“That’s exactly what you were doing.”
“You two sound like children,” her sister Ailsa said as she walked into the room and stared at his bare feet. Then her gaze took in his missing neck cloth, waistcoat, and jacket. It was as if she were seeing a naked man standing before her.
Caillen grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her back toward the door. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“What is she doing in my house?” He asked while grabbing his waistcoat.
“He’s naked!” Ailsa screeched.
Simon winced at the noise. “I’m not naked.”
“Naked!” Charlotte yammered.
“He’s not naked,” Caillen said at the same time.
He had been naked, two hours ago.
“Then how could I see his neck and toes?”
“I’m not nakednow,” he qualified as he pulled on his coat. “Bloody hell, that hurts.”
“You’re cursing isn’t helping matters,” Caillen snapped.
“It’s not proper to talk like that in front of a lady, Astley.” Ailsa lectured with one hip jutting out. Her Nordic blond hair was piled upon the top of her head in an elaborate style, and she wore a pale blue gown of the latest fashion, unlike Caillen’s gown.
“Are you my governess?” His sarcasm was getting the best of him.
“She is acting as governess to the girls and Sébastien.”
“Blast. That’s all I need. Another potential victim wandering around in my house. Ailsa’s the children’s tutor?”
“At short notice, yes. She is the best I could find,” Caillen stated.
Ailsa’s back straightened as she turned toward her sister, who still blocked her view of him tying his cravat. “That’s hardly a glowing recommendation.”
“You haven’t been doing the job but a minute,” Caillen said.
“If you spent an hour with those three, you’d know I’m bloody good at my job.”
“Ailsa!” They said in unison.
He caught the grin on Caillen’s face before she hid it.
“You two are like mother and father.”
Caillen turned to her sister with the most horrified expression he’d ever seen on her face. With everything she had been through, he didn’t take that as a good sign.
“Don’t say that!” She exclaimed.
“Why not?”
Caillen turned Ailsa back toward the door. “Because it’s not true.”
“But it is.”
She shot back. “Our parents never argued.”
“Where do you think we learned to debate?” Ailsa asked.
