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“I think it’s entirely my business, lass. After all, you’re going to be my—”
“Donella, here we are!”
She felt weak with relief when Joseph pelted toward them, with Angus following at a more leisurely pace.
The boy skidded to a halt in front of her. “Grandda and I were looking everywhere. You’ve been gone ever so long.”
She patted his shoulder, annoyed to see a slight tremor in her hand. “We decided to stroll up to the church at the top of the street.”
Joseph frowned. “You didn’t go Christmas shopping?”
“We . . . we ran out of time,” she said lamely.
“Ran out of time, did ye?” Angus’s gaze flickered between them. “Ye both look as queer as Dick’s hatband. What’s amiss?”
“Just an interesting encounter with an old friend of Miss Donella’s,” Logan said.
Joseph heaved a sigh. “Papa, are you being mean to Donella again?”
“Of course not. I’m never mean to anyone.”
“Ha,” Donella said.
“Ha,” Joseph echoed.
Logan pointed a finger at Angus. “Don’t even think about it.”
The old man snorted. “Doesna seem like the lassie agrees with ye.”
“The lassie would be wrong.”
Donella decided it was time to marshal her loyal troops. “The lassie is not wrong.” She looped her muff around one wrist and offered a hand to Joseph. “Would you and your grandfather like to walk me to Kendrick House?”
“Yes, please.” Joseph looked at his father. “Papa, we left the packages at the toy shop. Grandda said you could fetch them and take them home in your carriage.”
“Papa is supposed to be driving Miss Donella back to Breadie Manor, remember?” Logan scowled at her. “Where she now lives.”
She waved her muff. “I’m sure Lord Arnprior’s coachman can drive me home. Then he can pick up your groom on the way back.”
“But that’s ridiculous,” Logan objected. “I’m right here, and my curricle is right down the bloody street.”
Angus snickered. “Ye’d best pick up the packages while I walk the two of them back to Kendrick House. Oh, and stop at the sweet shop while yer at it. We had them set aside boxes of taffy for Kade, Braden, and the twins.”
“So now I’m supposed to play footman to you lot?” Logan said, clearly exasperated.
“Seems so.” Angus took Donella’s arm. “Ready, lass?”
“I am indeed.”
“I’m not done with our conversation, Donella,” Logan said in a clear warning tone.
“I am.” She turned and marched off with her faithful escorts.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Donella eyed her bosom in the pier glass over her dressing table and tried to tug up her bodice. It still seemed scandalously low, despite Eden’s earlier assurances.
“You need to stop dressing like a prude or an antidote,” her cousin-in-law had insisted. “You’re much too young and pretty for that sort of nonsense, especially at a Christmas party.”
