I rejoice on your behalf, Jerry, that you have found your true companion in Ruth. You are both very fortunate. I've been fairly lucky in romance, although I did get into one quite disturbing situation with a gentleman from Spain who turned out to be less than completely reliable or honest. It was a chastening experience. I should have listened to cooler and wiser heads, but I was young and foolish. I was also being driven slowly out of my mind by all those crazy suitors and the Twillingsgate gossip column and various oddballs on the Internet, and it interfered with my judgement. All I could think of was to get away, somewhere far away. Accordingly, I leaped out of the frying pan into the fire. Still, it wasn't all bad. I have only a few regrets, one being that I did not line Arturo up against the wall with a rapier that last night, and watch him slowly turn 3 shades paler! That would have been enjoyable. Be assured, I would not have killed him, though. I would just have had him think I might. It would have done him good.

Angelique, on the other hand, would have definitely killed him. No question about that. She is engaged in class warfare, and he is one of the richest and most ruthless men in Europe.

*PRW-J