“Oh, they drop in now and again.” After she took one long look into Mel’s eyes, Morgana’s smile warmed. “Stepped in it, did you?” she murmured. “That’s all right. He’ll come around.”

“I really think I should—”

“Meet the rest of the family,” Camilla said gaily and kept Mel’s arm in an iron grip as she marched her toward the kitchen.

There were glorious scents in the air, and rooms full of people. A tall, queenly woman was laughing raucously as she stirred something on the stove. Nash was on a stool beside a lean middle-aged man with steel-gray hair. When the man glanced up at her, she felt like a moth on a pin.

“Hey, Mel.” Nash sent her a wave, and she was thrust into the fray. Introductions followed, Camilla taking charge territorially.

“My brother-in-law, Matthew,” she began, gesturing to the man beside Nash. “My sister Maureen at the stove.” Maureen waved an absent hand and sniffed at her brew. “And my sister, Bryna.”

“Hello.” A woman every bit as stunning as Morgana stepped forward to take Mel’s hand. “I hope you’re not too befuddled by all this. We all dropped in quite unexpectedly just this morning.”

“No, no, really. I don’t want to intrude. I should really just—”

Then it was too late. Sebastian walked in, flanked by Ana and a short, husky man with twinkling eyes.

“Ah, Sebastian.” Bryna kept Mel’s hand. “More company. Mel, this is Padrick, Ana’s father.”

“Hello.” It was easier to look at him than Sebastian. “Nice to meet you.”

He strolled right up and pinched her cheek. “Stay for dinner. We’ll put some meat on your bones. Maureen, my moonflower, what is that tantalizing scent?”

“Hungarian goulash.”

Padrick winked at Mel. “And not a single eye of newt in the batch. Guaranteed.”

“Yes, well, I appreciate the invitation, but I really can’t stay.” She took a chance and glanced at Sebastian. “I’m sorry,” she fumbled when he just continued to gaze at her with those quiet, inscrutable eyes. “I shouldn’t have … I mean, I really should have called first. I’ll catch you later.”

“Excuse us,” he said to the group at large, gripping Mel’s arm as she tried to dash by. “Mel hasn’t seen the foal since the birthing.”

Though she knew it was cowardly, she shot one desperate glance behind her as he pulled her out of the door. “You have company.”

And that company moved as a unit to the kitchen window to watch the goings-on.

“Family isn’t company,” he said. “And, since you’ve come all this way, I have to believe you have something to say.”

“Well, I do, and I’ll say it when you stop dragging me.”

“Fine.” He stopped near the paddock where the foal was busily nursing. “Say it.”