Page 74 of Rakes & Reticules
“Yes, it is also possible. But that would mean the person purposely entered my bedchamber to leave it for me. You will realize the notion is preposterous once you read it.”
He took a moment to peruse the note, and then grinned. “Why Amelia, you have a secret admirer. This is a love letter.”
She blushed. “So you see, it must be a mistake.”
“Why must you deny the obvious? Someone likes you.”
She shook her head with vehemence. “Forgive me, Your Grace. But there is not a man here who has ever given me the time of day. This is either a jest designed to make a laughingstock of me, or it is an entirely innocent error by a love-struck swain who chose the wrong reticule. So, I think I must find out who has a reticule similar to mine, for that is the young lady who is meant to receive this letter, assuming it is not a jest.”
He frowned lightly. “I don’t know why you insist on diminishing yourself. You are as pretty as any of the young ladies here. In fact, far prettier.”
She glanced up at him in surprise. “You really do not need to flatter me. I know my looks are decent, but they are not thetonideal of beauty. So I doubt I was the object of this gentleman’s affection. Do you think you might help me discover the identity of the sender? Or the intended recipient?”
He nodded. “All right.”
She smiled in relief. “Thank you. Perhaps you might discreetly ask your gentleman friends if any of them wrote it.”
“I will, after the scavenger hunt.” He tucked the note into his pocket. “My uncle is handing out the clues for each team. Are you ready...partner?”
She laughed.
Amelia knew she was the envy of every young lady at the house party. The duke had let it be known he was partnering her at the request of her aunt, but she knew it was not true. First of all, Rosie assured her that she had made no such request.
Nor did the duke appear to be someone who could be pushed into agreeing to anything he did not wish to do. In all likelihood, he had selected her because she was safe. Unlike most of the other young ladies present, she was not going to pain his ears with inane chatter or plot to have him compromise her.
She did not mind being in the company of the handsomest man at this party. When he stood close, she caught the subtle scent of sandalwood on his skin.
Yes, this man was divine to all her senses and made her heart flutter.
She supposed this was every young lady’s response to him.
“Each team has a different set of clues,” Lord Danvers intoned, regaining her attention as he set out the rules, “so do not think to follow each other. You have until four o’clock to return to this parlor. The team with the most items gathered wins. Anyone returning after four o’clock shall be disqualified immediately. The items are planted on this estate and throughout the village of Marston, but nowhere beyond. I hope you ladies have on sturdy walking boots.”
Each pair of scavenger hunters received a basket into which they were to put the items they collected. They also received ten written clues, each set down on folded sheets of paper that were numbered from one to ten. There was a twist to each clue because it was posed in the form of a riddle to be solved.
If they could not solve the riddle, they would not find the item to be collected.
“What is the prize for the winning team?” someone called out from the crowd.
The gentlemen participating were all bachelors and they had each been paired with an unmarried young lady. It came as no surprise to Amelia that the lady who won was to be rewarded with a kiss from the duke. The gentleman who won was to be rewarded with a kiss from any young lady of his choosing.
Dorothea cast a gloating smile as several gentlemen declared their desire to kiss her.
None of them expressed the slightest desire to kiss Amelia, not that she cared in the least. As far as Amelia was concerned, those gentlemen were welcome to thetondiamond.
“Are we really going to play this game to win, Your Grace?” she asked as each couple started off on their quest. “After all, you are not only our host but the scavenger hunt prize.”
“We are absolutely going to play to win. I have no idea what the clues say or where my uncle planted the items, so it is a fair game for all of us. Do you not wish to win?”
She laughed. “So I may claim a kiss from you? That will really upset the other young ladies. First to have you as my partner and then to have your kiss? They will come after me with hatchets and daggers.”
He arched an eyebrow and took her by the hand to lead her onto the terrace. “We certainly will not win if we stand here chattering. Let’s read our first clue.”
Amelia removed the folded square of paper marked with the number one from their basket and read it aloud. “I am slow to approach, but quick to pass. Once passed, I can never be reclaimed.” She pursed her lips and gave a moment’s thought. The distant church bells happened to ring at that moment to signal the eleven o’clock hour. “Oh, how silly of me. This is a reference to time. Slow to approach. Quick to pass. One can never reclaim the past.”
“Well done, Amelia. There is a clock tower in the village. Let’s see what we can find there.”
They walked to the nearby village of Marston under a cloudless blue sky and a warming sun. The breeze was light and held the trace of a chill, but Amelia had worn her pelisse so she was quite comfortable as they strolled down the lane.
