Sherbrooke Twins

“Hmmm,” said Corrie’s future mother-in-law. “She has a point, James. I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way. You know, the same was true of your father and me, only he was ten years older than I, and he knew ever so much more than I did and-”

“I don’t think you should revisit the past, Alex,” Douglas said. “You might not remember things in the way they actually happened.”

“Well, that’s certainly something good about getting older.” She smiled at her sons. “One does soften things a bit through the haze of years. James, if you like, I can fetch Corrie and bring her back here.”

“No, thank you, Mother. Since I’m feeling more fit this morning, I think I’ll take Corrie riding in the park. But first, I must write an a

“And,” Jason said, rising, “I am off to meet with several of our friends. None of them had news the other night, as you well know, but I understand from Peter Marmot that we’re going to meet a fellow down in Covent Gardens. Supposedly he spoke about this Cadoudal fellow. There’s probably nothing to it, but you never know.” Jason fiddled with his napkin a moment, then said, his voice lowered, “Actually it was James who was supposed to go with Peter, but I don’t think he’s completely well yet; at least I don’t want him to risk himself again so soon.”

“I’ll come with you,” Douglas said, and threw down his napkin.

“No, Father, we’ve discussed this. We all believe strongly that you need to stay close to home for the next couple of days. The man who had James kidnapped must know now that he failed. I know he’ll be coming up with something else very soon. Please, sir, let us see what we can find out.”

“If you get yourself injured, Jason,” said his father, “I will be very upset.”

“Just don’t tell James about this. He’s liable to try to throw me into a wall.”

“If you get yourself hurt, I’ll throw you into a wall,” Douglas said.

Jason gave him a cocky smile, leaned down to kiss his mother’s cheek, and walked out of the breakfast room, whistling.

“Young men believe they’re immortal,” Douglas said. “It scares the hell out of me.”

Young men? Alexandra thought about how her husband had gone off late one night in Rouen, quite alone, whistling, in fact, to visit with some ruffians who operated within the shadows of the flying buttresses of the cathedral. However, having been married for twenty-seven years, she didn’t say a word.

CORRIE WAS CHEWING on her thumbnail, looking out over the long, narrow park across the street from Uncle Simon’s town house on Great Little Street, wondering what she was to do. Climb aboard a ship bound for Boston-a strange-sounding name for a city-in the wilds of America? Or, and this was more likely, just fold her tent and walk down the aisle, James at her side. And, truth be told, what was so wrong with that? When he’d kissed her, she wanted to fling him to the floor and pin him down. She groaned aloud, echoes of those absolutely amazing feelings that had sunk into the deepest parts of her, those feelings that had made her soar into the heavens the instant his mouth had touched hers, still rumbling inside her. She shivered at the memory of those little sparkles of lust.

Corrie shook her head at herself, then saw a young lady walking across the park, coming this way. It was Miss Judith McCrae, and so very beautiful she was. Maybe even as beautiful as Miss Juliette Lorimer, who’d lost James, and wasn’t that just too bad?

At least if Corrie married James, he wouldn’t end up with an awful wife like Juliette, who wouldn’t appreciate how smart he was, how very clever and witty he was, who would whine if she had to lie atop a small hill and look up at the stars whilst James was peering through his telescope at the Andromeda constellation in the northern sky. Juliette would probably think that Andromeda was a new perfume from France.

Corrie sighed. When he’d slid his tongue in her mouth, a million stars had exploded in her head, Andromeda probably among them, and she knew that stars were only the begi

Judith McCrae was nearly at the front door. What did she want? She barely knew the girl, knew only that she’d been flirting with Jason. She rose, shook out her skirts, and waited for Tamerlane, Uncle Simon’s London butler, to a

He stood in the open drawing room doorway, cleared his throat, and trumpeted, “Miss Judith McCrae of the Irish McCraes in Waterford begs to be allowed to see Miss Corrie Tybourne-Barrett.”

Corrie heard a female giggle, and was that a choked laugh from Tamerlane? Then here came Miss McCrae walking gracefully into the drawing room, a big smile on her face, knowing she’d charmed with that clever introduction. Corrie smiled back at her, charmed indeed.

“How very delightful to see you, Miss Tybourne-Barrett. I understand from my Aunt Arbuckle that you and James Sherbrooke are to be married.”

Corrie grunted.

“Do you think we’ll be related?”

This was frank speaking, indeed. And vastly clever, so clever that you didn’t want to smack her, you wanted to laugh, so that meant Miss McCrae was a very smart girl. Corrie said, “No, Miss McCrae, James and I have not decided to get married, so I’d say it looks bleak, our being related. Would you like some tea?”

“Please, call me Judith. I’d taken your grunt for a yes. I think Lord Hammersmith is a very persistent man, possibly as persistent as his brother. Persistent is a very nice way of saying that they are both stubborn as goats. But who knows? I am very persistent as well. Jason needs me, you know, just as Lord Hammersmith needs you.”

“Miss McCrae-”

“Call me Judith,” this said with a su

“I know, I sometimes do the same thing, particularly when something very deep inside me recognizes that I can trust another person.”

Corrie cast about for someone she’d known who was even a little bit like this young lady, but she couldn’t. Judith appeared to be unique.

“I didn’t realize you knew Jason so well.”

“Not well at all yet, but I do know that I want him rather desperately. I have never seen a more lovely man in all my life, but you know-that’s not all that important, now is it?”

Corrie saw James quite clearly in her mind, and slowly, she shook her head. “No, I suppose it isn’t, except when one simply wants to look at him, and sigh with pleasure.”

“Yes, indeed. It makes my toes tingle to think of it. Now, I must make Jason realize that he wants me as desperately. What with the threat on his father’s life, however, it makes it difficult to snag his attention. He is distracted.”

“I would be too if someone were trying to kill my father.” The way Corrie had snagged James’s attention was to save him, then nurse him, perhaps not a preferred method of attracting a gentleman.

Uncle Simon walked into the room, his beautiful eyes focused on something only he could see, probably some blasted leaf he was creating in his mind that hadn’t yet been invented by Nature.

“Uncle Simon, this is Miss Judith McCrae.”

“Huh? Oh, you’re not alone, Corrie.” He blinked his thick lashes over his lovely eyes and bowed. “Miss McCrae, how very charming you appear to be. Naturally, one never really knows another, particularly when one has just met, don’t you agree?”