Somerset, England - 1845 

 Could she be dead? 

 Lord James Perigrew bent over the limp form on the sandy white beach, carefully rolling the stranger onto her back. Her beauty captured his full attention, and for a moment he stood staring at her. Giving himself a mental shake, his fingers sought her throat for any sign of life. A breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding escaped him at the flutter of a pulse beneath his fingertips. 

 He looked up and down the deserted strip of beach, already knowing he would find no one. This bit of seclusion had been his haven for many years as he'd been certain to keep it that way. The mystery of the woman's identity would have to wait, he supposed, until he found her a physician. 

 He inhaled impatiently as he scooped her into his arms. "What these wretched women won't do for my money," he grumbled, adjusting to her weight in his arms. 

"This is the third attempt this week." 

 He strode with her down the long stretch of beach toward his awaiting stallion, the weight of them both together making the walk in the sand more difficult. He tripped over a piece of driftwood, cursing his blasted luck. The audacity these women possessed, he thought angrily, as he huffed up the steep incline to the place where he'd left his steed. Though he could safely say he'd never seen one of them take this extreme. 

 Managing to get the both of them into the saddle, he turned toward the castle at a hurried pace. With his luck, the girl's family would demand recompense for her own foolishness. 

 Her tattered silk dress brushed against his bare forearm. He assumed her a lady of station, but couldn't seem to recall having seen her before. 

 Just as well, he admonished himself. Beautiful or not, he'd learned the hard way women couldn't be trusted. But as he looked down at her, a strand of her golden hair matted across her cheek, he couldn't resist the urge to brush it away with his finger. Even with the sand from the beach mingled with it, the tress was as soft as the silk she wore. 

 He scowled down at her. "Was it worth risking your life, my lady?" he asked. Her pale face only lolled gently against his forearm with the motion of the horse, a hideous looking bruise on her cheek enhancing the faintness of her skin. He lifted his chin, tearing his gaze away from her. Let her keep her silence for now, he'd have his answers soon enough. He spurred his horse forward into a faster canter. 

 Entering his castle, the unconscious woman in his arms, he began barking orders to his servants, including the man who'd received him at the door. 

 "Cedric, prepare a room for our unexpected guest." 

 His butler, whom he'd known since childhood, didn't seem the least bit surprised to see his master carrying a strange woman into the home. "Another, sir?" 

 "Found her on the beach," he snapped back. "Damn fool woman nearly drowned herself." 

 Cedric shook his head. "'Tis sad, it is, sir." 

 "Sad, my foot," he ground out through gritted teeth. "It's bloody maddening." 
 James stomped up the stairs, Cedric in tow. "Give her the chamber at the end of the hall. And fetch the physician. I won't allow her to die simply so her relatives can demand some ridiculous sum." 

 "Yes, sir." 

 Cedric hurried ahead of him, giving orders to maids to prepare a room. By the time James reached the appointed chamber, everything was at ready. 

 He lay her down carefully on the bed, brushing her dirty hair back from her face. She was a beauty, even in this condition, he thought sardonically. It was a pity she was only interested in his wealth. He'd liked to have met her on better terms. He shrugged. What was she but a mere woman? Unfortunately, he knew what they brought. Disaster. He would do well to avoid her the remainder of her stay. 

 He turned to a maid still lingering in the room. "Get her out of those wet clothes and clean her up," he nearly roared at her. He swiped a hand through his hair. He didn't have time to deal with this nonsense today. 

 The woman on the bed groaned, her hand moving to her forehead. 

 He quickly sat on the edge of the bed, bending over her. "Can you hear me?" he asked. 

 Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him in confusion. "Where?" came her whispered voice. 

 "I found you on the beach. You damned near drowned." 

 She started, her dark blue eyes darting about frantically. "Do they know I'm here?" she asked with fear, attempting to sit up in the bed. 

 He held her slight shoulders and pushed her back down to the bed gently. "Just lie there and don't move. There's no telling what you've done to yourself." Satisfied she wouldn't attempt to move again he continued, "Who is it you are speaking of?" 

 "The men who were chasing me," she choked out, trying to sit up on the bed again. This time she sucked in a breath, grasping her side and falling back to the pillows. 

 "I saw no one," he answered stiffly, attempting to resist the affect she was having on him. "And I don't appreciate what you are about. If you think you can gain my fortune by playing on my sympathy," he began angrily. 

 She shook her head, her small hand grasping hold of his jacket sleeve. "Please, sir. You mustn't let anyone know I'm here. They'll find me. They were trying to kill me." 

 He stood from the bed, ignoring the outrageous tale she attempted to force on him. "I've sent for a physician," he instructed her, though he didn't believe she'd heard a word of it. She'd lost consciousness again. 

 He looked down at her, doubt nagging at him. Perhaps she wasn't after his money. But to believe such a terrific story. Every fiber of his being warned him to protect himself, to ignore this girl's delusional ranting and walk away. But a small shred of him somewhere felt protective of her. 

 He clenched his teeth in frustration. Why did women have to make his life so difficult? He made his way out the door, renewing the maid's instruction to get her out of her wet clothing on his way. 

 He sat behind the desk in his study, lifting a quill and replacing it again. No, he'd keep his guest a secret for the time being. The physician he sent for was a trustworthy man and could be counted on for his discretion. 

 But still he had to wonder what this woman was all about. Her desperate voice still rang in his mind. They were trying to kill me.   

To be continued.