The night was still and cold, no breeze to stir the mane of Cedric Sheridan's horse as he reached his home. Tucked safely in his coat was a carefully wrapped package containing a set of ruby earrings for Anne. An early Christmas present he couldn't help but get when he'd seen them earlier that day in a little shop on Bond Street. He grinned rakishly as he thought of how she would thank him, hopefully with ecstatic kisses, and he could then sweep her into his arms and carry her off to ...