Page 21 of The Duke's Stubborn Wallflower
“You need not worry on that front, good sir,” Olivia’s voice called from behind them. “It is hard to disappoint when expectations are already so low.”
Nigel turned his head to find Olivia smiling wickedly at him. He knew that he should find her barb hurtful, but oddly, he found it quite enjoyable.What on earth is wrong with me?“Well, I do love a challenge.”
Olivia laughed. “Do you indeed?”
“What man doesn’t?” Nigel grinned.
“I can think of a few,” Olivia replied. “Though if you would like a challenge, I think I can find it in my heart to grant you one.”
“But surely you have already granted me such a challenge, good lady.” Nigel kept half an eye on Jane, still standing in her way as he teased Olivia. “Unless, of course, you are holding back?”
“I would never behave so dishonourably.” Olivia shook her head though Nigel spotted a familiar mischief in her eyes. “Though, I think it is high time I give you yet another challenge. What do you think, Jane?”
“Oh, I am quite sure you should,” Jane agreed. “It seems to me that the Duke might appreciate a tour of the rest of the gardens.”
“A tour of the —” Nigel began confused, but then he saw the flash of blue by Olivia’s feet.
Too late, Nigel saw the truth of Olivia’s plans. In his efforts to distract Jane from her shot, he had left his own ball completely unattended. Olivia stood with her mallet raised.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Nigel’s eyes widened.
“Oh, wouldn’t I?” Olivia swung her mallet, and Nigel’s ball flew from the alley, down the garden, and under a bush.
Cursing, Nigel moved which then allowed Jane to take her own shot. As he raced towards his ball, he was dimly aware of a playful shout behind him but did not turn to investigate the source of the commotion. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lord Briston head in the opposite direction.
“Clearly, they have got to my cousin as well. I had not expected them to collude like this!” Nigel murmured under his breath as he knelt near the bush that he had seen his ball disappear under. “Now where has that dratted ball got to?”
Normally, a game of pall mall would be constrained to the alley, but this was clearly not to be. Nigel had to admit that he much preferred this unrestrained and wide-ranging course.
“Having trouble?” an amused voice said behind him.
Nigel extricated himself from the bush and looked up at the smiling figure of Olivia. “Trouble? Oh! You mean the little trick you played with my ball?”
“It was no trick, just honest unsportsman-like behaviour.” Olivia’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Do you not mean unsportswoman-like behaviour?” Nigel asked as he spotted his ball on the other side of the bush. “Though you are quite possibly the most competitive person I have ever met.”
“I shall take that as a compliment. Besides, when you have Alexander for a brother, you cannot help but be competitive.” Olivia gave Nigel a mocking bow.
“Are you here simply to gloat? Or have you fallen victim to someone else’s unsporting behaviour?” Nigel lined up his shot; he was so far from the main alley that he decided his best hopewas to hit the ball as hard as he could and get it as close as possible.
“Why not both?” Olivia glanced around. “Jane may have misdirected my ball with her own, and I’m fairly certain it came in this direction.”
“Well, I have seen no sign of it.” Nigel took his shot and watched as his own ball sailed away. “Though I do not suppose you would expect me to tell you if I had.”
“Of course not, besides I would not trust a single word you said.” Olivia’s smile undercut the barb of her words.
It is clear that she delights in winning.“Nor should you.” Nigel grinned. “After that little caper, there is no way on God’s good green Earth that I will allow you to win.”
Olivia laughed. “Bold of you to think you could ‘allow’ me to do anything.”
“Perhaps, though of the two of us, I am the only one who knows where their ball is.” Nigel made to move away from Olivia in pursuit of his ball when something yellow caught his eye.That is Olivia’s ball!
She had also seen it. At the same time, they lunged towards it, but Nigel got there first. He went to hit the ball with his mallet, only to find that he couldn’t.What on Earth is it caught on?
“Not so fast, dear Duke.” Olivia had used her own mallet to lock his into place.
“You are rather strong for someone so slight.” Nigel tried to tug his mallet free. “I confess it is rather a surprise.”
