Page 28 of The Lyon Deception

Her mouth twitched unwillingly as she imagined her father shouting and stamping about. “Yes. But I had to take the risk. And as much as he loves me, you know he canna stop me. I am of age.”

James stared again at the papers before him, slowly turning one over and reading it again. “This is very generous. Extremely generous. If I were acting for the other party, I would advise him he was being too generous. Thankfully, I am not.”

“Oh,” Cat murmured. Perhaps her initial feelings when it came to Sinclair had not been misguided after all. He was a kind man, a generous man, a man who believed she had been wronged and wanted to right that. No, he shouldn’t have lied to her, but over the past two days she had almost come to accept his explanation. Slowly her grudge against him was being chipped away. Not that she was about to tell him that!

“You don’t have to do this,” Uncle James spoke again, eyes on her face. “You don’t have to do anything, Cat.”

She leaned forward, hands clutching the edge of his desk. “But I do, Uncle James. If this helps everyone, then I need to do it.”

He smiled and shook his head. “You are an extraordinary girl, Cat. There are not many young women in your position who would set aside their own happiness, their own future, for the good of others.”

Was she? She didn’t feel extraordinary. Yes, she would be relieved if her plan worked. There was also a niggling sense of guilt that it may not be quite as big a sacrifice as her uncle believed, although she wasn’t going to admit it.

“What do you think of the settlement apart from it being generous?” she asked him, needing to change the subject. “Uncle James, will we be able to save Bonnyrigg?”

“Yes, I think it will work. If you marry this man you will receive Bonnyrigg and the estate, and the debt will be null and void. And all without handing anything over to him. Apart from yourself.”

She nodded. “All right. Then I should go ahead and marry him.” She spoke to herself rather than her uncle.

“Wait, Cat, I haven’t finished. Unfortunately it all depends on Lord Armytage being agreeable to the settlement. Just because his grandson signs it, does not mean it can be enforced.”

“What do you mean?”

“Lord Armytage could disinherit his grandson. What then? You will have married a penniless man for nothing.”

Cat’s spirits sank.

Watching her face, Uncle James raised an eyebrow. “Do you think he will disinherit his grandson?”

“I don’t know. Mr. . . . that is, the Master says he does not have much influence over what his grandfather does. He has never stood up to him before. But,” when her uncle went to speak again, “he promised me he will do so now.”

James waved a hand. “That’s all very well, but I need to speak to the Master myself before you sign this. Can you send for him?”

“Yes, I can. I will do it now.”

“And he will come?” her uncle asked, seemingly surprised. Did he think Sinclair would be hiding in a cupboard and have to be dragged to the altar? Cat knew that was not the case. He wanted to marry her, he had proven it to her, and suddenly she felt some of her fears dissipate.

“He will come,” she agreed and smiled.

An hour later, Sinclair Robertson, the Master of Armytage, was standing in the drawing room before the Earl of Strathmore and the Countess, his wife. He felt as if he were being judged for everything from his manners to his disorderly curls.

He glanced sideways at Cat. She didn’t seem relaxed either. She sat nervously on a sofa, looking as if she might spring to her feet and run from the room at any moment.

Once the introductions were made, Sinclair sat down beside her. And waited.

The older couple were still observing him as if he were a specimen in a cage, and not a very nice one either. He understood their feelings, but as he did whenever he was anxious, he began to babble.

“You have read the contract? I believe it is all in order. I am happy . . . That is, I am delighted to marry Lady Catriona so that I can help her . . . that is, help her family to regain what is rightfully theirs.”

“Are you indeed?” the countess said drolly. “Forgive me, but the last time I met you, sir, you were calling yourself Mr. Sutherland. If I find it difficult to believe you now.”

“I apologize for that,” he spoke quickly, feeling the heat come into his face. He felt like a five-year-old being scolded for a misdemeanor—she had that effect on him. “I am deeply sorry, my lady. I never meant for the deception to go on for so long when I neglected to inform Cat of . . . that is, Lady Catriona, of my real name.”

“And that was because?” The countess was waiting, but was that a glint of humor in her gray eyes? Sinclair sincerely hoped so, but he wasn’t depending on it.

“Because I fell instantly in love with her,” he said quietly and sincerely.

There was silence in the room as they stared at him. He did not dare to look at Cat, although he felt her watching him too. Was this the grand gesture Christopher had spoken of? Admitting the truth before these people who held his happiness in their hands. Making himself vulnerable when it felt so very difficult to do so. If they rejected him now, then it would serve him right.