Their reactions were more then she had expected.

"Are you bloody crazy?"

"Elle, you could have been caught."

"Of all the stupid ideas..."

"I should beat you till you canna sit, lass."

"Stop, stop, stop." She said raising her voice over their tirade. "Listen to me. Can you not see I'm fine and standing right here." She demanded their angry attention.

It was then that she made the mistake of looking at the captain.

He stood straight up, hands clinched at his side and they shook. His eyes were narrowed. Raged seemed to spill from his pores. Elle took a step back and bumped hard into the dresser.  Her breath caught in her throat.

"I have the painting." She blurted out. Her voice high and squeeky.

Everyone stopped talking. All eyes swung to her.

"What do you mean you have the painting, Lass." Harv asked.

She glanced at Zara, Miles and then Harv before turning and retrieving the painting from behind the dresser.

She propped it back up on the dresser were she had it before.

She moved aside. None of their eyes followed her. They were each looking at the painting.

She saw Harv turn to look at her.  She faced him. He studied her then the painting. Eyes on her again he studied her features.

"Why would he use this to search for her?" Zara asked the captain.

Elle dared a look at him. He was looking at the painting. She watched as his attention shifted from one feature to another.

Zara continued her appraisal of the portrait.

"I can vaguely see a resemblance. But not enough to warrant using it in a search." Miles said shaking his head. "You could be related, however."

"There be somethin else going on, Cap'n." Harv said sounding suspicious.

"Agreed."

"What?" Elle asked. She didn't understand what they meant. What other purpose could he have for showing this picture to the searchers and telling them to find her?

"Oh my Lord." Zara said and placed a hand over her mouth. All eyes swung to her.

"What?" The captain asked, insistant.

"What... What if this is how he really sees her? What if he's built up his image of her to be this? It's been years. Memories are.... strange sometimes. People can convince themselves of things that never were."

She looked over at Elle. "You look different with your hair and skin exposed to the sun, but think about it a moment." She paused and pointed to the eyes of the painting. "The shapes are right." She moved her finger to the jaw line, the ears, the noses, the lips. "You've changed, yes. The woman in the painting is you, just more sensual, more wantan."

Elle felt her skin heat.

"Leo said he finished the painting mostly by Sir Travis's descriptions." She pointed at the painting. "It would make since. This," she tapped the center of the canvas causing it to trimble, "This is how he sees you." She said completely convinced.

Elle studied the painting, looking at it in a new way. Elle saw it now. It could be her if she were wiser in the ways of men, seduction, and passion. Even the features she had discounted could be her.

She squinted her eyes. Tilting her head she tried to see herself this way. She shook her head.

"He knew me for two years before we became engaged." She tilted her head again looking at the painting.

"Trust me. Men see what they want, expect, or fear. It's seldom real but they don't process it." Zara said amusement laced her voice.

"No. He planned to kill me. How could he see me like this?" Elle asked in a small voice.

"I don't know, Elle. Sometimes men don't make since to anyone but themselves. Even though it wasn't his hand that painted it- it was his description of you that created it."

"So- somehow he wanted me dead but he loved me?" Elle asked trying to understand.

"No, that's not love. He wanted you. He wanted you in his bed. He wanted to use you and then dispose of you." Talbot said glairing hatred at the painting. "He planned to dominate you, break you. He expected a woman that was morally corupt. He expected a body that was accustomed to being touched. He wanted to make you scr..." He stopped speaking abruptly when Harv cleared his throat.

Looking from the painting he took in the faces of the others in the room. Zara looked at him with a shocked open mouthed horror. Harv glaired at him with angry centure. Miles just shook his head sadly.

It was Elle that pulled his eyes last. But it was her face and eyes that held him captive. The tough facade that she tried so hard to maintain had deserted her. Her big innocent eyes were filled with unshed tears.

(I know this is short but I'm staying with family members and I just had to clean up blood. Our male dogs can not stand each other and got in to a fight. At the moment I can't seem to think enough to write. I will update this chapter but need to calm down. I was writing when it happened. Bear, my dog is fine. LilDude will be fine as well. He has a few minor puntures. 6-24-15)

He realized he had spoken his thoughts out loud and wished he could recall them. He took a step towards her but realized he would be crossing a boundary he had promised himself he would maintain.

"I'm sorry." He said hastily. "We don't know what he was really thinking." He told her. He feared what he said was very close to the truth but her eyes begged for reassurance. He wanted her to have it. "He very well could have been in love with you. It's not hard to see him falling for you." He told her.

He didn't tell her he feared that he was falling in love with her. He watched as her eyes moved over to the painting. Tears spilled as her eyes took in the erotic details in a new light. Now he wanted to rip the painting to shreads and curse the words that had spilled from his mouth.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, made a muffled gagging noise and fled the room.

Zara rushed after her through the open door.

He let out a few violent curses.

"That about sums it up." Harv said.

Talbot glaired at him.

"He's got a point, Talbot. That girl is - was a complete innocent." Miles reprimanded him.

Talbot turned his glair to him. "You didn't think so a few weeks ago. You wanted to kill her for sleeping with Zara, now you're defending her innocents."

"That was before I had all the facts. I'm not one that just destroyed that innocents. You-" Miles retorted angrily.

Talbot advanced on him. He grabbed the other man's shirt with one hand.  He was preparing to punch him in the face with the other hand. Before he could release his angry with physical violence Harv grabbed his fist.

"Captain."

Talbot shoved Miles and pulled his fist from Harv's grasp. He cursed. He knew he should apologize but the words wouldn't form on his tongue. He had spent too long away from the gentere and all his polish had been chipped away.

"Find Elle." He ordered Harv harshly. He turned on his heels, exited the room and slammed the door behind him.

Miles and Harv looked at each other before they too left the room.