Page 47 of The Highlander's Kilted Bride
“Nay, it’s both of ye that I aim to be talkin’ to.”
While Angus’s wrinkled features looked benign, the expression in his eyes could only be described as cagey.
“About what?” she cautiously asked.
“That booby Campbell. Surely yer not thinkin’ of leg-shacklin’ yerself to the fellow. Now, I think the world of yer mother, but she’s far off the mark with this one, lassie.”
“Grandda, this is not an appropriate topic for conversation,” Kade said with a frown. “And you’ll embarrass Miss Charlotte.”
“I think I’m beyond embarrassment,” she admitted. “Nor was I a paragon of good behavior at dinner myself, as my mother has made clear.”
“Elspeth was always a bit of a stickler,” Angus said. “I can have a wee chat with her if ye like.”
Charlie knew that would be a very bad idea.
“Thank you, but I think she’s best left alone, for now.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I put you all in such an awkward position. My family and I are quite ridiculous.”
Kade’s answering smile was so full of warmth that Charlie’s brain seemed to go fuzzy around the edges. She imagined legions of women all over the Continent being slain by that smile.
“Kendricks have been known to kick up a scene now and again,” Kade said. “It’s rather bred in the bone, much to my oldest brother’s dismay.”
“Nick caused a few scenes of his own, especially when he was courtin’ Victoria.” Angus gave Charlie a canny look. “I ken what yer doing with booby Campbell. Yer kickin’ over the traces, hopin’ to put him off.”
“I suppose it’s rather obvious,” she admitted.
He tapped the side of his nose. “I can sniff out a scheme a mile away, lassie. It’s a requirement when dealing with Kendricks.”
Charlie suddenly discovered an avid curiosity about the Kendrick family, and of course one member in particular.
“Why is that?”
“Because some of my older brothers were regularly involved in harebrained schemes,” Kade dryly offered. “Some of which sadly involved a degree of criminal behavior.”
Angus shook his head. “I had my hands full with the lot of ye, back in the day.”
“Grandda, half the time you were the mastermind behind the schemes.”
“Yer dreamin’,” Angus retorted. “Besides, my schemes always worked.”
Kade leaned toward Charlie, covering one side of his mouth as if to share a secret. “They never worked.”
Charlie couldn’t hold back a laugh any more than the giddy feeling that his nearness produced in her.
“And I’ll have no sass from ye, laddie boy,” the old fellow said. “Dinna be forgettin’ that yer nae too big for me to paddle yer bum.”
Charlie clapped a hand over her mouth, practically choking on laughter. Kade was as big and brawny a man as she’d ever met, while Angus looked like an ancient Highland sprite who’d just popped out from the woodland realm.
Kade smiled. “Grandda, you’ve been threatening that for as long as I can remember, and yet you’ve never laid a hand on any of us.”
“Aye, but there’s a first time for everything. And dinna ye be tryin’ to distract me. This is serious business, saving Miss Charlie from booby Campbell.”
Charlie held up her hand, as if making a vow. “I solemnly promise to do everything in my power to avoid marriage to Richard Campbell.”
Angus patted her knee. “Good lass. Ye dinna want to be pollutin’ yer foine bloodlines with that lot.”
She could only blink at that comment.
“Grandda, that iscompletelyinappropriate,” Kade said.
