control he had over her.
It was humiliating. Lyon grumbled about that sorry fact until a sudden thought made him cheer up a bit. Christina must have been nervous to leave so quickly. Perhaps she'd realized the significance of her actions yesterday.
Lyon at first thought to go to Lyonwood immediately, then decided to let Christina stew in her own worries for most of the day. By the time he arrived home she might even be contrite.
Yes, time and silence were his allies. He hoped he'd have her apology by nightfall.
Lyon spent an hour going over estate details, then decided to stop by his mother's townhouse to tell Diana about Rhone. He was given a surprise when he barged into the drawing room and found Rhone sitting on the settee with his arm draped around Diana.
'Am I interrupting?' he drawled.
His entrance didn't seem to bother either one of them. Diana's head continued to rest on Rhone 's shoulder, and his friend didn't even glance up.
'Here's Lyon now, sweetling. Quit crying. He'll know what's to be done.'
Lyon barked orders as he strode over to the fireplace. ' Rhone, get your arm off my sister. Diana, sit up and behave with a little decorum, for God's sake. What are you crying about?'
His sister tried to comply with his command, but as soon as she straightened up Rhone pulled her back, forcing the side of her cheek onto his shoulder again.
'You stay right there. I'm comforting her, damn it, Lyon, and that's that.'
Lyon decided he'd have to deal with his friend later. 'Tell me why you're crying, Diana. Now. I'm in a hurry,' he added.
'You don't need to raise your voice to her, Lyon.' Rhone glared at his friend. 'She's had an upset.'
'Will one of you please tell me what the hell the upset was?'
'Mama.' Diana wailed. She pulled away from Rhone to dab at her eyes with her lace handkerchief. 'Christina took her.'
'She what?' Lyon asked, shaking his head in confusion.
'Your wife took your mother to Lyonwood with her,' Rhone said.
'And that's why Diana's crying?' Lyon asked, trying to get to the bottom of the matter.
Rhone was trying not to laugh. His eyes sparkled with merriment. 'It is,' he said as he patted Diana's shoulder.
Lyon sat down across from his sister and waited for her to get hold of herself. She looked like a butterfly, he thought, dressed in a yellow gown with brown trim. Her tears were making a mess of the gown.
'Diana,' he said in what he hoped was a soothing voice, 'You needn't be afraid that I'm angry because my wife took our mother with her. That's why you're crying, isn't it?'
'No.'
'You wanted Mother to stay here?'
When she shook her head and continued to sob, Lyon 's patience wore out. 'Well?'
'Mama didn't want to go,' Diana cried. ' Rhone, you tell him. You saw what happened. I just don't know what to think. And Aunt Harriett laughing like a loon the whole time. Oh, I didn't know what-'
' Rhone, do you care about Diana?'
'I do. Very much.'
'Then I suggest you quiet her down before I strangle her. Diana, stop that snorting.'
'I'll explain, my sweet,' Rhone told Diana in a tender, soothing voice.
Lyon hid his exasperation. Rhone was acting like a lovesick puppy.
'Your mama denied Christina's request to go along with her to Lyonwood, you see. And that's when the fireworks began.'
Rhone couldn't control his smile. Diana was weeping into his jacket now, so he felt safe grinning. 'Your wife was very determined to take your mother with her. So determined, in fact, that she… well, she dragged your mother out of bed.'
'You're jesting.'
'Mama didn't want to go.'
'Obviously,' Lyon drawled. 'Did Christina explain her reasons for being so forceful?'
A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, but his sister was watching him intently, and he didn't want to upset her further by letting her see his amusement.
Rhone didn't help his determination to shield his sister's feelings. 'You should have seen it, Lyon. Your mother is a strong woman. I never realized that fact. I thought she'd been languishing these past years, but she did put up quite a fight. Of course, that was only after…'
'After what?' Lyon asked, thoroughly puzzled by his wife's conduct.
'Mama told Christina she wanted to stay where she was. She had people coming to call, and she wanted to talk to them about James, of course,' Diana said to Lyon.
'Yes, well, that's when Christina asked your mother if her heart had died.'
'I don't understand,' Lyon announced, shaking his head.
'I didn't either,' Rhone answered. 'Anyway, your mother said that since James had died, her heart was also dead… whatever in God's name that means.'
Lyon smiled then. He couldn't help himself. 'My mother is a professional mourner, Rhone. You know that well enough.'
'Was,' Rhone drawled out. 'Christina had gotten your mother down into the entryway by this time. Your aunt, Diana, and I were standing there, watching the two ladies, wondering what was going on. Then Christina explained it all to us.'
'She's going to kill Mama.'
'Now, Diana, that isn't what she said,' Rhone said. He patted her shoulder, then turned to grin at Lyon again.
' Rhone, will you get on with it?'
'Christina told your mother that where she came from-and God only knows where that is-an old warrior who was broken in spirit and in heart would go into the wilderness.'
'What for?' Lyon asked.
'Why, to find a nice, secluded spot in which to die, of course. Needless to say, your mother didn't take kindly to being called an old warrior.'
Lyon stared at the ceiling a long minute before daring to look at his friend again. He was dangerously close to laughing. 'No, I don't suppose she would,' he whispered.
'Well, part of it is Mama's own fault,' Diana interjected. 'If she hadn't agreed that her heart was broken, Christina wouldn't have insisted on taking her with her. She told Mama she'd help her find a lovely spot.'
'That was good of her,' Lyon said.
' Lyon, Mama hadn't had her chocolate yet. She hadn't had her maids pack any of her possessions, either. Christina told her it didn't matter. One didn't have to pack when one was going to die. Those were her very words.'
'Your mother started shouting then,' Rhone announced.
' Rhone wouldn't let me interfere,' Diana whispered, 'and Aunt Harriett was laughing.'
'Not until your mother was inside the carriage,' Rhone commented.
'Was she shouting James's name?' Lyon asked.
'Well… no, of course not,' Diana muttered. 'What has that got to do with anything?'
Neither Rhone nor Lyon could answer her. They were too busy laughing.
It took Lyon several minutes before he could speak again. 'I guess I'd better get back to Lyonwood.'
'What if Christina hides Mama somewhere in the countryside and won't tell you where?'
'Do you really believe Christina would harm your mama?' Rhone asked.
'No,' Diana whispered. 'But she sounded as though it was the most natural thing for… an old warrior to do.' Diana let out a loud sigh. 'Christina has some unusual notions, doesn't she?'
'She's bluffing, Diana. She's pretending to give our mother what she wants.'
' Lyon, would you like me to ride along with you to Lyonwood?' Rhone asked.
