When she calmly walked off toward the drawing room, Grant turned to his grandfather. “What just happened?”
“Ye got rolled up, son, that’s what happened. Ye’ll have to do better than that.”
“Do better at having bizarre conversations? That’s your forte, not mine.”
Angus snorted. “At least my conversations don’t bore young lassies to death.”
With that annoying and probably truthful bon mot, his grandfather beetled over to the stairs, heading up to the family apartments.
Grant blew out a frustrated breath, then looked at Will. “Is it just me, or is my entire family insane?”
“Dinner in thirty minutes, sir,” the young man politely responded.
Shaking his head, Grant stalked up the stairs.
Chapter Five
It’s because he’s so tall.
Kathleen mentally cursed, annoyed with her inane response to Grant Kendrick. But even in a family of tall, impressive-looking men, he’d stood out.
She paused outside the drawing room door, taking a deep breath. Men never rattled her. Never. And she’d always thought that rather a shame, since she imagined it might be fun for an attractive man to ruffle her feathers.
But then she’d seen him standing in the hall and had promptly lost her ability to form a sensible thought.
That wasn’t much fun at all.
In addition to his height and impressively broad shoulders, Mr. Kendrick was handsome, with rather austere features and a manner that had little in common with the languid dandies or bored Corinthians of the ton. In fact, he was slightly intimidating. Not that he’d done anything impolite, except stare at her with those extraordinary eyes. His gaze had tracked her all the way down the stairs. That had made her feel self-conscious and awkward, as if she’d said or done something tremendously silly.
Unfortunately, as soon as she’d opened her mouth that was exactly what she did. His russet eyebrows had shot up in surprise, and an incredulous expression had filled his jade-colored gaze. Until today, Kathleen had never seen eyes of such a startling color. Combined with his dark red hair, burnished like an autumn leaf, Grant Kendrick seemed on first glance the epitome of a dashing Highlander warrior, stepped right from the pages of a poem by Sir Walter Scott.
On both second and third glance, however, Mr. Kendrick struck her as a man who took the business of life very seriously. That was probably why his gaze had transformed so quickly from surprised to disapproving. It was not an uncommon reaction. Men often found her disconcerting, if not downright strange.
Kathleen almost jumped out of her shoes when a quiet voice spoke up behind her.
“Miss Calvert, may I get the door for you?”
She smiled weakly at Henderson, the Kendricks’ very correct butler. “Yes, I was rather woolgathering, but I shouldn’t keep the others waiting.”
“There’s no rush, ma’am. Dinner will not be served until the entire family has assembled.”
The older man’s kind smile was probably why she blurted out yet another admission. “I think I was rather rude to Mr. Kendrick. Mr. Grant Kendrick, I mean. Just now, when I met him. Back in the hall.”
Good God. What was wrong with her?
Henderson didn’t turn a hair. “I think you’ll find that the Kendricks value forthright speech, Miss Calvert. And Mr. Grant is the kindest of men, I assure you. He would never take offense.”
Kathleen wasn’t quite sure about that, but she appreciated the butler’s attempt to settle her nerves.
“Are you ready to join the others now, ma’am?” he patiently asked a few moments later.
Kathleen gave him a nod, deciding to ignore the residual effects of Grant Kendrick. It made not one whit of difference what he thought of her, even if he was terribly handsome.
“Ah, there you are,” Gillian said as Henderson ushered Kathleen into the spacious and elegant drawing room. “And looking very dashing, I might add. That color is simply splendid on you.”
Lady Arnprior, seated next to her cousin on a green velvet chaise, gave her a warm smile. “Indeed. You look absolutely charming.”
Overdressed, more like it. For some demented reason, Kathleen had chosen a gown suited to a grand London ball at the height of the Season. By contrast, both Gillian and the countess were dressed in simple, elegant gowns perfect for a family dinner. No wonder Mr. Kendrick had stared at her.
“You should see me when I really put in the effort,” she joked.
Lord Arnprior came over to escort her to the group. “As my wife noted, you indeed look charming. We are fortunate to have so many lovely ladies in our midst.”
“You look top drawer, Kath, as always,” Jeannie said, beaming up at her.
Her sister was plopped down in front of the grand chimneypiece—marble, in the Adam style if Kathleen wasn’t mistaken—to play with the family dogs. The two Skye terriers, messy mopheads, were snuggled close to Jeannie, one of them drooling on the hem of her gown. Helen would have fainted dead away at the sight, but since no one else seemed perturbed by such casual behavior, Kathleen refrained from comment.
In fact, Kade, the youngest of the Kendricks, who’d respectfully stood when Kathleen entered the room, settled back down on the floor next to Jeannie. Although a tall, dignified young man in his early twenties, Kade seemed comfortable sitting cross-legged on the carpet, playing with dogs.
The Kendricks were a warm and welcoming clan—with one exception, whom she refused to think further about at the moment.
Kathleen smiled at Jeannie, steadfastly ignoring the paw print on her sister’s white cambric skirts. They’d managed to pick up a few dresses for the girl while on the road, but the need for a shopping expedition was urgent. As informally charming as the Kendrick family appeared, Kathleen was determined that she and her sister make a good impression. Their arrival had already kicked up a bit of a fuss. Causing trouble could result in unpleasant consequences for both of them.
Lord Arnprior, a distinguished man in his early forties, escorted her to the chaise where his wife and Gillian sat.
With her usual unaffected grace, Gillian hopped to her feet. “Kathleen, sit and have a nice chat with Vicky. You’ve barely had a moment to exchange more than a few words, what with all the bustling about. Such a commotion we caused.”
“That’s because you two brought so much luggage,” Jeannie cheekily said, as if there’d been nothing awkward about her unexpected arrival.
“Piles and piles of it,” Gillian agreed, sliding over the moment. “We are rather like the Viking hordes.”
“Except no longboats.” Kathleen heaved a dramatic sigh. “And I am sorry to say I misplaced my axe somewhere on the road.”
“I could lend you one of my knives,” Gillian replied. “I always pack extra.”
Lady Arnprior laughed. “In that case, I must be sure to warn the maids, so as to avoid any unfortunate accidents.”
The countess obviously thought her cousin was joking, but Kathleen would bet a bob that Gillian did pack extra knives amongst her stockings and stays.
“Gillian has been telling me how much you’ve been looking forward to this visit to Glasgow,” Lady Arnprior said as Kathleen sat down next to her.
“Indeed,” said Gillian with a mischievous twinkle. “A very long visit.”
As usual, the duchess was as subtle as a sledgehammer.
“Although I’m sure Sabrina is eager to see you, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” said Lady Arnprior. “Glasgow isn’t London, but it can be quite charming this time of year.”
Kade rolled his eyes. “Charming might be a bit much. Still, there are some interesting places to visit, both in town and the surrounding countryside.”
“I do hope you’ll be able to show us,” Jeannie enthused. “All the best spots, if you please.”
Kade flashed her a very engaging grin. “It would be my honor, Miss Jeanette.”
“Please call me Jeannie,” her sister responded, gazing at the young ma
n with rapt attention. “Everyone does.”
Although quite a bit younger than his brother, Kade bore a great resemblance to Lord Arnprior. With a vague sense of alarm, Kathleen realized that his dark good looks were just the sort to make a powerful impression on a sensitive girl like Jeannie.
Lady Arnprior darted a glance at Kathleen before nodding at her brother-in-law. “Kade, would you fetch Miss Calvert a sherry?”
“I’ll get it,” Lord Arnprior said, crossing to the chinoiserie-style sideboard that held a collection of crystal decanters and goblets.
“May I have a sherry, too?” Jeannie asked.
“No,” Kathleen firmly said.
When her sister scowled, Kade touched her hand. “Do you want me to tell you where I think we should visit first?”
Jeannie was instantly diverted. “Yes, please.” Her big, cornflower-blue eyes shone with what could only be described as burgeoning hero worship.
Gillian, observing from a chair next to the chaise, tapped her chin. “That could turn into a bit of a problem,” she quietly said, as Jeannie and Kade chatted away.
Kathleen sighed. “Drat.”
Lady Arnprior patted her hand. “Kade is the most decent young man in Scotland. He would never engage in inappropriate behavior.”
“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 seem quite perfect 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.
The Kendricks were certainly a handsome lot, although none that she’d met were as intensely masculine as Grant.
Don’t be a ninny. You barely had two minutes with the man.
“None of that Your Grace nonsense, if you please,” Gillian said. “You Kendricks certainly don’t stand on ceremony, and neither do I.”
“Hmm,” Kathleen said. “I think I’ve heard that about you.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, right, from your husband.”
Gillian snorted. “Cheeky lass.”
“I’ve heard that before, too.”
Royal laughed. “I take it you’ve recovered from the rigors of your trip, Miss Calvert?”
“Yes, thanks to Lady Arnprior and her excellent housekeeper.”
“My excellent housekeeper will be pitching a fit if we don’t get in to dinner,” the countess said. “Where is Grant? And please don’t tell me he snuck back to work again.”
“Does he do that often?” Kathleen couldn’t help asking.
“Grant hates dinner parties,” Kade said. “He says they’re a waste of time.”
Gillian laughed. “That’s rather insulting, given that we’re the dinner party tonight.”
“It’s also completely untrue,” said the topic of discussion as he walked into the room. “I only hate boring dinner parties. And from what Graeme has told me, the Duchess of Leverton is definitely not boring. In fact, he said she is the most interesting woman in London.”
For a few moments, all Kathleen could do was stare. She’d thought Grant Kendrick handsome before, dressed as an ordinary businessman. Now, garbed in stark black and white evening kit, he looked spectacular.
Gillian scoffed. “He only says that because he destroyed a very expensive Chinese screen at one of my parties. He’s still trying to make it up to me.”
“I remember that night,” Kathleen said. “He’d caught someone trying to cheat an elderly lady at cards, as I recall.”
“Yes. Graeme was quite . . .”
“‘Fashed’ is the word you’re searching for,” Grant said in a wry tone.
“Exactly. My screen also became quite fashed, since your twin tossed the cheater right into it,” Gillian replied.
“That’s our Graeme,” Royal said.
“I thought it one of the most entertaining parties in quite some time, actually,” Kathleen said.
Gillian laughed. “My poor husband did not entirely agree.”
“Sabrina’s calmed the lad down,” Royal said. “Wives tend to do that sort of thing.”
“Depends on the wife,” Gillian quipped.
“Which is why you won’t be bored tonight,” Kathleen said to Grant. “Gillian won’t allow it.”
Something sparked to life in Grant’s expression as his gaze flickered over her.
Something that looked like ... interest.
“I suspect you wouldn’t allow it either, Miss Calvert.”
He had a lovely voice. Deep and warm, with a slightly rough edge that almost made her shiver.
Almost, because shivering over a man’s voice would be ridiculous.
“It’s more of a challenge than one would expect,” she replied. “Most people are awfully dreary, you know.”
When Grant’s expression turned blank, she winced.
“Present company excepted, of course,” she hastily added.
“Of course,” he said.
“Shall we go in to dinner?” the countess brightly suggested.
“I’d hold up on that for a wee bit, lassie.”
Angus had slipped into the room, wearing a sheepish expression.
The countess narrowed her gaze. “Grandda, what have you done now?”
“Not me,” the old man said in a defensive tone. “It was Nancy. She got ahold of a wee little dish in the pantry. Nothin’ to speak of, ye ken.”
Lord Arnprior shook his head. “Can you not keep that little hellion under control?”
“She’s nae hellion,” Angus protested. “Just high-spirited.”
“Grandda, Nancy is a disaster on four legs,” Grant said.
“Who’s Nancy?” Jeannie asked.
“Another one of Grandda’s terriers,” Kade explained. “She’s only a year old, so her manners aren’t very good yet.”
“I think we can all agree that none of your grandfather’s dogs have very good manners,” Lady Arnprior tartly added.
The butler stepped in, a pained expression on his dignified features. “I beg your pardon, my lady, but dinner will be delayed. There has been an incident in the pantry.”
“Yes, so we just heard.” The countess sighed. “How bad is it, then?”
“The kitchen maid and the junior footman attempted to retrieve tonight’s joint of beef from Nancy, giving chase.”
“I take it they were not successful,” Grant dryly said.
“The footman quite foolishly tripped over Nancy when she swerved during the chase. He then compounded the error by knocking over the table with the soup tureen and the fish course.”
The Highlanderâ??s Irish Bride Page 5