"Insane boy, what possessed you to bring up my breakfast? What will Jules think?" "That you have a devoted cousin!" His joyous laugh rang out again. He cupped her face in his long fingers and leaned over her hotly. "What do we care what he thinks? He is a good old soul, and well paid to keep his mouth shut. Besides, after your sudden disappearance of last night, he probably suspects the beautiful worst." Anne's face clouded. She drew away from the caressing fingers. "Yes, probably, unless he's a complete fool," she commented dryly. The tide of irritation flowed over her. Alexis sensed her frigid mood. His face became suddenly miserable. He went over to the table, picked up the tray and laid it across her knees. "Here, dearest. Drink your coffee before it gets cold. Shall I pour it for you?" "No, thank you." She tipped the pot and the brown liquid issued into the cup in a tubular stream. Its fragrance permeated the room. "Alexis?" "Yes, darling?" There was apprehension in his voice. She sipped her coffee slowly. "I've decided to go back to New York this morning." A dark flush tinted his pale cheeks. "So you are angry!" He walked over to the window and looked out upon the whitened lawns. Her eyes followed him coldly. "Oh, no, I'm not angry, only shall we say, a little out of mood?" He turned and faced her. He looked pitiful, an animal at bay. "But Anne, is that reasonable? Is that fair? Was it my fault last night? The intrusion was abominable and probably premeditated. I loathed it as much as you. I did my best to shield you, and, after all, they went away without discovering anything, didn't they?" Her lips curled mockingly. "They may not have actually caught a glimpse of me in the flesh, but their suspicions were practically confirmed." She bit savagely into a piece of toast. "So you are going to make me suffer?" He strode back from the window and threw himself into a chair beside the bed. "Not at all. Only, as I said before, I'm no longer in the mood to stay. Surely, I have the privilege of changing my mind?" Putting aside the tray, she thrust her bare arms behind her gleaming head. Her beauty was insolent. A flame of desire, of hatred, and of anguish, scorched him. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "You are cruel. I could almost hate you! Why do you want to torture me? Wasn't last night enough?" "Last night?" He raised his head and looked into her eyes. "Yes, last night. When you refused to let me in I returned to my room and threw myself upon the bed and lay there all night. I went through hell. Unsatisfied, burning for you in every fiber of my body. All the old madness, the dread, the fear, came back upon me like a nightmare, and for a week, ever since I saw you last, I had dreamed of something so different." A gleam of pity crept into Anne's eyes. She averted them quickly.