James walked into the drawing room to see Corrie nearly blue, she was trying so hard to stop laughing. Then he smelled the bread and heard his taste buds sing hallelujah. The famous Twyley Grange cinnamon bread, the recipe guarded closely for well nigh onto thirty years, and now they were here.
“Ah, James, is that you?” Simon asked, and quickly slid the platter, now holding only two slices, behind his back. “You’re looking quite well again, my boy. Not at all thin.”
“Yes, sir, I am nearly fit again, and quite on the plump side,” but his watering mouth wanted one of those slices, desperately. He forced himself to turn to the young lady who was trying to see that platter. James knew this was Miss McCrae, the young lady who’d managed to snag Jason’s attention a second time-which was amazing-and then even a third time, something no girl had managed before. She was licking her fingers now, humming with pleasure. James, who knew all about the immense power of the Twyley Grange cinnamon bread, said, “You’re right, sir, I’m a positive stoat. I’m not here to gorge on bread, although I would probably wish to, if I weren’t so fat. Actually, I’m here to take Corrie riding in the park.”
Corrie jumped to her feet, one eye on her uncle and the other on Judith McCrae, who was rising slowly, staring at James.
Uncle Simon swallowed and-it seemed like magic-another slice of bread seemed to appear in his hand and was fast moving toward his open mouth. “Take her,” Simon said, and bit down, nearly shuddering with delight. “Now. Before she tries to nab the last slice.”
“This is quite remarkable,” Judith said, her head cocked to one side, thick black curls nearly hitting her shoulder. “I’ve been told that you and Jason are quite identical, but here, up close, I don’t think you look a thing like your brother.”
“I myself have been told that,” James said. He took her hand, looked into those dark eyes of hers, and said, “You are Miss Judith McCrae, and I am James Sherbrooke. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Thank you,” Judith said. “I am pleasured as well.” She stared up into those incredible violet eyes. “Perhaps Jason is a bit taller than you are, my lord, and now that I am standing only three feet from you, I do believe Jason’s eyes are more violet than yours.”
“That is ridiculous, Judith,” Corrie shouted. “James has the most beautiful violet eyes in all of England, everyone has remarked upon that, and since Jason is said to be his exact twin, then how could you possibly believe that his eyes were more violet?”
“I suppose,” Judith said slowly, never looking away from James’s face, “that I could be wrong about the eyes. But Jason is taller, no doubt about that at all. And perhaps he is also broader in the shoulders.”
James burst into laughter. Corrie whirled around to frown at him. As for Miss McCrae, James knew that she was trying to keep a straight face.
But Corrie, still hooked on Miss McCrae’s line, leapt at that. “Broader in the shoulders? That is absurd, ridiculous! Even though James has been quite ill-nearly dead he was so ill-even so, his shoulders remained exactly the same, and that means he’s perfect. Look at him-I’ve never seen more perfect breadth in the shoulders in all my life! The idea that Jason’s-”
“Corrie,” James said, reaching out to touch her arm, “thank you for defending me, the obviously inferior twin. Now, Miss McCrae has nearly pulled your leg clean off. Let go of the bait now, Corrie.”
“But, she-”
“Let go.”
Corrie stared from Judith to James, reviewed Judith’s outrageous comments, her own responses, and felt like the village idiot. She said, looking down at her slippers, her voice soft, a bit sad, “I fear you might be right, Judith. I have been thinking, actually for some time now, that perhaps it is Jason I prefer, not James here, with his meager shoulders.”
“You may not have Jason! Do you hear me?”
Corrie looked up and grinned like Uncle Simon when he found a new leaf.
“Oh,” Judith said, gasping a bit, “I know when a table’s been turned on me, and this one just flattened me. That was excellent, Corrie. You got me right in the nose.”
Corrie was preening, James laughing, when Judith turned to Lord Ambrose and said, “And now, my lord, perhaps you would like to see the leaf I was unable to identify? Or James, I understand that you have an inquiring mind. Perhaps you would like to see my unidentified leaf?”
Simon jumped out of his seat, outraged. “Excuse me? What is this, Miss McCrae?” He waved the platter, that now held one lone slice in its center, at her, “You told me about the leaf, not anyone else, particularly James, who knows nothing at all about leaves, only what’s hanging about up in the heavens. Besides James is nearly out the door, to take Corrie riding. I wish to see that leaf, Miss McCrae.”
Judith grinned, fluttered her lashes at Simon, and said, “Perhaps if I could have that very last slice, sir, the leaf could be guaranteed to be yours.”
Simon looked at that slice, thought about the three he’d already consumed, thought about the unidentified leaf that might be the brother to the one he’d found in the park, looked back at the slice, and said, “Show James the leaf.” He ate the last slice, dusted his hands on his trousers, nodded to the three young people, and took himself off, humming.
“You, Judith, are quite amazing,” Corrie said. “Now we know what’s more important to Uncle Simon. I will have to tell Aunt Maybella.” She slanted a look at James. “Maybe on a honeymoon, eating cinnamon bread would be the activity of choice?”
He laughed. “Possibly. We’ll see, won’t we?”
They heard the front door open, heard Aunt Maybella’s voice suddenly ring out in outrage. “I smell it! Simon, where are you? You’ve eaten the entire loaf, haven’t you? I will hide that unidentified leaf of yours, you miserable loon, you’ll see! I want some cinnamon bread!”
“Let’s get out of here,” James said, and offered an arm to each young lady.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JAMES GAVE CORRIE a leg up. Once she’d settled herself on Darlene’s back, he mounted Bad Boy. “Both of them look like they’ve been eating your uncle’s cinnamon bread. They need more exercise, Corrie.”
Corrie only nodded. She was looking at Judith McCrae, who’d insisted on walking back to Lady Arbuckle’s house only two streets away. Since it was a sunny day for early October, James had agreed.