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In her peripheral vision Lottie watched Guy stiffen at the insult and just knew that he was going to say something in her defense.

While that gave her some hope that he might forgive her eventually if she persisted, she did not want him to cause any more of a scene, so instead shot him a warning look before she set her focus back on the target.

Picturing Lady Lynette’s face on it, she pulled back the string and let the arrow fly.

It missed the bull’s-eye by a whisker.

Pleased with her own grace under fire, Lottie grinned at her achievement and could not resist a little gloat at Lady Lynette as she sauntered from the field. “I cannot wait to watch you beat that, Robin Hood.”

Guy had no blasted idea why his mother had decided an archery tournament was the perfect way to while away an afternoon.

He had shown no interest in the sport since he’d turned thirteen, when he had discovered horses and girls, and he wasn’t entirely sure that giving a bunch of title-hungry debutantes weapons was wise.

The competition was certainly bringing out the worst in some of them but fortunately, his mother had decreed that he be a referee rather than a participant in this ridiculous battle.

That suited Guy just fine as it allowed him to put fifty feet of distance between him and the debutantes as he needed to be stationed near the target.

Unfortunately, that also meant that the ladies used it as a blatant opportunity to parade their wares in front of him, which, as well as bloody awkward, was not without its danger.

Several arrows had come too close to comfort thanks to the firer of them focusing too hard on him while they flirted with their eyes from afar rather than the target.

But keeping extra vigilant was a small price to pay for not having to listen to them all, and watching them all fight for his favor was occasionally entertaining.

It was also good for his poor, bruised ego and he sincerely hoped it made Lottie a little bit jealous.

“This is the last round!” hollered his mother for the benefit of anyone who had lost track of this tedious game. “And it is still neck and neck.”

Being the last round, the two team captains stepped forward.

Lady Lynette was one of them and, for reasons best known to his mother, Lottie was the other.

A decision that had made the awful Lady Lynette dislike her opponent all the more and which he wouldn’t have put past his dear mama to have made for her own amusement.

“Oh, for the love of God, can we get this over with?” Aunt Almeria practically screamed. “I’m bored stiff and want my tea.”

Some words were had between his mama and the team captains and then his mother shouted to him again. “To speed things up, the ladies are going to shoot all their arrows at once rather than alternating.”

Guy could not care less but nodded with what he hoped was enthusiasm while Lady Lynette positioned herself.

As it wasn’t her team’s turn to go first, he could only imagine she had done it to put Lottie in her place.

Lady Lynette clearly considered herself Lottie’s superior, which was laughable really when the Valkyrie superseded her in every possible way.

Looks aside, although it went without saying that Lottie was the most beautiful woman present, she was also cleverer, humbler, and much more interesting.

It was too bad that she had proved herself so untrustworthy, however, as she’d be quite the catch otherwise.

Lady Lynette fired off her five remaining arrows in quick succession.

All hit the target and all gave her a decent enough score that she gloated.

Lottie would need to match her on four and score a bull’s-eye with the fifth to beat her and, despite how disappointed he was in her, Guy found himself rooting for her regardless.

In case she noticed, he pretended to tot up the score while she prepared herself.

Watching her elegant, lithe rider’s body take her stance through hooded eyes instead.

“That girl has severe delusions of grandeur.” He had been so engrossed in staring at Lottie that he hadn’t noticed Lady Lynette’s approach. “I shall take great pleasure in knocking her down a peg or two in defeat.”

Guy let his expression show how much he disapproved of that petty statement. “I happen to like Miss Travers.” A lie because he was pretty certain he loved her. At least enough that just looking at her now hurt.

“Perhaps you are not as good a judge of character as I.” Lady Lynette patted her ringlets. Tight, stiff, artificial curls that were no match for Lottie’s natural, tousled locks. “But your generosity of spirit to your aunt’s companion does you credit. One should always be kind to the servants.”

Guy felt his teeth gnash but swallowed any sort of pithy response lest Lady Lynette work out that he was compelled to defend her honor because Lottie meant something to him.

But he did take great pleasure in watching Lottie’s first arrow hit the bull’s-eye.

“Now Miss Travers only has to match your last four shots to win.”

“Hmm.” The tight disdain pulling at Lady Lynette’s features made her look ugly as Lottie’s second arrow did indeed match.

Proof, he supposed, that beauty was only skin deep as her rancid interior was poking through.

“We’ll see.” Then she forced a smile. “If you don’t mind, I would rather not waste this precious time that we finally have alone talking about her. Why don’t we talk about you?”

“Me?” He did not mean to sound incredulous, but thus far, all he had ever heard this pompous deb talk about was herself. “I’d rather not. I am not the least bit interesting.”

“ Au contraire, my dear Lord Wennington, for I find you fascinating.” To his horror, she brushed her hand down his arm, lingering as her index finger caressed the back of his hand. “Fascinating enough that I have quite forgotten all about the other two suitors who are vying for me back in town.”

Guy’s pulse ratcheted several notches in panic but before he found a polite way to sidestep Lady Lynette’s obvious advances, an arrow whooshed past and thudded into the target with such force it shocked them both.

It was all the excuse he needed to briskly put some distance between them as he glanced Lottie’s way.

She was so outrageously nonchalant as she met his eyes, it was plain to him that she had done it on purpose.

While he hoped, pathetically, that she had done so out of jealousy, he was grateful for the timely intervention even if she hadn’t.

“Well done, Miss Travers,” he said while noting down her score.

“Two more like that and she’ll be victorious.

” Another arrow whooshed past and he enjoyed correcting himself.

“Make that one. This is the decisive shot.” Guy had hoped he had made it plain that he was on Team Lottie, and he was in more ways than one, but Lady Lynette had skin as thick as an elephant.

She closed the distance and touched his sleeve again. “I just want you to know, that if you were to throw your hat into the ring, I wouldn’t be averse to your suit, my lord.”

“I… er…” From fifty yards away, Miss Maybury’s braying laugh startled him again and he jumped. “Bloody hell!” But as his head whipped around to the noise it became clear that she had also startled Lottie, who screamed. He had no idea why until he saw it. Whizzing directly toward him at speed.

Guy threw himself backward as the arrow whistled mere inches above his head, so close it was a wonder it didn’t part his hair before he landed with a thud on his arse. Airborne and winded for the second time thanks to Lottie—but this time in front of an audience.