way. Then Seth let go and nodded amiably. "Good to meet you," he lied.
Ronny grimaced and tried to turn it into a smile. "You too," he managed.
Was either woman fooled?
Gabrielle slipped her hand around Seth's elbow again. "Come and meet Sydney," she murmured.
Well, he hadn't fooled Gabrielle, anyway. He looked down at her as they walked away from the bar. "Sorry," he said.
"He asked for it," she said placidly. "Ronny's ego gets a little inflated at times. You probably did him a favor. Don't worry about it."
She was leading him into another room. The dining room itself. It would ordinarily be another formal lounge, but the lodge staff had moved out the furniture and put together a long dining table, with enough places for the entire family.
Standing at the side of the table were two people who looked like power players in the business world. One was a typical businessman, in a Brooks Brothers suit, complete with handkerchief in his pocket. Seth felt like he should know who he was. The face was vaguely familiar.
The other was a female version of the first. She had flame-colored hair, cut chic and short, and was clearly holding her own in the conversation.
This, then, must be Sydney. If Gabrielle was introducing her sisters to Seth in age order, she had to be closest to Gabrielle in age. Barely into her thirties, then, and apparently well established in the business world.
The woman looked up, sized up Seth with a single sweep of her eyes, also the same green as her sisters, and a lift of her brow. She turned back to the man she was talking to and murmured something, then turned to face Gabrielle politely. "This must be Seth O'Connor," she said, holding her hand out to Seth, pushing past Gabrielle.
Seth didn't let his expression change.
"Hi, I'm Sydney Sherborne and this is Logan Breckinridge. You've possibly already met Logan's wife, Madison?"
Logan held out his hand. Seth shook both hands. Both firm grips, not testosterone challenges. "I met Madison a few minutes ago," Seth said. He picked up Gabrielle's wrist and drew her forward again, stepping back so that Gabrielle would be between him and Sydney. "Gabrielle has been introducing me to everyone." He put his hands on Gabrielle's shoulders and held her in place. "It's quite a family you have."
Logan laughed. "You think today is fun? Try marrying into it."
"Is that why Ronny looks like he has a headache?" Seth asked, making his tone casual.
Sydney's eyes narrowed. "He and Destiny tend to...rub against each other, shall we say?" Her gaze dropped to Gabrielle. "I take my hat off to you, Gabi. I wouldn't have the guts to bring a date to one of these family feeding frenzies."
Gabrielle shifted her weight, bringing her back up against him. Seth knew it was for courage and moral support. It hadn't been her choice to bring him here, but the whole family thought it was and she wasn't going to let them know differently.
"Then I guess I've got more guts than you, huh?" Gabrielle said serenely, sounding astonishingly like her father.
Sydney's mouth actually opened a little and her eyes widened. Seth had a feeling that it wasn't often that Gabrielle hit back at the family with calm pot shots instead of temper tantrums.
Logan snorted. "Serves you right, Sydney," he said and laughed. He moved around the table. "I'm going to grab a drink before they announce lunch."
There was a murmur from the kitchen and the door opened. A red-headed woman in her fifties stepped out and Gabrielle immediately moved away from Seth. Sydney lifted a brow. "Well, I'll let you three get acquainted," she said and followed Logan into the other room.
The woman wore elegant trousers and a silk shirt, with a cardigan in some expensive material that only older women seemed to be able to wear well, with a long string of pearls that Seth knew just had to be the real thing and probably priceless. Her hair was in a French pleat. Everything about her screamed money and elegance.
She walked right up to
Ronny grimaced and tried to turn it into a smile. "You too," he managed.
Was either woman fooled?
Gabrielle slipped her hand around Seth's elbow again. "Come and meet Sydney," she murmured.
Well, he hadn't fooled Gabrielle, anyway. He looked down at her as they walked away from the bar. "Sorry," he said.
"He asked for it," she said placidly. "Ronny's ego gets a little inflated at times. You probably did him a favor. Don't worry about it."
She was leading him into another room. The dining room itself. It would ordinarily be another formal lounge, but the lodge staff had moved out the furniture and put together a long dining table, with enough places for the entire family.
Standing at the side of the table were two people who looked like power players in the business world. One was a typical businessman, in a Brooks Brothers suit, complete with handkerchief in his pocket. Seth felt like he should know who he was. The face was vaguely familiar.
The other was a female version of the first. She had flame-colored hair, cut chic and short, and was clearly holding her own in the conversation.
This, then, must be Sydney. If Gabrielle was introducing her sisters to Seth in age order, she had to be closest to Gabrielle in age. Barely into her thirties, then, and apparently well established in the business world.
The woman looked up, sized up Seth with a single sweep of her eyes, also the same green as her sisters, and a lift of her brow. She turned back to the man she was talking to and murmured something, then turned to face Gabrielle politely. "This must be Seth O'Connor," she said, holding her hand out to Seth, pushing past Gabrielle.
Seth didn't let his expression change.
"Hi, I'm Sydney Sherborne and this is Logan Breckinridge. You've possibly already met Logan's wife, Madison?"
Logan held out his hand. Seth shook both hands. Both firm grips, not testosterone challenges. "I met Madison a few minutes ago," Seth said. He picked up Gabrielle's wrist and drew her forward again, stepping back so that Gabrielle would be between him and Sydney. "Gabrielle has been introducing me to everyone." He put his hands on Gabrielle's shoulders and held her in place. "It's quite a family you have."
Logan laughed. "You think today is fun? Try marrying into it."
"Is that why Ronny looks like he has a headache?" Seth asked, making his tone casual.
Sydney's eyes narrowed. "He and Destiny tend to...rub against each other, shall we say?" Her gaze dropped to Gabrielle. "I take my hat off to you, Gabi. I wouldn't have the guts to bring a date to one of these family feeding frenzies."
Gabrielle shifted her weight, bringing her back up against him. Seth knew it was for courage and moral support. It hadn't been her choice to bring him here, but the whole family thought it was and she wasn't going to let them know differently.
"Then I guess I've got more guts than you, huh?" Gabrielle said serenely, sounding astonishingly like her father.
Sydney's mouth actually opened a little and her eyes widened. Seth had a feeling that it wasn't often that Gabrielle hit back at the family with calm pot shots instead of temper tantrums.
Logan snorted. "Serves you right, Sydney," he said and laughed. He moved around the table. "I'm going to grab a drink before they announce lunch."
There was a murmur from the kitchen and the door opened. A red-headed woman in her fifties stepped out and Gabrielle immediately moved away from Seth. Sydney lifted a brow. "Well, I'll let you three get acquainted," she said and followed Logan into the other room.
The woman wore elegant trousers and a silk shirt, with a cardigan in some expensive material that only older women seemed to be able to wear well, with a long string of pearls that Seth knew just had to be the real thing and probably priceless. Her hair was in a French pleat. Everything about her screamed money and elegance.
She walked right up to
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