“If she did not stab me in my sleep.” Blake shuddered.
“I thought you two had turned a corner?” Nigel inclined his head towards Blake.
“If you mean that we seem less at one another’s throats, might I remind you that it is at Glassbury and his fiancée’s request that we are both here? And that we are not supposed to fight like cats and dogs.”No matter how much fun it is.
“That did not stop you before,” Richard pointed out.
“We have not been at one another’s throats that much.” Blake shifted from foot to foot.
“Of late, no. But I had thought you were simply avoiding each other,” Richard said. “Although, you do not seem to be doing a good job of it.”
Before Blake could ask his friend exactly what he meant, the door to the drawing room burst open, and Emily, Jane, and Cressida strode in.
“We are bored,” Emily explained as she grabbed a book from the shelf and sat down. “So we decided to come and see what you were all doing.”
“If you’ve come here for entertainment, I’d say you are in for disappointment.”
“I am glad to see you know your limits, Your Grace. You see, Emily? I told you it would be better to stay where we were.”
“A pleasure as always to see you, Miss Pembleton.” Blake inclined his head towards Jane, catching Richard’s exasperated look as he did so.
“I know,” Jane said, catching him by surprise. “You tell me every time we meet.”
“The customary thing is to say it in return,” Blake murmured.
“I thought you did not care for customs and propriety,” Jane replied sweetly.
“See, this is already far more interesting than downstairs. Perhaps if we are really lucky, Jane and the Duke will fence again.”
“While that may be interesting, I fear there is simply not enough space,” Jane said.
“It seems Miss Pembleton is afraid she would lose again.” Blake laughed.
Jane shot him a look, but before either of them could say anything, Cressida said, “Well, what have you four been up to?”
“Not much.”
“Glassbury has just been complaining about how bored he is. Though I suspect he is mooning after you, Miss Minton.”
“It is true, you know I am lovestruck.” Richard beamed at Cressida and kissed her hand.
Blake happened to glance at Jane. Their eyes met, but then they hastily looked away from each other. He thought he noticed Emily watching them out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked at Jane’s sister, she seemed deeply engrossed in her book.
“Perhaps we should play cards?” Blake suggested, pulling a deck from a nearby table.
“An excellent idea, Rochester.” Nigel grinned and pulled a table closer to him. “What shall we play?”
“Well, that depends. Who else wants to join us?” Blake asked the room at large.
“I will—there is precious little else to do.” Richard took a seat next to him.
“As will I.” Cressida and Alexander joined them.
Emily glanced up from her book and sighed. “I suppose I will as well. Everyone else seems to be.”
“Not your sister. I suppose it is rather beneath you to partake in such games,” Blake teased, glancing over at Jane.
She smiled her familiar dagger-sharp smile, though he was almost certain it had lost some of its edge. “I simply do not wish to embarrass you in front of your friends.”
