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“Oh, that’s disappointing. Will we still be able to see everything?”
“Dinna fash yerself, lassie,” he said with a teasing smile. “We’ll not have ourSassenachladies missing a moment of the festivities, ye ken.”
She blushed like a foolish schoolgirl. Good heavens, she loved his brogue. And when Angus gave her another wink, like a co-conspirator in romance, a warm, happy glow suffused her.
The truth was, she was tumbling quite hard for Graeme Kendrick. She adored it when he smiled at her, especially since he was so sparing in handing smiles out.
“Nicholas put his foot down about being too close to the arch,” Victoria added. “He thundered at me for even considering the notion. I told him in no uncertain terms that the king was my father, and that I would sit wherever I liked. Sadly, he was unmoved by my argument.”
“Nick has the right of it,” Graeme replied. “The crowds will be too thick. You could get stuck in there, especially if something were to—”
He cut himself off, and the three Kendricks exchanged a quick glance. There’d been several of those looks over the last few days, along with abrupt changes of conversation when Sabrina walked into a room.
“Are you expecting trouble?” she asked Graeme.
He adopted a bland smile. It wasquiteannoying how he could so easily mask what he was thinking.
“Not unless you count getting whacked in the head by an errant banner as trouble.”
Victoria also smiled at Sabrina. “My husband is overprotective because of my condition. Nicholas is a bit of a worrier, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I have, but—”
“And yon pregnant lassiedoesneed to use the necessary more than usual,” Angus interjected. “We canna be too far from a water closet or—”
“Grandda,” Victoria interrupted in a longsuffering tone, “what will Lady Sabrina think of us?”
“That we’re untutored Highlanders,” said Graeme, flashing Sabrina a charming grin.
“Och, she knows that already,” Angus scoffed.
Just as she knew they were deflecting her question. However, since they’d reached Picardy Place and the coachman was angling the carriage into their reserved spot, she let the matter drop.
Victoria shaded her eyes to peer across the plaza. “This is an excellent spot. I can see the triumphal arch just ahead.”
“Ah, there’s Royal and Ainsley,” Graeme said.
When the couple joined them, he opened the carriage door and stepped out so Ainsley could take his place.
“Good God, what a crowd,” said the dark-haired beauty as she gracefully flopped onto the seat. “I had to use my parasol on several impertinent fellows just to get through.”
Victoria looked concerned. “Was someone rude to you, dearest?”
Royal, an arm propped on the carriage door, flashed a grin. “No, the poor men simply didn’t get out of the way fast enough.”
“I did say excuse me first,” Ainsley said.
“Yes, but it’s a bit hard to hear over the crowd, love.”
When she gave an insouciant shrug, Royal laughed. “All right, Graeme and I are going to see if we can get closer to the triumphal gate.”
“Enjoy yourselves,” his wife replied. “But have a care for your leg.”
Royal had been injured in the war some years back. According to Victoria, he was now strong and fit, but Ainsley still fussed over him.
Royal leaned in to kiss his wife, lingering more than was strictly proper. When he finally pulled away, Ainsley whispered something that made him chuckle and kiss the tip of her nose.
Sabrina couldn’t help sighing. To be so in love . . .
