Angus rolled his eyes. “Of course it’s nae cursed, but ye canna blame Kinloch and Elspeth for being fashed. The thistle brooch is verra valuable. It’s nae good to be losing family heirlooms.”
“It might have been stolen. I don’t understand why Charlie’s family is so hell-bent on blaming her.”
“Aye, it’s nae fair, so ye’d best put on yer spy cap and figure it out.”
“I can’t do a bloody thing if Charlie won’t talk to me.”
“Well, yer so bloody cautious, she likely hasn’t a clue yer sweet on her.”
Kade throttled back his irritation. “Grandda, I am not sweet on her.”
Angus shook his head. “Ye always were a bad liar, son. No wonder ye couldna fool the other spies with yer sad stories.”
Lord and Lady Kinloch entered the drawing room, sparing Kade no doubt even more unflattering commentary on his career of espionage.
Ainsley smiled at their hostess. “Are your cousins now safely away?”
With a weary sigh, Lady Kinloch sank into an elegant French-style chair opposite Ainsley. “Yes, that’s the last of my family. I’m pleased the wedding festivities went off so well . . .” She paused to narrow her eyes at Charlie. “But it’s a relief to have the house back to ourselves.”
“Weddings are dreadfully exhausting, but you pulled it off in great style,” Ainsley replied. “Everyone agreed that Melissa was the most beautiful bride in all the Highlands, and that Colin is a very lucky man.”
“I reckon there’s nae much luck between the sheets, though,” Angus whispered to Kade.
Since Grandda’s whispers were usually loud enough to be heard halfway across the room, Kade winced. Thankfully, only Charlie seemed to have caught the comment. She shot them a startled glance and then bit her lower lip, obviously trying not to laugh.
Kade experienced a sudden and inconvenient surge of lust—and the conviction that he’d like nothing better than to give that sweet lip a gentle bite, too.
“Thank you, Lady Ainsley,” Melissa said with a wan smile. “Only my determination not to dishonor Colin and my family kept me from completely collapsing. Charlotte’s news has been a terrible shock.”
“It’s my brooch, so I think I’m the one who suffered the most shock,” Charlie replied in a wry tone. “But as Lady Ainsley said, your wedding was bang up to the mark, old girl.”
Lady Kinloch looked pained. “Charlotte, please refrain from using cant. Nor should you make light of the disaster that has befallen this family, thanks to your carelessness.”
“But I didn’t do anything,” Charlie protested.
Lord Kinloch, who’d been brooding over a whisky, scowled at his daughter. “Of course you did. You misplaced the Clan Iain brooch. Such a thing has never happened before, not once.”
Charlie grimaced. “I’m truly sorry, but I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Of course not,” Richard said, coming to her defense. “It could have happened to anyone.”
“Unfortunately, it happened to Charlotte,” Lady Kinloch replied in a withering tone.
Richard wilted under her stare and slunk off to join Royal and Colin.
Johnny, who’d been lounging in one of the window seats chatting with Sir Leslie Morgan, finally entered the conversation. “Mamma, I’m sure poor Charlie feels blue-deviled about it. It’ll turn up sooner or later. Bound to, you know.”
“Unless someone stole it,” Morgan said with a certain degree of relish.
Melissa let out a small shriek and fell back against the cushions. “Heaven forfend! Then we are surely doomed.”
Colin hurried over, pulling a small bottle of smelling salts out of his coat pocket. “Here, my darling. Use this.”
“She’s got him trained already,” Angus muttered. “That lad’s better than a retriever.”
Charlie rose from the divan. “Here, Colin, take my seat.”
When Richard hurried up and tried to take her arm, she evaded him by stalking over to join Angus and Kade.
