She was at odds with herself, because she was at odds with fate, with The Lady's will.

Muting a scream of keen frustration, she thumped her pillow, then turned on her side and snuggled down.

It had to be impossible. Had the Lady seen him? Did she know what-in this case-she was suggesting? Ordering?

Did she know what she was getting her senior disciple into?

Marriage to a masterful bastard.

The thought froze her mind, she stared, unseeing, into the dark, then shook herself, closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep-without any more dreams.

She woke late the next morning-too late for breakfast. After taking tea and toast on a tray, she dressed warmly, dragged on her pelisse, and, avoiding Algaria's watchful eye, set out for a long walk. She needed to clear her head.

The day was brighter than the one before; only a sprinkling of snow remained on the paths. Pausing on the side steps, Catriona looked around, seeing no one, she walked briskly to the opening of one of the three paths leading downward, and slipped into the shadows beneath the trees.

Under the spreading branches, cool peace held sway. She swung along, the scrunch of her boots on the crisp, dead leaves the only sound she could hear. The air was fresh and clean; she drew it deep into her lungs. And felt better.

The path swung sharply, descending into a hollow, she rounded the bend-and saw him waiting, leaning negligently against the bole of a tall tree, his greatcoat protecting him against the light breeze that ruffled his black hair.

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-Devil 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."

She could tell-from his eyes, his expression-that he was deadly serious. Nevertheless… looking ahead, she fought to keep her lips straight-and failed. A gurgle of laughter escaped her.

He shot her a narrow-eyed glance.

She waved placatingly. "It's just the thought of it-the vision of you and your cousins creeping around ballrooms keeping surreptitious watch over two young ladies."

"Cynster young ladies."

"Indeed." Tilting her head, she met his gaze. "But what if the twins don't want to be watched-what if, indeed, they possess the same inclinations as you? You come from the same stock-such inclinations aren't restricted to males."

He stopped stock-still and stared at her, then humphed, shook his shoulders, and started to pace once more. Frowning again. "They're too young," he finally stated.

Lips still not straight, Catriona looked away, across the snowy tops of the foothills. After a moment, she mused: "So the family's large, and you were brought up within it-and that's why you see family as important."

She did not look at him, but felt the swift touch of his gaze on her face. Although delivered as a statement, that was, in fact, her principal question why did a man like him have such strong feelings about family?

They strolled on for a full minute before he replied. "Actually, I think it's the other way around."

Puzzled, she looked up; he trapped her gaze. "The Cynsters are as they are because family is important to us." He looked down and they walked on. She didn't try to disguise her interest; she kept her gaze on his face, her mind on his words.

He grimaced lightly. "Cynsters are acquisitive by nature-we need possessions-the family motto, after all, is 'To Have and To Hold'. But even long ago, the motto was not-or not only-a material one." He paused; when he spoke again, he spoke slowly, clearly, his frowning gaze fixed on the snow. "We were always a warrior breed, but we don't fight solely for lands and material wealth. There's an understanding, drummed into us all from our earliest years, that success-true success-means capturing and holding something more. That something more is the future-to excel is very well, but one needs to excel and survive. To seize lands is well and good, but we want to hold them for all time. Which means creating and building a family-defending the family that is, and creating the next generation. Because it's the next generation that's our future. Without securing that future, material success is no real success at all."

It seemed as if he'd forgotten her; Catriona walked silently, careful not to disturb his mood. Then he looked up, squinting a little in the glare, his face exactly as she had seen it in her dreams-the far-sighted warrior.

"You could say," he murmured, "that a Cynster without a family is a Cynster who's failed."

They'd reached the end of the ridge, the path turned at the rocky point, which formed a small lookout, then wound back up the slope through the trees. They halted on the point, the wind blew fresh and chill from the white mountaintops before them.

As one, they viewed the majestic sight; unprompted, Catriona pointed out various peaks and landmarks, naming them, citing their significance. Richard listened attentively, blue eyes narrowed against the wind and glare. As he studied the landscape, Catriona surreptitiously studied him.

His expression, she had realized, was very rarely spontaneous, even though he sometimes appeared open and easy. He was, in reality, reserved, his feelings kept close behind his mask-that facade he showed to the world. Whatever reactions he displayed were those he wanted to show; even his glib and ready charm was a carefully cultivated skill.

But when he'd spoken of his family-and of family-his mask had slipped, and she'd seen the man behind, and a little of his vulnerability. The insight had touched her, stirred her-and made her clamp a firm hold over her own reactions before they could carry her away. Richard Cynster, she'd already realized, was temptation incarnate-this morning had added another dimension to his attractiveness.

Quite the last thing she needed.

With a half-suppressed sigh, she turned. "We'd better get back."

Richard turned, and, scanning the path upward, suppressed a sigh of his own. Tightening his grip on his rakish impulses, he gave Catriona his arm up the first section of path, made hazardous by melting snow. Pacing slowly beside her, aware through every pore of her soft warmth, gliding along beside him, and not making any advance whatsoever, had taken considerable effort; speaking of his family, explaining why he felt as he did, while maintaining the distance between them, had required superhuman resolution. But he wasn't yet sure how far he could push her-and he wasn't yet sure if he should.