"Am I?" he looked over to Lady Daphne.
"If anything, His Grace isunderestimatingmy abilities," she said, sharply.
It got a chuckle out of their uncle, who seemed to be gazing at Daphne with an impressed expression.
"Fair, the lady has spoken," his uncle said.
Richard shrugged, clearly enjoying the moment. "I'll be with her the whole time," he said, a note of challenge in his voice. "What's the harm in letting her join?"
"You are correct, Lord Richard," Daphne said, lighting up. "I can help you track, as you hunt."
"That is a splendid idea."
He exhaled sharply, knowing that if he pushed the issue further, it would only give Richard more satisfaction. And his uncle more fodder to laugh over.
"Fine, do as you please," he muttered. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
"Come on, Ambrose," Uncle Sebastian slapped an arm on his nephews shoulder, "No need to be such a spoil sport."
Daphne smiled triumphantly, which sent a strange ripple of emotions through him.
It was small victory for her.He was learning that Lady Daphne was quite good at getting what she wanted. It only flared his own competitive spirit.
She gave him a nod of thanks, then turned to speak with Richard as they prepared to join the hunt.
"My Lord, what sort of strategy do you employ when you hunt usually?" she asked him.
Ambrose wanted to scoff. Richard had agreed to take her on a hunt, but he had always been the weakest hunter in their family.
"Oh, you shall see for yourself," Richard bragged to her instead. Ambrose briefly wondered if he should burst his bubble, and let her know that the only capable hunter out of the two washim.
But he abstained, and continued to torture himself by eavesdropping into their conversation.
"Well, then, I am quite excited to do so," Daphne nodded, eagerly.
He did not appreciate the strange feeling he had in his stomach when she said that to his brother.
Why do I ever care?
Ambrose shook his head, trying to push away the unfamiliar and unwanted feelings stirring within him.
This was absurd. He shouldn't care. But as he mounted his horse and surveyed the group, he couldn't help but glance back at Daphne, now standing beside Richard as they continued to speak.
"Ready, nephew?" A deep voice sounded beside him, and Ambrose turned to see his Uncle Sebastian return to him.
Ambrose nodded, though his mind was still on Daphne. "As ready as I'll ever be," he replied tersely.
Sebastian chuckled, "Seems we've got quite a spirited party today. Lady Daphne joining the hunt? Didn't see that one coming."
"She is a bit of a..." he paused, "nuisance."
Ambrose's gaze flicked back to Daphne, and despite himself, he found his thoughts lingering on her longer than they should have.
Determined to shake off whatever was pulling at his attention, he cleared his throat and straightened up in the saddle. "Let's get started."
They rode out as a group, but soon enough, Ambrose's annoyance grew as he kept catching glimpses of Daphne riding alongside Richard, their conversation filled with easy laughter. His mind kept returning to her, though he refused to acknowledge why.
Her posture on the horse was impeccable, her riding skills undeniable, and the way she navigated the terrain with ease made it clear that she was no stranger to this. Every time she turned to smile at Richard, something unpleasant twisted in Ambrose's chest.
