Five thousand pounds... Ten—because of course it would be ten! Of course she wouldn’t want to go to the ball tonight. No way on God’s earth would she volunteer for such an ordeal, however desperately she was scrubbed at by whatever professional make-up artists and the like he had lined up. Yet even as she made that mental averment she could still hear his voice echoing in her head.

The body of a goddess, Ellen.

She heard it, felt it—felt its power. Its temptation.

‘Well?’ he prompted.

He was holding his hand out across the table. His large, square, strong hand. Into which slowly—very slowly—her own hand seemed to be...