Page 27 of One Scandal Too Many
“Third rule,” he said. “If you want to be...” He paused. “How shall I put this?” Declan tapped his chin and grinned. “Competitive. Yes, that’s a good word. You may hit an opponent’s ball with yours if you near it and knock it off course. If that should happen, that person will have to go back to the beginning and restart the game.”
Melisande laughed. “Now this will be more than humdrum. I like it.”
He would have to keep an eye on that one. She would also definitely make a good companion for Kendal and his black heart. Declan shook his head. “Now for points. Because it isn’t just about reaching the end first.” He grinned. “You get bonus points for knocking a player back to the beginning. A particularly difficult shot will gain you an extra two points. But each successful shot through a ring will give you one point. The person with the most points at the end wins.” Declan turned toward the two chaperones. “Do you two mind keeping score? That way we can ensure no player cheats.”
Miss Abernathy grinned. “It would be my pleasure, my lord.” The other chaperone, Miss Spencer, nodded in agreement.
“Now,” he began. “For the beginning, we will pair off by colors.” He pulled out a piece of parchment from the inner pocket of his waistcoat. He had written paired colors together, fully intending to swap with someone if needed to make sure Charlotte was with him. Luckily, he didn’t need to go that far. “Black and white go first, and are together.”
Melisande and Kendal glanced at each other. Somehow this worked out brilliantly. He had no way of knowing who would pick what color, so it was interesting that the pairs he thought would be good together ended up by each other’s side. “Greenand red go second, purple and orange third, and finally, blue and yellow.”
Georgina grinned as she walked over toward Foxmoore. Those two were pleased to be together. Jaclyn and Amberwood glared at each other. There was definitely a story there, and one day he would ask the duke. Charlotte nibbled on her bottom lip and met his eyes. Suspicion clouded her gaze. She fully believed he had orchestrated this outcome, and he would have if necessary, but he would show her the paper. Then she would have to rethink whatever entered her mind.
He motioned to Melisande and Kendal. “You decide between you who will go first. As I said, the goal is to get your ball through each ring.”
Charlotte wandered over to his side. He didn’t say anything to her as they watched Melisande and Kendal. He offered for her to go first, but she narrowed her gaze and shook her head. She wanted him to go first. Declan didn’t know why, exactly. Perhaps she was not certain how to strike the ball with her mallet?
“He’s going to regret this,” Charlotte said in a soft tone. “I don’t know her well,” she began, “but what I do know is that she has a deviousness to her. It is one of the reasons she is at Havenwood.”
“Don’t worry about Kendal,” he told her. “That Scotsman is shrewd. He’ll be quite capable of meeting her every move.”
Kendal played his ball. He struck it with skill and accuracy, and it flew toward the first ring, but stopped short of rolling through it. If Melisande had hoped to knock him out, that would be difficult to do. Her best bet would be to hit it hard enough to send both of their balls through the ring. She didn’t try that, though. She studied the ball and then hit it so it stopped short of actually hitting his ball. What did she hope to gain there? He wouldn’t even try to understand her motivation.
Georgina and Foxmoore were next. Unlike Melisande, Georgina didn’t mind going first. She hit her ball, but it didn’t go far. Melisande laughed. “Wonderful strike,” she told Georgina, who flushed pink. Declan thought Melisande rude, but then she went over and hugged Georgina. “Truly,” she told the girl. “Be brave and next time hit it harder. I’m happy for you.” She grinned. “You were not afraid to hit it.”
All right, perhaps Melisande wasn’t as awful as he believed...
Foxmoore hit his ball, and it sent Georgina’s flying forward closer to the ring. He was trying to help the girl out. Jaclyn and Amberwood were next. Jaclyn hit her ball, and it struck Foxmoore’s and halted. At this rate, they would all be crowding around the first ring. Kendal’s was still the closest. Amberwood hit his ball, and it smashed into the center of all the balls, sending them skittering around the field. Kendal’s inched closer to the ring but still had not gone through.
“It’s your turn, darling,” Declan told Charlotte.
She shook her head. “I’m not good at this sort of game.”
“No one is, really,” he told her. “Just try.”
She sighed and lined up the mallet so she could hit her ball. It went flying through the air and landed right in front of Kendal’s. Charlotte flushed pink. “That is not actually what I was trying to do.”
“But does it matter?” Declan chuckled. “The outcome is in your favor.”
He lined up his mallet and struck his ball. It smashed into her ball and sent hers, along with Kendal’s, through the ring. Unfortunately, that meant Charlotte and Kendal would be working toward the next ring and she might leave him behind.
Kendal took aim at his ball and sent it toward the next ring. Melisande didn’t aim for the ring. She instead hit her ball so that it sent Charlotte’s off course and far off field.
Charlotte wriggled her nose in displeasure. “Was that necessary? It makes us both start over.”
Melisande grinned. “I thought so.”
“You would,” Charlotte told her. She grumbled and went after her ball, Melisande not far behind her.
They continued their play until Charlotte finally caught up with him. He had played terribly to give her a chance at being by his side.
“You’re not actually horrid at this game are you?” Charlotte asked.
He shrugged. “It’s been years since I’ve played.” Declan met her gaze. The game had gone as well as he’d intended. He had time with Charlotte that was not encumbered by idle chitchat with the other guests, and he’d had her mostly to himself. There was only one issue with the lawn billiards and those endearing moments he’d had with her—they had not been truly alone. Declan had developed a craving for Charlotte he could not deny. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until their breaths mingled. If she allowed it, he’d do more than merely kiss her senseless. Though these were things he could not do with the prying eyes of his guests. He would need her alone and willing to share those delectable kisses with him. He’d held off this pursuit for the sake of her reputation, but he could not resist asking her for those stolen moments now. “Meet me in the garden again tonight.”
She shook her head. “I cannot.”
“Please,” he begged. He had to convince her that she needed to have that time alone with him. Declan would do anything to have her in his garden again. It had become the one place he could truly be alone with her.
