She had never wanted to kill anyone so much in her life. How dare he do this to her! She was ready to scratch his eyes out and it took all her strength not to lurch at him.

"You... you bastard."

"Come now, Ms. Spencer. I'm just here for a friendly chat. Is that any way to greet an acquaintance."

"It's MRS. Spencer, and you are little more than the bugs I scrape off my car window. You are not a person I would spend any time with. You disgust me."

Trevor chuckled as he sat down in the seat across from her.

"And all this time I was thinking your were the reasonable one of the family. Shame really, considering who I had to work with. I had such high hopes for you. But maybe we can make this work after all.

"So, what do you think of your room? I think it's quite lovely. It's very feminine without being cutesy, don't you think? The designer I hired was understated which suits my tastes. My room is more stately but it doesn't have this view. Isn't the water lovely? And the roses are in bloom, but of course you would recognize that considering the wonderful garden your mother used to keep. It must be hard without your mother. I understand you were close."

As he spoke Trevor looked towards the window and gestured around the room. If Tracy didn't know he was up to something she would wonder if he was mentally sound. Clearly this situation was not of her choosing nor was she there voluntarily. He was far from being mentally incapacitated, however. He was clearly evil and meticulous in his planning. How long had he been preparing for her, she wondered.

"I hope you didn't mind my choosing your reading material. I understand you are quite a fan of Jane Austin, and the Bronte sisters wrote in the same era so I just assume they would be to your liking. I've always admired someone who can appreciate the classics. I've sometimes fancied myself as Darcy or perhaps General Tilney. I often wondered if his wife was truly in that hidden part of the building. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Tracy could not believe her ears. He had had her kidnapped, moved to the coast and locked away in a undisclosed location and wanted to talk about Northanger Abbey?

"Mrs. Spencer? Do you think Miss Morland was correct or was hers just the imagination of an overactive young girl?" Trevor sat looking at Tracy expecting a honest answer.

"You are just as insane as Anthony Zacchara."

Trevor laughed out loud at that one. "Come now, Mrs. Spencer, you and I both know that isn't the case. Tony is wild, he's passionate, he doesn't think through his actions. I, however, think every detail through and anticipate the problems before they begin. He thinks like a boy from the other side of the tracks. Me... I'm a lawyer with the mind of a steel trap.

"So about the Abbey and Miss Morland, what are your thoughts? Young girls, as I said, sometimes get foolish ideas into their heads and don't know when to leave well enough alone."

Tracy was just about to tell him what she thought of his attempts at distraction, when she finally realized what he was saying. The man was smooth and highly intelligent, she noted. Finding his weakness wasn't going to be easy. The best she could do was follow his thought process.

"Well, since you asked, Miss Morland was quite imaginative in her assumptions and certainly didn't know what to make of all the clues she found. But one thing you have to remember is that Miss Morland had a large, experienced family behind her and they weren't about to see her hurt or abandoned. They knew how the world worked and were not so easily fooled. The thing about youth, Mr. Lansing, is that it passes and as we age we acquire wisdom. Miss Morland was not as ignorant of the world or the players as she might have seemed at first."

"You make a good point, Mrs. Spencer. I hadn't thought of that." Trevor's eyes started to shine and he knew he was in his element. This was going to be enjoyable on many levels, he realized. "But until Miss Morland does mature in beauty and stature, she has to learn the hard way. The Tilney family was very close and didn't take to outsiders. When the General spoke, both Eleanor and Henry knew he was in charge of their lives."

"Perhaps one of the problems is that the General was incapable of understanding the desires of his children, which is why Eleanor and Henry needed to find like-minded comrades outside of the Abbey. One can only be suppressed for so long without needing to rebel." Two could play this game she knew.

"You are very wise, Mrs. Spencer. I guess you've learned that through experience with your own sons. I understand they both had to strike out on their own to get out from under the 'suppression' of their mother and the Quartermaines in general."

"My sons are none of your concern, Mr. Lansing. And I might suggest that your son hasn't exactly fared well. But all appearances he had never had the backbone to 'get out'."

"Ah yes, Richard... he had so much potential but threw it all away. He's still young, though, and perhaps he will see the way through."

"You truly are a condescending ass. You sit here and spout threats through literature, and all the while pretend you are the grand man of the manor where I have the good fortune to spend the fortnight. What are you up to, and cut the crap about Austin. I can see that you went to great lengths to study my likes and dislikes before you had me brought here."

"So you noticed, good." Totally ignoring her rising hostility, Trevor acted pleased that his thoughtfulness was noted. "I wanted you to be comfortable. As a single man I haven't much knowledge of women's things, but my researcher did her job well. I tested the hand cream before you arrived and it's quite pleasing. You have wonderful taste, Mrs. Spencer. I hope you do enjoy yourself."

"Enjoy myself? You are insane. I want to go home now! I demand you return me. Everyone will have noticed by now and they will be looking for me."

"Oh Mrs. Spencer, I'm sure you want to believe that but as I said, my researcher did her job. There is no one to look for you. Your sons are away, your husband is on a lark somewhere that even you can't find him and the police would never think to look here – even if they were called. For an extremely beautiful woman, you are truly alone in this world."

Tracy was having an increasingly difficult time controlling her temper. Part of her believed what Trevor said, but she knew it was just another form of baiting. More than anything she wanted to yell at him just how many people would be concerned about her disappearance – or at least the disappearance of Luke's wife – but she didn't want to give him more ideas.

Trevor abruptly got up from his chair and headed to the door.

"Mrs. Spencer, always a pleasure. Do you want to eat your evening meal in the dining room or would you like the housekeeper to bring it to your room again?"

"You bastard, I want to go home."

"Look, I went to all this trouble for you, the least you can do is enjoy my hospitality."

"Your hospitality?" Tracy flew at him and was just about to punch him in the face when two strong arms grabbed her from behind and held her firm.

The guard had never left and now he held her firmly with her arms pinned to the sides of her body. She was beyond angry and her chest was heaving from the exertion of her struggle.

"My Mrs. Spencer, you are quite a spitfire when you want to be. I imagine your are amazing in bed. So beautiful, so charming, so passionate. Mr. Spencer is one very lucky man."

"Don't even think about it, you son of a bitch. I will tear you to shreds. When I'm through with you there will be nothing left. I can hurt you in ways you can't even imagine."

Getting close to her ear he hissed, "You might think you can hurt me in ways never invented but I can hurt you in the oldest way of all." To make his point he grazed his knuckles along her jawline, down her throat and down between her breasts.