Page 33 of The Lyon Deception

The brothers had fallen back, leaving Cat and Sinclair standing alone to face her father.

“Is this why you went to London?” Maxwell demanded without preamble, eyes fixed on Cat’s face. “So that you could hunt out this man and marry him?”

“Yes,” Cat admitted, refusing to gloss over it. “I wanted to save Bonnyrigg. I wanted to save everyone. It seemed a possible way to do it.”

Maxwell stared at her for a long time, and then his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “Ah, Cat,” he said, “you had no need to do that. I would no’ have you sacrifice yoursel’ for us.”

Tears stung her eyes. “I wanted to. I needed to.” And then, glancing sideways at Sinclair, “And I love him, so it would be no sacrifice after all.”

There were mutterings at that confession, but Maxwell did not take his eyes from her face. “You love him?” he repeated in amazement.

“I do. And he loves me.”

Sinclair obviously thought it was now his turn to stand up. “I do, Your Grace. I love your daughter and want to marry her. With your permission, of course. And if I can help in any way to restore your home to you, then I will do it.”

“Ye will, will ye?” Maxwell contemplated him. “James says you have a marriage contract for me to read.”

“Yes.”

Maxwell nodded, still watching him, and then turned away. He and James went to closet themselves in the office, but Cat was still surrounded by her dangerous pack of brothers. She took Sinclair’s hand and drew him away with her. Now here were her sisters-in-law and her mother to contend with, as well as Aunt Jennie, but she thought they seemed more curious than angry.

“You should have told me,” Luna said, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tight. “Oh Cat, it hurts my heart for me to think you dinna feel you could tell me.”

That hurt Cat too. “I didn’t tell you because I knew what you would have done,” she admitted, leaning back to look her mother in the eye.

“Forbidden you to go,” her mother admitted with a wry smile.

“Exactly.”

“You always were a headstrong wee lassie.” Luna turned to Sinclair and gave him a close examination. “Well, he’s handsome enough,” she said, with a half smile.

“Your Grace,” Sinclair said, with a perfect bow.

Luna wasn’t impressed. “We’ve been hating him for months now, and I’m not sure we can stop just like that.”

Sinclair looked worried.

“She’s teasing,” Penelope informed him, smiling. “How do you do, Master? I am Callum’s wife, and this is Grace, who is married to Rory, and this is Agatha who is married to Donal. We won’t shout at you, I promise, but we have other ways of making your life uncomfortable.”

“What ways?” Cat said uneasily. “I hope you are teasing.”

“Oh you know . . . Sheets tucked in too short, or a hedgehog in his bed.”

“Pen!”

Penelope patted Cat’s hand. “All I mean to say is we love our Cat, so you’d better not break her heart.”

“I—I would never break her heart,” he stammered. He turned to look at Cat, and they were momentarily lost in each other’s eyes. “I am forever grateful that she has said she will be my wife,” he said at last, sounding a little breathless. “Do you truly love me, Cat?”

“I do,” she breathed. “I truly do.”

Luna wiped a tear from her eye and sighed, and Jennie clasped her arm and leaned in to whisper. “I told you so,” she said. “Besotted!”

Chapter Eighteen

It was decided at the family dinner that evening that the delegation to go north to Lord Armytage’s stronghold would consist of Maxwell, James, Callum, Sinclair, and Cat. She refused to be left behind and threatened to follow them if they tried. Penelope wanted to go too, but she was still heavily with child, so Sinclair was very relieved when Callum refused to allow it.

“Why do the men have all the fun?” his wife wailed.