Royal shrugged. “I’m fine with you teaching Kade. I simply don’t want you teaching me.” Then he followed his brother out of the room.
Victoria pressed a hand to her forehead. “The Kendricks are all quite mad, if you ask me.”
“No more than the average Highlander,” Alec said, coming to join her.
She glowered at him. “I thought you were going to support me, no matter what I decided.”
“And I will. But if we can manage to sort Angus MacDonald out, I do think there are advantages to you remaining at Kinglas.”
“Name one,” she retorted.
“It’s the perfect place to fade back into obscurity,” he said. “Out of sight, out of mind, remember? Dominic was quite clear as to the necessity of that, and it doesn’t get much more obscure than an old castle in a remote Highland glen. Besides, Arnprior is bound to give you a good reference if you stay. It can only help to have the support of a well-regarded earl when you set up your own establishment, don’t you think?”
She sighed. “Must you be so rational?”
He grinned and took her arm. “Unnerving, isn’t it? Why don’t we go out and meet young Kade? At least you’ll have a better idea of what you’re in for if you decide to stay.”
“Oh, very well.” She allowed him to pull her out to the corridor. “But don’t expect any miracles.” Kade would certainly have to be a very talented musiciananda nice boy to convince her to take on the rest of the lunatics in his family.
“I won’t.”
They made their way to the great hall, a hive of activity as footmen dashed about, hauling in bags and trunks under Mrs. Taffy’s careful direction. Despite the commotion, the servants performed their duties swiftly and silently, casting worried glances at the small family group clustered around a chair in the center of the hall.
Huddled in the chair sat a boy, swaddled in a heavy coat and a blanket. The earl crouched in front of him, speaking in a low tone. Royal hovered close by, regarding the pair with a somber expression. Next to him stood a serious-looking young man in spectacles, also dressed for travel. His hand rested protectively on the back of the boy’s chair.
Victoria and Alec halted several feet away, not wishing to intrude. The earl glanced up and smiled, waving them over. She thought the smile looked forced, and there was no mistaking the tense set to the broad shoulders under his dark green coat.
The earl rose as they approached. “Miss Knight, I’d like you to meet my youngest brothers, Braden and Kade. Braden is currently at the University of Glasgow, while Kade, as you know, has returned home to study. Alec, I believe you met the lads last summer while you and your wife were in Glasgow.”
Braden Kendrick was tall but still boyish-looking, not yet having attained the brawny masculinity of his older brothers. He wore spectacles and had a thoughtful, diffident air that set him apart from the rest of the Kendrick men.
As he began to bow, Alec forestalled him by extending a friendly hand. “Well met, Braden. How go your studies? Arnprior tells me that you’re a splendid scholar, and that you wish to study medicine.”
The young man gave Alec a shy smile that lit up the deep green gaze he shared with Royal and the twins. “My studies are going well, sir. Thank you for asking. With any luck, I’ll be attending medical school at the University of Edinburgh in a year or so.” He cast a quick look at the earl. “If Nick approves, of course.”
Arnprior clapped him on the shoulder. “Lad, why wouldn’t I approve? I know you’ll do us all proud.”
“God knows someone has to,” Royal said sarcastically.
When Braden shot him a disapproving glance, Royal shrugged a half-hearted apology. After shaking his head at his older brother, Braden turned his solemn and surprisingly astute gaze on Victoria.
“Miss Knight, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a bow.
“And I can’t tell you how happy I am to meet you, Miss Knight,” Kade broke in eagerly, gazing up at her with a wide smile. “Because I could hardly wait, I made Braden leave a day early, I was that eager to get home to Kinglas and my studies.”
Oh, dear.Victoria mustered a smile and gave the new arrivals a shallow curtsy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I hope your travels were not too taxing.”
Kade shook his head. “It was worth it, knowing I would soon be home and beginning my lessons with you.”
“Don’t worry, Nick,” Braden said, obviously reading Arnprior’s troubled expression. “We spent the night at the coaching inn at Arrochar. The innkeeper and his wife took splendid care of us.”
Kade huffed out an exasperated breath. “You’re all fussing too much. I’m quite well. No need to worry about my stamina, Miss Knight.”
The boy smiled up at her from the depths of his woolen cocoon, his gaze eager. His eyes were a vivid blue, the color of a loch on a sunny day. He more closely resembled the earl than his other brothers, with his dark hair, high, intelligent brow, and the beginnings of rugged features that promised he would someday grow into a handsome man.
But even under the coat and blanket, and with a flannel scarf around his neck, Victoria could tell he was much too thin. And his coloring was dreadful. He was as white as milk though with a hectic flush splashed across his narrow cheekbones. But he was obviously thrilled to be home—and to start working with her.
It made her heart sink that she would have to disappoint the boy. He seemed utterly sweet and charming, and apparently, he had considerable musical talent. Under other circumstances, she would have leapt at the chance to have him as her pupil.
