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“Drat. I need to find her right now.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Forging a path through the cheerful mob, Grant led her to the main corridor that ran the length of the manor house. He stopped a footman hurrying toward the supper room with a tray of glasses.
“Davey, have you seen Miss Jeanette?”
The footman shook his head. “It’s a fair crush, sir. But I can help ye look, if ye want me to.”
Grant shook his head to dismiss Davey, then glanced down at Kathleen. “She’s probably in the dining room. Why don’t you check there while I pop upstairs for a look in the family parlor and Graeme’s study?”
She nodded and started off, but he suddenly reeled her back in. “Hang on. Here’s Sabrina, and she’s looking fashed.”
Sabrina hurried toward them from the front hall. She did look annoyed, although she managed a smile for some of the village ladies chatting outside the ballroom.
“It’s Jeannie, isn’t it?” Kathleen asked her with a sinking heart.
“I’m afraid so. She’s in Graeme’s study with David. Graeme’s keeping an eye on them.” She winced. “He discovered them, in fact.”
“Blast and damnation,” Kathleen muttered as she turned on her heel and strode off with the other two following.
When they reached the center hall with its wide, circular staircase that led to the family rooms, Kathleen glanced over her shoulder at Grant.
“You needn’t come, sir. Jeannie will be difficult enough to manage even without an audience.”
“No, we definitely need Grant,” Sabrina said.
Grant shook his head. “I take it my twin is acting like an idiot?”
“He’s gone full Highlander, as Nick would say.”
“What does that mean?” Kathleen asked as they hurried up the stairs.
“It means that he caught Jeannie trying to kiss our vicar.”
Kathleen nearly tripped at the top step. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Sadly, I cannot. She had him backed against the bookshelves, apparently. I was coming from the nursery and heard Graeme leveling dire threats at poor David.”
“Och, yon vicar’s a hapless idiot,” Grant said.
“Since he allowed a sixteen-year-old girl to lure him upstairs, I cannot disagree,” Sabrina replied.
“And I’m going to find out exactly how she did it.” Kathleen marched off down the hall.
“The offer to thrash the hapless idiot is still open,” Grant said as he strode with her.
“I’m reserving that honor for myself.”
She certainly felt like giving someone a good whack, including herself for losing control of the situation. Again.
The study was at the back of the house and thankfully well away from the party. Her sister might be only sixteen, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t old enough to ruin her reputation. Or to force a vicar into marriage to preserveboththeir reputations.
As they approached the end of the hall, they heard raised voices coming from the study.
“Why the hell is Angus in there?” Grant asked.
“He wasn’t when I left,” Sabrina said.
