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and turned.
    Before she could take a single step, a dark blur fluttered past her. She froze, her hand half raised in surprise. The dark blur slowed, and she realized it was a small bird. An instant later, the bird, its wings never quite still, perched on her outstretched hand.
    Elyse gazed at the little bird. It had a long red beak, jade green breast, and almost black wings. Doctor Bird. The island name for the little hummingbird popped into her mind. The slaves had named it so because of the way the bird came to people and rested on their hands. They made people feel good.
    The doctor bird made Elyse feel good. It made her feel welcomed.
    “Hello, little friend,” she whispered to the bird. An instant later, it flew away, leaving Elyse with a sense of peacefulness.

Chapter Four
     
    Brace Denham reined in the gelding. The spirited horse pranced in place while Brace gazed outward, his well-muscled legs tight against the horse’s sides. He had just returned from the fields far to the south of the main plantation, and had found everything to be going well.
    Although his little venture had cost him half the day, he still had a full day’s work ahead. Just as he was about to start off again, he saw a small figure walking up the hill of Devonairre’s cemetery.
    Who? No one ever visited the cemetery, except for him, his father, and his mother, and Brace knew it wasn’t any of them. He continued to watch, and realized it was a woman standing over the graves of Harlan and Katherine Louden.
    Without further thought, he urged the gelding into a canter and headed to the nearby cemetery. When he was at the foot of the hill, he dismounted and climbed the steps. At the top, he stopped to gaze at the woman standing sideways to him, a dozen paces away.
    Her hair was the color of midnight; it shimmered like lacquer in the sun. Her features, from what he could see, were perfect. Her nose was small and straight; her cheeks were prominently high.
    Her dress hid no detail of the perfection of her body, which was lush and womanly. Her breasts were barely contained by the material of the bodice, and her waist was dramatically narrow—he was certain he could put both hands about it and capture her completely. The dress dropped alluringly over her hips and ended six inches above the toes of her dark riding boots.
    While he watched, she started to turn, stopped, and held out her hand. A hummingbird darting in the air before her came to rest on her extended hand.
    He remained silent, his mind awash with feelings he’d never before experienced. Desire pulsed boldly through him for this stranger; a sudden deep ache lanced inward and he stiffened, even as he fought against it. Whoever she was, Brace realized, he had never seen a more beautiful woman—or one he wanted so instantly!
    When the doctor bird flew away, Brace spoke. He’d meant to keep his voice easy, but the strain of desire made his words stiff. “Are you lost?”
    When she turned, a fist had slammed into Brace’s chest. Her eyes, the color of fine oriental jade, were enormous. Her face in full view was even more beautiful than in profile. His head swam, his stomach knotted. He knew who she was.
    *****
    Whirling at the sound of the voice, Elyse froze, statue-like. A dozen yards from her was a tall, powerful man; looking at him, she almost gasped.
    Although he wore a white shirt, it was open to the waist. The sun bounced from the rippling muscles of his bronzed torso. Forcing herself to lift her eyes, she stared into twin pools of bold amber specks afloat in a sea of blue. She could not hold his gaze, and her eyes roamed across his face, a handsomeness she had never seen equaled. His chin was strong, well shaped and taut; his cheekbones well defined, his mouth, large and sensuous.
    The memory was like a lightning bolt striking a tree. “Brace?” she whispered. The image of an eleven-year-old boy, lanky and thin, paraded across her eyes. “Brace?” she asked again as her heart