Page 24 of The Duke and the Hellion Bride

“Run!” Josephine pushed her sister forward.

“I don’t think so!” Diana was quick to spread her arms and keep them from fleeing. “That is not how this game works! You’re cheating!”

Josephine came to a sudden halt. “Ch... cheating?”

“We are playing hide and seek, are we not?” Diana asked as if she was serious. “And I must admit, while you two are wonderful hiders, I am an expert seeker.” She shrugged. “You never stood a chance.”

“What is she talking about?” Adeline asked her older sister softly. “We are not playing – ow!” she yelped when Josephine pinched her.

“Yes, we are.” She widened her eyes at her little sister to keep quiet. “Which means...” She smiled conspiratorially, as if she was in on it. “... that we get to hide again. And you cannot peek!”

To this, Diana laughed. “I do not think so.”

“But you just said --!”

“I know what I said,” she cut the little girl off. “I also know that as I am the one who found you, I have won. Perhaps tomorrow, you will do a better job of hiding because really, this is not a very good spot.” She winked. “If you are lucky, I might even teach you how to hide so that nobody will ever find you.”

Josephine narrowed her eyes. “Why would you do such a thing?”

“Why would I not? Miss Brooks might not like it when you hide like this, but I think it is fun. Don’t you?”

She could see how confused the two girls were. Could they trust her? Was she trying to trick them? They had no idea what to think, which Diana counted as a good thing.

“Now, seeing as I found you, I get to decide what we do next. Is that fair?”

Josephine still had her eyes narrowed. “Maybe...”

“There is no maybe about it. I am the winner and as the winner, I think it would be fun if we...” She shrugged. “Found Miss Brooks so we might continue in today’s reading lessons.”

Josephine’s eyes went wide. “I was right! You are tricking us! Miss Brooks sent you to find us!”

“Should we run?” Adeline whispered to her sister.

“You could try it,” Diana said, making sure to block the way. “But I am very fast.” She pumped her eyebrows and pulled a face and Adeline, only eight, could not help but giggle. “Believe me, I would love nothing more than to play with you all day, but Miss Brooks scares me also. And if I do not send you back...” She shuddered. “I do not know what she would do.”

Josephine did not look convinced. “She does not. And if you do wish to play more, all you need do is tell her.”

“Ah, yes, that is true. But life is not all games, and sometimes we must study even if we do not want to.”

“But --”

“How about this.” Diana held up a finger to silence the two girls. “Return with Miss Brooks now and spend the rest of the morning in study. If you do that without causing a fuss, we can continue to play hide and seek for the rest of the afternoon. Although it is as I said, I am an expert at this game and neither of you two stand a chance.” She winked and pulled another face.

It was working... sort of.

Adeline was clearly amused by Diana, and she crept out from behind her older sister as if to show that she was happy with this compromise. But Josephine was distrustful and still she narrowed her eyes at Diana.

“You are trying to trick us again.”

“I promise you, I am not.” She held her hand over her chest. “I swear that come a few hours' time, I will show the two of you what it means to hide so you will never be found.”

Slowly, she could see Josephine coming around to the idea. Strange that Diana wished so hard for the approval of a ten-year-old girl but she felt that if this worked then it would be a huge step forward in their relationship. And where it was not the sole reason, she was doing it... it did make her stomach flutter just a little to imagine how pleased the duke would be to hear of this.

“There you are!” Miss Brooks called from across the stable. “Girls! What is the meaning of this!” Miss Brooks stormed toward them.

“I found them,” Diana winked at the two girls and spun about to intercept Miss Brooks. “And now that I have, they have both agreed to come with you to study. In fact, they were insistent.”

Miss Brooks blinked. “They... they were?”

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