Page 73 of The Viscount Who Vexed Me

“Andhetoldmeabout a horse race on the beach in Spain. I don’t know, but I feel like it’s going very well.”

Hattie’s heart sank a little. He hadn’t told her about a horse race in Spain. But what was she thinking? She’d hoped he would take interest in Flora. If he was going to marry someone, it should be her.

“What should I say next? We’re all playing croquet.”

“We all...?”

“I wish I had your talent for it. You know me, knocking the balls hither and yon.” She laughed.

“You’ll do well, I’m sure of it.”

“And there is lawn bowling. He might ask me to bowl with him. Remind me how to play?”

How lovely for Flora. And now Hattie would very much like to hurl a ball at the stone wall. “It’s easy—you just roll the ball toward the smaller one.”

“But what should I say?” Flora asked. “You know him so well.”

“I don’t,” Hattie insisted. She was beginning to believe she didn’t know him at all. All the things she’d imagined she knew... Did she really?

“Hattie,” Flora whined. “Don’t fail me now.”

Failher? She’d done everything she possibly could to prepare her! She had bolstered her confidence, told her what to talk about! “Compliment him,” she said. The good Lord knew that her father responded to flattery. “Mention that he’s naturally athletic and how strong he is when he strikes his ball.”

“Compliments,” Flora repeated solemnly. “What else?”

Could she really think ofnothingto say to that beautiful man? “Admire his intellect. Or his prowess when determining which shot to make.”

Flora was nodding along. “I knew you’d think of something,” she said. “Now if only your brother doesn’t interfere,” she added with a roll of her eyes.

“My brother?” Hattie frowned with confusion. “He won’t. He can hardly abide these gatherings.”

Flora blinked. “Really?”

She couldn’t really be concerned about Daniel. Hattie shrugged. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t interfere.”

“I don’t think you can.”

“Oh, I can,” Hattie assured her.

And yet, Flora’s smile seemed doubtful. “Thank you, Hattie.”

Hattie did as she promised. As the teams were being picked and she saw Daniel lurking around Flora, she enlisted the unwitting help of the ten-year-old Marley twins. She knew of twin boys, knew how persuadable and ridiculous they could be. And she knew they’d respond to a challenge.

She bet one of them that he couldn’t reach a particular hedge where Daniel was standing before the other one. The two boys bolted before she even got the words out. Daniel was confused by the sudden rush of boys and didn’t know which way to move. One of the boys slammed into him, the other one reached the end and shouted, “Free!”

Daniel tried not to curse, but it was beyond his ability to control. Lord Iddesleigh, alarmed by the language, drew Daniel away to have a word. And amid it all, Flora was teamed with the viscount and Lady Mabel was teamed with Sir Richard Canton, a wealthy bachelor.

Other teams were selected until there were no more mallets. No one glanced in Hattie’s direction. No one asked if she would like to play or offered to partner with her. She was hardly surprised. She leaned against a post, her arms folded, her disposition turning darker. As the game progressed, and the players laughed and carried on, she moved farther away, into the shade. She wished she’d worn something lighter, like muslin. And the hat! She felt as if she was wearing a beaver pelt on her head, she was so hot. She was considering she’d never been quite so miserable in all her life when a croquet ball came skidding across the grass and stopped at her foot.

She looked up to see who had such a spectacularly bad shot, and who should come striding along, a mallet resting on his shoulder, but Teo. He’d discarded his coat and neck cloth and looked very much at home. When he saw her standing there, he stopped walking and looked at her with surprise.

Neither of them spoke at first.

“Miss Woodchurch,” he said.

“My lord.”

He glanced over his shoulder, and seeing no one, came closer. “I had hoped for an opportunity to speak to you today.”