Mr. Nightingale was next. Ivy admired the width of his shoulders as he took aim, then followed the arrow to the target, where it struck dead center.
“Well done!” everyone called.
Viscount Seddon looked like he’d swallowed something vile.
“No one applauded like that for you,” Thea muttered. Ivy patted her hand but remained silent.
The brothers were the only ones close to the middle in the next rounds. Bramstone Nightingale needed to hit the target in the center, as only that would have him beating his brother. Unlike the viscount, who looked smug, his face was impassive, body seemingly relaxed.
She watched his feet brace. He sighted the target and let the arrow soar. To Ivy, there was nothing quite like the feeling of releasing the arrow. The rush of excitement that it would hit the place on the target she intended. Exhaling, she watched his arrow hit the middle of the target.
The guests applauded. Ivy’s eyes shot to his brother, who was now scowling. Thea and her brothers had always celebrated Ivy’s successes, no matter how small. Clearly there was bad blood between the Nightingale brothers.
The men shook hands, and the viscount had to acknowledge his brother or look silly. It was brief, and no words were spoken.
“Now we are supposed to retire to our rooms and rest, because clearly we are exhausted.” Thea slipped her arm through Ivy’s as the guests began to return to the house. “Apparently we are to participate in charades and other games soon.”
“You can imagine how excited I am,” Ivy muttered.
“This must be the last of the guests arriving,” Thea said when they reached the house and saw a carriage had arrived.
Ivy watched the carriage door open and felt a strange tension fill her. Looking around, she noted Mr. Nightingale behind her. Clearly that was the reason. The man was far too disturbing. He tilted his head to her, and she replied with a nod and then turned to face forward once more. She immediately wished she hadn’t.
“What’s wrong?” Thea asked her.
“Wh-What?”
“You moaned,” Thea said.
“Don’t be silly.” She forced a smile onto her face. “I—ah, I might take a walk now, Thea.” Her eyes were on the man who was now standing beside his carriage.
She’d avoided him for years. They’d seen each other across ballrooms, and their eyes had met occasionally, but neither had spoken a word to the other since the night that Mr. Jackson Haldane had kissed her. It had been chaste and over in seconds, and she’d thought it had meant he was enamored with her. She’d been wrong.
“Great timing, Haldane,” Viscount Seddon said, moving to greet this guest. “The ladies are about to rest, and we will play billiards.”
The men shook hands, and then he saw her. His smile never faltered as it went from Thea to her. It did falter, however, when he saw the man who had stepped to her side.
“Are you all right, Miss Birdwhistle?” She felt his arm brush hers. “Can I assist you in any way?”
“I’m well, thank you.”
“Ivy, what is wrong?” Thea whispered.
“Nothing.” She managed to smile at her cousin. “Perhaps I have had too much sun.”
“Come then, we will go inside.” Thea led her away from the men and around Jackson Haldane. Ivy did not inhale a full breath until she reached her room and closed the door.
CHAPTER9
Bram played a game of billiards with David in harmonious solitude… except for the fact his cousin was beating him. That and the fact that his thoughts kept returning to Ivy Birdwhistle’s reaction to seeing Haldane.
“You’ve improved; or learned to cheat better. I can’t work out which.”
“Harsh and untrue,” David said, pocketing a ball. “I’m sure you have hardly played in the last few years.”
“True, but I am a natural, after all. It will not take me long before I’m thrashing you again.”
“I protest,” David drawled.
