beside her and
proceeded to tell her tale—how she'd listened to Jamie's discussion with
Richard Cynster in the office.
Algaria's memory, perfected by the demands of her calling, was
exceptional; Catriona had no doubt she was hearing exactly the words that had
been said Algaria's veracity was beyond question, as was her devotion to her
own welfare—Catriona knew that for fact. However, in this instance, Algaria's
tale gave her a headache.
A massive one.
"So!" Algaria triumphantly concluded. "It's as I
said—he's only amusing himself—teasing you, if you like. But he's absolutely
certain to go back to London and leave you unwed—he made no attempt to deny
it."
"Hmm." Frowning direfully, Catriona massaged her temples.
Studying her face, Algaria's triumphant expression faded. "What is
it?"
Catriona glanced at her, then grimaced. "A complication." She
saw the questions gathering on Algaria's lips; she stayed them with a raised
hand. "I'm too tired to think, just now." After a moment, she
continued: "I need to rest, and consider—to see how what I've been told
fits with the facts, and how the whole might come together."
Lifting her head, she smiled, a trifle wanly, at Algaria. "Let me
rest for an hour or two—come back and wake me for dinner."
Algaria hesitated. "You'll tell me what you learned then?"
With swift understanding of the older woman's fear of being left out,
being redundant, Catriona smiled and squeezed her hand. "Before dinner,
I'll tell you all"
Dinner time came around far too fast; it seemed to Catriona that she'd
barely had time to marshal her thoughts before Algaria returned.
Struggling up against the pillows, she waved Algaria forward. "Come
sit and I'll tell you all."
She did, starting from the first visions she'd had, through all her
subsequent communications with The Lady, culminating in the most recent.
As she restated that last, emphatic dictate, Algaria stared. Then
frowned. "Just that—no qualifications?"
"Not a one. She could hardly put it more simply:
He will father
your children
." The words still rang in Catriona's mind.
Algaria's frown mirrored her own. "But…"
Together, they revisted the problem—concisely; Catriona had been over
the same ground on her own so many times her head still hurt.
"But he's
too strong
," Algaria insisted. "He's
not the sort of man you
can
marry—he'll never be content to sit back
in besotted bliss and let you make the decisions." Bewildered, she shook
her head "But if The Lady says…"
"Precisely." Catriona waited patiently while Algaria examined
the problem from every angle—her mentor's view in large part mirrored her own.
In the end, Algaria simply shook her head. "I can't make head or
tail of it—we'll just have to wait for some sign of how we should
proceed."
Catriona caught her eye. "I've just had the next sign. You brought
it."
Algaria stared at her, then blinked. "The news that he'll be
leaving?"
"Indeed—and if he leaves, just how is he to father a child on me? I
can't go chasing him to London, yet, as you say, he seems certain to leave at
the end of the week—in all my discussions with him, I've had no indication
otherwise."
Algaria shot her a quick glance. "He does seem taken with you, but
many men are."
Catriona inclined her head. "As you say—physically, I'm attractive
enough, but on further reflection…" She considered, then stated: "All
he has said and done is consistent with what you overheard—he's considering the
possibility because there are various elements in the proposed situation that
attract him, but, ultimately, there's nothing I can offer him that he can't, in
reality, find in London, with a wife much more suited to his lifestyle."
She felt proud of that assessment—it had taken some soul-searching, and
the exercise of brutal candor, to reach it. Richard Cynster was attracted to
her for a number of reasons, but she would not, ultimately, be a suitable wife
for him. He was too far-sighted not to see
proceeded to tell her tale—how she'd listened to Jamie's discussion with
Richard Cynster in the office.
Algaria's memory, perfected by the demands of her calling, was
exceptional; Catriona had no doubt she was hearing exactly the words that had
been said Algaria's veracity was beyond question, as was her devotion to her
own welfare—Catriona knew that for fact. However, in this instance, Algaria's
tale gave her a headache.
A massive one.
"So!" Algaria triumphantly concluded. "It's as I
said—he's only amusing himself—teasing you, if you like. But he's absolutely
certain to go back to London and leave you unwed—he made no attempt to deny
it."
"Hmm." Frowning direfully, Catriona massaged her temples.
Studying her face, Algaria's triumphant expression faded. "What is
it?"
Catriona glanced at her, then grimaced. "A complication." She
saw the questions gathering on Algaria's lips; she stayed them with a raised
hand. "I'm too tired to think, just now." After a moment, she
continued: "I need to rest, and consider—to see how what I've been told
fits with the facts, and how the whole might come together."
Lifting her head, she smiled, a trifle wanly, at Algaria. "Let me
rest for an hour or two—come back and wake me for dinner."
Algaria hesitated. "You'll tell me what you learned then?"
With swift understanding of the older woman's fear of being left out,
being redundant, Catriona smiled and squeezed her hand. "Before dinner,
I'll tell you all"
Dinner time came around far too fast; it seemed to Catriona that she'd
barely had time to marshal her thoughts before Algaria returned.
Struggling up against the pillows, she waved Algaria forward. "Come
sit and I'll tell you all."
She did, starting from the first visions she'd had, through all her
subsequent communications with The Lady, culminating in the most recent.
As she restated that last, emphatic dictate, Algaria stared. Then
frowned. "Just that—no qualifications?"
"Not a one. She could hardly put it more simply:
He will father
your children
." The words still rang in Catriona's mind.
Algaria's frown mirrored her own. "But…"
Together, they revisted the problem—concisely; Catriona had been over
the same ground on her own so many times her head still hurt.
"But he's
too strong
," Algaria insisted. "He's
not the sort of man you
can
marry—he'll never be content to sit back
in besotted bliss and let you make the decisions." Bewildered, she shook
her head "But if The Lady says…"
"Precisely." Catriona waited patiently while Algaria examined
the problem from every angle—her mentor's view in large part mirrored her own.
In the end, Algaria simply shook her head. "I can't make head or
tail of it—we'll just have to wait for some sign of how we should
proceed."
Catriona caught her eye. "I've just had the next sign. You brought
it."
Algaria stared at her, then blinked. "The news that he'll be
leaving?"
"Indeed—and if he leaves, just how is he to father a child on me? I
can't go chasing him to London, yet, as you say, he seems certain to leave at
the end of the week—in all my discussions with him, I've had no indication
otherwise."
Algaria shot her a quick glance. "He does seem taken with you, but
many men are."
Catriona inclined her head. "As you say—physically, I'm attractive
enough, but on further reflection…" She considered, then stated: "All
he has said and done is consistent with what you overheard—he's considering the
possibility because there are various elements in the proposed situation that
attract him, but, ultimately, there's nothing I can offer him that he can't, in
reality, find in London, with a wife much more suited to his lifestyle."
She felt proud of that assessment—it had taken some soul-searching, and
the exercise of brutal candor, to reach it. Richard Cynster was attracted to
her for a number of reasons, but she would not, ultimately, be a suitable wife
for him. He was too far-sighted not to see
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