James laughed heartedly. “Yes, I believe I remember that. He was forced to leave his breeches behind and run to the house, wrapped in an itchy horse blanket.”
She shrugged delicately as they turned. “I still don’t see why he blamed me for someone’s careless placement of such a sticky item.”
His eyes twinkled with merriment. “How did he get to you? If my memory is correct, you were both so wary around each other and constantly on guard.”
“I was walking beneath a tree with Mary when he reached down and grabbed my braid. The silly oaf was hanging upside down from a branch. He held on tightly, ignoring Mary’s slaps while he cut my braid off with a dull pocketknife.”
He cringed. “That must have hurt.”
She smiled sweetly. “Not as much as that spanking your father gave Robert later.”
“I bet.” James laughed. “You two were awful.”
“I was worse,” Elizabeth said with a gleam in her eye. He chuckled as he led her around the dance floor.
When the dance ended, James led her off the floor towards the supper-room. He walked with her to a table by the far wall and held a chair out for her.
“There you are,” Robert said, dropping down on one of the extra chairs at their table and placed a plate overflowing with food and a glass of punch on the table.
“Please, do join us,” James said dryly.
“Thank you, I believe I shall,” Robert said cheerfully.
“I’ll get us something to eat,” James said pleasantly to her before he sent a brief glare in Robert’s direction.
Elizabeth watched nervously as James walked away. “Never going to happen,” Robert said around a bite of biscuit.
“What?”
“You and my brother. James will always think of you as the fat little pain in the ass that used to follow him around.”
“And you’ll always be the annoying little boy who used to leave more puddles around the house than my dog.”
His temper flared. “Why, you little-”
“Ah, Lady Elizabeth, may I join you?” a man with an eager expression that annoyed Robert asked.
“No, go away,” Robert said, glaring at the man.
The man opened his mouth but quickly shut it as he scurried away.
“That was rude!” Elizabeth hissed softly.
He merely shrugged as he dug into his food.
“Here you are,” James said as he placed a small plate of food and a glass of punch in front of her.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“James. Please call me James. Our families are old friends, after all.”
“James, thank you,” Elizabeth said with a warm smile.
Robert rolled his eyes and looked back down at his plate. Damn, those biscuits had actually been warm. Not the norm for ball food, he thought, debating grabbing another one only to shrug as he reached over and snagged the biscuit off Elizabeth’s plate. “Thanks,” he muttered.
Elizabeth simply rolled her eyes.
“Robert!” James hissed.
