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“I cannot blame him,” Sabrina quietly said.
“Everyone else did, unfortunately. The twins left a trail of mayhem, from Kinglas to Glasgow to Edinburgh. God only knows what would have happened to the family if Vicky hadn’t appeared on the scene.” Ainsley flashed a brief smile. “She always says the twins were her biggest pedagogical challenge. Eventually, she prevailed and transformed those Highland hellions into gentlemen. For the most part, anyway.”
“Thank goodness for Victoria. The Kendricks now seem happy and at peace. You’re certainly all very comfortable with one another.”
Ainsley actually laughed—a relief, after such a sorrowful tale. “By that you mean we’re a pack of interfering busybodies.”
“Dearest, I would never be so rude.”
“You should, because it’s true. But not everyone is happy. For some Kendricks, the wounds of the past have yet to fully heal.”
“Graeme,” Sabrina said. “I can understand how the effect of such losses would linger. But he was caught in a terrible maelstrom of events, none of his making, so why does he feel so responsible?”
“He believes his reckless, rakehell behavior made things worse for the family.” Ainsley snorted. “He’s not wrong about that. But he was young and desperately unhappy, and that is a bad combination.”
Ah. Now it all made perfect sense. “Graeme feels he must atone for past sins.”
Ainsley tapped the side of her nose. “On the mark. He doesn’t feel worthy of you and is therefore determined to cut offhisnose to spite his face.”
Sabrina waved her arm, almost knocking over her glass. “It’s so ridiculous. I’m nothing special.”
“Pet, you are very special, and Graeme knows it. We all know it, which is why we want him to marry you.”
“But if he ships me off to England, I’ll never see him again.” Sabrina scowled. “He’ll make sure of it.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Kendrick men, it’s that one cannot let them gain the upper hand. You have to control the situation, Sabrina. Show Graeme who’s in charge.”
“Which means . . . not going back to England?”
Ainsley tilted her head. “Do you wish to go back?”
Sabrina pretended to think about that. “I don’t believe so. In fact, I’m quite certain I wish to spend the rest of the summer in Scotland.”
“Splendid response.”
“There’s just one problem. What guarantee do we have that Graeme will remain in Scotland? He could simply pull up stakes and return to London, leaving me here to mope like a silly old thing.”
Ainsley’s grin was the definition of sly. “One thing Graeme won’t do is leave you unprotected. So we’ll have to put the dear boy in a position where he’ll be forced to protect you—up close, and in a very personal manner.”
That sounded rather undignified. Then again, when it came to Graeme Kendrick, Sabrina had misplaced her dignity some time ago.
“How do you suggest we accomplish that?”
“We’re going on a trip, Sabrina. You, me, Royal. . . and Graeme.”
Chapter Eighteen
The king was on board his yacht and on his way back to London. More important, at least from Graeme’s point of view, Sabrina was safely away as well. Not that he’d seen her today or had the opportunity to make a formal good-bye. Apparently, she’d already boarded the boat well before Graeme had arrived at the docks.
He couldn’t help scowling as he stalked through the fashionable streets of New Town. For once, Sabrina had avoided him, instead of the other way around, and had done so very effectively these last few days. He’d only caught a glimpse of her at the service of thanksgiving prior to the king’s departure, the last official event of the royal visit. Now, she was gone without a word or even a look of farewell.
Not that he blamed her after that ridiculous scene in the drawing room the other night. He’d been a complete ass, and she’d deserved an apology. Still, her departure was for the best. Graeme had no room in his life for such a bonny, sweet lass. And sooner rather than later, she would have concluded he wasn’t fit to carry the train of her gown, much less marry her. That realization would have been painful and humiliating for both of them. So, now he’d do his best to forget her and those incredible, passionate kisses that had knocked him off his pins, and get on with his life and the job.
He’d get over her, just like he always got over everything that disturbed the chosen course of his life.
Liar.
He sighed, slowing to a halt as he reached the Kendrick mansion. While it was true that Sabrina had upended his life, he had to admit it had been ripe for disruption. These last few years, his work had filled up all the empty hours and spaces of his life, giving him everything he thought he’d needed. Sabrina had changed that by knocking him off his axis. But in an odd way, she’d also knocked him back on.
