“I had not heard that, but Mother does love any excuse for a social event,” Winston replied.
“It is to honor our esteemed guest,” Bennett added.
Winston grinned. “Ah, yes. Times have certainly changed. Last time I saw Miles, he was running shirtless across the lawn at Oxford, which was quite out of character for him.”
Miles let out a hearty laugh. “I may have had a bit too much to drink that night and Bennett dared me to do it.”
“And naturally, you couldn’t resist Bennett’s dare,” Winston joked.
“I am afraid not,” Miles replied good-naturedly. “It was a matter of honor.”
Winston let out his own laugh before saying, “Well, it is good to see that you haven’t changed too much.”
Miles’ smile slowly faded as Winston’s words reminded him of the past year’s struggles. He had gone to hell and back, but with Edwina’s unwavering support and friendship, he had emerged from his anger and pain. It still lingered in the corners of his mind, but it was now tolerable.
“Have you seen Mother yet?” Bennett asked.
Winston shook his head. “Not yet. I saw you were playing pall-mall on the lawn and I came out here first.”
“Mother will want to see you at once,” Bennett remarked. “Come, I will take you to her.”
With a glance at the pall-mall alley on the lawn, Winston asked, “What of your game of pall-mall?”
“We can continue our game later this afternoon,” Bennett said.
Miles interjected, “Bennett is just trying to delay the inevitable. He knows he is going to lose the bet.”
Winston raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “What bet?”
“The honor of dancing the first set with Edwina at the soiree,” Bennett replied.
Turning towards Edwina, Winston perused the length of her. “Last time I saw you, you were dressed in deep mourning for your father. But now you are attending soirees and dancing?”
Edwina bobbed her head. “It is more of a recent development.”
“I’m glad, Cousin,” Winston said, his words genuine. “Dare I ask what brought about this change?”
Edwina’s green eyes flickered towards Miles, her lips curving into a small smile. “Lord Hilgrove helped me to look past my grief, allowing me to see the good in the world again.”
“Interesting,” Winston muttered, shifting his gaze towards Miles. “For what it is worth, thank you for helping my cousin.”
Miles inclined his head graciously. “It was my pleasure, but she has helped me far more than I have helped her,” he admitted.
After he uttered his words, Winston and Bennett exchanged a knowing look that Miles couldn’t quite decipher.
Bennett gestured towards the manor behind them. “Shall we go see Mother now?”
Miss Bawden took a step back. “I should be going,” she said. “But I shall return for the rest of our game.”
“We shall send word,” Edwina informed her.
“Thank you,” Miss Bawden responded. “Although, I fear that my lucky blue mallet will not help us win this game.”
Winston gave Miss Bawden a disbelieving look. “You areresorting to a lucky mallet to win pall-mall now?” he asked with a hint of amusement.
“I’ve had quite the winning streak,” Miss Bawden defended.
“Yes, well, that is because you have not played with me lately,” Winston boasted with a smug smile. “I have beaten you more times than you have won.”
