Page 29 of Enticing the Devil

There was a quick flutter of dark lashes over her swirling gaze as she blinked then looked down to focus her attention on the scroll still held in her hands. Her modest breasts lifted and pressed against her bodice before she gave a series of short and shallow nods.

“Of course. I understand,” she replied.

But he wasn’t sure she did. And suddenly, he felt like a raging arse. She’d done nothing to deserve his harsh words even if they weren’t directed at her specifically. He knew he should apologize, but his temper was still too high and words of contrition never came easily to him.

As he stared down at her bent head, noting how the light breeze stirred the faint wisps of hair that curved against her temple and along her nape, he felt a sudden rise of urgency in his blood. It took all of his will to resist the compulsion to brush the backs of his fingers up the side of her throat to see if her skin felt as soft as it looked.

“Shall we take a look at the list?” she asked in an obvious attempt at redirecting their focus to the far less volatile topic of the scavenger hunt.

He cleared his throat, but his voice was still unnaturally rough as he replied, “What’s the first item?”

“We’re looking for something that possesses an edge sharp enough to score glass while giving its wearer divine ability.”

Beynon scowled. “Are all the clues phrased in riddles?”

“At least they haven’t been forced into awkward rhymes,” she replied. Then her chin came up and triumph lit her features. “Ice skates. The blades score the ice and allow a person to walk on water, albeit frozen water,” she added with a lift of one shoulder.

“I saw a large collection of them in the boathouse,” he noted.

Her eyes sparkled as she met his gaze and her smile, though subtle, forced the breath from his lungs as if he’d been punched in the stomach. His temper was gone in a second to be replaced by something decidedly more dangerous.

“Well done, Mr. Thomas. Let’s go.”

Chapter Eleven

They managed to collect all twenty items within their allotted time, though they did have to return to the house more than once to register what they’d collected to that point before heading out again. After seeing other couples going about with large baskets or sacks—one couple even passed by with a wheelbarrow—Anne initially worried their lack of foresight in arranging something similar might cost them the win. But by the time they’d finished, she was simply grateful to be done.

The boots she’d worn were terribly new and hadn’t been properly worn in yet, which caused several areas of friction that had quickly become painful blisters. She’d managed to bite her tongue and keep a steady pace while they’d completed the scavenger hunt, but when she retired to her room before the midday meal, she breathed a deep sigh once as she removed the stiff leather shoes.

Though the lighter slippers she changed into didn’t cause nearly as much pain, they still rubbed against a few of the raw spots. If she’d had time, she’d have soaked her feet and properly wrapped them to avoid further discomfort. But lunch was only to be served for a short while longer, and after skipping breakfast, she was starving.

Caring for the small wounds would have to wait until later.

Unfortunately, after lunch, she ran into Angelique, who insisted on engaging Anne in a lengthy discussion on the varying qualities of wool obtained from the different breeds of sheep. Though Anne had no experience with the topic, Angelique apparently had a wealth of knowledge and continued the conversation far longer than Anne would have believed possible.

Having known the dowager countess since her debut season considering the elderly lady had served as Lily’s chaperone, Anne was quite familiar with Angelique’s eccentricities, which included occasions when the lady seemed a bit disconnected from reality. The elderly woman’s flights of fancy were quite harmless, so it was best to humor the kind and brazen old woman. Something Anne was always happy to do since such conversations tended to be far more interesting than most.

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