Page 11 of The Midnight Blizzard

Jack fidgeted with the paper, slightly embarrassed. “If I tell you, you can’t repeat it to anyone. Promise?”

“I promise.”

Slowly, Jack raised his hand to reveal the nameNoellewritten in one of the boxes. There was a checkmark on the first column, and when I raised my gaze to look at the column’s title, it saidAttractiveness.

“So, last night was just a beauty pageant?”

“I mean…initial attraction is a key part of any courtship. I knew you would pass easily.”

“See here, sir,” I teased. “That was a beauty competition for the prince’s benefit, not yours.”

“I still have eyes. What do you think I was scribbling notes for all evening?”

“I honestly had no idea. So the prince has you assessing each woman based on her beauty?”

“No, not exactly. That was up to the prince and the advisors who were dancing with everyone last night. If Stephen liked someone, he would kiss her hand after being introduced, and he would bow to anyone he wasn’t interested in.”

The knowledge that I’d been dancedwith solely so a man could get a close-up look at my physical appearance gave me a slightly uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. “That’s unsettling.”

“I know. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but that was what the committee came up with.”

“So, who passed me?” I scanned the list of advisors.

“I did.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t judge.”

“But I’m the one with the paper,” Jack said wickedly.

“What, so I wasn’t supposed to pass?”

“No, that wasn’t it,” he admitted grudgingly. “The prince kissed your hand and the others recommended you to pass as well. But I would have fought for you to stay if they’d tried to make you leave.” After looking around to make sure no one else had entered the library, he went on, “There wouldn’t be enough time to look for the will if you left now.”

“Thank you. I can’t believe how much you’ve done for me already. When would you be free for that ice skating lesson? I still need to pay you back for helping me. Or do you get the lucky duty of sending girls home?”

“I could try for tonight after the ball,” Jack told me. “And I’m not in charge of dismissing the girls who didn’t pass. That is Octavius’s job today, and I think he quite enjoys it. So, I’ll be available late this evening.”

“Perfect.” A thought popped into my head. “Do you know if my stepsisters Vallia and Vanessa passed?”

He scanned his notes. “Yes, they both did.” He grimaced slightly. “I know there is tension between you and them, but the prince and advisors found both of them very attractive.”

There was a slight lurch in the area behind my sternum, and I fidgeted with the quill, moodily inserting the tip intothe melted candle wax then scraping it off again. “You think so too?” I asked.

“They aren’t my type,” he told me firmly.

The knot in my abdomen loosened. “How about my friend Trista? She has red hair and wore a green dress. Did she pass?”

Jack winced. “No, she didn’t. I’m so sorry.”

“She’ll be thrilled. She’s madly in love with the blacksmith’s apprentice and was hoping to be dismissed.”

Jack chortled. “That does explain a lot. Both advisors who danced with her said her manners were…lacking.”

“Quite on purpose. She’s not normally like that.” I set the quill back down, wishing I had an excuse to stay longer. “Can I help you with anything?”

“This part only I can do,” Jack said, going back to his notes. “But I appreciate the offer.”

“I’ll feed your dogs for you before I come back here to research, then. I’d take them for a run, but I don’t know how to hook up the rigging.”

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