“Are you any good at whist?”she asked as she sat.
“Yes,” Henley replied with a daring grin.“I’m quite strategic.”He glanced down, as if hiding a secret smile.
“Apparently,” she replied dryly, but with humor.
As the cards were dealt, Anna studied her suits, eyes on the flipped trump card.
Henley’s low voice interrupted her focus.“Don’t look so pleased—you’ll give us away.”He nodded at her cards.“Lord Farthingham is a strong player, but he’ll lead us astray with a few blunders to give us false hope before taking the final tricks.Trust me.”
Anna nodded, believing him.“Yes.”
Henley caught her eye, warmth spreading across his face.“If you’re trying to win me over with compliments, it’s working.I don’t think I’ve ever had a more flattering word.Thank you.”He nodded graciously.
“Just being honest,” Anna replied, trying to lighten the moment.
Glancing up, she saw Edwin watching her closely, a welcoming smile briefly crossing his lips—though it never reached his eyes.
She lowered her gaze as the game began.
Lord Farthingham and Lady Armstad’s swift play pushed the round along, and Anna found herself thinking quickly, planning every move with lightning strategy.Her competitive spirit flared as the round neared its end—she had saved her highest trump card for last.
“Good strategy,” Henley murmured, his voice a warm whisper vibrating through the air—more breath than sound.His quiet encouragement fanned her determination to win.
The game neared its climax.With steady hands, Anna reached for her final card, the move that would decide the game.But in a flash, Henley’s hand darted forward, brushing hers as he claimed victory—swift, effortless, and electric.
The brief contact sent a jolt of heat racing up her arm, an unexpected tremor humming straight to her heart.It was as if the room shrank, the air thickened, charged with something unspoken.His hand lingered, suspended in that intimate space—as if he, too, felt it—his gaze locking with hers, deep and knowing, their worlds suddenly sharp in focus.
For a moment, neither moved nor spoke.The silence buzzed with the weight of the moment, an unacknowledged connection hanging between them like a delicate thread, ready to snap.
“Drat.”Lord Farthingham slammed his cards on the table, shattering the spell.
Anna blinked, breaking the moment.“Good game,” she offered politely, dropping her hands to her lap.
Good Lord, what was wrong with her?It was just a touch—nothing erotic, nothing scandalous—yet her heart hammered and her breath caught.She wanted to see if Henley felt the same, but fear held her back.Madness!Everyone expected her to leave the house party betrothed to his brother.His brother, not Henley.
“I know.”Henley’s voice was a low rumble, and Anna instinctively met his eyes.“I know,” he whispered, “but what’s expected isn’t always what’s best.”His words hung close, full of meaning—almost a declaration—before he rose and slipped away into the shadows.
Anna stood frozen, pulse racing, fighting the urge to call him back.But before she could collect herself, Pere stepped beside her, ever watchful.
“I see the game’s over,” Pere said with a sly smile, eyes twinkling.“You won?”
Anna’s heart still pounded.“I think I need some air.”She didn’t answer her friend’s question.
“Is that so?”Pere whispered teasingly.“Or is someone making you feel… unsettled?I don’t worry about Edwin—he’s partnered with a dowager and hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night.”
Anna glanced at her friend in disbelief.How could Pere not notice?She laughed, though it was strained and her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Pere, you have no idea.”
“Want to leave early?It’s only been one or two games, but—”
“Yes.”Anna grabbed at the lifeline in her friend’s words.“I…” She almost confided, but paused as Pere’s gaze shifted left, landing on a gentleman smiling in her direction.
“I’m sure you have much to tell me,” Anna amended.
Pere’s face lit with an expressive grin.“Yes, let’s go to my room and escape all this.I think I have a favorite…” She let the words linger, then grasped Anna’s arm.“Shall we?”
Anna nodded, then met Edwin’s gaze.A cold chill crept up her spine at the possessive, warmthless expression.She nodded to him, then followed Pere from the room, her mind swirling with the night’s events.She told herself it was just a game, just a moment—but her heart whispered otherwise.
