Page 48 of Disguised Desires of a Scarred Duke
When Lord and Lady Charter appeared on the small stage at the back of the ballroom, a hush fell over the excited crowd.
“Good evening, our honoured guests! It’s been a pleasure sharing this week with you in our new home!” Lord Charter yelled to be heard, but his tone was that of a giddy young boy about to open holiday gifts. Then he turned to Lucy and took her hand. “My dear, would you like to share our surprise?”
Lucy nodded and smiled as her husband kissed her palm. “I would indeed, dear husband! We are thrilled to announce that we are hosting a scavenger hunt over the next two days and hope you will all participate!”
Cheers rang out from the many guests, though there were a few muted groans in the mix of voices. When William looked behind him, there were four older gentlemen propped against the wall, looking far from amused. He chuckled and thought he probably understood those men more than most of the people in this room.
The duke had never been part of a scavenger hunt before, but that was on purpose. He had far better things to do, including possibly enjoying a drink with his fellow curmudgeons over by the wall.
But the excited look on Eleanor’s face made him think twice about trying to get out of it. Maybe this activity would find them getting even closer if they were able to share it together.
“Our scavenger hunt theme is Summer Magic! We have hidden many different items throughout the estate and the gardens, but nothing in any private rooms. Each page of riddles and clues we will provide is unique from the others, which means that no two scavenger hunts are exactly alike. What you are trying to find will be different than those around you! We will play the game in small groups that we form together tonight,” Lady Charter said.
William felt someone tap him on the shoulder and knew instantly that Edward had found him in the crowd. He grinned when his friend whispered an ultimatum in his ear.
“If you don’t make sure that Regina and I are in your group, I will never speak to you again.” Edward chuckled as William turned around.
“Well, I don’t know, Montrose. I guess it all depends on whether or not I want to actuallywinthe scavenger hunt. I do not have much confidence in your ability to sniff out a clue.” William chuckled in return and gave his best friend’s back a friendly smack.
Eleanor giggled from his left and told both men to be quiet, so they didn’t miss any important details for the game.
“We have ten individual scavenger hunts, so ten pages of riddles to hand out. Please put your groups together now and then send your team leader up to collect your scavenger hunt clue sheet!” Lucy shouted above the voices starting to rise in volume again.
“Please look for Regina, Mr Black!” Eleanor shouted over the rumbling of what must have been nearly fifty guests in the ballroom. Fortunately, Regina’s auburn hair was easy to spot. They soon had her tucked in with their group amidst the many bodies around them.
Much to Edward’s joy and relief, I’m sure.
William, being the tallest in their group, had the advantage when tasked with finding the Earl of St Coeur and his betrothed, Sarah Miller. Once all of their party had been found and pulled together, they designated Eleanor as their team leader.
The duke watched his love weave through the crowd only to be stopped by Cecil Phillips a few feet from the stage.
William damn near pounced like a lion in their direction, but Edward saw it too and held his friend back.
“He can’t do anything untoward in this room full of people, Will. And Lady Eleanor has been taking care of herself around this man long before you came along. If he makes even the slightest gesture of ill will towards her, you and I both will tear him apart.”
Edward stayed close to William’s side as both men watched Cecil and Eleanor speak briefly before she turned away and moved forward. The duke could feel his friend breathe a sigh of relief at the same time he did.
There would be no hesitation in protecting Eleanor, crowd or not. But the fact that they didn’t have to do so saved them all from a very uncomfortable night.
When Eleanor returned with her page of riddles, it was all William could do to keep from demanding to know what Cecil had said. Luckily, Regina beat him to it.
“What did Mr Phillips say to you, Eleanor?” Regina asked with fear evident in her big blue eyes.
“He asked me if I would apologize to you, Regina, and hoped that you could forgive him for his unfortunate behaviour.” Eleanor appeared confused by the exchange. “I’m glad the man is apologizing, as he should. But it doesn’t make any sense that he’s having a change of heart now.”
“That man has no heart, Lady Eleanor,” William said with more of a harsh tone than he intended. “He is up to something. His apologies aren’t real; I can promise you that.”
Eleanor patted William’s arm like one would do with a friend. She smiled with her lips, but her eyes darkened. “Yes, we agree on that, Mr Black. Cecil Phillips isn’t the kind of man to apologize, much less feel remorse. But I accepted his apology all the same and am grateful to hear it, false or not. Besides, if I play along, we might soon get to the bottom of what’s motivating this odd behaviour.”
William grunted under his breath and pulled his eyes away from Eleanor’s. He hoped she knew what she was doing by letting Cecil Phillips continue talking to her at all.
A bell rang from the stage, where Lord and Lady Charter were attempting to get everyone’s attention again.
“All of the scavenger hunt clues have been handed out! We begin tomorrow after breakfast, but enjoy reading through your riddles tonight! Now, please join us for some evening refreshment before calling it a night,” Lucy shouted.
Applause rang out as servers with trays walked through the crowd with glasses of champagne and other drinks, along with small servings of custard with summer berries.
It was all very festive, but William’s mood had soured since Cecil Phillips had inserted himself into Eleanor’s path once again.
