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Authors: Claire Delacroix
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wants Kinfairlie all to himself, it seems!”
“You are old enough to wed,” Rhys dared to suggest, and the youngest of the Lammergeier family turned upon him in a fury.
“Maman and Papa waited to be wed!” Elizabeth cried. “They waited until they found each other, until they found a love that could not be denied! Maman was not auctioned, and she was not abducted, and she was not treated with indignity.”
Rhys captured Madeline’s hand when that sister made to speak. “But an auction can end well enough,” he said. Madeline smiled at him and eased closer. “Indeed, it can. ”
Vivienne stepped to Erik’s side and he slipped his arm around her waist. “As can an abduction,” he said, sparing a smile for his spouse.
Vivienne leaned her cheek upon his chest. “That it can.”
Eleanor was touched by the obvious affection between the two couples. Alexander had not done so badly in seeing these sisters married. Both of their spouses had holdings, both men were young and hale, and both sisters looked happy, indeed. She spared a glance for the man in the bed, who now had settled into a deep sleep, and thought he saw a poor reward for his efforts.
Elizabeth was clearly not so inclined to grant credit to her brother. “Just because the matches Alexander made for you ended fortuitously does not mean that the others will!” she argued. The heat of her anger revealed her fear. It was a fear with which Eleanor could sympathize, though she felt it misplaced in this instance.
“One might expect Fo rtune to turn against him,” An nelise suggested softly.
“Twice he has succeeded, against all reckoning,” Isabella contributed. The three younger sisters stood together, as unified in their posture as their attitude. “It defies belief that such a trend could continue.”
“Which is why we would see him wed himself,” Madeline said, her manner authoritative.
Vivienne grinned, the same mischief in her expression that Eleanor had glimpsed earlier in Alexander’s. “Marriage will keep him too occupied to force his will upon you three.”
Elizabeth nodded vigorously. “It will give him a taste of what he has rendered unto others.” She looked at Eleanor and nibbled at her lip with newfound doubt. “That is, if you still wish to wed him, after all you have witnessed this day.”
The entire group turned to Eleanor. She keenly understood their fears, for she had survived two poor marriages and feared that they were more common than happy ones.
But in truth, her sympathies lay with Alexander, a realization that made her doubt her own judgment. She had known the man but an evening, and already his charm and good looks persuaded her to take his side. Did he not appear to be too good to be true?
“Can you see their ribbons?” Madeline asked abruptly. She smiled at Eleanor’s evident confusion. “Elizabeth predicted the happy state of our marriages. She could see ribbons emanating from each of us, entwined with those of our spouses.”
“Elizabeth can see the fey,” Rhys said so solemnly that it could not be mockery. “She has a rare gift.”
Elizabeth snorted. “I can see nothing uncommon, not since Darg disappeared.” She met Eleanor’s inquiring gaze. “Darg was a spriggan, a fairy who abided with us for a while.”
“But she returned to Ravensmuir with Rosamunde , ” Annelise said quietly, and a pal l settled over the small group.
“Neither of them returned from Ravensmuir,” Isabella told Eleanor.
“Ah,” she said, not knowing what else she should say. This was an uncommon family, to be sure. Perhaps there was a measure of madness in their veins.
“But that is not of import this night,” Madeline said with mustered cheer. “You have seen that Alexander is not so foul as you might have feared.”
“And you need not fear that he is frivolous. He is not usually as he was this night,” Annelise assured Eleanor.
“He is usually most sober and responsible,” Isabella added.
“Too
“You are old enough to wed,” Rhys dared to suggest, and the youngest of the Lammergeier family turned upon him in a fury.
“Maman and Papa waited to be wed!” Elizabeth cried. “They waited until they found each other, until they found a love that could not be denied! Maman was not auctioned, and she was not abducted, and she was not treated with indignity.”
Rhys captured Madeline’s hand when that sister made to speak. “But an auction can end well enough,” he said. Madeline smiled at him and eased closer. “Indeed, it can. ”
Vivienne stepped to Erik’s side and he slipped his arm around her waist. “As can an abduction,” he said, sparing a smile for his spouse.
Vivienne leaned her cheek upon his chest. “That it can.”
Eleanor was touched by the obvious affection between the two couples. Alexander had not done so badly in seeing these sisters married. Both of their spouses had holdings, both men were young and hale, and both sisters looked happy, indeed. She spared a glance for the man in the bed, who now had settled into a deep sleep, and thought he saw a poor reward for his efforts.
Elizabeth was clearly not so inclined to grant credit to her brother. “Just because the matches Alexander made for you ended fortuitously does not mean that the others will!” she argued. The heat of her anger revealed her fear. It was a fear with which Eleanor could sympathize, though she felt it misplaced in this instance.
“One might expect Fo rtune to turn against him,” An nelise suggested softly.
“Twice he has succeeded, against all reckoning,” Isabella contributed. The three younger sisters stood together, as unified in their posture as their attitude. “It defies belief that such a trend could continue.”
“Which is why we would see him wed himself,” Madeline said, her manner authoritative.
Vivienne grinned, the same mischief in her expression that Eleanor had glimpsed earlier in Alexander’s. “Marriage will keep him too occupied to force his will upon you three.”
Elizabeth nodded vigorously. “It will give him a taste of what he has rendered unto others.” She looked at Eleanor and nibbled at her lip with newfound doubt. “That is, if you still wish to wed him, after all you have witnessed this day.”
The entire group turned to Eleanor. She keenly understood their fears, for she had survived two poor marriages and feared that they were more common than happy ones.
But in truth, her sympathies lay with Alexander, a realization that made her doubt her own judgment. She had known the man but an evening, and already his charm and good looks persuaded her to take his side. Did he not appear to be too good to be true?
“Can you see their ribbons?” Madeline asked abruptly. She smiled at Eleanor’s evident confusion. “Elizabeth predicted the happy state of our marriages. She could see ribbons emanating from each of us, entwined with those of our spouses.”
“Elizabeth can see the fey,” Rhys said so solemnly that it could not be mockery. “She has a rare gift.”
Elizabeth snorted. “I can see nothing uncommon, not since Darg disappeared.” She met Eleanor’s inquiring gaze. “Darg was a spriggan, a fairy who abided with us for a while.”
“But she returned to Ravensmuir with Rosamunde , ” Annelise said quietly, and a pal l settled over the small group.
“Neither of them returned from Ravensmuir,” Isabella told Eleanor.
“Ah,” she said, not knowing what else she should say. This was an uncommon family, to be sure. Perhaps there was a measure of madness in their veins.
“But that is not of import this night,” Madeline said with mustered cheer. “You have seen that Alexander is not so foul as you might have feared.”
“And you need not fear that he is frivolous. He is not usually as he was this night,” Annelise assured Eleanor.
“He is usually most sober and responsible,” Isabella added.
“Too
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