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“He’s not the one I’m worried about,” Kathleen replied.
Gillian crinkled her nose. “Chaperoning is a thankless task, I must say.”
“You and I are not exactly well-suited to it,” Kathleen dryly replied.
“I, however, am exceedingly well-suited,” said Lady Arnprior. “All will be well, I promise.”
Kathleen cast her a grateful smile. “Thank you. We’re such a dreadful imposition. You’re to be spending your time with Gillian, not keeping an eye on two ramshackle Calverts.”
“Vicky and I will have plenty of time to talk,” Gillian said. “After dinner, I intend to drag her back to my room, where I expect we’ll be gabbing most of the night.”
“I can’t think Lord Arnprior will approve,” Kathleen replied. “He seems very much—”
A masculine throat clearing interrupted her. “Your drink, Miss Calvert?”
She looked up and managed to give the earl a weak smile. “Oh, yes. Thank you, sir.”
Her stepmother was right. She truly did not know how to behave in polite company.
“And if you think I’m going to let you keep my wife up half the night,” Arnprior said, giving Gillian a mocking glance, “you will be much surprised. That is my job.”
Kathleen almost choked on her sherry.
The duchess waved a negligent hand. “I outrank you, Nicholas. You’ll just have to go without.”
“This is a most improper conversation,” Lady Arnprior said in a stern tone. “Nicholas, you will embarrass poor Miss Calvert.”
Lord Arnprior smiled at Kathleen. “You must forgive us. Despite my wife’s best efforts, I am apparently still an untutored Highlander.”
“Frankly, the entire lot of you is hopeless,” her ladyship replied. “Except for Kade, of course. He’s perfect.”
Her brother-in-law had caught the tail end of the conversation and now grinned. “Vicky, you have to say that because you were my music teacher.”
“True, but you’re still perfect, my dear.”
“You seemquiteperfect to me, Mr. Kendrick,” Jeannie said, staring at Kade with an unfortunately ardent gaze.
Kade looked momentarily nonplussed by her enthusiasm. Then he gave her a cheerful nod, clearly oblivious to the pitfall looming before him. “Please call me Kade. If you keep calling me Mr. Kendrick, I’ll think you’re referring to one of my big brothers.”
“I could never mistake you for one of your brothers,” Jeannie replied.
“Uh-oh,” Gillian muttered.
“Speaking of your brothers,” Lady Arnprior pointedly said, “perhaps you could go look for them. They seem to have disappeared.”
When Kade obligingly hoisted himself to his feet, Kathleen ignored her sister’s frown and flashed the countess a grateful smile. “Your grandfather and Mr. Kendrick had just returned when I came downstairs.”
“Thank goodness. Some nights, we practically have to drag Grant home from the office. I take it Angus introduced you?”
At the memory of that embarrassing encounter, Kathleen’s face grew hot. “Yes, although it was quite a short introduction. We—”
“Found one of them, anyway,” Kade said as he walked back into the room.
Following on his heels was Royal Kendrick, whom they’d met on their arrival. His wife and children had departed a few days ago to travel to their estate up north, and from what Lady Arnprior had explained Royal would soon be departing as well.
“Good evening, ladies. Your Grace,” Royal said as he bowed over Gillian’s hand. “I trust you’ve settled in.”
From the first, Royal had struck Kathleen as a man possessed of a kind and steady temperament, inclined to let the other members of his family take center stage. Not that he could ever be anything less than noticeable, with his slight limp and dramatic good looks that put one in mind of a poet. Unlike Grant’s, his hair was more auburn than red, but they shared the same vibrant green gaze.
