“
It will be lovely to have someone new to dine with,” Pandora exclaimed. “Especially someone who has just come from town. I want to hear everything about London.”
Devon cast a questioning glance at Kathleen.
She answered the twins directly. “I have already explained to Lord Trenear that as we are in strict mourning, we shall dine separately.”
The statement was met with a flurry of protests. “But Kathleen, it’s been so dull without any visitors —”
“We’ll behave perfectly, I promise —”
“They’re our cousins!”
“What harm would it do?”
Kathleen felt a twinge of regret, knowing that the girls were eager for any kind of diversion. However, this was the man who intended to cast them out of the only home they had ever known. And his brother, Weston, from all appearances, was already half in his cups. A pair of rakes was unsuitable company for innocent girls, particularly when the girls themselves could not be trusted to conduct themselves with restraint. No good could come of it.
“I’m afraid not,” she said firmly. “We will allow the earl and his brother to dine in peace.”
“But Kathleen,” Cassandra pleaded, “we’ve had no amusement for so long.”
“Of course you haven’t,” Kathleen said, steeling herself against a stab of guilt. “People aren’t supposed to have amusements when they’re in mourning.”
The twins fell silent, glowering at her.
Devon broke the tension by asking Cassandra lightly, “Permission to go ashore, Captain?”
“Aye,” came the sullen reply, “you and the wench can leave by way of the plank.”
Kathleen frowned. “Kindly do not refer to me as a wench, Cassandra.”
“It’s better than ‘bilge rat,’” Pandora said in a surly tone. “Which is the term I would have used.”
After giving her a chiding glance, Kathleen returned to the graveled walk, with Devon by her side. “Well?” she asked after a moment. “Aren’t you going to criticize as well?”
“I can’t think of anything to add to ‘bilge rat.
”
”