Touched to the heart by the profound love that shone from the Dowager's eyes, Catriona blinked rapidly. "Thank you ma'am."

"Helena," the Dowager firmly declared. "I am Helena to both my sons' wives. But tell me-Devil and Honoria have arrived, have they not? And how is Richard-is he eating!? Has he risen!? Has-"

"Aunt Helena, you're liable to give poor Catriona a very strange notion of the family."

Turning, Catriona beheld the elegant gentleman with a graceful lady on his arm. They both smiled warmly; he bowed. "Vane Cynster, my dear-and I assure you we don't all rattle on so."

"I am not 'rattling on', " Helena declared. "I am merely exercising the right of any mother to learn of her son's health."

"But he isn't about to die, is he?" The question came from one of the blonde beauties, now lined up behind the Dowager.

"Surely not Richard?" The second young lady fixed Catriona with huge blue eyes. "But you're a healer aren't you? You'd save him."

There was an element of absolute confidence in that last, uttered with a nod that touched Catriona anew.

The graceful lady sighed and touched the Dowager's arm "Perhaps, Helena, if we move inside-I rather think there's another snow shower coming."

Catriona stepped back and gestured the Dowager in, as the Dowager swept majestically across the threshold, the graceful lady touched Catriona's arm and met her glance with a smile.

"I'm Patience, my dear. Recently married to Vane, another of the family's reprobates. And these are Amanda and Amelia-and"-she paused to draw breath and met Catriona's eye-"I'll explain how it all happened later."

They followed the Dowager in; the scene in the hall quickly achieved the same degree of chaos that had held sway in the courtyard. Boxes and trunks were ferried in and piled in corners under Henderson's dour direction. Mrs. Broom looked as stunned as Catriona felt; wide eyed, the housekeeper struggled to take in her instructions, then rushed off, calling to maids and footmen to open up and air rooms for the latest guests.

A cacophony unlike anything the serene manor had known rose in the hall as the two young ladies checked which bandbox was whose and where the Dowager's shawl had gone; Vane and both coachmen were in earnest discussion with Irons over where to stable the extra horses. The Dowager had discovered McArdle and was inquiring after his stiff limbs as if she'd known him all his life-and he was responding as if she had. Rushing maids and footmen stopped now here, now there, to put a question, then dashed off about their duties.

Catriona stood just inside the front doors and took it all in, let it wash over her. The noise, the boisterousness, the enormous well of energy that swelled within her hall; it was an immensely powerful force. It was there in the swift, neat movements of the Dowager, in the set of her head as she tilted it the better to consider McArdle's replies. There in the crisp directions Vane Cynster issued, in the innate grace, redolent of harnessed power, with which he moved. There in the glow that lit the young ladies' faces and invested their bodies with a taut grace reminiscent of fawns about to spring into flight.

Coming to stand beside her, Patience looked over the hall. "The Cynsters are here-what more need be said?" But she was smiling. She turned to Catriona. "I do apologize for descending on you like this, but as you were going to have to cope with Helena come what may, it's probably just as well the rest of us are here to help you."

The clear affection in Patience's tone, in her eyes, as they returned to the Dowager, stripped her comments of any implied criticism.

"Perhaps," Catriona murmured, "I'd better take her up to see Richard."

Patience nodded. "Do. It'll set her mind at rest. Don't worry about the rest of us." She smiled at Catriona. "If you don't mind, I'll speak directly to your housekeeper if there's any problem-I rather think you must have enough on your plate."

Catriona returned her smile. "Please do." Looking back at the Dowager, she drew in a deep breath. "It's possible I may be rather busy for a while."

With that, she stepped boldly into the fray and fetched up by the Dowager's side. "Helena, if you wish, I'll take you to see Richard-I'm sure he'll be anxious to see you."

The Dowager shot her a shrewd glance. "No, no, ma petite-it is I who am anxious to see him. He"-with a Gallic gesture, she dismissed all males-"is but a man. He does not understand these things."

As she took the arm Helena offered, Catriona saw two blonde heads lift; two pairs of blue eyes fastened on them.

"Amelia! Amanda!"

Both heads turned; Patience beckoned. With a sigh and a last look, they went.

"Vane, you can see Richard later-I want to get our rooms sorted out first."

Her gaze on the stairs, Catriona smiled and bore the Dowager upstairs to see her second son.

Richard felt trapped-deserted by Devil and Honoria-left to face his stepmother alone. When the door opened and swung wide, he contemplated groaning and acting much iller than he was, but then he glimpsed his wife's fiery halo and thought better of any deception.

Only God and Her Lady knew where it might land him.

"Richard!" Helena-she who he'd always known as Maman-came sweeping down upon him.

Smiling reassuringly, he returned her hug, and squirmed when he glimpsed tears in her eyes. To his relief, she blinked quickly and they were gone, and she beamed her brilliant smile at him.

"Bon! You are already much recovered, I can see."

To his surprise, instead of taking possession of him, his sickbed and his room in short order, she contented herself with taking possession of his hand, and cast a questioning glance at Catriona, standing at the end of the bed.

Catriona inclined her head. "He is much better-he was unconscious for five days, but with Devil's help, we managed to walk him so the poison wore off sooner."

"This poison." Helena tilted her head, still regarding Catriona. "How was it given him?"

Catriona looked at Richard. "In his morning coffee."

"And the person who put it there? Will they try again?"

"No." Steadily, Catriona held Richard's gaze. "The poisoner is no longer in the manor, or the vale."

"Ah!" Helena nodded sagely. "They have run to safety, yes?" She looked at Richard, then squeezed his hand. "You will go after them, I know-but not until you are well again, hein?"

"I'll be perfectly well by tomorrow." Richard tried to catch Catriona's eye but failed-she was looking at Helena.

"You will know best, of course," his impossible stepmother was saying, "but how quickly he recovers will depend on the poison, yes?"

"Indeed." Looking back at Richard, far too calmly for his liking, Catriona informed him: "You were given wolfsbane, and probably henbane as well. But it's the wolfsbane that's the most lingering. It weakens muscles, and it takes far longer than one thinks to release its effect. For the amount you must have taken in, it would generally take weeks for full recovery."

"Weeks?" Horrified, Richard stared at her.

She smiled reassuringly. "In your case, you have a very robust and… er, vigorous constitution. If you remain in bed and eat what Cook sends you until you can stand and walk alone, you may be well enough to leave this room inside of a week."

"Eh, bien-your wife has spoken. She is the healer here and you must pay attention." Placing his hand under the sheets, Helena covered it and patted his arm. "You will be good and recover quickly, so that I will not worry, no?"

Richard stared at her, then he looked at Catriona and saw the militant light in her eye.

With a long-suffering groan, he sank back into his pillows. He was rolled up-horse, foot and guns.

"Damn it-why couldn't you stop her!" Grumpily, Richard mock-glared at Vane.