She sipped her tea but kept her gaze locked on him over the rim of her cup. “Ye owe that young lady an apology.”
“What young lady?”
She rolled her eyes. “Dinna play the fool. Ye know verra well what young lady.”
“Not once did I behave in an ungentlemanly manner.”
“He was a rude arse,” Malcolm said.
Mother silenced Malcolm with a look, making Duncan wish he possessed that same power. “Aloofness and refusing a generous offer to call upon a delightful young lady might not be gentlemanly behavior,” she said, “but it is not acceptable. I taught ye better than that, son.”
“She simply made the offer because we saved her and her sister from the same sort of accident that stole our Catherine from us.” Duncan hoped that would shame his mother into leaving the subject alone. It didn’t.
She merely frowned down at her teacup, then held it out to Barclay. “A bit of brandy for sweetener, Barclay. ’Tis too cold for the honey I usually prefer.”
“Yes, my lady.” Barclay returned to the cabinet and selected a glass decanter with a pale amber liquid. “Peach, my lady?”
“Aye, the peach is my favorite.”
He prepared a fresh cup of tea, added a hearty dollop of brandy,and placed it in her hands before returning to his station at the edge of the room.
Duncan downed the remainder of his whisky but waved the butler away as he stepped forward. “I can fetch it myself, man. Stand down.”
“Malcolm tells me Lady Merry took a liking to ye.” When he didn’t respond, his mother lightly coughed. “Duncan—did ye hear me?”
Clenching his teeth to keep from saying something disrespectful, Duncan filled his glass and returned to his seat. “Lady Merry was merely being kind. She was grateful for all that we had done for her.”
“Merry,” his mother repeated. “What a delightful name.”
“’Tis Merry as in jolly,” Malcolm hurried to add. “Not as in the Holy Mother.”
Duncan bared his teeth at his brother, willing him to stop his babbling.
With a grin, Malcolm added, “Her sister told me.Hername is Lady Serendipity.”
“I see.” The dowager softly chortled to herself as her enormous black cat jumped back up onto her lap. “And did Lady Serendipity like ye, Malcolm?”
Malcolm snorted. “Nay, Mother. That one there was prickly as a wee hurcheon.”
Her sleek, dark brows rose nearly to her hairline. “Were ye rude as well, Malcolm? I raised the two of ye to behave better than that.”
“Nay, Mother. Only Duncan was the rude one. Arrogant and acting as though he thought himself better than everyone else one minute, then attentive to the Lady Merry the next. At one point, she even permitted him to address her aslassorMerry, because he had charmed her so. Then he vexed her so much, she was ready to toss him out on his arse.” Malcolm scooted to the edge of his seat, shaking a finger at him. “And as I told ye, the lady invited him to come calling, and he rebuffed her. Rebuffed her, I tell ye, and her being such a kind, lovely,marriageablelass.”
Duncan sipped his whisky, considering its mellow heat his only ally in this battle, and currently the one thing that kept him from closing Malcolm’s mouth for him. He lifted his glass in a toast. “And of course every word that falls from my brother’s lips is gospel.”
“Duncan!” The dowager startled the cat, making the great black beastie hiss. “Now, now, Amos. I nay meant to get so loud. Ye must calm yerself as well.” Lips pursed, she leveled Duncan a glare that warned she was far from pleased. She shifted with a deep breath, then slowly blew it out, her delicate nostrils flaring like an angry mare’s. “Lady Merry, sister to the Duke of Broadmere, invited ye to call on her, and ye rebuffed her? Why would ye do such a thing?”
“I nay rebuffed her. I simply told her I rarely traveled south.”
“And ye know as well as I that is about to change, because ye were elected to a seat in the House of Lords for this next session of Parliament.”
“I have not been elected yet. The elections are not held until the start of the new session in February.”
Mother snorted. “Ye were requested to attend, son. That means ye are elected.”
“Be that as it may, up until recently, I rarely traveled south.” He tossed a glare at Malcolm. “’Tis yer other son who relishes London so.”
“Then visit her in the Lake District before her family returns to Town. Malcolm said the invitation included both their homes.” After another sip of her tea, Mother held the cup out to Barclay. “More brandy, please. My sons drive me to drink.”
