On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster 9)

Outwardly smiling, inwardly alert, Luc helped Helena from her chair, then dutifully gave her his arm; by mutual accord, they strolled away from the gathering into the relative privacy deeper under the trees.

"You will be happy, you know."

The comment caught him unprepared; he glanced at Helena, and found himself trapped in her pale green eyes, eyes that he knew from experience always saw too much. She was worse than his mother; very little escaped the Dowager Duchess of St. Ives.

She smiled, patted his hand, then looked ahead. "When you have witnessed as many weddings as I, you simply know."

"How… comforting." He wondered why she was telling him — wondered what she knew.

"Just like this place." Helena gestured to the church, standing quiet and peaceful, basking in the sunshine, its moment past, its job done. "It is as if the very stones possess some magic."

He was struck by how close to his thoughts of yesterday her observation came. "Have there never been any less-than-successful Cynster marriages?" He knew of at least one.

"Not that were celebrated here. And none in my time."

That last was said with decision, as if warning that if his and Amelia's union did not live up to expectations, they would have to answer to her.

"That other you are thinking of — Arthur's first marriage — was not celebrated here. I was told that Sebastian forbade it, and in truth, Arthur refused to request the boon."

And if Helena had been old Sebastian's duchess at the time, rather than a young girl in France, Luc felt sure that illfated union would never have been permitted at all.

"You are…" — he struggled to find words, settled for—"a believer, are you not?"

"Mais oui! I have lived too much, seen too much, ever to doubt that the power exists."

He felt her green gaze, sensed her gentle amusement, but refused to let her catch his eye.

"Ah," she said, facing forward again. "You are resisting — is that it?"

As usual in conversations with Helena, one came to the point of wondering how one had come to this. Luc said nothing, reacted not at all.

She smiled again, patted his hand. "Never mind. Just remember — whatever is not yet resolved between you, the power is there — you can accept it and wield it anytime you choose. No matter the difficulty, all you need do is ask, and the power will deliver it up to you — right the wrong, ease the way, whatever is necessary."

She paused, then, amusement again in her tone, she continued, "Of course, to call on that power you first need to acknowledge it exists."

"I knew there was a catch."

She laughed, and turned them back toward the tables. "Eh, bien—you will manage. Trust me — I know."

Luc raised his brows fleetingly; he wasn't going to argue.

He did, however, wonder if she was right.

It was finally — at last! — time to leave. The afternoon was waning; Amelia disappeared indoors and changed into a new carriage dress of cerulean blue, then returned to the lawns. To Luc's side.

There was a moment of crazed jostling over her bouquet — her throw went wild, it landed in a branch, then fell onto Magnus's head, eliciting much laughter and a host of ribald suggestions. Then the younger crew, after hugging them and bidding them farewell, went down to the lake. Their elders remained in their chairs under the trees; the others — the Bar Cynster and their wives, Amanda and Martin, all crowded around, kissing Amelia, shaking Luc's hand — and offering more suggestions, to Amelia as well as to Luc. At last, they let them go, standing in a group to watch as Luc and Amelia, accompanied by Devil and Honoria, strolled to where the Calverton traveling coach stood before the porch, horses prancing.

The distance was sufficient to render the moment private.

They reached the carriage; Honoria, suspiciously misty-eyed, drew Amelia into her embrace. "It's almost seven years since I first met you, here, on the gravel beside a carriage."

Their gazes met; both remembered — then they smiled, touched cheeks.

Honoria whispered, "Remember — whatever you do, enjoy it."

Smothering a laugh, Amelia nodded; she was about to climb into the carriage when Devil caught her, hugged her, kissed her cheek, then tossed her up.

He turned to Luc. "From now on, you get to catch her when she tumbles out."