Page 27 of The Fearless Miss Dinah

The young men seemed pleased and shared a look between themselves.

“Very well,” the shorter one said. “Ask your three questions.”

“Which of you is Miles?” Henry asked in a dry tone.

Dinah elbowed him. “Don’t steal our fun.” She turned back to the twins, acutely aware of the entire room watching her. “First question, who’s better on horseback, Miles or Oliver?”

“Oliver,” both young men said in unison.

To their credit, neither gave any more away than that. Dinah had been sure Oliver, whichever one he was, would at least show a bit of his pride at being labeled as better than his twin. Perhaps she just hadn’t asked therightquestion.

“Second question,” she said, watching them even closer, “who’s more handsome, Miles or Oliver?”

Much to her surprise, they once more answered in unison. “Miles.”

Only, this time, she caught the sound of self-assurance in one voice, even as it mingled with the frustration coming from the other. The only problem was, the two young men’s voices sounded so much the same, she hadn’t been able to tell who had voiced the self-assurance and who had voiced the frustration.

Dinah pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes, and studied the two young men. They both just smiled back. Their smiles were so identical, they gave nothing away either.

“Very well.” Dinah drew herself up. She had one last card to play. It was a bit uncouth, so she’d hoped to avoid using it. But if there was anything that would get these boys to slip up and tell her who was who, it would be this. Though Dinah desperately wanted Henry’s family to like her, she found she simply couldn’t back down now, no matter the cost.

“Who’s better with the ladies?” Dinah asked, waggling her eyebrows.

There was the sound of one of the two older gentlemen choking on their brandy and David let out a slightly choked chuckle. Dinah didn’t dare look at Henry, partially because she was watching the twins too carefully, and partially because she wasn’t in all that big of a hurry to learn what her new husband thought of her brazen ways.

“Miles,” both young men said.

But this time—oh ho—thistime, the shorter one slipped. His lips ticked upward, and his eyes reflected the same self-assurance she’d heard moments ago.

She had them.

The taller of the two—Oliver—looked from Dinah to his twin, then punched the other young man hard on the back of his shoulder. “You gave it away, you bacon-brained idiot.”

The shorter one scowled up at his brother. “I did not.”

“I’m afraid you did,” Dinah said. “But I must say, I am very pleased to meet you, Miles.” She turned to the taller twin. “And you as well, Oliver.”

They both bowed, even while muttering insults at one another. Dinah hazarded a glance about the room. Mr. Thrup tipped his glass her way, as though saluting her success; Mr. Wilson still stared down at his brandy as though it alone was in the room; David’s expression had changed somehow, as though he were less certain now that he approved of her presence among his family; and Henry...Dinah turned and looked up at his face. He appeared as uptight and displeased as he had that first night she’d been taken by the smugglers. Was he truly so set against her meeting his family? Becomingpartof his family?

“We’ve all been agog to know,” Miles started, “how on earth did you get our cousin to agree to marry you?”

“He’s always been so bent on forever remaining a bachelor,” Oliver added.

Henry stiffened beside her. Had he not told them the details, then? If not, whathadhe told them?

“It is a bit of a story,” Dinah hedged.

“Then tell Miles and Oliver,” Mr. Thrup called from the other side of the room. “They’re the only two in this whole house who know how to appreciate a good story.”

She very well couldn’t tell them of the first time shesawHenry—that had been just after she’d been caught by the smugglers while he was acting as a spy among their ranks.

“It’s all exactly as I said before,” Henry interjected, probably sensing her uncertainty. “I met Dinah as she was out walking at night and offered to see her home. She’d fallen from her horse and was in a bit of a bad way.”

Yes, of course, the story they’d told when they’d first arrived back at her father’s townhouse. “Unfortunately, my father had company that night and when we arrived alone, together, and me in a state of dishevelment...” She shrugged the rest off as though it really were nothing more than a silly misunderstanding, one that hadn’t had disastrous, life-altering repercussions for them both. A part of her was glad, though, to have this piece of the conversation out of the way. It would have been far worse if they’d chosen to tiptoe around the topic for weeks instead.

Miles scrunched up his nose. “Ah, we were hoping it was something rather more entertaining than what Henry made it out to be.”

“Such as what?” Dinah said, almost too afraid to ask.

---