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Kathleen rolled her eyes. “Cheating counts as chivalry?”
“There’s all sorts of chivalry, lass.” Angus flashed a beatific smile. “Why, take Grant. He’d lay his cloak on a puddle forye, just like Bothwell did for Mary, Queen of Scots.”
Gillian choked back a laugh.
“That wasn’t Bothwell, and itdefinitelywasn’t Queen Mary,” Kade said.
“Are ye sure, lad? I could swear it was.”
“And there are no puddles here,” Kathleen firmly said.
Gillian made a show of frowning. “And no Grant. It’s a shame we see so little of him. I wonder why that is?”
Having retrieved the ball, Ian trotted up, interrupting the embarrassing conversation. “Sorry. Yon ball went under those thick bushes.”
“Are we playing or not?” Jeannie yelled from her end of the pitch.
“Yes, dear,” Kathleen called back. “Get ready.”
Kade went into his short run and unleashed another perfect bowl. Jeannie whipped up her bat in a hard, angled swing.
Crack.
The ball shot nearly sideways at a ferocious speed. The other groom lunged for it, but it hummed well over him and headed directly for the nearest house on the square.
“Uh-oh,” Kade said.
The ball smashed through one of the sash windows on the main floor. Glass flew, with shards scattering on the pavement.
“Och, that’s nae good,” Angus muttered.
“That’s a bit of bad luck,” said Gillian.
Kade winced. “You have no idea. That’s the Trim house. They’re the worst twiddlepoops in the square.”
Kathleen shook off her paralysis. “Jeannie and I will apologize immediately, and of course I’ll pay for the damages.”
By this time, her sister had rushed up, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, Kath. I didn’t mean to hit in that direction.”
“Of course not, pet. We’ll just go and apologize, shall we?”
“Best let Kade go, instead,” Angus suggested. “He knows how to handle old Trim.”
As they briefly debated that point, the door to the house flew open. A footman scurried down the steps and took off across the north side of the square. In his wake came a portly, middle-aged gentleman who looked rather rumpled, as if he’d just awakened from a nap. He also looked mightily aggrieved, pulling clouds of righteous outrage in his wake.
Jeannie retreated behind Angus.
“Och, young Trim,” the old man said. “He’s even worse than old Trim.”
“I’ll try to forestall him,” Kathleen said.
As she hurried across the lawn, Kade joined her.
“I can handle him, if you’d rather,” he said.
“Thank you, but it’s only a broken window.”
“You don’t know Matthew Trim. He doesn’t like women. Or children.”
