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“Speaking of her ladyship, I suppose we’d best go up and find her,” Logan said, throwing Braden a smirk.
“She’s in the recital room,” Bathsheba said. “I’ll hold the fort down here and greet the guests.”
“Would you like me to stay with you?” Braden asked.
She scoffed. “Don’t be silly. I can tell you’re champing at the bit to see Samantha.”
“I’m simply trying to be polite,” Braden said, annoyed that he was so obvious. “Besides, I thought you might like reinforcements when it comes to managing Lord Beath.”
“Since Beath is not well disposed toward you at the moment,” she said, “he’ll probably bolt if you’re the first person he sees.”
“I can stay, if you’d like,” Logan offered.
She shook her head. “He’d definitely bolt with you. In his eyes, you’re barely civilized.”
“That’s true enough,” Braden said, turning the teasing back on his brother. “Donella is still trying to teach him how to use a fork.”
Logan poked him in the shoulder. “It’s the knife that’s the problem. I find I keep wanting to stab my annoying little brother.”
“Thank God I’m a doctor, so I can stitch myself up.”
“Hilarious,” Bathsheba sardonically commented. “Now, please be off. The other guests are beginning to arrive, and I cannot be distracted by Kendrick blather.”
“As her majesty commands,” Logan said with a formal bow.
Huffing out a laugh, she turned her back to greet three arriving couples.
“If Beath thinks I’m bad,” Logan said as they mounted the staircase, “just wait until he meets Angus.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to prevent that. Since the man is exactly the sort Angus can’t abide, the outcome would likely be disastrous.”
“Let me manage the old boy. You just worry about Lady Samantha, eh? See what you can do to relieve her mind.” Logan winked at him. “After all, you’re a doctor. I’m sure you could come up with some sort of tension-relieving activity.”
Braden sighed. “It never stops, does it?”
His brother laughed. “All right, I promise to behave, if you just try to relax for once. And you should spend some time with Lady Samantha. God knows you’ve both earned it.”
“I intend to, but we also need to keep an eye on the board members, while simultaneously making sure this evening doesn’t blow up in poor Lady Samantha’s face.”
“You and Lady Samantha already have quite a bit of experience when it comes to sleuthing. Just carry on as you were, with the occasional break to have fun. You do remember how to have fun, don’t you?”
“Logan, I frequently have fun,” Braden said as they reached the top of the stairs and headed toward the largest classroom, which had been converted into a recital hall for Kade.
“Oh, and when was the last time you did so?”
When I came so close to kissing Samantha.
“I took part in a cracking good dissection the other day. Can’t get more fun than that.”
“Good Lord,” Logan muttered, following him into the room.
Donella, a picture of quiet elegance in her gold-colored gown, came to greet them. “There you are. I was afraid you were going to stand us up.”
Logan wrapped an arm around his wife’s trim waist and pulled her close. “No, but you look so delicious I might have to whisk you away, party be damned.”
“Before you even hear me play?” said Kade, strolling up. “That cuts me to the quick, old man.”
“I get to hear you play every day,” Logan sardonically replied. “Forhours.”
