Sherbrooke Twins

places often?”

Jason said, “No, not since we were young.” Actually not since James wanted to prove to him that Ann Redfern wanted him and not Jason, and so traded places and found himself in the barn with a naked girl, and Jason outside the stall door. However, to this day, neither of them really figured out who Ann preferred for the simple reason that she couldn’t tell them apart.

“If I had an identical twin, I should practice until I could have fooled our mother.”

Jason laughed. “Sorry, Miss McCrae, no matter how hard you tried, you would never fool our mother.”

“Or our grandmother, who is so old that she shouldn’t have such sharp eyes anymore, but she does.”

Judith looked at them once again. “A challenge,” she said. “I have always loved challenges. I believe I can see one in the making.” Judith turned to Corrie. “Are you a twin as well?”

“Oh no,” Corrie said, staring at the exquisite girl with her porcelain skin and those brilliant black eyes and wondered if she saw a bucket of cream she’d even know what to do with it. As for her bosom, she was well- endowed very likely without using stays to hoist her up. “I’m just me.”

“Thank God,” James said. “Two of you would drive me mad.”

“James, I will see you at home,” Jason said, smiled at Corrie as if she was still someone he couldn’t quite place, and waltzed away.

James stood staring after him a moment before he turned, looking thoughtful, and said, “The waltz is ending. No, Corrie, not a third waltz. It wouldn’t do your reputation any good.”

“Whatever do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t you read the deportment book my mother, er, Jason gave you for your birthday?”

“I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the Racine plays. You know, James, the birthday present you gave to me, with all the lovely pictures. You know, the pictures I could look at if my brain ached from all those big French words?”

“Naturally I remember. It was thoughtfully selected for you. Now listen to me, brat. You don’t dance more than two dances with a gentleman or you’re nearly as good as engaged.”

“But it wasn’t two dances, at least two full dances. Jason interrupted the last third. Can’t we dance the first third of the next one?”

James shook his head.

“But why? How silly that sounds. You’re a good dancer, the best of all my gentlemen tonight. You’re perhaps even more accomplished than Devlin, maybe. I wouldn’t mind dancing with you all evening.”

“Thank you, but it isn’t done even though I’ve known you forever, and you’re very nearly my sister.”

She felt the punch of those careless words and sighed. She touched her fingers to his cravat again, pushing it this way and that. “That’s it then. Very well, if you’re not available, then I’ll dance with Devlin. I wonder where he is.” She looked up at him. “Uncle Simon is really keen on me finding a husband now. The dear man really doesn’t want to come back to London in the spring for another come-out. He says one month should be enough to do the trick.”

“Look, Corrie, it’s not really possible so don’t think you’re a failure if you’re not standing in front of a vicar by the end of the month, this poor sod you’ve yet to meet shackled to your side. An offer now, I suppose that’s possible. At least you’re looking fine now, so there should be some unattached young gentleman ready to leap into your cage.”

“That’s an interesting image. James, what do you think of when you think about the jewel of Arabie?”

“The jewel of Arabie? What the devil is a jewel of Arabie?”

“I think it’s a magnificent diamond that everyone coveted over the years.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

“Well, perhaps nothing at all if you fail to see any obvious comparisons.”

“Listen to me, Corrie. Don’t dance with Devlin Monroe. I strongly advise you to avoid him.”

“He looks like a vampire until he smiles, then he is quite nice-looking indeed.”

“Vampire? Devlin? Oh, you mean his pallor.” James looked thoughtful, rubbed his chin. “Yes, he’s known for his pallor. A vampire? Come to think of it, perhaps, I haven’t ever seen him during the day.”

“Really? Oh goodness, James, mayhap-oh, you sod, you’re teasing me.”

“Of course I’m teasing you, Corrie. But Devlin-listen to me now-he’s got a reputation for being involved in very different sorts of things-”

“What kind of different sorts of things?”

“You don’t need to know that. Just obey me and you’ll be all right.”

“Obey you? You?” She threw back her head and laughed, just couldn’t help it, and many female heads turned to see the source of that laughter-if they weren’t looking already, their focus James, naturally.

“I nearly raised you. Yes, pay attention to me. I’m older, I’ve had more experience, and most important, I’m a man, and thus I know about other men and their base-well, never mind that. Just avoid Devlin Monroe.”

“Base what? You mean wicked? You’re saying that Devlin Monroe is wicked? Doesn’t it take a man many years and a lot of concentration to attain true wickedness? Devlin is young. How can he possibly be wicked?”

James wanted to take that lovely white neck he’d never seen before, he’d swear to that, between his hands and gently slide his fingers around that neck and squeeze.

“I didn’t say he was wicked. He likes different sorts of things.”

“Well, so do I. Is this what experience gains you, James? Wickedness?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous. Forget Devlin. Now, I see Kellard Reems speaking to your Aunt Maybella. He is quite unexceptional. Dance with him. If he ogles your breas-your bosom-tell me and I’ll kick his teeth down his throat.”

She whispered, nearly choking, “Men say breasts?”

“Forget that.”

But she wasn’t about to forget it. Corrie was staring down at herself with new eyes. “It’s, well, so very unambiguous, that word.”

“Yes, that’s true. Men tend to be unambiguous and straightforward, unlike ladies, who must sugarcoat everything with lace and frills and outlandish words, like bosom.”

“Breasts,” she repeated slowly, fully tasting that wicked word, and James grabbed her arms and gave her a shake, anything to wipe that thoughtful look off her face. “Listen to me, Corrie, you don’t want to be saying that, particularly in front of a man. Do you understand me? A man might-very well, he will of a certainty get the wrong impression about your virtue and dwell upon activities you might share with him. It’s bosom, Corrie. That’s it. Do you promise?”

“Ah, there’s Devlin the vampire. Look at that very nice smile of his. White teeth against that white face of his and those really dark eyes-just like Judith McCrae’s eyes, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t think.”

“Yes, all dark and snapping and-I think I’ll ask him what he’s doing at midnight, and offer him my neck.”

He remembered his hand pounding down on her bottom that day. That hand flexed, fingers tingled.

She left him, not even a nod of gratitude that he’d given her valuable advice. No, she’d walked off, fanning herself, because he’d danced her into the floor and she’d loved it. At least she hadn’t given him one of her patented sneers that made him want to rub her face in the mud.

James stood there, frowning, until he felt some fingers on his sleeve and turned to see Miss Milner fluttering her eyelashes at him. He sighed, only a very brief sigh because he was a gentleman, turned, and dredged up a smile.

As for Jason, he danced Miss Judith McCrae toward the huge glass doors that gave onto the Ranleagh balcony and gardens below, and pictured her naked.

She was laughing up at him. What had he said that was amusing? He couldn’t seem to remember. Yes, he pictured her laughing, and naked.

He slowed because the waltz was coming to an end. “Tell me how long you’ll be in London.”

“Aunt Arbuckle wants to return to Cornwall by Christmas.”

“Do you have brothers? Sisters?”

She paused, then said finally with a smile, “Well, I have a cousin. He owns a stud farm called The Coombes near Waterford.”