"I'll try it," Devil declared, "and you'll have to come and talk to my foremen when you visit." He folded the sheet of paper on which he'd jotted notes. "If we can achieve even half of what you do here, I'll die happy."

Considering his own sheet of notes, Vane grinned. "My men are going to think I've taken leave of my senses, but… it's my fields-and my gain." Looking up, he smiled at Catriona. "Thank you, my dear, for sharing your secret with us."

"Indeed." Rising as she did, Devil waggled his brows at Catriona. "Doubtless the most useful lady's secret I've ever learned."

Laughing, she waved them out; they went with sweeping bows. Sitting back down, she couldn't stop smiling. After a minute, she tidied her desk, then went upstairs to gauge Richard's strength.

"Ah-there you are."

Catriona looked up from the garden bed she'd been contemplating, one she hoped would soon show a few green shoots. Gabriel was making his way between the beds toward her, patently trying to see what she'd been studying in the winter brown earth.

"Is there anything there?"

"No." Catriona grinned. "I was merely checking. Is there something you need?"

He straightened and smiled "Not exactly-I heard of the advice you gave to Devil and Vane."

"Ah, I see." Catriona waved him to join her as she ambled on down the path. "And what do you grow?"

"I don't-at least, not in the same sense " He grinned down at her. "I grow money-from money"

"Oh." Catriona blinked. "I don't think I can give you any advice there."

"Probably not," he affably agreed. "Not but what that balance idea of yours is quite close to the mark-but in investing it's risk and return that create the balance."

Catriona held his gaze. "I'm afraid," she said, "that I don't really know much about investing."

His grin widened. "Few people do-which brings me to my point. In light of your sterling advice to the others-which in turn benefits me, as Devil's wealth underpins the family ducal purse and both he and Vane invest through me, so the more funds they have to put in, the wealthier we all, myself included, become-I'd like to offer you my help in making investments in the same way I help all the rest." He stopped and smiled at her. "You're family now, so it's only fair."

Catriona stared into his eyes, a light hazelly brown, and let his words and his smile warm her. "I… " She hesitated, then nodded "I think I'd like that. Richard invests with you, doesn't he?"

"All the family do. I oversee the investments, and Heathcote Montague, our joint man of business, acts as our executor." Gabriel grinned. "That means I do all the talking and investigating and he takes care of the boring formalities."

Catriona nodded. "Tell me more about what you do. How do these investments of yours work?"

They ambled through the gardens for close to an hour, by which time she'd learned more than enough to know that he, at least, knew precisely what he was talking about. "Very well." With a nod, she halted at the entrance to the gardens. Here was an opportunity to establish the vale's future income for all time. Gabriel would invest their excess funds for her-the income would be there to tide the vale over any lean years, should such ever come to pass. She nodded again and refocused on Gabriel's face. "I'll talk to McArdle and get the funds transferred-Richard will know the direction."

Gabriel's easy smile lit his face; hand over his heart, he bowed. "You won't regret it, I swear." He straightened, eyes twinkling. "Welcome to yet another aspect of our family."

Richard entered the dining hall that evening to a rousing chorus of cheers. The whole household stood and clapped. His slow stroll disguising his lack of strength, he grinned and nodded gracefully, his expression one of amused affability But when he met Catriona's gaze as he reclaimed his seat beside her, she could see the warmth, the joy, the affectionate acceptance, burning in the blue of his eyes.

She smiled mistily and quickly sat so that he could sit, too. The cheering subsided, and the first course was brought out.

Beneath the table's edge, Richard clasped her hand briefly, then frowned at the serving dish placed before him. "Good heavens! Is that turbot''"

"Hmm-mm." Drawing the dish closer, Catriona heaped some on his plate. "Cook said it was one of your favorite dishes."

"It is." Bemused, Richard stared at it, then looked at her. "But wherever did she get turbot up here?"

Catriona raised her brows haughtily "We have our ways."

He hesitated, then grinned, and gave his attention to the turbot.

The entire meal was a succession of Richard's favorite dishes-a fact that did not escape him He caught Cook's eye and saluted her, which made her blush vividly even while she nodded graciously.

He leaned closer to Catriona. "I'd go down and thank her, but…" He grimaced.

Catriona smiled, and fleetingly leaned her shoulder against his. "You can speak to her tomorrow, or the day after, when next you go through the kitchens."

He trapped her gaze and slowly arched a black brow. "That soon?"

The words hung between them, layered with meaning. The air about them grew dense, shutting everyone else out. Catriona felt her lungs lock. "Oh, I think so," she managed, conscious of that sudden skittering excitement that she hadn't felt for too long. The rest of the room had vanished, all she could see was the blue of his eyes. "You should be able to… get up… er, completely, any day now."

His lips quirked; a wicked glint lit his eyes. "You've no idea," he drawled, "how thankful I am to hear that."

Breaking eye contact, Catriona reached for her wineglass and took a much needed sip. "Yes, well-there you are."

"Hmmm-and where will you be?"

Flat on her back beneath him. "Busy," Catriona stated repressively.

"Oh, I think I can guarantee that," the reprobate she'd married agreed.

Catriona awoke the next morning, and saw-knew-what it was that the Cynsters had brought to the vale. The knowledge carne as a revelation-a flash of insight, a crystal clear certainty. And in the same revealing moment, she saw their marriage-hers and Richard's-in its entirety, its full meaning, its full glory. Saw why The Lady had directed her to his arms.

She was there still; she knew, in that moment, that she would remain there for all time. He slept behind her, wrapped around her, his breath, softly huffing, caressing her nape, one arm possessively protective, over her waist.

He'd needed her-to provide an anchor for his restless soul, to give him the home and position he'd needed, to be his warrior's cause.

But she'd needed him, too-in more ways than one. He'd recognized from the beginning, and forced her to see, too, that she needed him to protect her and to ease the burdens that were hers through her responsibilities to the vale. What she hadn't seen-couldn't have seen-and what he may not have guessed, was that she needed more than that.

She needed to learn about family-large ruling families-something she and the vale knew nothing about. With Cynsters all around, she'd observed firsthand the enormous positive energy that, as a group, they commanded. They were not really moral, or religious in any way, yet they all, day by day, act by act, served one goal-the family, both their own smaller groups, as well as the larger whole. While their decisions were usually direct and straightforward, down to earth and obvious, they were also far-sighted, always made in the best interests of the family.

From the first, she'd been impressed by the incredible strength of the group, far greater than the sum of its parts. That strength derived from the simple fact that they were all moving in the same direction, all focused on the same ultimate goal.

The Lady's ways were profound.

There'd been no large family at the manor for generations-the lady of the vale had, by custom, only one child, a girl child to take on her mantle. But times were changing-there would be fresh challenges to face, greater challenges. Challenges requiring more than the isolation of the vale to counter them.