“All right.” Charlotte accepted the knife Claus handed her and paid close attention while he showed her how to hold it and the exact angle at which to throw it. Standing behind a white chalk line ten feet from a post marked by hundreds of other attempts, Charlotte gave it her best.
The blade flew through the air, struck the post with a muted clack before tumbling onto the floor. Well, that was disappointing. As an expert shot she’d rather thought this skill would come naturally to her. “I’d like to try again.”
“It took me at least thirty turns before I got it right,” Daisy told her encouragingly when Charlotte still failed to make the blade stick.
“Don’t pacify me,” Charlotte told her, trying to focus on holding the knife by its handle just so with her palm flat against the blade and…
It bounced off the post and landed on top of a table.
“Here,” Blayne’s deep voice spoke near her left shoulder. “Allow me to show ye how it’s done.”
He took the knife from Claus and waited for him to get out of the way before placing the knife in Charlotte’s hand. “The first thing ye need to do is change yer stance and learn how to move. Now then…” He patted her left hip as if doing so was perfectly normal. “Angle yerself so the target’s slightly to yer side. Lean back on yer right leg as if ye’re mid-stride, just a wee bit more. Aye, like that. That’s perfect. Now raise the knife in yer hand.” He curled her fingers around the lower part of the handle, positioning her index finger along the top of the blade. “Make sure it’s horizontal with yer target throughout the throw, take a big step forward with yer right foot, and throw the knife as hard as ye can. Like this.”
Releasing her, he stepped to the side and gave her a quick demonstration of what he meant. “It’s important to follow through and to make yer movement as fluid as possible. Ready?”
She gave him a nod and positioned herself as he had instructed. After testing the movement a couple of times, she released the knife with a forceful throw and watched it splice the air with arrow sharp precision before sinking into the wood.
A laugh bubbled up inside her. Daisy clapped and Claus whooped while Blayne pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Right there for all the world to see. And Charlotte didn’t mind it one bit.
“Well done, lass.” Blayne grinned at her with something that looked a lot like pride mixed with some sort of feeling she couldn’t quite place. Before she had a chance to discern it, he withdrew and went to collect the knife. “I knew ye had it in ye. Now practice a few more times and then we’ll have a wee competition.”
Charlotte’s throws improved with each attempt she made, but the blade didn’t always stick the way it seemed to do for Claus and Blayne. In the end, the two men were declared the victors while Charlotte came second just one point ahead of Daisy.
“I think I’m going to set up a throwing range in the garden as soon as we get home,” Charlotte told Daisy while they enjoyed the tea and shortbread biscuits they’d forgotten to have earlier. “We’ll work on honing our skills at this sport together.”
“That’d be fun, miss.”
Charlotte sipped her tea while following Blayne with her eyes. He’d been called to the front of the tavern a few minutes earlier in order to handle a fresh delivery of wine. Claus had gone with him and along with a few other Black Swan employees, they unloaded crates from a cart and carried them to the store room.
“We’ll beat them next time. Won’t we, Daisy?”
“Next time?”
Charlotte gave her maid a broad smile and jutted her chin in Claus’s direction. “There must be a next time. Don’t you think?”
Daisy’s cheeks began turning pink. “I’d like that, miss.”
“Even though it’s not very proper and we really shouldn’t be here,” Charlotte teased.
“I’m a terrible chaperone, miss. Your father would have my head if he knew what I let you get up to.”
“In that case, we’ll have to make sure he never finds out. Won’t we?”
If Daisy gave an answer, Charlotte failed to hear it with Blayne now making his way back over, his eyes fixed directly upon her.
“How’s the tea?” he asked once he’d reached the corner in which they sat.
“Excellent.”
He gave her a slow smile – the sort that turned her bones to jelly. “Good.”
“I’ll just, um…” Daisy slid out of her seat and wandered toward the front where Claus was quick to intercept her. Charlotte was glad. Daisy was young and deserved to experience a bit of romance, which wasn’t something servants had much time for.
Blayne dropped into the vacant chair behind her and scooted closer. His hand came around her shoulders and then his mouth was suddenly on her neck, just as brazenly as when he’d kissed her earlier in front of Claus and Daisy. Sparks ignited in Charlotte’s belly, fanning outward until desire sprang to life once more.
“You shouldn’t,” she gasped even as she leaned a bit closer and angled herself to give him more access.
“I know, but I cannae seem to stop myself. Ye’re temptation incarnate, Charlotte, and…” He pressed a deep kiss to the spot where her neck met her shoulder and slowly leaned back. “That Charles Cunningham novel ye mentioned earlier – the sequel to The Earl’s Secret Escapades. I was thinking we could go and buy it together. As long as ye dinnae have to rush home yet.”
“What about the fighters? Claus said you’d want to—”
“It’s nothing that cannae wait, lass.”
“Blayne. I…” She wasn’t sure what to say. Especially not with him looking at her with such hope in his eyes. “Haven’t I taken enough of your time already? You’re busy and I’ve made too many demands of you as it is.”
“This wouldnae be a demand, lass.”
No. It would be yet another chance for them to bond – to form a closer attachment by sharing a common interest. Much like the knife throwing, it would be an experience uniquely theirs, so different from the standard walks and social functions that generally served as backdrops for ton courtships.
Charlotte straightened and turned to face him. “I’ve told you I don’t want marriage.”
The words didn’t sound nearly as convincing as they once had.
He gave her a queer look. “I know. Several times. Most recently before ye seduced the hell out of me in my office.”
She couldn’t help but grin in response to his teasing tone even as her skin began burning. “I seduced you? I rather think it was the other way around.”
“Hmm…” His eyes darkened while his hand found her thigh underneath the table.
Charlotte sucked in a breath when he gently squeezed her. “What are you doing?”
“Putting ye slightly off balance while savoring yer responsiveness.” He chuckled and withdrew his hand. “It’s just a trip to the shops. Nothing more.”
“All right,” she said, even though she feared she was making the wrong decision. Not because she didn’t want to spend time with Blayne, but because of how much she wanted to stay in his company. Somehow, he’d started mattering to her. And she was beginning to worry that walking away from him wouldn’t be nearly as easy as she would need it to be.