Alice smiled. “Oh, yes. I would love that.”
I remained silent until we stepped onto the lawn. “This is unbelievable,” I finally said, wrapping my arms around myself.
Daniel nodded. “I had not thought to ever see him again.”
“It makes no sense. Why would Lord Williams do this?”
“Perhaps he is as determined to live a life of misery as you are,” Daniel said.
I ignored the comment. The situation had all the appearance of a cruel joke. I could hardly stand to be in the same room with this man. How was I to endure his visit—or worse, marriage? I would never be able to do it. “What am I going to do?”
“Well, to begin with, you’re going to ignore me for a moment.” Daniel stretched his hand forward and tugged at the side of my hair.
I wrenched away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Retrieving this.” He held up a blade of grass.
My hand flew to my head. “That was in my hair?”
He nodded.
I glanced up at the window to the baron’s room in mortification. The curtains were drawn, but I could easily imagine him in his room laughing at me. “What a perfect day.” It certainly could not get worse.
“A little competition will ease your anxiety,” Daniel said.
I trudged after him to our playing spot across the lawn. “Margaret,” Alice said tentatively, “would you like to deliver the jack?”
I looked at her in surprise. She always tossed the little white ball that then became the target of the larger ones. Lawn bowls was her favorite game.
My surprise turned to chagrin. I shouldn’t have allowed my feelings of the moment to overrun my sense of decorum. My father had been correct. I had shown a want of character and, worse, I had done so in front of Alice. No matter how abhorrent the circumstance, my reaction was inexcusable. “No. You do it. I assume Daniel and I are on a team?”
She nodded, then bent in concentration and tossed the jack. It landed a bit closer than usual, but she stood with a smile.
“Alice, would you like your turn first or last?” Daniel asked.
She picked up one of her balls. “First.”
“I cannot imagine a worse situation.” I spoke quietly enough that Alice wouldn’t overhear.
“Oh, come, Margaret. The situation isn’t that bad.”
“How is it not?”
“The baron’s not an unpleasant-looking fellow, is he? He isn’t old. And he doesn’t smell.”
“I could more easily wear a clothespin on my nose than abide Lord Williams’s presence for days on end.”
Alice’s ball landed some distance from the jack. “Bad luck, Alice,” Daniel said loudly. He picked up one of our balls. “You don’t mean that. And, though you don’t agree, he is a better choice than Mr. Northam.”
“The two are not even comparable.”
Daniel tossed the ball. He hit Alice’s, knocking it farther from the jack. “Looks like your luck is taking a turn for the worse, Alice.” He turned to me. “Sorry, you’ll have to fix that.” He gestured toward Alice’s ball. “But you are correct, they are not comparable. No matter how he acts toward you, Lord Williams is a far better match for you.”
“How is an arrogant, unintelligent, rash baron a good match for anyone?” Alice picked up her next ball, and I decided to watch, for if her toss landed poorly, I would need to fix that as well.
Daniel glanced at me and straightened. “Margaret—”
“No, Daniel. I’m serious. I can’t imagine Mr. Northam ever walking out on a lady’s performance.”
If only Mr. Northam had proposed at the Hickmores’.
“Margaret!” Daniel hissed.
“Fine. Don’t relent. But I’m not giving up on him. Mr. Northam is perfect. Everything I want. He is handsome, engaging, and much too intelligent to ever—”
“My lord, would you care to join us?” Daniel cut in.
I rolled my eyes. There was no way I was falling for that jest. “Really, Daniel. Can you think of nothing better than that?”
“I wouldn’t care to intrude on a private game.” The deep voice came from directly behind me, and a faint scent of mild cologne and saddle oil wafted in the air.
My face flamed with embarrassment. I hadn’t been speaking loudly, but it was very probable the baron had overheard my speech.
“Your company would be welcomed,” Daniel replied.
I had to make some effort. I had promised my father. Without turning, I said, “Yes, please join us.”
Daniel smirked at my efforts at civility. “As you can see, my lord, our teams are unequal. Alice, would you mind Lord Williams joining your team?”
“Oh.” Alice’s face reddened and she looked down at the ground. “I would be delighted.”
I shot Daniel a glare for placing our sister in such an awkward position, one she couldn’t refuse without being rude. “Alice, if you would feel more comfortable with Daniel or—”
“No,” she said quickly, looking up at me. “It’s all right.”
It shouldn’t be all right. She should not have been paired with a stranger, especially not with the baron. But if I said anything more I would appear ill-mannered, and Lord Williams had already claimed that description for himself.
“It is our turn now, my lord,” Alice said, “but since you’ve just arrived, you can take your turn after Margaret to gauge her skill. It may give you some advantage.”
“A very good idea,” Lord Williams agreed.
I moved to the starting point. Daniel and I would have to clean up the baron’s mistakes as well as Alice’s misshots. I was not going to allow his presence to keep Alice from winning. I angled the ball and tossed. It raced wide, then curved and knocked both the jack and Daniel’s ball. Though Daniel’s was now farther away, Alice and I were tied.
“An unfortunate delivery,” the baron said, stepping next to me with a ball in his hands.
He was referring to the game, of course, but I couldn’t help thinking that his appearance was, indeed, unfortunate. “Quite.” While pretending to assess the play, I quietly continued, “Do not distress yourself on your game, my lord. Just try your best. Daniel and I will fix any poor shots to ensure Alice wins—and now, by default, you as well.” I turned and took up my position beside Daniel.
“That was a poor shot, Margaret,” Alice said. “You knocked Daniel’s ball away. I’m sure you would have won if you hadn’t done that.”
I nodded my head. “Fate certainly seems to be stacked against me today.”
The baron’s tossed ball settled between mine and the jack. It was a good shot. A very good shot. And a difficult one. An amazing stroke of good luck.
Daniel didn’t share my belief about it being luck. “Well done, my lord. It appears, Margaret, that you may actually have a bit of real competition.”
“Are you very accomplished at bowls, then, Miss Brinton?” Lord Williams stepped back to join our little group.
His question was surely meant to mock, since no woman of culture would claim a sport among her refined talents, even if she was skilled at it. Besides, I couldn’t be honest with Alice listening. “I do not believe bowls would be listed among my accomplishments.”