fire. She would give herself to this man. Soon their bodies would be even closer than this without a stitch of clothing between them. Feeling faint when he placed her feet on the ground, she shook herself, smoothed her skirts, and walked away to join the others.
Look calm. Nothing happened. Not yet.
Chapter Seventeen
‡
T he picnickers sat on blankets spread out on the ground, feasting on pheasant sandwiches, freshly baked bread and strawberries with cream. Kat curled her legs beneath her on a blanket with Maribel, Trig, and Rafe. Geoff was seated next to Jessica, looking rather enraptured with whatever she was blabbering on about.
Kat wished she could take the bowl of cream Jessica was dipping her strawberry into and stick her face in it, even though she had no cause to be jealous. Even if Jessica ended up being the next Duchess of Stamwell, Kat was going to get what she needed from him first. He’d already agreed to her proposition. It was a done deal.
“Ms. Dubois, which game do you think we should play this afternoon?” Rafe asked. Thankfully he didn’t seem to be holding a grudge against her, even though she’d given him a headache talking about the war last night. On the contrary, he seemed to be doing the opposite of holding a grudge, paying her particular attention. He must be trying to show her there were no hard feelings. Rafe apparently had a more generous spirit than his beast of a sister.
“Let’s see. Perhaps we could play Sardines. We have a large enough group it could be quite fun,” Kat answered.
“Sardines?” Sage asked. “Are we going fishing?”
“Don’t tell me that you, of all people, don’t know Sardines, Mr. Townsey. You are so playful,” Kat answered.
“I am heartened to know you think so fondly of me,” Sage answered, practically blushing at her compliment. He’d been staring at her through the entire picnic. She’d tried to pretend she didn’t notice, but every time she glanced up, he’d caught her eye. Hopefully, he didn’t think she was, in fact, staring at him.
Kat was starting to think perhaps her aunt’s advice had worked almost too well. A man hadn’t courted her in years and all of a sudden she put on one crimson dress and she’d captured the attention of more than one gentlemen. Then again, she really hadn’t bumped into very many eligible men cloistered in her house. Maybe this was normal.
“Sardines is a child’s game,” Maribel explained. “It’s almost the opposite of hide and go seek. One person hides and all of the others go in search of that person, but each individually. When someone finds the hider, they link their arms together and also hide. The game progresses until all except one person are linked together and hiding. The very last person loses and is the hider for the next round.”
“It’s quite fun,” Jessica chimed in, for once agreeing with Kat. “I would let you escort me as we search for the hiding person,” Jessica said softly to the duke as if the others couldn’t hear her.
Maribel leaned over to Kat and whispered, “Apparently she didn’t hear the part about each person looks individually .”
“Capital idea, Jessica,” Rafe said to his sister. “Instead of individuals we should go in pairs. It shall be safer. After all, I wouldn’t want my sister, or any of the other ladies, venturing into the woods and twisting an ankle.”
“Probably the best thing,” Geoff conceded.
“Wonderful,” Jessica said, pulling Geoff to his feet. “Then we shall be a pair.”
“Ms. Dubois, would you do me the honor of joining me?” Rafe asked.
“I’d be delighted to,” Kat said. Her answer was genuine. Although a part of her wished she were walking with Geoff, perhaps she would have another opportunity to ask Rafe about the war. This time she would be kind and not push him beyond his comfort level.
Trig instantly snatched up Maribel’s hand. “Trig, you don’t have to always protect me,” Maribel said, exasperated.
Look calm. Nothing happened. Not yet.
Chapter Seventeen
‡
T he picnickers sat on blankets spread out on the ground, feasting on pheasant sandwiches, freshly baked bread and strawberries with cream. Kat curled her legs beneath her on a blanket with Maribel, Trig, and Rafe. Geoff was seated next to Jessica, looking rather enraptured with whatever she was blabbering on about.
Kat wished she could take the bowl of cream Jessica was dipping her strawberry into and stick her face in it, even though she had no cause to be jealous. Even if Jessica ended up being the next Duchess of Stamwell, Kat was going to get what she needed from him first. He’d already agreed to her proposition. It was a done deal.
“Ms. Dubois, which game do you think we should play this afternoon?” Rafe asked. Thankfully he didn’t seem to be holding a grudge against her, even though she’d given him a headache talking about the war last night. On the contrary, he seemed to be doing the opposite of holding a grudge, paying her particular attention. He must be trying to show her there were no hard feelings. Rafe apparently had a more generous spirit than his beast of a sister.
“Let’s see. Perhaps we could play Sardines. We have a large enough group it could be quite fun,” Kat answered.
“Sardines?” Sage asked. “Are we going fishing?”
“Don’t tell me that you, of all people, don’t know Sardines, Mr. Townsey. You are so playful,” Kat answered.
“I am heartened to know you think so fondly of me,” Sage answered, practically blushing at her compliment. He’d been staring at her through the entire picnic. She’d tried to pretend she didn’t notice, but every time she glanced up, he’d caught her eye. Hopefully, he didn’t think she was, in fact, staring at him.
Kat was starting to think perhaps her aunt’s advice had worked almost too well. A man hadn’t courted her in years and all of a sudden she put on one crimson dress and she’d captured the attention of more than one gentlemen. Then again, she really hadn’t bumped into very many eligible men cloistered in her house. Maybe this was normal.
“Sardines is a child’s game,” Maribel explained. “It’s almost the opposite of hide and go seek. One person hides and all of the others go in search of that person, but each individually. When someone finds the hider, they link their arms together and also hide. The game progresses until all except one person are linked together and hiding. The very last person loses and is the hider for the next round.”
“It’s quite fun,” Jessica chimed in, for once agreeing with Kat. “I would let you escort me as we search for the hiding person,” Jessica said softly to the duke as if the others couldn’t hear her.
Maribel leaned over to Kat and whispered, “Apparently she didn’t hear the part about each person looks individually .”
“Capital idea, Jessica,” Rafe said to his sister. “Instead of individuals we should go in pairs. It shall be safer. After all, I wouldn’t want my sister, or any of the other ladies, venturing into the woods and twisting an ankle.”
“Probably the best thing,” Geoff conceded.
“Wonderful,” Jessica said, pulling Geoff to his feet. “Then we shall be a pair.”
“Ms. Dubois, would you do me the honor of joining me?” Rafe asked.
“I’d be delighted to,” Kat said. Her answer was genuine. Although a part of her wished she were walking with Geoff, perhaps she would have another opportunity to ask Rafe about the war. This time she would be kind and not push him beyond his comfort level.
Trig instantly snatched up Maribel’s hand. “Trig, you don’t have to always protect me,” Maribel said, exasperated.
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