She realized then how much she liked seeing the children happy, and that she would do everything in her power to hear them laughing like this every single day.
Ernest finally caught her, and she was about to put the blindfold on her eyes when Edwin stopped her.
“My turn! My turn. Please, Aunty Frances. I know I will be splendid at it.”
Frances smiled at his enthusiasm. “Be my guest.”
They continued playing for what seemed like ages. Even Ernest was beginning to show more of his personality, laughing freely.
When it was Frances’s turn to be the blind man, she tied the handkerchief around her eyes and began to stumble around, her arms outstretched as she tried to catch the boys. She moved slowly, deliberately giving the boys a chance to escape.
“The two of you better watch out. I am about to catch you.”
Just as she reached out and grabbed an arm, she realized she had caught someone much taller than the children. At first, she thought she had ran into a piece of furniture, since the children wouldn’t be so tall.
However, the moment she turned around, a pair of strong arms grabbed her hands and reached up to take off her blindfold.
Her face immediately reddened, like a tomato.
“Christopher…”
“It seems I’ve been caught.” He winked at her, chuckling.
Winked. HeWinked!
Frances blushed, stepping back quickly. “My apologies, Christopher. We were just playing a game.”
Christopher’s smile widened. “No need to apologize. It looks like you were all having a wonderful time.” He then announced, “It’s my turn to be the blind man.”
Frances’s heart skipped a beat. “Are you sure? I should tell you now that the children like the game a lot, and that you will be here for a while.”
Christopher’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I think I can handle it.” He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “Unless you’re afraid I’ll catch you too easily.”
Frances felt a flutter in her chest at his teasing words. She had never seen him act this way before.
“What is it?” he teased when she did not respond immediately. “Are we playing a separate game altogether now? Cat got your tongue?”
Edwin tugged at the bottom of her dress, giving her the perfect opportunity to hide her face so that the Duke could not see how hard she was blushing.
“Aunty Frances, are we not playing anymore?”
“We are.” She nodded. “Just that it is your uncle’s turn now.”
She noticed that the twins’ excitement dimmed slightly at the mention of this.
Christopher, oblivious to this subtle change, took the handkerchief and tied it around his eyes. She couldn’t help but admire his easy confidence and how he seemed to bring a sense of lightness to the room. As he fumbled around, reaching out to catch the children, Frances found herself watching him closely.
It was clear that he loved these children more than anything. But they seemed to have some reservations about him.
She made another mental note—shehadto bring them closer now that she was here.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the Duke stumbled slightly and reached out, catching her arm by mistake. Frances felt a jolt of electricity at his touch, and she quickly stepped back, her heart pounding.
“Got you,” Christopher said, his voice filled with triumph as he removed the blindfold.
“Oh.”
He had her. That much was becoming more and more clear whenever she spent time with him.
