered a relapse, I'll let you sit in a chair to eat your dinner. I don't want to see you outside this cabin before tomorrow morning.'

'Yes, sir.' Both men laughed as she pouted and then pulled the covers over her head like a child. 'You're both mean!' Came a muffled voice.

In the hall, the doctor added, 'She's fine, but the rest will be good for her.'

'How's your other patient?'

'Concussion, dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, definitely a little the worse for wear. What did you hit him with?' Adam looked a little sheepish.

'I may have caused the dislocated shoulder when I was restraining him, but Tamara gave him the broken wrist and concussion when she threw him into a wall.'

'Miss Myers!'

'Ask her to give you a demonstration sometime. She has a black belt in karate.'

'I'll take your word for it.' The doctor walked away shaking his head.

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They spent the morning talking mostly about his job, touching lightly on her work at the bank. He didn't want to press, but he was getting more and more curious about why she had given up a job she appeared to love so much.

'What can I get you for lunch?'

'Surprise me.' She looked at him from behind the longest eyelashes he had ever seen. 'And, Adam,' he looked at her wondering if there was something wrong. 'I'm hungry.'

There was French onion soup with cheese croutons, shrimp cocktail, grilled salmon with dill sauce, baked quail with seasoned rice and fresh peas, fresh rolls with seasoned butter, and enough coffee to keep them both happy.

'Ready for dessert?' Not waiting for a reply, he went to the other room and returned with two large servings of strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.

'No ice cream?'

'You strike me as the whipped cream type.' He grinned at her as she shot him a 'so you think you know me' look, then dug in with a gusto.

'You certainly know how to feed a girl.'

'I hope it was enough.'

'I could go for a couple more shrimp, but I guess I'll live until dinner time.'

'Would you like another cup of coffee?'

'What I would really like…'

'No! Not more food!' She burst out laughing.

'What I would really like is for you to scrounge up a deck of cards. How are you at rummy?'

'I'm better at poker, but something tells me it could be financially dangerous to get in a poker game with you. I'll stick to rummy.'

'Chicken!' He called for the cards, had the table cleared, and prepared to beat her if it was the last thing he did. He had never worked so hard for anything in his life. 'Want to switch to poker?'

'Not on your life. How do you do at the casino?'

'I've never been. You don't find many casinos in my part of the world.'

'And I suspect the casinos are relieved.'

'Stop that! I can't help it if I'm good at cards.'

'Maybe we should try something else. How are you at Trivia Pursuit?'

'You're going to laugh.'

'I promise, I won't laugh.'

'OK, but you promised. I've heard of it, but I've never played. None of my friends at school were very smart, and I didn't have anyone at home to play with.'

'Finally, something I might be able to beat you at.' He laughed as he went to the phone to see if the game was available. An hour later he was carefully picking up about a million trivia cards from every corner of the room.

'I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't mean it, honestly.'

'I'm the one who should apologize. That's the first time I've ever lost at that game, and it was to a rank beginner. If my friends hear about this I'll never live it down. I shouldn't have had a temper tantrum and thrown the pieces around, though.'

'I didn't mind. I'm not the one who has to pick them up.' Even as the words were coming out of her mouth, she knew she shouldn't have said them. He was still furious with himself over losing the game, and she knew he had to feel silly crawling around on his hands and knees picking up trivia cards from every corner of the room.

When he stood up, the cards dribbled out of his fingers. His eyes were dark and a flush of anger rather than embarrassment was creeping up his neck. Tamara had never seen such raw emotion before. Even Mark, when she rejected his proposal, didn't look this angry. He took a halting step in her direction, then suddenly bolted for the door, slamming it behind him. Seconds later, she heard another slam as the corridor door was closed equally hard.

Tamara huddled under the sheet, hating herself and wondering if she would ever see Adam again. Someday maybe she would learn that the male ego is a delicate thing.

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'Do you often take up residence outside your own cabin?' The doctor came down the corridor, hardly expecting to see Adam sitting on a chair outside his locked door.

'Only when the alternative is to go inside and strangle someone.' Adam looked so totally dejected the doctor had to wonder who his patient was going to be.

'Our patient giving you a hard time?'

'You don't know the half of it, doctor.'

'How long have you two been married?'

'Married! What ever gave you the idea we were married?'

'You're kidding. The way you two go at each other, I just figured you had been in love for years.'

'She's a child.'

'Pretty mature child, if you ask me, and I'm an expert.' He gave Adam a second to react on his own, then asked, 'If it's not too much trouble, could I see my patient?'

'Sorry, doctor.' He unlocked the door, but didn't accompany the doctor into the room.

Tamara was still huddled in her bed. Sleep was impossible, and she didn't want to risk Adam coming back and finding she had disobeyed the doctor.

'How are you feeling, Miss Myers?'

'OK, I guess.'

The doctor went about his examination, noting her distressed condition. His professional opinion was that if he didn't stick his nose into their business, he might end up with two patients before the night was over.

'May I ask you a personal question?'

'You're my doctor. How much more personal can you get?' He was glad to hear she hadn't lost all her spunk.

'Granted, but this is different.' She looked at him inquiringly. 'How much longer are you going to make Mr. Barns suffer before you tell him you love him?'

'I…' She blushed furiously.

'You know he's been sitting out in the hall ever since whatever it was that cause this mess.' He had just noticed the game pieces everywhere.

'I beat him at Trivia Pursuit. Then I made the mistake of kidding him about it. Is he alright?'

'Physically, yes. Emotionally, he's a wreck.'

The sound of voices could be heard outside the open doors, then Adam came in, looking terrible, and handed her a cablegram. Tamara unfolded the paper and quickly read the short message, then sank back in a dead faint.

'What the Hell?' Both men jumped forward at the same time. The doctor began checking Tamara, as Adam snatched the cablegram. All he found was the cryptic message:

"He knows where you are."

And it was from someone named Samuels.

Tamara was coming around. Her hand scrabbled for the cablegram before her eyes flew open as she saw it in Adam's hand.

'Adam, I'm in trouble. Help me!' The doctor was never sure how it happened, but he found himself sitting on the floor as Tamara found her way into Adams protective arms.

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'Call me if I can be of assistance.'

'Thank you, doctor.' Adam was still holding her as she cried. Eventually, she calmed down enough for him to offer her a stiff drink. She took a couple sips before setting it aside. She seemed better.

'Can you talk about it?'

'I don't want to, but I know I have to. Did you read the cablegram?' She moved to the far side of the bed, motioning for him to sit beside her as she sank back against the pillows. He wanted nothing more than to join her in the bed, but he settled for being on it with her.

'Yes, but it didn't make much sense. Who's Samuels?' Tamara groaned as she realized she had to explain more than the problem with Mark.

'He's the butler.' Adam was trying to remain calm, but that certainly wasn't the answer he expected. 'Technically, he's Mrs. Wilton's butler, but since she's my aunt…'

He shifted to look into her face. His mind was racing like an Indy car. He knew the name Wilton was familiar but he hadn't bothered to think about it before. Now, he did. Wilton Textiles, Wilton Cosmetics, Wilton Industrials. And her name was Myers.

'You are Frederick Myers' daughter?' She nodded. 'But you said you worked as a bank teller until recently.'

'I did. I've worked at one kind of job or another since I was 14. Aunt Mildred believes in girls being independent and strong. She wasn't about to let me live like a potted plant.'

'OK, so Samuels is the butler. What did the rest of it mean?'

'I told you we live in Montana. Miles City, to be exact. I was working at a local bank. Around there, we are known to be "comfortable", but no one knows exactly who we are. Aunt Mildred made sure I was treated just like the other kids. She didn't want people liking me for my money, and I wanted to find a man who would love me for myself.'

'I'm with you so far.' He knew plenty of women who were chased by every gigolo who met them.

'One day, just before Christmas, my boss, the vice president of the bank, gave me such a fright I fainted. Afterward, he insisted on giving me a ride home. When he found out I was Mildred Wilton's niece, I was sure I would lose my job. But, he went out of town for three weeks, and when he came back, rather than fire me, he began asking me out. I didn't really like him much, but I thought maybe it could develop into something.' She saw him raise an eyebrow.

'No, nothing like that happened. If it had, maybe I would have believed he actually cared for me. As it was, I was planning to tell him I wasn't going to see him again. I knew it would mean I would have to leave the bank, but there was no way to avoid that. We went for a horseback ride. I had no idea he was going to propose.'

'Marriage!'

'Exactly. I was as shocked as you are. I told him I wasn't interested. He refused to take no for an answer. I had to gallop at top speed back to the stables. He arrived the same time I did. He was trying to force me to go with him…'

'What? He didn't hurt you, did he?' The angry look was returning to his eyes.

'A couple small bruises on my arm. Nothing serious. That's when Aunt Mildred and Samuels showed up. Samuels had to pull a gun go get him to release me.'

'What's his name? I'll teach him to play those games.'

'Adam! Listen to me. We got away. Samuels was marvelous. He got us back to the house and I thought it was over. That's when Aunt Mildred told me the whole story.'

'There's more!' Adam didn't know who this creep was, but he was already making plans for his imminent demise.

'She told me she had just received a call from a friend in New York. According to this friend, Mark had been checking on my financial holdings when he was on his business trip in January. By the time he asked me on our first date, he knew exactly how much I am worth.'

'The cad.' Tamara had never heard the word used outside romance novels and it made her smile. 'This isn't funny.'

'I know, but sometimes you say things that just make me smile. I can't help it. And cad is such a funny word, even if it fit’s the man to a "T".'

'What happened next?'

'Aunt Mildred, myself, and Samuels made a mad dash for safety. Actually, while Mark was searching the house trying to find me, we were sneaking out the back road to the airport. After a few days in San Francisco to pick up a new toothbrush and a few odds and ends,' she motioned toward her trunks, and Adam was the one to smile as he realized what her "odds and ends" consisted of. 'we got on this ship and the rest you know.'

'But there's more I need to know, isn't there.'

'A little.'

'Like you accepting the job working for me.' Women weren't the only ones chased by gold diggers, and while he didn't think she was after him for his money, he had to get the entire story to be sure.

'That was pure good luck on top of some very horrible news Aunt Mildred had just received. Just that morning, she read in the paper that an old, very dear friend of hers had been injured and was in the hospital in Switzerland. She wanted to go to him, but I don't think she wanted me tagging along, yet she couldn't abandon me as long as Mark was lurking in the underbrush. When you offered me the job, she thought it was a minor miracle.'

'Why didn't the two of you tell me all this up front?'

'A couple reasons. First, we had no idea Mark would be able to find us. Second, she knew how I felt about anyone knowing I was wealthy. I was willing to do the work, but I didn't want to be treated as anything but a secretary.'

'So she made me promise to stick with you until we got back to San Francisco where she is planning to meet the ship. What then?'

'I don't know. Another cruise, I suppose. But now that we know Mark has tracked me down, I'm afraid things are going to get ugly.'

'For someone who can throw a sneak thief across the room, you sure seem freaked out by this Mark character. What is he, some kind of big cheese back home?'

'One of the biggest. You have to understand, I like my home town, and I really loved working at the bank. And, deep down, I'm not all that sure of myself most of the time.'

'You haven't seemed unsure of yourself around me.'

'That's because…' She was going to say it was because she was in love with him.

'Because what?' This time, it was his turn to watch her blush a brilliant red. He couldn't wait another second. Before she could recover, he bent over her and let his lips brush her lightly. It must have been his imagination, but he could swear he heard her purr as her arms went around his neck and he pulled her tight against him. Not even the blankets separating them could diminish the luscious feeling of her body against his.

As the kiss stretched on and on, and his hands got tangled in the blankets as he tried to find her amongst their tangles, he knew he wasn't mistaken. She was purring! He had the urge to let out a roar or two himself.

Finally, he released her and painfully moved away from the bed. He paced around the room several times, then stood beside the bed, looking down at her.

'Tamara, I want the honest truth and no jokes. You said you never….did anything with this creep Mark. Just answer yes or no. Are you a virgin?'

The blush was back and he had his answer as Tamara seemed to shrink into the bed, pulling the sheet firmly over her head. He reached in his pocked and pulled out a key which he placed on the bedside table.

'Tamara, listen to me. I've put the door key on the table. When I leave the room, get up and lock the door. Don't let anyone in until I get back. Do you understand?'

'Yes.' It was more like a distant whisper than her usual strong voice.

He left her room, waiting until he heard her cross the room and lock the door. Then, he called the purser's office and demanded a guard be posted outside his cabin. The tone of his voice guaranteed he wouldn't get an argument. Once he knew Tamara was safe, he went to the radio room and sent several cables. By the time he was finished, it was dinner time. He ordered enough food for a small army, waited with the guard until it was delivered, then took it inside.

'Tamara, I brought your dinner. Unlock the door and take the trolley inside, then lock the door again. I'll be back in less than two hours.'

He waited for her to do as she was told, refusing to give her any explanation of his strange behavior.

Waiting outside with the guard, Adam spent the longest two hours of his life. Inside, Tamara nibbled her way through the food, eating more from habit than hunger. Adam wanted her to finish it, so she would.

Finally, she heard noises in the outer room.

'Tamara, get dressed. We have to see the Captain.' He heard her get out of bed, then added. 'Tamara, could you wear the white dress you wore the night we met?'

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When she came out of her room, she found Adam waiting for her, dressed in a dinner jacket and looking so handsome she wanted to cry.

'Those shoes aren't causing any trouble, are they?' She smiled at his weak attempt at humor, then decided to join the fun. She kicked them off and headed for the door barefoot. Knowing she would want her shoes in a few minutes, he picked them up and brought them along.

'Why are we going to see the Captain?'

'It's a surprise.'

'A good surprise, or a bad surprise.'

'Trust me, you'll love it.'

'Isn't that what you said about the gym?'

'At least you loved making me pay for that surprise.'

While they had been talking, they had made their way to the Captain's cabin. Before entering, Tamara reached for her shoes and slipped them on. Fun was fun, but the Captain was the Captain.

The room was crowded by the time they had entered. In addition to themselves and the Captain, the doctor was there along with his nurse. And, to one side, there was a rather portly gentleman who looked like the last couple hours had not been the easiest in his life.

'If everyone will step over hear, we can take care of the paperwork.' Tamara was more than a little shocked to discover the paperwork was a marriage license application. But, to Adam's relief, she filled in all the spaces and signed on the bottom line.

It wasn't the way she had always envisioned her wedding, but as least Tamara was happy Adam had suggested she wear the white dress. And, for whatever reason he was doing this, and she had the strong suspicion it was merely a way to mitigate the guilt he would have felt if he had taken her virginity without the benefit of marriage. She wondered if she should tell him it wasn't necessary, that she wanted him as much as he wanted him, maybe more since she knew she loved him with all her heart. But, if he wanted a wedding, then she would not be the one to say no. And when he wanted a divorce, she hoped she would be able to let him go knowing she had already had the happiest days of her life.

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It was a simple ceremony. The doctor and the nurse signed as witnesses, and the portly gentleman, after introducing himself as Reverend Randolph Cates, assured them their marriage was legal in the eyes of both man and God since he was empowered to perform marriages in Washington state, which included the port of Seattle where they were currently moored.

After the ceremony, the Captain insisted they accompany him to the main lounge for a celebratory drink. As they entered, the entire room rose and began clapping.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present Mr. and Mrs. Adam Barns. May they have eternal joy and happiness.'

Champaign flowed, glasses clinked in uncounted toasts to the happy couple, and the band began to play. As they moved toward the floor, the room broke into gales of laughter as Tamara kicked off her shoes. Adam laughed, pulled her into his arms, and felt like a teenager again as they glided across the floor.

At one point, Adam bent down and whispered something in his bride's ear. To everyone's horror, she stopped in mid step, pulled out of his arms, and literally stormed across the room to retrieve her shoes. Gales of laughter followed her as people heard her mutter 'barefoot and pregnant, indeed!'

Re-shod, she assumed a dignified stance, raising her head high, then walked straight toward her waiting husband. What he didn't see was the Captain standing just behind him. She passed Adam with a mischievous smile on her face and went straight into the arms of the startled Captain. He quickly recovered, guiding her across the dance floor with, if not as much grace as Adam, at least as much enthusiasm. Coming to the rescue of the abandoned groom, several young women rushed forward to offer a consoling shoulder to the poor man. As he pretended to be confused by such an abundance of possibilities, his bride excused herself from the Captain, and moving like an Amazon Princess on a mission, moved through the adoring crowd to reclaim her groom.

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'Mr. Barns, may I have a moment with you and your wife?' The Captain was not a man anyone denied, and this was no time to begin. They followed him onto deck, closing the lounge doors behind them, cutting the party noise down to a happy roar.

'What is it, Captain?' Adam stood with his arm protectively around Tamara. She had to admit it was the most comforting feeling she had ever had.

'We've received inquiries about Miss Myers. As instructed, our radio operator assured them she was no longer on board. The gentleman made some rather rude remarks to Ensign Parks when she told him Miss Myers had left the ship in Valdez.'

'I bet he did. Well, at least we have a couple days before he figures out he was tricked and gets back to San Francisco.'

'We'll be back in home port at 11 tomorrow morning. I've arranged for you to use my private launch so you can leave immediately.'

'Can you arrange for delivery of our luggage?'

'Of course. The purser's office will take care of everything.'

'Adam, there are some things in the safe.'

'Tamara, I know we haven't discussed it, but I was with you the night you put the necklace away. At the time I thought they must belong to Mrs. Wilton, or maybe they were fake.'

'None of them are fake, and they all belong to me.'

'Captain, we're going to need an armed guard.' The Captain paled until he looked whiter than his uniform, nodded, and left before they gave him anymore shocks.

'I suppose we should go back to the party and thank everyone.' Adam wasn't happy with the idea, but he had to agree Tamara was right. Putting a smile firmly in place, they returned to the party, made the circuit of the room, thanked the band, picked up a final drink at the bar, toasting the assemblage, then made their escape.

Back in their cabin, all either of them really wanted to do was fall into each others arms and make love until morning. What they forced themselves to do was pack everything, setting aside the things they would need in the morning.

'Darling,' When she didn't answer, Adam went to her door to check on her. She was laying across the bed, fully dressed, and sound asleep. He put a light blanket over her without waking her, turned off the light, and continued his packing. When everything was finished, he followed Tamara's example, falling asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

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When the phone rang with their wake up call at seven in the morning, Adam was more than a little surprised, and totally pleased, to find Tamara snuggling against him. She must have woken in the night and moved into his bed, realizing, as he did, that sex could wait until they were safely away from the ship.

'Darling, wake up. We only have a few minutes before we have to leave.'

'Mmmm, this is nice. Don't tell me if I'm dreaming.'

'You aren't dreaming.' He kissed her, not letting it last so long he couldn't stop it. 'Now get your sexy body out of bed and get dressed. Breakfast will be here in ten minutes and if you aren't ready to eat it, I'll throw it out.' Her eyes popped open.

'You wouldn't. You would!' She flew into the bathroom, and was showered, dressed, and back in the main room before the knock came announcing their breakfast. 'Did I miss a meal yesterday? I'm starved!' She plowed through waffles, ham, cheese Danish, orange juice, hot chocolate, and a small omelet while he settled for the Danish and coffee. She was still on her second cup of coffee when the boy came to tell them the launch was waiting. Tamara snatched her purse off the table, popped a small piece of toast into her mouth, and announced she was ready to go.

On the way to the launch, they dropped by the purser's office and picked up her jewel case and the armed guard. The three of them took the launch ashore where they were met by Adam's limousine. After putting the jewel case in the trunk, they thanked the guard and everyone went their own way.
Half an hour later, they were on Adam's private jet headed for Houston.

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Mildred had spent a wonderful ten days in Switzerland. She visited Walter every morning, spent the afternoons skiing or shopping, then returned to the hospital for another visit. Walter had a broken leg, three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a multitude of scrapes and bruises, but he would live. It would be several more weeks before he could leave the hospital. He had been overjoyed to see Mildred, and devastated to see her leave so soon, but he knew she had to go back and meet Tamara. After eliciting her promise to return as soon as possible, he gave her a long kiss and sent her on her way.

Mildred was on the dock when the passengers began pouring off the ship. Spotting a steward she recognized, Mildred inquired about Tamara, only to be told she should speak to the Captain.

Half an hour later, Mildred left the ship, now wearing a huge smile. When she had first talked to Adam Banks, she had a feeling the man might be the right one for Tamara, but things had turned out even better than she had hoped. Married. She was disappointed in having missed the ceremony, but she was happy for them. Now, she just had to catch up with them so she could return to Switzerland and chase her own dream.

'Where is she?' Mark Carlisle grabbed her arm as he spat the question at her.

'I don't have the slightest idea. Now remove your hand from my arm before I have you arrested.' His grip didn't loosen, and Mildred did what she threatened. She took a deep breath and let loose with a scream that could make a police siren jealous. Every head for a block in all directions turned toward the sound.

Mark released her arm and ran, stumbling into people, tripping over a curb, before blindly running into the waiting arms of a very large policeman.

Mildred spent the rest of the day making police statements and speaking to lawyers, her own and the prosecuting attorney. Finally, she was free to go about her business, a good twelve hours behind the honeymooners. Unbelievably, as she got out of her cab at the airport, she saw Mark Carlisle getting out of another cab. He was with another man and they were speaking intently. Slipping behind a pillar, she kept out of his sight as she edged closer.

'Houston? Thanks to that bitch, Wilton, I can't go to Texas. I want you to get down there and bring her back. I don't care what it takes, you got that?'

Mildred pulled a small camera out of her bag, snapped several quick pictures, then went back to the cab rack. This time, her visit to the police station only took a couple hours.

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'Why are we going to Houston?'

'I have to check in with my office, sign a few papers, get a few things organized.'

She snuggled deeper into his arms as they rode in the back of the limo. She was still a little dazed from the events of the last few days and had to resist the temptation to fall asleep.

'Tamara, wake up.' Adam shook her gently, bringing her out of her dreamless snooze.

'Where are we?'

'My office building. Would you like to come up or…'

'I'm awake!' The thought of him leaving her alone, even for a few minutes, was frightening.

Walking into the upscale office with it's staff of equally upscale employees reminded Tamara of just how casually she was dressed. She wished she had chosen a dress rather than the jeans and blue silk blouse. She needed her luggage. A quick appraisal of her appearance proved she also needed a few other personal items. Looking at Adam, she marveled at how a man, no matter how casually dressed, was accepted in all but the most formal locations. Adam's appearance in slacks and a sweater didn't raise the slightest consternation among the staff. Of course, being the boss probably helped a lot, too.

As they made their way through the outer office, heads turned, Adam was greeted warmly, and Tamara found herself totally ignored. Adam didn't introduce her and barely acknowledged the greetings he received. He made his way directly to his office, holding the door for her to enter, then closed it firmly behind him. His secretary did not miss the distinctive sound of the lock being activated, an event which had never happened in her seven years at her job. She was not surprised when Mr. Barns ordered her to hold his calls until further notice.

Adam walked around the desk. Looking down at his bride, he gently took her into his arms. Her arms went around his neck, her fingers teasing through his hair. He could feel the quickening of her heartbeat has he held her against his chest. Without a word, his lips came down on hers and they melted in an oblivion of joy.

The kiss had not even really begun before it was ended by the jarring ringing of the telephone. Adam tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't stop and even having Tamara in her arms could not help him. Finally, with an almost physically painful wrench, he stepped away from his bride and grabbed the offending instrument.

'I told you to hold my calls!'

'I'm sorry, sir. This is an emergency. There's a police officer here to see you.'

'Damn! All right, send him in.' He crossed to the door, unlocking it and roughly opening it as the officer approached.

'Mr. Barns. I'm Ranger Tyler.'

'Yes, Ranger, what can I do for you.'

'I'm sorry to disturb you, sir,' the way he looked at Tamara said he knew what was going on.

'My wife and I were busy, Ranger. Let's get on with it.'

'Yes, sir. My apologies. I have orders to deliver a message to you, in person.' The man was obviously discomfited as he snapped to attention and began speaking. 'The message is cryptic. I was told you would understand it.'

'Then spit it out.' Adam was getting very impatient with the man, and Tamara went over and slipped her arm around his waist.

'I'm sure the Ranger is going to tell us. Just give him a moment.'

'The message is: Go skiing.
'Go skiing! That's what you interrupted my wife and I for! To tell us to go skiing!' Adam was so furious the Ranger was literally cringing against the door. Tamara's reaction was totally incomprehensible. Neither of the men could understand the way she had suddenly fallen into a chair in gales of uncontrolled laughter.

'Are you out of your mind?' Adam was still angry, but also flabbergasted. He knew Tamara sometimes reacted strangely, but this was ridiculous. She finally got herself under control enough to talk.

'Don't you get it?'

The Ranger was making a hasty retreat, wanting to get as far away from the two of them as he could.

'The message. It's from Aunt Mildred.'

'How in the world did you come to that conclusion?' Adam was beginning to wonder if Tamara was suffering the delayed stress reaction the doctor warned about.

'Darling, think about it. Aunt Mildred knows we know about Mark chasing us. She knows he might trace a phone call or telegram, maybe even a letter. She had to send us a message only I would understand.'

'And exactly what does it mean.'

'It means we are to go skiing immediately.'

'OK, but where. Is there someplace you and she went skiing.'

'I've never been skiing in my life…'

'Then how are we…'

'Switzerland, darling. Zurich, to be exact. But not the ski slopes.'

'The hospital! She wants us to meet her at the hospital where her friend is convalescing.'

'Hang around me a little longer, and you might get smart.'

'Hang around you, and I might go crazy.'

'Planning to run?'

'Only into your arms.' He did just that, knocking over the chair in his haste to hold her, falling over his feet, and making the two of them land in a pile in the middle of the rug. The crash brought his secretary at a run. She opened the door to find her boss and the strange woman he had come in with rolling around on the floor in the remnants of a broken chair, laughing their heads off, and acting like a couple kids.

'Miss Morton! Just the person we need!' Adam rolled around until he could face his secretary. She maintained her professional aplomb, a credit to her training. 'Get Briggs in legal up here immediately. I'll need Martin from Photo. Then call the airport and tell Fred to get the jet ready. Call Zurich and reserve a suite at the Ambassador hotel. Get Bartlet and tell him to get those contracts in here if he wants them signed. Then get in touch with the boutique downstairs and have them send up a conservative travel outfit, everything from the skin out, size 8.'

'10, darling.'

'10, shoes size 7'

'shoes?' Tamara smiled wickedly from her position on the floor.

'Yes, shoes!' Adam accented his comment with a quick swat to her gluteus maximus. 'I'll let you know if there's anything else.' Nonplussed, Miss Morton returned to her desk and began making calls. Briggs and Martin arrived almost instantly, Martin carrying his ever present 35 mm. Adam wondered if the man actually slept with it around his neck.

'The lady needs a passport,' Adam explained to the men. 'And we need it fast.' He handed the lawyer the marriage license and Tamara dug out her driver's license.

'Congratulations, sir, Mrs. Barns. Will you be traveling on your honeymoon?'

'Europe. Switzerland, then wherever the mood strikes. Get the necessary visas.'

'Of course. I know someone at State who can expedite the paperwork.'

'We want to leave immediately.'

'It will take at least four hours.'

'Make it three, and meet us at the airport.' Martin snapped several head shots of Tamara, then headed for the lab. Adam knew Briggs always gave himself a cushion and figured it could be done faster than he claimed. Briggs knew Adam knew. He had the documents ready in two hours. As Briggs left, Miss Morton advised them that Fred was standing by, but that he needed a flight plan, and the reservations had been made.

'Tell Fred we'll file the flight plan when we get to the airport.'

'That could delay takeoff, sir.'

'It can't be helped.' Miss Morton didn't understand, but she didn't question him further.

'Mr. Bartlet is here.' She stepped aside as the man came in carrying a stack of papers. Adam was busy signing his name about a million times when the door opened and Miss Morton entered with several shopping bags.

'Best wishes, Mrs. Barns. If you'll follow me, I'll show you where you can change.' Tamara followed her through one of the doors at the back of the office and through a well supplied dressing room, into a full bath. At her questioning look, Miss Morton said, 'Mr. Barns often has to change between meetings. This is much more convenient than going all the way to the estate.'

In the absolutely huge bathroom, Miss Morton helped her set out the items the boutique had sent.

'Is there anything else I can get you, Mrs. Barns?'

'I think everything is here, thank you, and please, call me Tamara.'

'I couldn't!' The woman blushed lightly. 'May I say, I'm so glad Mr. Barns finally found someone. Of course, the girls in the office will be devastated to find out he isn't available any more. And there are going to be some extremely upset ladies in his social circle.' The woman seemed absolutely overjoyed at the idea, and Tamara wondered just what kind of women had been pursuing Adam. Feeling she had said too much, Miss Morton excused herself and left.

Tamara had no idea how long Adam would be busy with Mr. Bartlet, but she knew they were on a tight time schedule. She took a quick shower, casually tossing one of the designer black towels on the dressing table while she got dressed.

'Damn! I was hoping you would still be in the shower.' He laughed as she blushed furiously.

'We don't have time for that kind of fun, and you know it.'

'You can say that again.' He leered at her hungrily. As he walked toward her, Tamara casually stood up and flipped the black towel around her waist.

'Hey, not fair. I was just kidding!' Adam held up his arms in surrender as she laughed and left the room. Adam made a mental note to get a karate instructor as soon as they returned from their honeymoon.

Tamara was alone in the office when Miss Morton came in.

'Mr. Briggs called. Your passport is waiting for you in the jet. I've taken the liberty of having the boutique pack you an overnight bag.'

'Thank you, Miss Morton. I'm sure we'll be able to get everything else we need as we go. I'll probably come home with so much we'll need a separate plain to carry it all.'

'The chauffer asked me to ask if you would need your case from the limo?' Tamara had totally forgotten the jewel case.

'Oh, my, I hadn't thought about that.' She took a moment to think. 'Could you have it brought up? I'll need a few things, but not everything.'

'Of course. Right away.'

Adam came out of the dressing room as Tamara was selecting a few small items from the case, transferring them to a travel pouch. Finished with the larger case, she closed it securely.

'I'm sure there must be a safe around here somewhere.'

'Right in here.' He showed her back into the dressing room, opened the safe, and placed the case inside. Turning to her, he picked up her left hand and studied the small gold band on their ring finger. 'As soon as possible, I want to replace this with something a little better.'

'Not on your life! I love this ring.' She looked up at him, smiling so enticingly it was all he could do to resist the urge to take her right there on the floor of the dressing room.

'Mr. Barns, if we don't get a move on, we'll never get out of here.'

'Have I told you, Mrs. Barns, that you have the worst timing in the world?'

'Trust me, I'll get better.'

'I would trust you with my life.'

'I'm already trusting you with mine.' His face clouded slightly at the reminder of Mark.

'Come on, darling. We have a plane to catch.'

'Right behind you, darling, as soon as I find my shoes.' To the utter shock of the entire office, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, picked up her shoes and her case with his free hand, and carried her kicking and barefoot toward the elevators. Miss Morton waved to Tamara as the doors closed behind them. She suspected her boss's life was about to change in some major ways.

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'Fred, we're going to Zurich eventually, but I don't want anyone to be able to track us too easily.' The two men went off to discuss details while Tamara explored the cabin. The jet they had taken from San Francisco had been very business like. This one was much fancier and included a very comfortable looking bedroom. She let her mind wander over the possibilities as she stretched out on the huge bed. But, that would have to wait. She went back to the main cabin where she knew they would have to sit during takeoff. She was looking at her new passport, complete with her new name, when Adam came in, a worried look on his fact.

'What's wrong? Is Mark here?'

'No, nothing like that. It's Fred.'

'The pilot? Is he alright?' He smiled at her concern for a man she had hardly been introduced to.

'He will be, but for right now, he's on his way to the hospital. They think it's a sever case of appendicitis.'

'That's horrible! But he's going to be OK, isn't he?'

'Absolutely. He's getting the best of care. But that means we don't have a pilot. Jake is on vacation, and Matt, the man who flew us back from San Francisco, already has too many hours in the air. He can't make a flight to Europe.'

'What about the man who was with Fred?'

'That's Tom, the co-pilot. He can fly, but it takes two pilots in the cockpit at all times on a flight this long.'

'So we can't go.' The disappointment in her voice was mirrored in her eyes.

'We're going! It just means I'll have to spend the whole flight in the cockpit.'

'I didn't know you are a pilot.' Tamara brightened considerably, then frowned. 'Adam, how long will it take us to get to Zurich?' Her mind was wandering back to that beautiful bed.

'With refueling stops and assuming no delays, the better part of 16 hours, minimum, and there are always delays.'

'Oh. I guess that means we will have to….wait….a little longer.'

'Please don't keep reminding me of that.' he moaned.

'It will only be a little longer.'

'I think I've heard that before. Or maybe I just thought it. In any case, the sooner we get going, the sooner we'll get there.' He took her to the nearest seat and made sure she was securely buckled in.

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BOOK 2

Tamara opened her eyes and stared at the white ceiling and white walls. Her hands explored the narrow bed and crisp cotton sheets. She was in a hospital, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember why. Panic gripped her and she quickly lifted the sheet to make sure everything was present and accounted for. Two feet. Two legs. Two arms. Pain. Was she in pain? No. Nothing hurt. She lifted the edge of the hospital gown. There were no bandages. She lifted her hands to her face, her hair. Her hair! Something was wrong with her hair. There was no bandage, but pain shot through her head as she ran her fingers over her left temple. Quickly, she checked her face with her fingers. As far as she could tell there were no bandages or scars. Was she paralyzed? Very tentatively, she moved her legs. The muscles were a little stiff, but they moved.

Tamara deemed herself fit. So why was she in the hospital? She tried to place her last memories. She remembered going for a ride with Mark. They had been looking at the view when he suddenly proposed. She knew she had been surprised by the suddenness of the proposal. But what happened next? Had she fallen off the horse and got a concussion?

She couldn't resist the urge to continue checking her body for damage. As she looked at her hands, the plain gold band on her left hand made her gasp. Maybe the accident had happened later, after she and Mark were married. But why couldn't she remember?

'At last! You're awake!' Mark came into the room and sat on the bed next to her, taking her hand in his and kissing it tenderly.

'What happened? Where am I?'

'Don't you remember, darling? We're on our honeymoon. Remember, we talked about Montreal.'

'How? What happened.'

'You fell as we were getting off the plane. You hit your head and they had to operate. That's what happened to your hair.'

'How long have I been in the hospital?'

'Almost six months. You've been drifting in and out of consciousness. We've had this conversation half a dozen times. The doctor says it's some sort of amnesia but it should clear up once the coma is totally gone.'

'Mark, do I have brain damage?' Tamara didn't think she could face the idea of losing part of her mental function permanently.

'No, darling! Nothing like that. He says you'll be 100% very soon.'

'I'm tired.'

'You sleep. I'll see you later.' Mark left the room, smiling to himself.

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'Mildred, where's Tamara? What happened?' Alan lay in the hospital bed, looking at Mildred Wilton.

'There was a bad storm. You made a good try, but there was no way you could keep the jet on the runway.'

'Tamara!'

'She's alive.' Alan relaxed noticeably.

'Is she here? Was she hurt badly?'

'No, to both questions.'

'Where is my wife?' Alan was beginning to get angry at the woman's evasive manner.

'I don't know.' Mildred expected him to explode, but he was very calm, too calm.

'What happened?' his fingers curled into matching fists.

'After the accident, you were taken to separate hospitals. They found Tamara's purse and my name and eventually tracked me down. By the time I got here, you were in surgery. You had a collapsed lung and some broken ribs, and they had to operate immediately. As soon as I knew you were in surgery and Tamara had been taken to another hospital I went straight to her. She had a minor concussion and was unconscious, but the doctor said there was no real damage and she would be fine in a couple days. Oh, Alan, I thought it was safe to leave her there while I came to check on you.'

'And it wasn't safe, was it?'

'No. I don't know how it happened, but by the time I got back to her, she was gone. The nurse said two men arrived with an ambulance with orders to transport her to this hospital. Everything was in order, so they let them take her.'

'Have the police been notified?'

'Of course! They are searching everywhere. The borders have been notified, and there is no way they can get out by train or plane.'

'How long has she been missing?'

'Less than 24 hours. Alan, we'll find her. I promise.'

'I have to get out of here and help.' He struggled, trying to sit up.

'You can't. The doctor says it will be at least a week before you can be released.'

'Like Hell! My wife has been kidnapped and I'm going to find her.' He made it to his feet, the strain and pain making his face go white as a sheet.

'Adam, please! Give yourself at least another day. By then, maybe the police will have some news.' When he didn't argue, she helped him to lie back on the bed and arranged the sheet neatly over him.

'Twenty four hours, and not a second more.' He muttered as he drifted off to sleep.

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Tamara didn't remember much of the last few months, but when the nurse came in speaking French, she remember Montreal was a French speaking city, and she had flunked French in high school. Her teacher had said she had no ear for languages and she had transferred out of the class as soon as possible. All she could remember was "good morning" and "good evening" and both of those were with such horrible accents not even the saintly nurse could understand her. She gave up and waited for Mark to return.

She wondered when she would see a doctor. She had been awake for over six hours, according to the clock on the wall, and the only people she had seen were Mark and the nurse when she brought in a lunch tray. She couldn't even hear any activity in the hallway.

It had been two hours since lunch and she was starved. She pressed the call button and wondered how long it would take the nurse to arrive, and even when she did show up, was there any way she could explain she wanted more food. As she waited for the nurse, she looked around again. Mark said she had been in and out of a coma for almost six months. If she was unconscious, they must have been feeding her intravenously. She didn't see the usual equipment, and when she checked her arms, there were not of the telltale puncture marks and bruises. Part of her mind knew something was wrong, but she had no idea what it was. She would have to ask Mark.

To her surprise, it was Mark, and not the nurse, who answered her bell.

'Was there something you need, darling?'

'I'm starving. I was wondering if I could get a little more to eat.'

'After all this time with nothing but IV's, I imagine you must be ravenous for real food. I'll see what I can rustle up.' He kissed her cheek and left the room.

Tamara was more confused than ever. Without her asking, Mark had stated she had been on IV's for months. But that couldn't be true. Mark was her husband. Why was he lying to her?

'Here you go, Tamara. A nice chicken salad sandwich and some milk.' Mark set the tray across her knees.

'Will Aunt Mildred be here soon?'

'I called her as soon as I knew you were conscious. She was elated and said she would be here as soon as she could get a flight.'

'Where is she?' Tamara couldn't believe her aunt would be anywhere except by her bedside if she were hurt.

'She was here around the clock when you first came in, but about two months ago she had to go to Europe.'

'Europe! What for?'

'She didn't explain. She left a number and said to call if there was any change in your condition.'

'And that was two months ago? Can I call her?' Tamara looked around, trying to find a phone.

'This room doesn't have a phone. Besides, she'll be here in a few days.' It's time for you to get some rest. Drink your milk and I'll take the try away.'

'The milk had a slightly strange taste, but Tamara assumed it was because she wasn't feeling well. She drank it down then slid under the sheet and was asleep almost immediately.

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'I don't recommend this.' The doctor was shaking his head disapprovingly as Adam painfully put on his shirt and buttoned it.

'I know, doctor. I'll take it easy. But you have to understand I am going to find my wife.'

'If you have any difficulty breathing, get to a hospital immediately. And try not to exert yourself more than necessary.'

'The only thing necessary is for me to kill the man who kidnapped my wife.'

'Adam, be reasonable. In your condition you could be the one who gets killed.' Mildred cautioned.

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'Mr. Barns. A pleasure, sir. Please, sit down. Mrs. Wilton, so nice to see you again. May I send for some coffee?'

'Forget the pleasantries. Have you found my wife?' Adam wasn't in the mood for this nonsense.

'We have found the ambulance and are questioning the men who posed as attendants. From what they have told us so far, we believe we were able to seal the borders before she could be removed from the country. We have also narrowed our search to a specific area of the country.'

'I want to talk to those men.'

'That cannot be allowed. We will keep you apprised of our progress, but you will not interfere.' The two men stared at each other intently. Mildred was on the verge of saying something but thought better of it. The silence and the stare seemed to go on forever. Adam blinked first.

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'Mark, I think I need to talk to the doctor.'

'What's wrong? Do you think you're going to lose consciousness again?'

'I have a really bad headache and my eyes aren't working right. When will the doctor be here?'

'Soon, darling. Very soon.' Mark rushed out of the room, a man on a mission. Tamara doubted if anyone he brought to see her would really be a doctor. She swung her legs off the bed and eased herself to a standing position. Very carefully, she made her way to the half open bathroom door. While taking care of necessities, she looked around the room. It was the standard hospital bathroom, all white tile and chrome. After washing her hands, she used a paper towel, then stepped on the lever to lift the lid of the trash can. She almost didn't see what was inside. Bending down, she took a close look. The bottom of the can held a mound of what had to be her hair.

As quickly as she could, she returned to her bed. Safely under the sheet, she took several deep breaths, then began putting the pieces together. Trying to think made her head hurt and her throat dry. As she reached for a glass of water from the bedside table, she noticed the drawer. For some reason, she opened the drawer. Inside were a Bible, a box of tissue, and a watch she instantly recognized as her own. It had been a high school graduation present from Aunt Mildred. She picked it up and glanced at the dial. 3:37, and the calendar said it was April 29th.

She returned the watch and closed the drawer. Now, she was positive Mark was lying to her. She knew their first date had been in mid-January and about three months later he had proposed. Even if they had gotten married immediately, which was doubtful knowing how Aunt Mildred felt about her having a fancy wedding, her accident must have happened around the first part of May. Mark said she had been in the hospital at least six months. It should be November, but her watch said it was late April.

She also knew her hair had not been growing out for six months after a head injury. Someone had hacked off her hair, leaving her a few inches to make her think it was growing out again.

She fingered the tender spot on her temple. Obviously she had been hit in the head sometime recently, not six months ago.

Mark said she had been in and out of coma for weeks. She couldn't remember any of that, and she didn't think she was on the verge of slipping into another coma now. Everything pointed to her having been in an accident within the last few days and having just awoken this morning.

So, if Mark was lying about the accident, whatever had caused it, what else was he lying about? She fingered the ring on her left hand. Mark said she was married to him. She couldn't remember loving Mark. She remembered dating him, but there had never been any intimacy, no emotional connection.
He must have put the ring on her finger to make her think she was married to him. But why?

Money.

The word came from nowhere to answer her question. She remembered she was rich, but she couldn't remember ever telling Mark about it. And what difference would her money make to him? He was rich. Maybe not as wealthy as she was, but his father owned the bank and they were one of the richest families in Montana.

She had lied to Mark about having a headache, but now she really was getting one. She had to stop thinking so hard for a while. As if to put stop to her thoughts, the nurse came in to take her blood pressure. The woman clucked and shook her head, but Tamara noticed she didn't pump the sphygmomanometer enough to even tighten the cuff. The "nurse" was as fake as Mark's story. Her memory still had a major hole in it, but she knew Mark wasn't the one to fill it in.

She had to get out of this so called hospital and find someone she could trust. She needed Aunt Mildred.

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'Mark, did you bring the doctor?'

'He's tied up with an emergency operation. He arranged for the nurse to give you something for the pain if it continues.' Just then, the nurse came in carrying a tray with a glass of water and two white pills. Dutifully, Tamara took the pills in one hand and the glass in the other as they were offered to her.

'Darling, is my make up case available? I want to make myself pretty for you.'

'Of course. It's down the hall in storage. I'll go get it.' Once he was out the door, Tamara smiled at the nurse, put the pills in her mouth, and lifted the glass. At the last second, the glass "slipped" out of her hand and spilled water all over the bed on it's way to crashing on the floor. The nurse jumped to catch it, taking her eyes off Tamara long enough for her to slip the pills out of her mouth and under her hip. Quickly, the nurse found another glass, filled it, and Tamara drank it completely.

Even before Mark got back with her cosmetics case, she had slid down in the bed and her eyes were fluttering as if she was forcing herself to stay away and was losing the battle. As she feigned a drugged sleep, she heard Mark return.

'She's out.' The non-English speaking nurse had a decidedly German accent.

'Good. She's been asking too many questions. The next time she wakes up, I'll tell her she went into a coma again, and it's been another two weeks.'

'We have to get her out of here. The Swiss police are not idiots.' Tamara almost gave herself away at the words "Swiss police." She was in Switzerland! But how? She didn't even have a passport!

'Don't you think I know that!' Mark was pacing around the room. 'Get the ambulance again. We'll move her it two days. By then, the police will be relaxing a little. Besides, no one would stop an ambulance with it's siren blaring.' Tamara didn't dare open her eyes, but if she had, she would have seen the nurse give Mark a look which said he was a total idiot.

'I have to get home to my family. I'll be back tomorrow.' The nurse left before Mark could object.

'A few more days and I'll convince you to give me your Power of Attorney. Once I have control of your money, I'll tuck you away in a nice Sanitarium where you'll never embarrass me again. You should have married me and done it the easy way. But easy or hard, your money will be mine.'

She heard him open and close the door. No sound came in from the hallway. Tamara hoped he believed she was asleep, but she wasn't taking any chances. Very softly, as if dreaming, she called his name. There was no answer. She repeated the call, just a tiny bit louder as she changed position on the bed. Still nothing. So slowly it seemed to take an hour, she opened her eyes a tiny slit. The light was still on but she couldn't see anyone. Throwing caution to the wind, she opened her eyes completely and looked around. She was alone.

It took several minutes, but she found her clothes in a cabinet in the bathroom, got herself dressed, and was ready to leave. The dress was of a good quality but she didn't recognize it and it was not a style she would have chosen for herself. And she definitely wouldn't have worn sneakers with a dress, but they were the only shoes she could find.

She checked the windows. They were not only locked but they had bars on the outside. She eased open the room door, relieved Mark had not thought it necessary to lock it as well, and checked the hall. There were two other doors leading from it, one slightly open but with no light inside, the other closed. She assumed Mark was sleeping in the room with the open door.

Beyond his room, she could see the top of a flight of stairs. As silently as the uncarpeted floor and her sneakers would allow, she eased down the hall. Holding her breath, she moved as quickly as possible to pass the door and reach the stairs. One step at a time, careful of any squeaks, she descended two flights to the ground floor. There were no lights on, but she could see the door as light from the moon streamed through it's small window. Miraculously, the door was unlocked.

The cold air hit her like a sledgehammer. She wanted to run back inside to be warm. Instead, she ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she was going to get there as fast as she could. As she ran, another truth worked it's way into her brain. She liked to run. It felt good. She felt ridiculous doing it down a city street wearing a dress and sneakers in the middle of the night, but it still felt terrific. The farther she went, the better she felt, and the less afraid she was.

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Mark came awake to the sound of his front door shattering and men shouting. Before he could get out of bed, two very large policemen pushed through the door and were pulling him to his feet.

'Where is she, Mr. Carlisle?' Mark knew it was over, but he wasn't going to give them any help.

'No one else in the house, sir.' Mark's surprised look made the man give another order.

'Search the house again. Find anything that might prove she was here.' He turned to Mark. 'Sir, if any harm comes to the young lady, the full force of the law will be brought to bear. Take him to the station.' They bundled him out of the house and into a police car.

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Tamara ran until she couldn't run any more. When she stopped and looked around, she was still as lost as she had been when she left the house. Streetlights were few and far between. There was no traffic. The stores she had passed were shuttered long hours earlier. The houses were dark. Close to total exhaustion, she gave the street another studied look. There, almost two blocks away, there was a small light, lower than streetlights, but not from a building. She couldn't run any more, but she walked as fast as she could toward the only sign of hope she had. Finally she reached it, a public phone.

After a call to the emergency operator which eventually deteriorated in a fit of hysterical tears, Tamara found herself in the back seat of a very warm police car.

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'No, you may not see the patient.' The doctor was emphatic. Adam was furious.

'She's my wife and I demand to be allowed to see her.'

'That may be. However, as long as she refuses to see anyone except Mrs. Wilton, there is nothing I can do. You will have to wait until she asks to see you.'

'Adam, be reasonable.' Mildred pleaded. 'She has traumatic amnesia. She just spent the last 24 hours trying to escape from one man who claimed to be her husband, and now you want her to believe she is married to you, a man she can't even remember meeting before.'

'But if I could just talk to her…'

'It wouldn't do a bit of good. I'll talk to her, try to spark her memories. You want her to recover, don't you?'

'Of course.' He knew logic when he heard it even if he didn't like it. 'But please, try to get her to at least meet me. It might help.'

'I'll try.' She smiled warmly at him, then followed the nurse down the hall to visit Tamara.

Her niece looked horrible. Her beautiful hair had been hacked off so it hung in jagged strands of varying lengths. There was no way she would allow Adam to see his wife looking like this. She needed makeup, a hairdresser, and something decent to wear. The white hospital gown was making her look even more washed out than her recent experience had left her.

'Darling, you look wonderful!' Mildred swept into the room and engulfed the girl in a comforting hug.

'Aunt Mildred! At last, a face I know.' Her face went from excited to relieved to total collapse in seconds. She broke down, tears pouring down her face and sobs wracking her body. 'Oh, Aunt Mildred, I was so scared! Stay with me! I want to go home. When can I leave?'

'Tamara, try to calm down. Your safe, now, and everything is going to be fine.' She ignored the visitor's chair, opting for a seat on the bed where she could hold the sobbing girl's hands.

'Have they arrested Mark?'

'He was in jail even before we found you. You must have escaped one way on the street while the police were coming from the other way.'

'I had to get away from him. He was trying to drug me and he said he was going to force me to sign a Power of Attorney so he could control my money. Are you sure he's locked up?'

'Positive. From what they've told me, the Swiss government does not look kindly on kidnappers, and he will be spending a long time in a Swiss jail.'

'Won't his family make them send him home?'

'They might try, but he committed his crime here, and he was caught here. They'll have a hard time getting him moved.'

'I never want to see him again.'

'I wish I could say you won't have to, but I can't.'

'No!'

'Yes. You'll have to testify, unless he does the right thing and pleads guilty. We'll know more by the time you leave the hospital.'

'And when will that be? I feel fine.'

'The doctor wants to keep you under observation for a couple days, and he wants to see if there's anything they can do about your memory loss.'

'Will you tell me the truth about something?'

'If I can."

'How much time have I forgotten? I remember Mark proposing, then I woke up and he said we were married and it had been six months since the accident. I figured out he was lying about a lot of things.'

'It has been just over a month since the proposal. And, I assure you, you are not married to Mark.'

Tamara fingered the gold band on her left hand ring finger, twisting it nervously. She wasn't married to Mark. The news was like a weight being lifted from her soul. She pulled on the ring, trying to get it off.

'No!' Mildred couldn't stop herself from ordering Tamara to leave the ring on her finger.

'What's wrong? I was just going to get rid of this stupid ring Mark put on me.'

'Mark didn't put it there.'

The two women looked at each other, the one wanting to know everything, the other afraid she had said too much already.

'Tell me, Aunt Mildred.

'I can't. The doctor' says we have to let your memory come back naturally. I've already said more than I should.'

'But…Aunt Mildred, just tell me, am I married?' Mildred looked down at her hands. She couldn't look the girl in the eye.

'OK, I'm married and I can't remember a thing about him.' Tamara had always been intuitive. She quickly came to other conclusions. 'Tell me if I'm wrong. You met him before we got married. You think he is a good man. You approve of the marriage or you wouldn't tell me to leave his ring on my finger.' Mildred said nothing. 'We're all in Switzerland. I was in an accident. Oh, my God! Was he hurt? How is he?'

'Tamara, he's fine.' The girl relaxed visibly. 'He had some minor injuries in the accident.' No sense making her worry about things she couldn't change.

'Thank goodness.' Mildred could see the girl's mind resuming it's analysis. 'So, we were together, in Switzerland. We were on our honeymoon!'

'Yes, but that's all I can say until the doctor says otherwise.'

'Is he here? Does he want to see me? Oh, Aunt Mildred, I don't think I can see him yet. If he loves me, and he must love me if he married me and you approve of him, then he would be devastated that I don't remember him. Will you explain that to him? Please.'

'I'll try, honey. Now you get some rest and do what the nurses tell you. They say that bump on your head was a mild concussion and all that running around in the cold didn't do you any good, either.'

'Just one more question. What's his name?' Mildred wanted to tell her, but she just shook her head and left the room. Tamara was left to search her own mind for the answer she needed.

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On her way back to the waiting room, Mildred stopped at a pay phone and made a phone call to a local beauty salon, arranging for a stylist to visit Tamara the next morning.

In the waiting room, Alan sat hunched over, his head in his hands, worry adding twenty years to his looks.

'Alan.' He rushed over to her, grabbing her with both hands.

'Mildred! How is she? Can I see her? Did that creep hurt her?'

'She's going to be fine. No, he didn't hurt her.' Alan relaxed enough to release her. 'Let's sit down and talk.'

'How is she, really?'

'She can't remember the last month of her life, from the time Mark proposed to the time she woke up in that horrible room.' She could see the devastated look on his face.

'She can't remember me at all?'

'Not yet.'

'Then it's over.' He got up and was almost to the door before Mildred could stop him.

'She knows she's married.' He stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around.

'She knows! How?'

'The wedding ring. She thought Mark had put it on her finger to fool her. When she started to take it off,' his face fell at the words, 'I stopped her. It only took her a second to figure out why.'

'Did you tell her anything else?'

'You know the doctor warned us not to, but I had to. She figured out you were on your honeymoon when the accident happened. She was panicked because she thought you might be seriously hurt or even dead. I assured her you were fine.'

'Does she want to see me?'

'Yes, and no.'

'What does that mean? Don't talk in riddles.'

'She wanted to see you, but she didn't want you to see her because she thought you would be hurt when she doesn't recognize you.'

'Please, tell her it's OK. I'll understand. I just want to see her, to hold her.'

'Not today. She has a visitor coming tomorrow. Maybe after that.'

'What visitor. What is it you aren't telling me?'

'Mark told her a lot of lies. He had to do…something…to convince her he was telling the truth.'

'What…did…he…do? If he hurt her, I'll kill him with my bare hands."

'He cut her hair.' He was totally dumbfounded. 'He didn't just cut it, he hacked it off. I've arranged for a hair stylist to come tomorrow.'

'I don't care how she looks.'

'No, but she cares, and that's what's important. If she looked in a mirror right now, she would think no one could ever love her. Once she feels beautiful again, she will be ready to face the world.' Mildred stood up and Alan jumped to his feet. 'And that's something you can help me with. The dress she was wearing is a rag after the accident and her midnight run. We have to do some shopping.' A light came on in Mark's eyes.

'Mildred, I think I know how to trigger her memory.'

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'Much better.' Mildred surveyed the work the stylist had done, marveling that she was able to perform such a miracle after the damage Mark had done to her hair. Rather than the long flowing mane Tamara had always been so proud of, her head was now covered in a crown of curls. With makeup, and a big smile, Tamara looked a thousand times better.

'I can't say I'm thrilled at having short hair, but it sure looks better today than it did yesterday.'

'I have a surprise for you.'

'What?' Tamara was like a little girl on Christmas morning as her face lit up with expectation.

'I talked to the doctor, and he said if you promise not to overdo and to come back to the hospital if there is a problem, he thinks you can recuperate just as well in the hotel.'

'I promise! When can I leave?'

'As soon as you get dressed. I'm afraid there wasn't much of a selection in the store I went to, but I found some slacks that should fit.' She pulled out a pair of simple black slacks and a mint green shirt. She added some "frillies", as Tamara liked to refer to bras and panties, to the pile, topping it off with nylons and a pair of simple black flats. These should work until you can get to the stores.'

'I'll be right back.' She snatched up the clothes and ran for the bathroom, getting dressed in record time. 'I'm ready! Let's get out of here.' Mildred laughed as her niece tried to force her out of the room.

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In a suite at the Ambassador, Mildred insisted Tamara rest for an hour before she would allow her to go shopping. The doctor had assured her the girl was totally healthy, but Mildred wanted to see for herself. While Tamara took a short nap, Mildred called room service and ordered lunch. Knowing her niece's appetite, she ordered enough for four.

Lunch was waiting for her as Tamara came out of the bedroom.

'Food!' She zeroed in on the covered dishes, devouring the first sandwich before Mildred even took a bite of her own. 'Those nurses tried to starve me to death!'

'When you are done, we can visit a couple shops I think you'll enjoy.'

'I only need a few things. We'll be going home, soon, and I have tons of things there.'

'I've been meaning to talk to you about that. A few weeks ago, a very dear friend of mine was hurt in a skiing accident. He broke his leg and has a few other injuries. I came over to visit him, and I would really like to stay a couple more weeks until he is well enough to travel. Do you mind staying a bit longer?'

'Of course not. Who is he? Have you known him long?'

'His name is Walter Lindquist and I've known him for almost thirty years. I'll tell you all about him, but not right now. We have to do some shopping before the shops close.' She pulled Tamara away from the food, marveling as she always did at the way the girl could eat and never gain an ounce.

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Three shops and several hundred dollars later, they were back in the suite surrounded by a mountain of shopping bags. Tamara loved shopping, but she thought her Aunt had gone a little insane when she insisted on buying several evening gowns. Mildred had explained that everyone in the first class hotel "dressed" for dinner and slacks and shirts would not be allowed in the dining room. Unless she wanted to eat all her meals in the room, she would need the proper attire. Tamara went along since it seemed to make her Aunt happy.

'Which one will you wear this evening?' Mildred asked as they hung their booty in the wardrobes.

'I was thinking about the blue chiffon.'

'Oh, dear.' Mildred looked very perplexed.

'What's wrong?' Tamara couldn't imagine why the blue chiffon got that reaction.

'I wanted to wear my teal silk, and it would clash terribly with the blue. It's the only one I haven't been seen in here at the hotel, and I wanted to look special tonight.'

'Then the blue is out. I can wear it any time. How about the black?' The one she mentioned was sleek, strapless, trimmed in rainbow crystals, and absolutely perfect for Mildred's plans.

'Perfect.' If Tamara had looked at her Aunt, she would have wondered at the twinkle in her eyes. 'I've made reservations for eight.'

'Good. I want to take a good long soak in that marvelous tub. I'll see you later.'

Two hours later, the two women were putting the finishing touches on their hair and makeup.

'Do you ever wonder why women go through all this agony to look beautiful when there is no one but themselves who are going to see them?' Tamara was sliding her feet into the only pair of black heels she had been able to find. They were so high, almost 5 inches, that she was glad they were only going from their room down to the dining room and back.

'We are just slaves to fashion, my dear.' Mildred looked approvingly at Tamara. Even her short curls couldn't hide her almost regal good looks.

'Maybe we should start a rebellion.' Tamara laughed. Mildred was relieved to see she was getting her sense of humor back. It had been hours since she mentioned Mark or the last few days. She seemed like her old self.

'Ready?'

'All set.' Tamara grabbed her purse and followed her Aunt.

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The dining room was crowded. Removing a "Reserved" sign from a table next to the dance floor, the Matre'd held their chairs, then presented Mildred with the wine list. After some discussion with the wine steward, Mildred opted to leave the selection to his expertise.

The wine list was replaced with menus. Tamara opened hers and groaned inwardly.

'Aunt Mildred, do you think they have a menu in English?' She whispered.

'Possibly, but why don't you just let me order for you. What would you like?'

'I have no idea. You know me, I love everything.' Tamara hated not being able to speak any language except English. If she planned to do any traveling in the future, she would have to do something about learning the basics in at least French, Spanish, and German.

As they waited for their waiter, Mildred commented on the five piece ensemble which was playing a medley of classical dance music. Several couples were dancing. Soft lights and soft music made the room seem like a fairyland.

The waiter arrived and Tamara was totally lost as Mildred broke into a stream of German. Tamara had no idea what she ordered, but if it was half as good as it sounded, it would be delicious. She was right.

Pâté de foie gras was followed by trout amandine, chilled asparagus spears with walnut vinaigrette, braised medallions of pork in wine sauce with wild rice, chilled fresh fruit slices, and crème brule for dessert. Each course was served with a perfectly matched wine.

'Are you tired? Do you want to go back to the suite?' Mildred knew the suggestion that she was tired would make Tamara insist on staying.

'The music is so beautiful. Couldn't we just sit and watch a little longer?'

'Of course, dear. Would you like another glass of wine?'

'No, I'm fine. The meal was wonderful.'

'Delicious. I wonder if Myrtle could learn to make crème brule that good?' Myrtle was there cook, and the closest she would ever come to crème brule was instant vanilla pudding out of a box, and they both knew it.

Out of nowhere, a man appeared at Mildred's elbow. He was tall with dark auburn hair, and the most striking green eyes Tamara had ever seen. Tamara estimated he was about 30, maybe a little older. She wasn't surprised he had approached her Aunt. Mildred looked much younger than her 47 years and it was the unusual man who did not check her out no matter how young he was.

Tamara listened as the man spoke quickly to Mildred in flawless French. Smiling brightly, Mildred gave him her hand and accompanied him to the dance floor with a nonchalant 'Do you mind?' to Tamara.

Mildred seemed to float in the man's arms as they swirled around the floor. She studied the man intently. He was well dressed, exuding breeding and manners, so unlike Mark that she couldn't find a single similarity between the two men. Hopefully, she would never meet another man like Mark as long as she lived.

Suddenly, she remembered that somewhere in this city her husband was waiting for her to remember who he was. She had thought about him on and off through the day as she left the hospital, ate lunch, shopped, even while she soaked in the Grecian tub in her bathroom. She wanted to remember this man who had swept her off her feet so completely that she had married him less than a month after running away from Mark.

Running away? Why did she think she had run from Mark? Wasn't it just as logical to think she had broken up with Mark and met her future husband right there in Miles City? She thought about the men she had met while working in the bank. None of her memories of them gave her a hint of having led to romance. But if she had run away, maybe she had met him somewhere outside Montana. But where could she and Aunt Mildred have gone, for if she had run and met a stranger, Mildred must have been with her.

She glanced at her arms, noticing once again that she needed to get some sun. Obviously, wherever she had run, it hadn't been anywhere warm and sunny.

Her attention returned to the dance floor. The music was coming to a brief end, and the stranger was escorting Mildred back to the table. Holding her chair, he waited for her to be seated, then murmured 'au revoir' and walked away, disappearing in the direction of the bar.

'He seemed very gallant.' Tamara commented.

'Very. And a wonderful dancer.'

'Who is he?'

'I have no idea. We never got around to introducing ourselves.'

'My goodness. What would the ladies back home say about such brazen behavior?'

'Those biddies wouldn't know what to do if a Frenchman asked them to dance.'

'So he was French? I know he was speaking French, but I don't have a clue about what he was saying.'

'His French was flawless, but we really didn't exchange pedigrees.'

'I do believe you were flirting with him.'

'Don't be ridiculous. I have Walter back in the hospital. Besides, the man was much too young for me. He's more your age.'

'Hardly. I imagine he thought I was a child.'

'me pardonner, mademoiselle, peux-j'avoir cette danse?' The man was standing at her elbow, bowing slightly to Tamara.

'I'm sorry. I don't understand.'

'He's asking you to dance, dear.'

Tamara was flustered. Mildred was encouraging her with a nod and a smile. The man moved behind her chair waiting for her to stand. She smiled up at him, put pressure on her foot to stand, and felt a sharp pain in her foot. Pain washed over her face which was coloring with a fierce blush as she realized those impossibly high heels had caused a cramp in the arch of her foot. She glanced down at her foot, trying to convey the problem to the man.

Instead of leaving, which is what Tamara expected at this point, the man moved to her side, knelt down, and reached for her foot. Before she knew what was happening, he had removed both her shoes, set them under the table, and had drawn her to her feet, sweeping her onto the dance floor in front of everyone.

Everything seemed to come to a stop except the two of them as he swept her around the floor. She gazed up at him as his arms held her firmly, tenderly.

Tamara marveled at how "right" it felt to dance like this, barefoot, with

'ADAM!'

The word was a should that shocked the whole room.

'Adam, I know you!' Her arms went around his neck and he pulled here into a kiss. She melted into him, loving the way his arms crushed her to his chest. The kiss went on forever. When it became obvious the two had forgotten where they were, someone began clapping. Soon, everyone in the restaurant was clapping and the commotion began to register on Adam. He forced his lips from hers, and as if it were a signal, the musicians began playing and Adam led his bride into a dance so filled with love the other dancers left the floor.

The music was replaced with thunderous applause as Adam picked her up, swung her over his shoulder, walked to the table, picked up her shoes, and left the dining room. He carried her through the lobby, into the elevator, and didn't put her down until he was in his own suite where he put her back on her feet and resumed the kiss where he had left off.

Much later, they lay together on the bed, his arm securely around her.

'You know, Darling, barefoot and pregnant seems like a pretty good idea right now.' Without warning, Adam found himself hitting the floor. Above him, Tamara was grinning impishly. 'Careful. You might break something important.'

'Trust me, love, I would never do that.'