A Noble Pair of Brothers (The Underwood Mysteries Book 1) Read Free

your own would renew your faith in human nature?”  Gilbert knew he was taking a risk speaking thus to a brother who was private in the extreme about all such matters, but he was frustrated by years of skirting round an awkward subject and decided, on a whim, to call his brother’s attention to it.
    Underwood, still fending him off, shuddered delicately, “Gil, I pray you, have a little compassion!  Have I not suffered enough without your foisting a family upon me?”
    Whilst this conversation was progressing, they had traversed the village street, passed the church and were approaching the front door of the vicarage.  The vicar lifted the latch then heaved his shoulder against the old oak door and burst unceremoniously into the gloomy hallway, “I think you take an unnecessarily dim view of matrimony,”  he said rather breathlessly, but as though nothing untoward had occurred to interrupt the flow of conversation.
    Mr. Underwood was bemused and raised a quizzical brow, but made no mention of this odd method of entry, merely following his brother into the house, “I notice that whilst you advocate the institution, you have thus far managed to avoid committing yourself!”
    The vicar chose to ignore this remark and led the way into the drawing room,
    “Make yourself at home.  I shall go and see if Mrs. Selby has managed to salvage your meal.”
     
     
    *

CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    (“Lapis Linguae” - A slip of the tongue)
     
     
     
    Charlotte, having been annoyed by missing out on an introduction to the newcomer, and being unaccustomed to having her desires thwarted, took it into her head to decide that the vicar and Miss Chapell had indeed been mocking her and sulked all the way back to the house.
    The governess tried not to be irritated, but having received several curt and ill-mannered answers to her queries, she finally snapped, “Oh, for goodness sake, Charlotte, what has put you in such a pet?”
    “You and Mr Underwood, if you must know,” said Charlotte pertly, “Your behavior was disgraceful! I shall tell papa that you were flirting with him, then where shall you be?  Out on the street without a reference, that’s where!”
    Miss Chapell was well used to Charlotte’s vanity and self-importance, but she had never yet been on the receiving end of one of her moods and she was shocked for a moment by the vitriol in the younger woman’s tone.  She did not quite know which of the several injustices to deal with first. 
    “I was not flirting and nor was he,” she replied at last, feeling that this was the more vital item to refute, both for her own sake and the vicar’s, “We merely shared a joke and you are cross because you did not understand it!  I therefore suggest that instead of causing trouble for others, you instantly rectify your deplorable lack of education and go at once to the library and find a dictionary, which will tell you the meaning of the word hypochondria.”
    “That’s put you in your place, Charlotte,” said Isobel, who had also been snubbed by her older sister twice, when she had made perfectly innocuous and pleasant observations on their journey home.
    “Oh, be quiet, you odious little toad-eater,” sneered Charlotte and went indoors with her pretty face marred by a bad-tempered pout.
    “Oh dear,” sighed Miss Chapell, “I do wish I had not lost my temper with her.  Now we are in for a week at least of the sullens!”
    “Don’t worry, Miss Chapell,” said Isobel kindly, “I’ll go to the kitchen and ask cook to make her favourite dessert, that will put her back in a good mood.  You know what a greedy thing she is.”
    Miss Chapell smiled and touched her youngest charge gently on the cheek, “If only everyone was as sweet as you, dear Isobel, life would be much easier to bear!” she said and went upstairs to take off her outdoor boots and her cape.
    In the sanctuary of her bedroom Verity sank onto the edge of the bed with a sigh.  She was mentally and