Bram rather thought Miss Birdwhistle had a large brain inside that head of hers, and perhaps she’d not hidden that when she first stepped into society like some. Had her aunt not guided her on the correct way for a lady to behave?
“She was not terribly popular even back then, but she looked a great deal better than she does now. Can’t fathom why she’d want to look like that.”
Bram couldn’t either, unless something had forced her into hiding.
“Haldane was rather taken with her from memory. Of course, she’d never have been good enough for his mother. There was also that bet.”
“Bet?” He tensed.
“At our club. The betting book. Each year there is the debutante least likely to succeed.”
Christ, he remembered. The foolish bets they’d placed on anything that interested them.
“Haldane said he’d get a kiss from any woman of your choice. You refused to get involved, but the vote was taken by others, and Miss Birdwhistle was chosen.”
He couldn’t remember.Perhaps that was because he’d had a huge argument with his mother that season and packed his things and left England before the season ended.
“Haldane said he thought she’d be game.”
“For what?” Bram said. He and Jackson Haldane had history, and none of it good.
“A kiss.” Timms smirked.
“She is a lady, Timms,” Bram snapped. “Perhaps you should remember that. It may help you in your quest to actually get a woman to marry you for something other than your title.”
“Steady on. Just talking to you, old man. She can’t hear. Traveling appears to have made you uptight,” Timms said.
“No. It helped me to grow up,” Bram said. “I doubt her uncle would take kindly to you speaking of his niece in such an insulting way.”
Disgusted, Bram walked away without saying another word. Had Haldane tried to kiss Ivy Birdwhistle? The thought made him gnash his teeth.
“Why do you look like a thundercloud? Other than seeing your family again, of course.”
“I wondered if you’d arrived.” Bram greeted the only member of his family that he liked. His cousin David. Their ages were the same, and they had spent a great deal of time together in their youth.
“I only came because I heard the wanderer had returned. Your mother always sends us invitations to her parties, for all she does not like us overly.”
Bram hugged him hard, uncaring of who watched.
“Don’t take it to heart; she doesn’t like me either.”
“I am relieved.” David smiled that gentle smile he’d always had. “I have all your gifts on display for when any member of your immediate family visits so they may feel saddened that you did not send them anything.”
Tall, thin, with a balding head, David had married the woman he loved and settled in the country for a quiet life. They had four children, and Bram knew of no one happier. He and David had written letters to each other that caught up with him occasionally on his travels.
“So they have yet to see them?”
“I still hold out hope.” David smiled. “Are you competing?”
“Of course,” Bram said. “I must beat Malcolm.”
David snorted.
“We will catch up later,” Bram said. “Alone with a fine brandy.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
“I gather you left your family at home?”
