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Jeannie frowned. “But you both look exactly alike.”
In one sense, that was true. Their physical resemblance was startling, and already Kathleen had noticed they shared certain mannerisms. But they were also quite different. Graeme was clearly the more restless of the two, and seemed disinclined to sit in one place for too long. In contrast, Grant’s personality conveyed a quiet steadiness and an almost unimpeachable sense of calm.
Except when he was threatening to rip out a man’s tongue and shove it back down his throat. He’d rather lost his calm in that particular moment.
Graeme winked at Jeannie. “No, I’m definitely the good-looking one. Ask anyone.”
Kathleen pretended to study them. “Now that you mention it, I believe youarethe better-looking twin.”
Grant lifted a sardonic eyebrow. “But I’m the smart one. Ask anyone.”
Jeannie, who tended to take things literally, shook her head. “I still think you look exactly alike.” She cast a dubious look at Grant. “Are you really smarter than Sir Graeme?”
“Absolutely,” Grant said. “Just ask Sabrina. She’ll vouch for me.”
Despite the unpleasant events of the afternoon, Kathleen had never seen Grant so relaxed. Clearly, he was happy to be with his twin again, even under less than propitious circumstances.
Graeme smiled at his wife. “I don’t need brains anymore. I’ve got Sabrina to do all my thinking for me.”
“That shouldn’t be very taxing,” Grant teased.
“And it means I win all the arguments,” Sabrina added.
“Not all the time, love.” Graeme’s smile suddenly went sly. “In fact, just last night—”
Grant elbowed him. “I think it’s time for more tea.”
“Ouch,” Graeme said. “That actually hurt.”
“And there’s more where that came from, if you don’t behave yourself.” Grant slightly jerked his head in Jeannie’s direction.
“You’ve all had a difficult day,” Graeme protested. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Don’t strain yourself,” his brother dryly replied.
Graeme’s extremely mild innuendo had naturally sailed right over Jeannie’s head. Mr. Brown, however, was blushing again, which Kathleen supposed was the appropriate reaction from a vicar. The poor man had almost fainted dead away when he’d stumbled upon her undergarments in the bushes.
“Miss Jeannie, I do hope you’re feeling much more the thing,” Brown said, as if eager to change the topic. “Such a dreadful introduction to Lochnagar for you and your sister.”
When he directed a warm smile at Kathleen, a tiny frisson of warning filtered into her brain. She thought she’d caught a few admiring glances since their chance encounter, but one generally didn’t expect to win a gentleman’s admiration in the aftermath of a holdup—especially with one’s unmentionables strewn about the countryside.
“I’m ever so much better,” Jeannie earnestly said. “It was frightening, but then you came along and scared those awful men away. It was soterriblybrave of you.”
The vicar looked momentarily disconcerted by Jeannie’s girlish enthusiasm. And knowing her sister, Kathleen wasmassivelydisconcerted by the adoring look in her big, blue eyes as she gazed up at the vicar.
As if this day hadn’t been bad enough, it now seemed clear that Jeannie had found another inappropriate object for her affections.
“It truly was an accident that I stumbled upon you when I did,” Brown modestly replied. “Nothing brave about it at all.”
“That’s certainly true,” Grant commented.
His response sounded almost hostile.
Apparently, Kathleen wasn’t the only person who read it as such. The vicar was peering at Grant with some puzzlement, while Graeme was making a poor show of hiding a smirk.
“We must all be grateful that no one was injured,” Sabrina smoothly interjected. “One’s health is what truly matters. Belongings can always be replaced.”
“Except for Kath’s jewelry,” Jeannie said. “Some of it was her mother’s.”
