Scandals Bride

Catriona lay still and pondered that fact, while beyond the windows the sun rose. As dawn washed the land, she slipped from Richard's arms and left him softly snoring.

Her revelations were still much in her mind when, later that morning, she repaired to the stillroom.

She'd been there an hour when the door opened and two bright faces looked in.

'May we ask you something?'

Smiling, Catriona waved the twins to stools before the table at which she was working. 'How can I help you?'

'We have this burning question,' Amanda informed her, wriggling onto the stool.

'We want to know what we should look for in a husband,' Amelia stated.

Catriona opened her eyes wide. 'That is a big question.'

'As you're a healer, we thought you might be able to advise us.'

'We're being paraded around at present-you know, so that all the eligible gentlemen can look us over and see if we might suit them.'

'But we've decided that that really isn't sensible.'

'No. We need to decide if they will suit us.'

Catriona couldn't stop her smile.

'Which,' Amanda declared, unabashed, 'means we have to decide what it is we should be looking for.'

Catriona nodded. 'I can see that-I have to say you're approaching this in a very clear-headed way.'

'We decided that was the only way to approach it-that's why we've come to see you.'

'We can't ask Aunt Helena-she's too old.'

'And Honoria was married over a year ago. These days, she's, so caught up with being a duchess and taking care of Sebastian, she probably can't remember what she thought was important then.'

'And Patience isn't feeling well. And she's rather… absorbed-as if she's thinking of her new baby.'

'But we thought you'd know-you're a healer and they always know everything, and you've only just married Richard, so you should be able to remember why you did.'

Unarguable logic. Catriona had to laugh. But her laugh was kindly and gentle; inside, she felt deeply touched, humble, and a little awed. She'd been thinking about how she should learn about 'family,' as if it was something she could study at a distance-and now here were the twins, reminding her that 'family' wasn't at a distance, it was here. She was, their blue eyes declared, already one hub in the giant Cynster web, accepted as such, available to answer questions on matters vitally important to the younger generation. That was how families operated.

Drawing in a breath, she eyed the twins, read the earnestness in their eyes. 'As I understand your question,' she said, looking down at the paste she was mixing, 'you want to know, not why I married Richard, so much as what's important to look for in a prospective husband.'

'Precisely.'

'That's our dilemma in a nutshell.'

'So,' Catriona said, 'your question is really philosophical, and as such that's something I can answer. ' Frowning, she swirled the paste with the pestle, the twins remained encouragingly silent.

'A good husband,' she declared, 'must be protective. That's often the easiest point to ascertain. If he frowns at you when you do something barely reckless, then he's noticing you in that way.'

The twins nodded in unison.

Catriona didn't notice, intent on her paste, intent on her answer. 'For some reason, the best men also tend to be possessive-and that's also easy to see. He'll scowl at any other eligible men about you and get irritated it you don't pay sufficient attention to him. The next point, however, is a difficult one-one you need to be careful to get right. It's often not obvious.' She rolled the pestle about. 'He should be pleased with you-even proud of you-as you are. He shouldn't seek to change you, or…' She gestured.

'Think you need to take lessons from his sister in how to go on?'

Catriona looked at Amanda. 'Precisely.' Amanda's tone, and the militant light in her eye, suggested she'd already stubbed her toe on that step.

'The last point, one which, in your cases especially, I would strongly urge you to consider, is his attitude to family.' It was on the tip of her tongue to explain that she hadn't considered that herself-because she hadn't known to do so. But The Lady had ordained her marriage-and The Lady had looked out for her. Pausing in her labors, she studied the twins. 'You were born into and raised within a large and close family-not everyone has that advantage. But you would miss it dreadfully, and find life very difficult, if the man you chose did not value your family, and the concept of family, as you do.'

Two pairs of huge blue eyes blinked at her; in that instant she knew their thoughts. Family? They weren't aware they valued the concept-it had simply been there, a constant all their lives; they had, perhaps until now, taken it for granted.

'Hmmm.' Amanda frowned.

'And, of course,' Catriona pointed out, 'any gentleman wishing to marry either of you will have to run the gauntlet of your family.'

Both girls rolled their eyes.

'As if we could ever forget!'

'That's always a worry,' Amelia said. 'What if the gentleman we want doesn't pass the family's inspection?'

Catriona smiled and looked down at her paste. 'If the one you want meets those four criteria, I think you'll find the Cynsters will welcome him with open arms.'

Chapter 19

Catriona was not called upon to make any declaration on the question of her husband's complete recovery; the next morning, Richard demonstrated his return to full vigor by ensuring he reached the breakfast table a full hour before she did.

When, distinctly breathless, having lifted heavy lids and found him-and the dawn-long gone, Catriona rushed into the dining hall, she was greeted with wide smiles by the other Cynster ladies and knowing grins by the Cynster men. Straightening her spine, she swept up to the main table; her incorrigible spouse uncurled his long length and rose to pull out her chair.

'I wondered when you'd wake.'

The words, murmured in a tone of absolute innocence, brushed her ear as she sat; Catriona stifled a too- vivid recollection of what he'd done to ensure she hadn't.

Lifting her gaze, she met the Dowager's bright eyes.

'Bon! He is recovered, is he not? So all is well, and we really must return south- the Season will start soon, and Louise will be wanting to take the twins to the modistes.'

'Indeed,' Honoria agreed. As Patience turned to speak to the twins, Honoria turned to Catriona. 'I know you'll understand-I want to get back to Sebastian. We've never before left him for so long.'

Catriona smiled serenely, sincerely. 'I'm so grateful that you came and have stayed for so long. Naturally, you need to get back. And'-with her eyes she indicated Richard, on her other side, talking to Devil and Vane-'there's really no reason you need stay.'

Honoria smiled widely, squeezed her hand in empathy, then looked across the table at Devil. 'So we can all leave tomorrow.'

'We may as well,' Patience agreed, turning from the twins.

His gaze briefly touching Vane's, then Richard's, Devil sat back in his chair. And regarded his wife. 'Actually, it's not that simple. I'll need a day or so to talk things over with Richard-there's some matters I've set in train that I need to work through with him.'

'And I want to go over the trees in the orchard,' Vane said. 'There's some grafting work you should consider.'

'Don't forget those funds that we must discuss before I leave,' Gabriel put in.