The man was asleep. He had delivered the most devastating message of her life and then had the effrontery to fall asleep. With his quiet words, he destroyed her world and he didn't even know it.

She didn't care about her brother. They were never close, and his death didn't touch her heart, but the estate was entailed, even if Alex had never visited it. It was a small estate but it had been home for her sisters and herself since he inherited three years ago. She had worked her tail off to make it profitable, so they could live on the proceeds. She even managed to save some money from this year's crops and fix the stables, but now they were going to have to leave it to someone else just because her scoundrel of a brother got himself killed.

She hadn't even had time to secure her marriage to Nathan Talbot. Nathan seemed interested but he was stalling, and with the estate gone from the family, he would never take her and her sisters now. He had never been enthusiastic about her sisters in the first place.

Her angry gaze landed on her guest's face. A fresh pink scar marred his temple, and lines of pain bracketed his mouth. He was gray under his tan, his stubble imperfectly concealing the puffiness of his skin, as if after a long illness. The poor cove limped, probably still recovering from his wounds. His blond hair and blue eyes resembled Alex's and her sisters' in their coloring. She was the only odd one in the family, with her brown hair and eyes.

She fingered her braid as she watched Captain Alex Woodward, retired, asleep in a chair in her library. He even had the same name as her late brother. And the only person for miles around who would know the difference between the two Alexes was herself. The servants all came with the estate; they had never met Alex, neither had Nathan Talbot or other neighbors.

Emily, the younger of her two sisters, had turned six in the summer. She was born after Alex's last visit from the army and had never seen him. Mary had been four when she saw Alex. She probably wouldn't remember his face clearly. If Rebecca said that this man, her brother's namesake, was their brother Alex, both girls would believe it. They would be ecstatic that their brother finally came home.

Captain Woodward said that he was delivering the message of Alex's death. If she persuaded him to keep it secret, nobody would be the wiser. They could keep living here, if the lawyers didn't already know that Alex was dead. Her stomach clenched, as an outrageous and utterly illegal solution appeared in her head. Would the brave captain agree? He said he was willing to help. What if he had a family of his own, a wife and three children? He seemed too young, but one never knew. There was nothing for it: she had to wake him up.

"Captain," she said loudly.

He jerked and opened his eyes. "Huh?" he said. Then his eyes cleared. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Miss Carlyle. I guess I'm more tired than I realized."

A blush crept underneath the blond bristles on his cheeks, and Rebecca's lips twitched involuntary. "Captain," she repeated softly. "I understand that you're tired, but this can't wait. Do you have a family? Somewhere you must rush off tomorrow? Or could you stay for a while? Help us."

"Well," he said. "No, I don't have to rush anywhere. Nobody is waiting for me, no family, but I thought you wouldn't want me around after my message." He sighed. "Of course, I will help. What would you ask of me?"

"Your message wrecked my life. Our lives," she said. "New Oaks is entailed. With my brother's death, we'll have to leave. We don't have any place to go and no relatives to take my sisters in." She swallowed her shame and resolutely plodded on. She couldn't afford to be prissy now.

"We have no money. I can work, as a governess or a paid companion, but who would take me with two younger sisters? Your message, Captain, is a herald of doom for all three of us."

Unless she could seduce the staid Nathan Talbot into marrying her. Maybe she should pretend passion, sleep with him, and try to get pregnant. He would do the right thing then, wouldn't he? The mere thought of his pudgy, sweaty hands on her body, his glistening fat lips on her mouth was repulsive, but women endured more for stability. Her sisters needed a safe home. She would do what was necessary and think of England. She would've done it long ago if she didn't hope for Alex's return. Without a dowry and with two younger sisters in tow, she didn't have any other prospects and didn't really want to wed, not to Talbot anyway.

She was prepared to be a spinster, but this retired officer and his message quashed all her hopes of a peaceful spinsterhood. She needed a plan of action and she needed it fast, judging by his tightening lips.

His expression turned distant and cold. "Surely you have someone who could assist you," he said. "I'm sorry but I don't have any money of my own, just a small pension."

"I'm not asking for your money. Hear me out. Give me time. I have a solution, but it would require you to stay here for a while. To play my brother's role. You look similar. You have the same name—Alex—and you're of a similar age. If nobody knows that Alex is dead, we could continue living here. You could make your home here too—"

His brows climbed up higher with every word she uttered. He shouted a short laugh, interrupting her. "You're mad. This is a joke, right? I know Alex didn't visit home, but surely someone would recognize him. And what of your sisters?"

"No," she said. "Our parents are dead. Alex inherited New Oaks three years ago. Before that, we lived in the north with our old aunt. She had a modest annuity but she died a couple months before this inheritance came though, and her income died with her. This place was God-sent for us. I was crazy with worry. I begged Alex to sell out and come home to take care of us. Of the girls, really. I started looking for a position, when the lawyers informed Alex of this place. He never visited. He was ecstatic. He gave me the power of attorney, to do as I please with the estate, and stayed in the army. Nobody around here has ever laid eyes on him. My younger sister, Emily, has never seen him. My other sister, Mary, was four when they last met. She doesn't remember him clearly. Even I might not have recognized him; it was so long ago. If I say you're him, everyone will believe it."

"But, Miss. It's illegal!"

"Do the lawyers know that he is dead?" Rebecca persisted.

"No. I don't know. Maybe. It wasn't my duty to talk to his lawyers. The official report of casualties would go to... the usual place, I suppose. Already gone. Printed in newspapers. I don't know if anyone would specifically inform the lawyers."

"If we don't do that, if we don't place a notice in the papers and don't wear mourning, nobody would know. I hope. My sisters don't have to know either. You don't have a home, right?"

He shook his head mutely.

"Please, impersonate my brother. You can even keep your own name, it's the same."

"No it isn't. My full name is Alexis."

"No matter. Everyone probably calls you Alex. You called yourself Alex. You could have a home with us. I'll keep doing what I have been doing, taking care of the estate, and you can relax and heal. You seem unwell. If you agree, you'll save us all."

"But that would be a lie," he muttered. "Such a preposterous lie that..."

"...that nobody would suspect it," she finished his thought.

"And when they do find out, I will go to prison for perjury. I can't do that. It's... unthinkable."

"It's the only way for us to survive, at least for a while. Give me some time to come up with another solution. I'll look for it, I promise. Maybe one year, until the next harvest. Maybe even less. Please, Captain. We really don't have anywhere to go. Emily is six years old. Would you condemn her to a workhouse?"

He stared at her. "The lawyers know Alex. Surely he came to London to sign the papers when he inherited."

"You're grasping at straws. No. Alex sent me the power of attorney then. I was already twenty-one. I signed all the papers. The lawyer who handled this estate has never seen him. It's not a big estate, with no title attached. They searched for an heir for months before they found Alex, after the previous owner died. Nobody else came forward. And Alex doesn't have an heir either."

"Miss Carlyle," he started.

"Call me Rebecca. Please. You said you would help."

"Yes, but... not this. I can't."

Rebecca's anger flared: at her brother for dying so inconveniently, and at this spineless, dastardly captain, and at Nathan for dragging his heels. "I didn't think an army officer would be so cowardly," she spat at him. She sprang to feet, her fists clutching in helpless fury. "I'll take you to your room now." She marched to the door and flung it open.

"Wait," he said quietly.

She whirled to face him.

"Not more than one year, preferably less," he said. "I'll give you that much time. Perhaps during that time, we'll find a way to break the entail, so you could inherit. If not... I don't know. We'll both search for a solution, but I'm not impersonating your brother forever."

Rebecca stayed still for a moment. Then, slowly, she exhaled, closed the door again, and came towards him. He had already clambered to his feet and stood erect, as if at attention, beside his chair. She looked up into his grim face as she offered him her hand. "One year, Captain, no more, I promise. Thank you." Her relief was so strong, she suddenly wanted to hug him and kiss all his woes away. He looked too tired and ill for one so young.

"Rebecca." He took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he bent to touch her knuckles with his lips. His stubble scratched her skin lightly. "You might as well call me Alex," he said. "You're right, everyone does." He snorted without humor and let her hand fall from his grasp. "You know, I really disliked your brother."

"Why did you promise him to help us then?" She didn't really want to know but she needed time to recover her wits. His feather-light kiss seemed to scramble her brain. She didn't think she could like a man's kiss so much. She never liked it, when other men slobbered over her hand, when Nathan Talbot kissed her, but this one was different. Disturbing. Delicious.

"I was drunk," he said.

Rebecca laughed at the unexpected answer, and he joined her.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room," she said and led the way out the door.

"Tomorrow morning," he said, following her up the stairs and limping badly, "you'll have to brief me on your family history, so I wouldn't blunder in conversations. But not tonight. My mind is blank tonight. I'm still processing our agreement. I must be as mad as you are."

"You're our savior," Rebecca said. "I'll be forever grateful to you."

Alex grunted.