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It was Emelia herself who had suggested modifying the game as everyone knew how to play it. Charity had been intrigued by the suggestion instead of enigmatically describing a word in riddles for the other team to guess that they act without using words instead.
“How positively diverting,” Charity cried. “I will join you.”
Ethan had sat in the wingback chair near the window with a book in his hand, determined to read and ignore their ridiculousness. Yet he could not help stealing gazes at Charity as she fumbled with acting clues and missing all the guesses. Miss Alice seemed pleased that Charity was more at a loss with this game and made some snide remark, but Charity only laughed, taking it all to be great fun.
“Will you not play with us, Cousin?” Emelia called, laughing at the acting antics of her brother.
Before he could respond, Robert stood. “I daresay this is harder than the original version of the game. Pray, let’s revert to what we are familiar with, a good riddle to rouse the mind.”
A carousel of denials came from the ladies, and he waved them off to play without him.
“What a poor sport you are, Robert!” Jenna cried, standing on her foot without wincing. “I believe it is my turn. What is the riddle, Alice?”
Robert came over and sat in the chair opposite Ethan and watched the ladies. He pretended to read his book on the latest technology to assist in farming.
“Your book is turned upside down,” Robert murmured after some minutes.
Keeping his expression carefully composed, Ethan glanced down at the page and saw the words were indeed turned around.
He shared an amused smile with his cousin. There was a great deal of merry laughter from the four ladies, and to Ethan, it was a most pleasing sound.
“Which one has drawn your attention? Let me guess, I bet is it Miss Alice.”
Ethan closed the book and lowered it to the small table to his left. “Why would you think so?”
“Is she not the type of ladies you normally appreciate?”
“I was not aware I had a type,” Ethan murmured.
“Come man, I can tell Aunt Vinnie thinks her perfect for you, and the gel has been given you many inviting glances. However, I am curious that you seem immune to her beauty.”
“Mother has hopes for me to marry soon and start to fill my nursey, but I will choose my own wife.”
“Good God, man, are you truly ready for the old ball and chain.”
Ethan glanced at Charity. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright, and she had been looking at him. She glanced away quickly, even going as far as to look in the ceiling. Ethan hid his smile and the pleasure curling low in his gut.
You are just as taken, aren’t you?
“Life has been a little…uneventful,” he murmured. “I had thought a wife would perhaps enliven my life once more.”
Robert dealt him a glance to say nothing was further from the truth. His cousin leaned forward. “Tell me, do you know if Lady Charity’s affections are engaged by any gentleman in town.”
Ethan leaned in and replied, almost in a bored tone, “She is off-limits to your rakish ways.”
His cousin jolted. “Never say you are warning me off from her!” Then he said, “Why, you are interested in the lady.”
“That I am.”
“For your mistress or your wife?”
He slid a cold glance at Robert, who had the decency to flush. He tugged at his cravat. “Forgive me, cousin; I forgot myself for a moment.”
“See that you remember yourself when it comes to Lady Charity,” he warned with icy civility.
There was a glint of humor in Robert’s eyes as he said, “All warnings understood.”
Shortly after, Ethan excused himself, leaving the younger set to their games and hilarity. Suddenly three and thirty felt old. He made his way down the hallway when the soft closing of the drawing-room door arrested his movements. Without turning around, he knew it to be Lady Charity.
