I was a fool. A complete fool. Thank the heavens I hadn’t done anything daft.
“I thought you said you didn’t want me to ask her.”
“I don’t.” He puffed out a breath of air in ... what? Frustration? “I want your thoughts on the matter.”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I didn’t really care at the moment, either. Mama and I had wanted Hattie to make an impression on the men at this house party and she certainly had.Which was wonderful. Perfect. Everything was going exactly according to plan. She’d made an impression on at least two of them. I sat up, no longer interested in the sky. “We should get back.”
He nodded and then rose with the gracefulness of a cat. I allowed myself the briefest of glances at his arms and shoulders while he brushed himself off. I’d seen this man shirtless. I’d seen him at his weakest. I’d seen him gently care for a scratch on my finger. But he wasn’t mine to look at, so I turned away.
I brushed myself off and blinked away the magic of this room. Selfishly, I was glad I was the only one who’d been introduced to it.
23
EVELYN BLACKWELL
The next daywas another beautiful one. I was determined to treat it as I would any other day. Did it matter that the captain and I had spent nearly half an hour looking at the sky together the day before? No. It simply meant the two of us had become friends. He was just as friendly to me as he was to everyone else. In fact, he only smiled at me once during breakfast before turning back to the men at his table and continuing his tale about the first time he’d ridden Scout.
We didn’t speak while the house party made its way from breakfast to the back garden either. Nor did he pause for even the briefest moment of eye contact before heading down the path to the side of the earthen terrace with several of the other men.
Thank the heavens, it was finally time for some shooting.
I walked outside with Hattie, Mama, and Aunt Pryor, and while I couldn’t wait to get a gun in my hand, Captain Calder’s question had been rattling around in my mind ever since he’d asked it. Was there a man Hattie preferred? If I hadn’t been so busy trying to keep Captain Calder away from her, I would have known. She would have happily shared her thoughts and feelings about everyone in the party without my having to ask.Instead, I had to decide between pulling Hattie to a secluded spot so I could interrogate her or joining the men in their target practice.
The simplest answer would be to have Hattie join me in the shooting, for then we would have time to talk on our way down the terrace. But she’d already declined that option. I grabbed Hattie’s hand and squeezed it. “Please don’t make me take part in the shooting alone.”
“You won’t be alone,” Mama said unhelpfully. “All the men will be in attendance.”
“Exactly,” I said, trying not to sound as though I were pouting. “I shall be the only woman and I’m afraid this will lead to much prayer on my behalf from Mrs. Wickerton.”
Mama glanced behind her but I’d already made certain Mrs. Wickerton had found a table several yards away.
“That’s never bothered you before,” Hattie pointed out.
“Well, it’s bothering me now.” She was the one trying to leave here with a suitor, not me. “Don’t you want to be where the men are?” I arched an eyebrow.
Hattie shook her head, her becoming side curls bouncing with the movement. “I don’t think I’d impress any of the men with my mediocre shooting skills.”
I waved a hand to my side. “Men aren’t looking for women with excellent shooting skills. Trust me.”
Hattie chuckled. “I’m not quite prepared to make a fool of myself shooting at the closest targets only.”
“Then aim at the far ones.”
“And miss? No thank you. If you don’t want to go alone, you could stay here with us and watch.”
Did she even know me at all? “Are you serious?”
Hattie laughed. “We’ve been at Blackwell for almost two weeks. I’m certain you are itching to shoot.”
I was. Usually Papa and I would have the pistols out on our first night back. But we’d had too many rainy days and the butts had needed repair. Everything was finally in order and I wasn’t going to simply sit on the terrace while all the men had their fun.
Hattie put a hand on my arm. “Take notes on which men are incapable of being impressed by you.” She squeezed. “I’ll make certain to cross them off my list of potential suitors.”
“Hattie.” Aunt Pryor glanced around. “Hush.”
Hattie waved off her mother and started pushing me toward the path. “I wonder how Captain Calder will feel about your skills. I’m fairly certainhewon’t react badly.”
I allowed myself to be prodded forward but tipped my head to one side. Hattie had always been complimentary of the captain when I’d asked her about him, but until seeing his home I hadn't noticed a strong favoritism for him. Had one trip to Applewood changed everything for her? It was a beautiful home, and situated so close to my own would be an asset, but would she choose a husband based on that?
