Seth scanned the area. There were more horses than riders. Where was the Duke?
Mr. Edgars huffed in irritation as Seth dismounted and stood next to his entourage.
“Perhaps invest in a pocket watch, Mr. Reeves,” Mr. Edgars said, but there was no bite in his voice. While notwarmedto him, Mr. Edgars regarded him with the air of a governess tasked with an unruly charge.
From his pocket, Seth pulled out a silver watch engraved with his initials—a gift from Lord Bolderwood after graduating from the Royal Military Academy. The Earl’s face shifted from recognition to an expression that almost looked like pain, and then it was gone, stoic and firm once more.
“Five minutes early.” Seth clicked the watch shut and dismounted. “If you give me the correct time, I can recalibrate it.”
Mr. Edgars clucked and checked his own pocket watch.
“Threeminutes early,” Mr. Edgars corrected. “I trust that everyone remembers the rules, but….”
Seth’s eyes roamed the clearing as he droned on.
“Where is Duke Kendall?” Seth whispered to Cooper.
“Off exploring,” Cooper said under his breath. “Rode off as soon as he got here.”
Then why… but wait… was that aside-saddle? And then he saw her. Dressed in a deep green riding habit, all but hidden next to a chocolate-colored mare. Her thick hair was in a long braid underneath a black riding hat tied with a silver ribbon. With the sheer volume of her skirts, it should have been impossible to miss her. With a hand on her hip and a frown marring her face, she looked very much like shewanted to be anywhere else.
Seth frowned.
What is Cassandra doing here?
His gaze shot to Cooper, but the man was intent on Mr. Edgars’ words.
“Use of accompaniments in this round isnotauthorized.”
Hadn’t Cooper been blathering on about mitigating distractions? There was no good reason for her to be there this morning unless… Cooper felt the need to bring in reinforcements. Damn it, he didn’t need coddling! If Cooper meant to make him feel better by having a family support system in place, he failed. Cassandra’s presence had himmoreunsettled.
A hunt was no place for a lady.
“As a reminder, violence of any kind will be grounds for immediate disqualification,” Mr. Edgars finished. “As Mr. Reeves has an unfair advantage, a fifteen minute lead will be given to Colonel Bishop and Mr. Nott.”
At first Cooper had been indignant about the penalty, but Seth talked him down. The wordfavoritismdarkened their standing already. It was best not to push too hard.
“As the purpose of this competition is to show the precision of the rifles for hunting, only one round is authorized per competitor.”
Mr. Edgars handed the hunters each a metal whistle.
“Whoever is the first to fell a stag will be the victor. When the fatal shot has been delivered, use this whistle to alert us of your success. Any rounds fired after the whistle will be grounds for disqualification. Colonel Bishop, Mr. Nott, good luck. You may commence your hunt while Mr. Reeves recalibrates his watch.”
***
“Truly remarkable what the two of you have done,” Mr. Sanderson said, testing the weight of the rifle against his shoulder. “Similar to theFerguson rifle. But I seem to recall the expense was substantial, and the crafting methods were too complex to produce in a timely manner. How did you manage to circumvent that?”
“That’s all information pending a patent,” Cooper reminded him.
“I understand,” Mr. Sanderson said diplomatically. “Still, quite impressive.”
Lowering the rifle, he handed it back to Cooper. While definitely an enthusiast, Seth doubted that Mr. Sanderson had the financial backing that Cooper believed. At any rate, the two of them were getting along. Cooper enjoyed talking, energized by social activity. What a relief it must be for him to converse withanyoneelse. Seth knew more than anyone how trapped Cooper felt in Lincolnshire. Theyhadto win if either of them ever hoped to be free—Seth free to retreat, and Cooper free to advance his place in the world.
Seth’s motivation for winning stood in front of him, greeting him with a smile, warming him from head to toe. His lips lifted in answer and he bowed to her.
“Good morning, Miss Cooper.”
“Good morning Mr. Reeves.” She curtsied, a mere bob down and then up.
