“You don’t like losing?” he asked.
“No more than you,” she said. “I will not insist on billiards today if you will not insist on snowballs.”
“Agreed,” he said, “though it would be worth all the humiliation of losing just to see you concentrating over the billiard table, Rosamund.”
She straightened up. “You are no gentleman, sir,” she said again. But this time she laughed with him.
The snow was somewhat crisper than it had been the day before. By the afternoon it would probably be quite wet and heavy.
“It is perfect for building snowmen,” the earl said. “Shall we be unabashed children today, Rosamund? Shall we see who can build the larger snowman?”
“What is the prize to be?” she asked.
“The usual,” he said.
“The loser pours the tea?”
He looked sidelong at her. “No,” he said, “the other usual.”
“Ah,” she said, “an incentive, indeed. ” And she stooped down and set to the building of her snowman with a will.
Hers was tall and thin so that by the time she was molding its shoulders she had to stand on tiptoe. His was squat and very fat with a squat, fat head. He was finished and standing with folded arms watching her as she rolled the head into the shape she wanted.
“Oh, dear,” she said, looking back to her snowman.
“I was wondering when it would strike you,” he said.
“I wonder,” she said after frowning and thinking for a few moments. “A chair from the house, do you think?”
“No,” he said. “The legs would skid in the snow and you would break your neck. I could take you up on my shoulder. ”
“Yes,” she said, “that might work. Why are you laughing?”
“I will wager another kiss that you cannot even lift that head,” he said, “let alone balance on my shoulder with it and lift it into place.”
“Oh, dear,” she said.
“Do you concede defeat?”
“Not by any means,” she said. “With the head on, mine would be larger than yours.”
“But mine makes up in girth for what yours has in height,” he said.
“If you were a gentleman,” she said accusingly, “you would lift the head into place for me.”
He laughed. “I might ruin my back for all time,” he said, stooping and hoisting the large ball of snow into his arms and up to rest on the high shoulders. “Now if we turn our backs very quickly, we may not see it roll off again.” “It will not do so,” she said with dignity. “I hollowed out the shoulders so that it would not fall.”
“Ah,” he said.
“Do you admit I have won?” she asked, looking brightly up at him.
He looked assessingly at both snowmen. “I will never hear the end of it if I don’t, I suppose,” he said. “Come and get your prize, then.”
She came.
More than a minute later he caught at her wrist as she smiled and drew away.
“You owe me,” he said. “You could not lift that head, remember?”
