Terry was stretched out on Craig's couch in his office reading a book when Garrison and Actor walked in. The locked briefcase was cuffed to Garrison's wrist. Terry eyed it silently. She carefully put the bookmark in her spot and closed the book, laying it on the floor.

"Another mission already?" she said.

Craig had unlocked the cuff and was opening the briefcase. "Yes. You might as well come over here and get in on this. You're going too."

Terry eyed him narrowly. "Why am I going?"

"Because we need a woman on this one. He . . ." Garrison nodded toward Actor, "looks terrible in a dress and you speak German." Terry hadn't moved. "Will you get off that couch and get over here. I want your input."

Terry sat up slowly. She shot a look at Actor. He was watching her with that same inscrutable look. He was also stiff, not relaxed. Terry swore in her mind.

"I don't have any input," she said. "And I'm not going with you."

Craig glared at her. Now was not the time for her to suddenly get balky. "That wasn't a request. You are going with us. Now I want you in on the planning."

"Fine," said Terry testily. "If I have to go I'll go, but I want nothing to do with the planning. It's not my forte in life. You can brief me when you brief the others." She got up and headed for the door.

"Terry, don't give me that crap," said Craig beginning to lose his temper. "I had a long phone conversation with the General. You weren't just passing out coffee and donuts at the War Department. I want your input."

The last thing Terry wanted was to thrust herself into Actor's spot. She could not speak freely in front of the Italian so she switched to Sioux. "Brother, you do not need me. You have a very capable second in command standing next to you. You all are a team. I'm an extra and I'm in the way."

"Who told you that!" demanded Craig in English.

"Nobody," she replied in English and switched back to Sioux. "I've been in twice now. I know what my capabilities are. My presence disrupts the routine."

Craig looked back and forth between his sister and his second. Now he could see the tension. Now he switched to Sioux. "Did he do something to you?"

Terry shook her head in exasperation. "Don't be ridiculous! He has been nothing but polite."

Actor seemed to rise even taller. "I believe I am the topic of this conversation. I do not appreciate it. If you wish to discuss me then I request you do it in English, French, German or Italian, which I understand and not whatever language that is you are speaking."

"Mi dispiace," apologized Terry. "Craig, don't push this. You have him and he is extremely capable from what I have seen. You don't need me. I'm going to my flat. When you want to brief me, call me. Or better yet, call Chris. She can do the contact and she'll stay out of the way."

Terry turned on her heel to leave. Actor realized what the problem was and it was him. "Teresa!" Terry stopped and stiffened. Actor stepped in front of her. Terry looked away in frustration. "You are part of our team now. We will adjust. Come to the table. If you have some insight we don't have, then tell us. If you need to learn something we will teach you."

"I am not trying to take your place," whispered Terry.

"I am aware of that," said Actor. "I am difficult at times. I apologize to you."

"He is an ass sometimes," said Craig offhandedly. "You just have to learn to deal with it."

Terry and Actor both gave Craig a look of exception to that.

"Yeah well we both know you can be a horse's hind end yourself sometimes, Brother." She looked back at Actor and nodded in resignation. Turning, she walked around the desk to stand beside her brother. "I analyzed intelligence, Craig. I do not come up with cons."

"You are very good at coming up with cons," contradicted Actor. "Judging from the two missions I have been on with her, Warden, she is almost as good as you."

Terry eyed the con man, masking her frustration. She wished he would make up his mind. One minute he didn't want her doing anything on her own and the next he was complementing her on her ability to do just that.

"So what is the mission?" asked Terry.

Craig got down to business. "The Allies are planning a major push here in France." He pointed to the area on the map on his desk. "However, the Germans have a heavy build up of men, tanks and artillery here."

"So we must create some kind of diversion to lure them out of the area," said Actor.

"It's got to be even bigger than that," said Craig. "We are going to plant information indicating the Russians are planning a huge push on their front. It will draw their forces far enough away for our push to take place." He paused. He was getting to the point that he knew would make Terry blow a gasket.

At the pause, Actor frowned and said, "I trust you have a plan for how we are to accomplish this?"

Craig nodded. "Intelligence has uncovered a little soiree being set up by a bunch of very high ranking German officers. Seems they are in need of a little R and R to relax and compare notes. There is going to be dinner, dancing, cards, and whatever." Terry looked up suspiciously at the 'whatever.' "This is not a family gathering," said Craig slowly. "It's strictly mistresses and escorts." Garrison watched the other two stare at him as the implications sunk in. Actor sighed.

Terry glared at her brother. "Oh, no. No. No. And no!" She straightened and turned on her brother with anger. "We have had this conversation, Craig. I will not play mistress to him." She pointed at Actor. "And I most certainly will not do whatever!"

Craig straightened also and took on a military bearing. "You are not being asked to do whatever. You are being told you will play his mistress."

Terry whirled away and started pacing. "Why him?" she demanded. "You know I can con with you. I don't know how to con with him."

"No offense, Actor," said Craig. He turned to his sister. "He has ten years on me and he has a hellova more formidable bearing than I do."

Terry shot a glance at the closed countenance on the con man's face. "That much I can agree with you on."

"We have a little over forty-eight hours for you to learn," said Craig to Terry. He looked at Actor. "You have forty-eight hours to teach her."

"Warden . . ." Actor started to object strenuously.

"Can it, Actor. You're the best in the business. She has had some training. You can't tell me you can't teach her."

The Italian did an appraising head to toe look at the young woman who was glaring defiantly at him. "In forty-eight hours? You have got to be kidding."

Unknowingly, Actor had just punched one of Terry's buttons. It was one thing for Terry to think she could not do it. It was an entirely different thing for the arrogant con man to think she couldn't do it.

"All right," said the girl, "just what does it entail to act as a mistress at this little party?"

Actor looked to Garrison to explain it to his sister. Craig took a deep breath. "You're going to have to be elegant, sophisticated, and worldly. You will have to be able to touch him affectionately and kiss him. And he will do the same to you."

Terry glared at her brother. She crossed her arms and sucked in her cheeks as she contemplated this. She turned her back on the two men and walked to the window. Elegant, sophisticated and worldly. Right. That would happen about the time this little Montana ranch girl married into nobility and moved to live a life of luxury in Italy. It would never happen. Then there was the problem of Actor. She was supposed to touch and kiss the man who reportedly had a string of women in all the major cities on the continent and a large number of the smaller cities. Not to mention New York. The only real kissing she had ever done had been with Jake Bradford. As much as she liked Jake, he just wasn't in the same league as Actor. Granted she had learned how to kiss when she was a teenager in Italy, but now she was way out of practice.

Craig looked at the con man and jerked his head silently toward Terry. Actor was no more thrilled about this than Teresa. He moved up to stand beside her. She was stiff and unwelcoming. He brushed a finger down her cheek. She stiffened further. Slowly Actor pressed his lips lightly against her cheek. The tension flowed off of her in waves. He bent forward to kiss her lips. He was almost there . . . when she bolted. Terry turned and moved across the room, back to the men again. Actor stared after her in stunned silence. He had never had a woman run from him before.

"Terry," protested Garrison in exasperation, "he's just kissing you. For cryin' out loud . . . relax!"

Terry did not relax. Actor sent his own look of exasperation at his commanding officer. With determination, he walked back over to the girl. "Just stay still," he whispered. "I am not going to hurt you."

Terry refused to look at him. He rested the tip of a forefinger under her chin. She didn't move. He slowly moved in. His lips almost brushed hers when she bolted again. Dios! Actor was not one to force himself on an unwilling woman. Of course, he had never met an unwilling woman. Until now.

"Terry," said Garrison, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "You are elegant, sophisticated, beautiful and you are his lover. Act like it. Feel the part."

Actor stepped up behind her. He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. She went still. One hand began playing with her hair, stroking and running his fingers through it.

Craig watched hopefully. At least she hadn't bolted yet. He could not figure out what was wrong with her. Terry had some training in espionage. Apparently this hadn't been included in the curriculum.

It took a lot of self control to keep Terry from pulling away as the back of a forefinger caressed down her cheek and under her chin. Actor turned her slowly to face him. He bent his head to kiss her. Craig held his breath. Terry bolted. Actor threw up his arms in frustration behind her back. Craig shook his head, rubbing his neck, equally frustrated.

"Damn it, Terry," he finally exploded.

"Damn it yourself!" she shot back at him in equal frustration.

"Why can't you do this? It's a game. Pretend he's your lover. All you have to do is kiss him. I assume you know how to kiss."

Terry glared at her brother. "I know how to kiss. I just don't recall us ever having anyone like him on the ranch to practice on." Her tone dripped sarcasm.

Craig was still angry. "We never had Jake Bradford on the ranch and that didn't stop you.!"

"That was low, Brother. Even for you that was low."

Garrison backed down. He knew he really had gone too far with that one. "Sorry."

Terry sighed. "Craig, you're trying to make Dom Perignon out of Dr. Pepper. It ain't gonna work."

Actor walked around Garrison's desk and helped himself to a cigarette. He was not about to get in the middle of a family feud.

"Terry, you can pull cons. I know you can. We were both taught. You can do this."

"No!"

Craig rubbed his head in consternation as Terry strode out of his office and out the front door.

Actor looked at Garrison in frustration. "I do not understand it. I have never had a woman reject me before. I know she's your sister and she's young, but she's still a woman."

"I can't help you," said Craig. "I don't understand either. She lived with Shiv for awhile. She must have some experience."

Actor shot him a look, "I just want to kiss her. I don't want to make love to her."

"I hope not," said Craig archly. "I better go try and talk her down."

Actor put a hand out to stop him. "No. Let me do that."

Craig looked at him. "Why? You're the one she's afraid of."

"That is precisely why it needs to be me."

The three other cons sat silently in the common room and watched the tall Italian go out the door after Terry. They didn't know what was going on, but they had heard the loud voices and recognized Garrison and his sister swearing at each other in anger.

Actor found the girl sitting at the base of the steps. He bent over and grasp her hand firmly, pulling her up. "Come on, Little One, let's go for a walk."

"Why?" asked Terry, forced to follow him.

"So we can have a conversation in private."

They strolled along the fence bordering the front pasture until they reached a spot where the trees hid them from view of the house. He ran his thumb down the back of her hand before releasing it. She stepped away and turned her back to him.

"Now tell me what is going on in that delightful hard head of yours." He watched her. "The Lieutenant says you are afraid of me. I don't believe you are afraid of any of us."

"Its not fear," confessed Terry. "Its inadequacy."

"Inadequacy?" he repeated. "That is hardly a term I would use to describe you." His voice softened. "Talk to me."

Terry finally turned to look at him. He saw the moistness in her eyes that she was trying hard to control and frowned.

"Actor," she started, "you are the best confidence man in Europe, and America for that matter." He nodded in agreement before she continued. "Look at you. You are smooth, and suave, and sophisticated, and so very continental. I'm a girl from a ranch in Montana who is more comfortable in jeans than an evening gown. You can have your pick of all these beautiful, sophisticated, worldly women. Now you and Craig want me to pretend to be one. Craig wants me to 'feel the part'. I don't have a clue."

"Ah, now I believe I understand that reference to Dr. Pepper and Dom Perignon." He smiled and asked lightly. "Have you ever had Dom Perignon?"

"Hardly," said Terry.

"Well hopefully there will come an opportunity for me to introduce you to it."

The smile he had hoped for did not appear. He held his hand out and she hesitantly put hers in it.

"Come here," he coaxed, pulling her closer. "You are safe. I promise I would never do anything to hurt you."

She allowed him to put his arms around her, but she was stiff and her arms hung at her sides. Still he held her.

"Did you think I was born knowing how to be a confidence man? I had to learn it. And at first, I failed miserably."

"I don't think you have ever failed at anything," said Terry. She started to relax.

"Oh, but I did," he said. "And you know I must have failed at least one time or I would not have been in stir."

"But you and Craig both have this uncanny ability to go in and out of being another person like switching a light bulb on and off."

"That comes with experience. I can teach you if you would relax. I have faith in your ability to do this and you have more ability than you realize. But first you need to get more comfortable around me. I realize I am at fault for that. You and I have not gotten off to a good start together."

Terry didn't say anything. She found herself oddly feeling the safety of being held by him, just as she had after dangling from the roof. She turned her head to rest her cheek against his chest and tentatively encircled his waist with her arms. He made no attempt to do anything more than hold her and lightly rub her back.

After a bit, Terry said, "You know what I think? You were never a child. You came into this world as an adult, all wrapped up as a nice present to some fantastically rich and beautiful woman."

Actor laughed, "You forgot the part about the woman's insanely jealous husband."

Terry finally laughed up at him "Actor, you're terrible."

"No, Little One, I am very, very good," he said smugly. A plan entered his mind. It might just work. "Teresa, why don't you take a little break and allow me to try to settle the Lieutenant down."

She nodded. He pulled her into a quick squeeze, bending his head and placing a little kiss on the top of her head before quickly releasing her and turning away. Stifling an urge to rub her head where he had kissed her, Terry stood and watched Actor walk back to the mansion, a slightly confused look on her face.

Chris came out the front door in search of her sister. She spoke briefly to Actor and headed down the steps as the con man went into the house. Terry met her halfway.

"What's going on?" asked the younger girl. "The guys said you and Craig were cussing each other, you left and Actor followed."

"We have a mission. I have to work a con with Actor," said Terry, obviously still unhappy.

"What kind of a con?" asked Chris warily.

Terry replied breezily, "Oh, just pretend to be his pet whore at a party full of mistresses."

"Craig wants you to sleep with him?" asked Crystal in shock.

"Everything but, apparently," said Terry. "There's kissing involved."

Chris glanced at the door where she had last seen the con man. "And you don't want to." It came out half question and half statement.

Terry looked at her younger sister in frustration. "I can't kiss him. At least not like that. I kissed him on the forehead a while back when he saved Craig's bacon. This is different."

"Didn't Zia teach you how to do that?" asked Chris.

"Yeah, but I was fourteen at the time and I learned on Cousin Guido."

Chris remembered Cousin Guido. He was no Actor. "So now you're twenty-four. You should be better at it. And Actor is much better looking than Guido."

"So you kiss him," said Terry.

"He's old enough to be my father," protested Chris. "Besides, he's not my type."

"Oh, please don't put that picture in my mind." Terry grimaced.

Chris was curious. "You dislike Actor that much?"

"I don't dislike him," denied Terry. "I just can't work with him. We clash too much. I'd rather kiss Casino than him."

Chris burst out laughing. "There is definitely something wrong with you. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you and Actor are a little too much alike?"

"Me and Actor?" squawked Terry. "How did you come up with that one?"

"You're both strong-willed. You both are self-sufficient. And you both need to be in control."

"If that's the case," shot back Terry, "then why does he intimidate me?"

"Because you let him."

Terry had to chew on that awhile. They went back into the house.

Actor stood at the corner of Garrison's desk and waited for the Lieutenant to finish what he was doing. Craig looked up and recognized the expression on the con man's face.

"Okay, Actor. I take it things didn't go too well. What's on your mind?"

The Italian looked Garrison in the eye. "I have a proposition for you, but you must hear me out."

"Go on."

"We have forty-eight hours until we leave on the mission. Would you give me Teresa for twenty-four hours? If I can't teach her, then we still have time to bring in a con woman."

Craig eyed Actor narrowly. "And just what do you mean by 'give you Terry for twenty-four hours'?"

Actor leaned on his hands on the desk. "Let me take her to London. I will buy her appropriate attire. Take her to a fine restaurant and teach her what to order and how to eat it properly. Then take her to a nightclub. It would be easier to pretend if she were in the correct setting. We would stay in one of the finest hotels. Separate rooms of course. And if you want a chaperone, send Christine."

Craig chewed on the idea for a minute. The thought of sending the girls out alone with the con man worried him. However, Terry had been out alone on two missions with all of them and there had been no problem. "What does Terry think of this idea?"

"I have not approached her with it yet. I was waiting to talk with you first."

Craig chewed on his cheek. "Terry! Chris! Can you come here?" Both girls entered the room, Terry warily, Chris curiously. "What would you say about going to London with Actor for twenty-four hours?"

Terry looked at Actor suspiciously, "Why?"

"Training," the Italian shot back at her.

Terry's eyebrows raised and she looked back and forth between the two men.

"Why me?" asked Chris.

Terry glared at her brother, "Because he wants my kid sister to chaperone me."

"Hey, don't knock it," said Chris quickly. "If Craig wants to send me to London for a day, I'm happy."

"Not a day," corrected Craig, "a night."

Both girls turned their heads to look at Actor. His expression was carefully unreadable.

"You're all right with this, Craig?" asked Terry.

"Not really, but . . ."

Terry was silent for a moment. "All right, I'm game."

"Chris?" asked Craig.

"Sure," replied the younger girl. "I want to see the fireworks when these two start fighting."

"We are not going to be fighting," assured Actor.

I wouldn't bank on it, thought Craig to himself. "I've got to be out of my mind." Craig pulled the cash box out of his desk drawer and handed some money to Actor.

Terry held her hand out and beckoned with her fingers. "Come on, Brother, cough some up for the sisters in case we have to go to Plan B."

Craig slapped some money in her hand. "There better not be a Plan B."

Chris, Terry and Craig sat at the dining room table eating a quick lunch with Actor and the men before the girls and the con man left for London. Terry was still unhappy with her brother and the con man. She looked up at Craig and spoke in German, which she knew Actor could understand, but not the other cons.

"Craig, how do you know what Actor looks like in a dress?" It was spoken innocently.

Actor shot a glare at Terry. Christine took it up before Garrison could answer.

Also in German, she said, "We know Brother looks terrible."

"He doesn't have the legs for it," added Terry.

"Halt dein mund!" said Craig in embarrassment.
Actor looked at Garrison in interest, happy to throw the attention back on him. "The Lieutenant was wearing a dress?" This too was spoken in German.

"Oh, yes," answered Terry, ignoring her brother's attempt to shut her up. "He and our sister switched clothes one Halloween. He wouldn't have been bad, except he's a little too bowlegged for the skirt."

"Terry, will you shut up!" said Craig in English.

Terry smiled dirtily. "Isn't payback fun, Brother?"

"Hey," objected Craig, "I'm not the one who will be turning you into a mistress."

Actor fixed Garrison with a haughty glare. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I will remember this."

Christine burst out laughing and Terry sat there with a smug grin.