“I am rather concerned about your sister,” Tristan said. “I have paired her with that awful Lord Barnaby. My grandmother insisted that I invite him this week, despite my better judgement – she used to know his mother very well, and she is rather sentimental about him, despite his frequent bad behavior.”
“Indeed,” Grace replied, glancing across the room to look at the man that Tristan was talking about. “I do rather see what you mean.”
“You put it very delicately, Lady Grace, but in truth I do not feel quite content to leave her and Alicia alone with him. Would you be desperately offended if I swapped places and joined her team, and asked Alicia to join you?”
Grace simply smiled demurely and shook her head. “I would not be offended, My Lord,” she replied. “I am grateful for your concern for my sister’s wellbeing.”
“I am sure that you will have a perfectly enjoyable time without me,” Tristan went on. “In fact, I do not flatter myself in the slightest; perhaps you will enjoy it more!”
Grace giggled. “I do not think that is true, My Lord, but please do feel free to go and join my sister.”
Tristan dropped a slight bow, then broke away from them and strode towards Diana with purpose. He felt a slight flicker of excitement at the prospect of spending the next couple of hours with her, but he tried to push such thoughts away. This would be a good opportunity to win her over, perhaps. If he did indeed plan to marry Grace, then the reality of the situation was such that he had to find a way to convince Diana that his intentions were genuine and his character beyond reproach. And he recognized that he had plenty of work to do in that regard.
“Lady Diana,” he greeted her once he was at her side.
“Good morning, My Lord,” she replied evenly. “You will see that we are ready to go, on your command.” There was a hint of irony in her voice and he saw that her eyes flickered over to Lord Barnaby, who was taking yet another swig from his hip flask.
“I have no doubt that you and Alicia are well-prepared,” he said dryly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “But I have decided to make a last minute change to the teams. I will join your team, and Alicia, I would like you to go and join Cecilia and Lady Grace.”
Diana’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought you would have wanted to be in the same team as my sister?”
“I think it would be better this way,” he replied, glancing at Lord Barnaby.
Diana nodded, seeming to understand his meaning. “Very well,” she said. “Alicia, are you happy with this plan?”
Alicia nodded. “I will do whatever you ask, Cousin,” she said, then turned to cross the room and join Grace and Cecilia.
“Well, that is settled then,” Tristan said, relieved that his change of plan had come off without a hitch.
“My Lord,” Diana said, as the guests began to dissipate from the ballroom, envelopes containing their first clues clutched in their hands. “I fear that we are at a very unfair advantage with you on our team.”
Tristan frowned. “How so?”
“Did you not devise the clues yourself? Surely you know all the answers?”
He chuckled. “Flattering as it is that you might think I know all the answers, or any answers to anything at all, to that matter, I would not put myself at such an unfair advantage. Haxby has masterminded the whole thing, much to his distinct irritation. I have no more idea than you do as to the right answers to the clues.”
“Well then,” Diana said decidedly. “I am glad to hear it. I should not want to be accused of cheating.”
“And shall you take it all very seriously, then?” Tristan said, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her just a little, despite his best intentions for the morning.
“I think that if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well, don’t you agree?” Diana retorted, that flash of a challenge in her eyes again as she spoke.
“I do agree,” Tristan replied. “Quite heartily. Now, shall we open the first clue, and see what we make of it?”
He passed the envelope to Diana and she paused for a moment, holding it in her hand. “I am still surprised, My Lord, that you should not have chosen to use this opportunity to spend more time with my sister, since you seem so determined to win her over.”
“I confess, that was initially my intention,” Tristan replied. “But I knew that I could not leave you and Alicia alone with that man.” He glanced behind them, to where Lord Barnaby was standing, staring vacantly into space.
“And I am grateful for it,” Diana said. “But still, I am surprised that you do not feel that you are missing an opportunity.”
“Well,” Tristan said, choosing his words carefully as he looked at her. “There is another opportunity here, that I am seizing with great pleasure.”
“And what, pray, My Lord, might that be?” Diana asked skeptically.
“Maybe I have a chance now to earn your approval,” he said slowly. “I know that your good opinion is almost as important asyour sister’s, in my endeavor to make her my wife. So I shall try my hardest, as I assist you in this hunt, to convince you once and for all that I am a decent human being, and not the ogre that you seem to think I am.”
Diana stared at him, not responding for a moment. Then she seemed to regain her composure.
