Scandals Bride (Cynster 3)

His eyes were on her, his attitude that of a man waiting for his lover at an assignation previously planned.

As she drew level with him, Catriona was tempted to reach out and lay her hand over his heart, to see if it was beating too quickly. He must have left the house behind her, he must have run down the other path to get here-be here-now. But touching him was out of the question. She raised her brows instead. "Lost again?"

His eyes held hers steadily. "No." He paused, then added. "I was waiting for you."

She returned his gaze consideringly, then humphed, and waved an acceptance of his escort. He fell in beside her as she strolled on, his stride a long prowl. He was so much larger, stronger, than she, his presence weighed heavily on her senses. Catriona drew a tight breath; she looked up at the patches of sky framed by the bare branches. "Do the Cynsters live in London?"

"Yes. Some all of the time, others some of the time."

"And you?"

"All of the time, these days " He scanned their surroundings. "But I grew up in Cambridgeshire, at Somersham Place, the ducal seat."

She threw him a quick glance. "Jamie said your father was a duke."

"Sebastian Sylvester Cynster, 5th Duke of St. Ives."

The affection in his tone was easily heard; she glanced at him again "You were brought up within the family?"

"Oh, yes."

"And you have an older brother?"

"Devil." When she raised her brows, he grinned and added: "Sylvester Sebastian to Maman-De

vil to all others."

"I see."

"Devil has the title now. He lives at Somersham with his duchess, Honoria, and his heir."

"Is it a big family?"

"No, if you mean do I have other brothers and sisters, but yes, if you mean is the clan, as you might call it, large."

"There are lots of Cynsters?"

"More than enough, as any fond mama in the ton will tell you."

"I see." She was too interested to sound suitably reproving. "So you have-what? Lots of cousins?"

With an ease she hadn't expected, he described them-his uncles and aunts, and their children, led by his four male cousins. After a quick listing of the family's major connections, he enumerated his younger cousins. "Of course," he concluded, "about town, I tend to meet only Amanda and Amelia."

Catriona located them on the mental tree she'd been constructing. "The twins?"

"Hmm."

He frowned and looked down. When he said nothing more, she prompted: "Why are they a worry?"

He glanced at her. "I was just thinking… both Devil and Vane, who are recently married gentlemen, are unlikely to spend much time in town. And with me up here…" His frown deepened. "There's Demon, of course, but he might have to visit his stud farm, which leaves it all up to Gabriel and Lucifer." He grimaced "I just hope Demon remembers to jog their elbows before he leaves town."

"But why do they need to be 'jogged?' Surely, with all your relatives and connections, the twins will be closely watched over"

His expression hardened; he threw her another glance. "There are some dangers extant within the ton which are best dealt with by experts."

She opened her eyes wide. "I would have thought you rated more as one of the dangers."

His mask slipped; the warrior showed through. "That's precisely why I-and the others-are the sort of watchers the twins most need."