Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow Page B

and she turned. The crowd parted, and a dashing man stepped forward and came to her side. “As I’ve missed the afternoon games, I’d enjoy getting in a bit of sport.”
     
    Relief flooded Liliana, though she couldn’t place her rescuer. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him before. Definitely not since she’d been at Somerton Park.
     
    Like Stratford’s, his hair was as dark as night, but that’s where the similarities ended. His glittering green eyes were framed by long black lashes and had an exotic slant that reminded Liliana of a gypsy.
     
    He was taller than Stratford as well—taller and leaner, with a smile that flashed quickly, unlike Stratford’s slower, warmer one. Yet he didn’t make Liliana’s breath catch in her chest as Stratford did—a fact that deeply annoyed her.
     
    “If that meets your approval, mademoiselle?” the stranger asked, giving Liliana a slight bow.
     
    Liliana swallowed. “I’d be delighted, sir…?”
     
    The man straightened and laughed. “Stratford, don’t you think you should introduce the lady to her new champion?”
     
    Stratford’s face had gone stormy. “Miss Liliana Claremont, Lord Derick Aveline, heir to Viscount Scarsdale.”
     
    “A pleasure, Miss Claremont,” Aveline said. Liliana gave him a quick curtsy. “Now, shall we begin?” Aveline held his arm out to Liliana and, after securing her hand, took a step toward the field.
     
    “Not quite,” Stratford said, drawing Liliana’s gaze back to him. She and Aveline stopped walking. “We’ve yet to agree on the terms of the wager. What have you in mind, Miss Claremont?”
     
    Oh, dash it all. This had become enough of a scene. She couldn’t very well ask him to hand over any information he had about her father’s death, and she wanted nothing else from him.
     
    “I had nothing particular in mind,” she answered.
Other than to prove your chauvinistic views as nonsense.
     
    Stratford gave her a look that said wagers were a man’s pursuit as well. Drat him.
     
    “I’ve an idea,” Aveline interrupted. “It is my understanding that Stratford chose to champion you for the day, yes, Miss Claremont?”
     
    Liliana nodded.
     
    “And that you were to spend the rest of the evening and supper ball with him as escort?”
     
    She hadn’t known that part. Still, she nodded.
     
    “Well, as I am your champion now, should we win the wager, I propose that you spend the evening with me instead.”
     
    The wager sounded innocuous enough and would get her out from beneath Stratford’s watchful eye. “That would be preferable,” she said, knowing it insulted Stratford, but she was beyond caring. “If we should lose?”She looked over at Stratford, who stood rigid, the tic of a muscle evident in his jaw.
     
    “Then Miss Claremont spends the rest of the house party with me.”
     
    A gasp came from somewhere behind them.
     
    “Every breakfast, every luncheon, every supper and every activity.”
     
    What? Good heavens, this couldn’t be happening. “I don’t really think—”
     
    “That’s hardly equitable,” Aveline spoke over her, which annoyed her, yet he voiced the truth.
     
    “Be that as it may, that is my demand,” Stratford said, his voice hard.
     
    Aveline patted her hand where she gripped his forearm. “Then I must insist the same. Should we win,
I
shall escort Miss Claremont for the duration.”
     
    Absolutely not. She’d never be able to search, then. She must put a stop to this.
     
    “Done,” Stratford said, holding out his palm.
     
    Aveline reached out and shook Stratford’s outstretched hand.
     
    This was
her
wager, blast them! “Gentlem—”
     
    Aveline squeezed her arm and lowered his head. “Don’t make this worse than it is,” he whispered.
     
    Liliana slumped. He was right.
     
    “I don’t know what lies between you, but if you don’t wish to spend the next two weeks with Stratford, I suggest you make certain we win,” Aveline said, and turned