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“What is so funny, cousin?”
Blast.Evan spun around at the sound and found three of his cousins pulling at the reins of their horses as they stopped in the roadway. He forced an easy smile to stay locked on his face. “Duncan, Angus, Carson, ye scabby bums, what are ye doing here?”
All three men dismounted and gathered into a wall. A wall of curious eyes shifting between him and Juliet.
That seemed right. He doubted any of them had ever seen him smile in the presence of a woman.
He looked to Juliet. Laughter still played about her eyes as she studied his cousins with her own curiosity. What should be three imposing young Scotsmen with girth and height only piqued her interest. “Juliet, I present to you three of the finest men the Docherty stock has ever produced,Duncan, Angus, and CarsonDocherty. Three of my cousins.”
Shifting his feet along the grass, Evan aligned himself awkwardly next to her. “This is Miss Juliet Thomson, my betrothed.”
He had to applaud Duncan—Carson and Angus both let their jaws drop at his announcement, shock rolling across their features. Only Duncan managed to keep his jaw clamped into place, though his look shifted to Juliet, assessing her even more thoroughly than he had a moment ago.
She gave the three men a blinding smile. “It is such a pleasure to meet each one of you.”
“A lass that has finally cut through the demeanor of our most surly cousin is a sorceress of the best kind.” Duncan bowed to her. “The honor is all ours, Miss Thomson.”
He straightened and looked to Evan. “I didnae ken ye went south in search for a bride, Ev.”
Blazes. Questions. Even if they weren’t direct questions.
He grumbled a smile at Duncan. “Aye. I didnae ken I was in search of one myself. Juliet just…happened.”
“How did she ‘just happen?’” Carson asked.
“Well…” Evan paused, his mind a blank. He knew full well that he went to London to fetch a fake bride, but he couldn’t exactly tell his cousins that. Jasper was the only other soul that knew. So how did they meet? She wasn’t at the brothel she was supposed to be at, so Jasper dragged him to the countryside to fetch her? That wasn’t a story about to be told.
Panic started to take a hold of him at how ill-equipped he was to answer any detailed questions. Apparently just announcing a fiancée wasn’t enough information for his idiot cousins.
Juliet shifted her tea into her right hand and slipped her left arm along his lower back, leaning slightly into him. “We met by happenstance. Evan was passing through at an estate of a mutual friend of ours where I was staying. We were introduced in the study, where he had been standing, staring down at a map of the area. He pointed to a rocky outcropping noted on the map and told me it looked like my profile.”
Duncan’s forehead scrunched. “Did it?”
“It did, actually.” She nodded, a mischievous look in her eye. “It is also where they dispose of the refuse from the estate, so I wasn’t sure if I should take it as a compliment or not.”
A roar of laughter shot up from the three cousins.
“That sounds like our charming Ev,” Duncan said between snorts.
Her own laughter joined in. “Exactly. Nevertheless, by the time I made it three steps out into the hallway, I knew we were destined to be together. He is, as I’m sure you know, a force unto himself.”
She tilted her head to rest it contentedly on his upper arm.
Damn, she was good at this.
“Love at first sight, then?” Duncan asked.
She nodded, her temple rubbing along his arm. “It was undeniable, what was between us. And neither of us wanted to waste any time. We are on the way to Whetland Castle so I can meet his grandfather. I am terribly excited, but nervous.”
Duncan waved his hand. “Aaaah, he’s not the one ye need to be wary of at the castle, lass. The earl is a fine sort.”
“Aye.” Angus nodded, looking at Evan. “But Ev—what will Gil say? I don’t imagine—”
“Congratulations.” Duncan cut off Angus and his gaze shifted to Juliet with his head tipped. “A hearty congratulations to the both of ye.”
“Thank ye, Duncan,” Evan said. “What are the three of you doing here in Birmingham?”
“We’re on our way down to Lord Feathering’s estate to pick up the latest documents for the breeding agreement that Gil arranged.”
