Lady Tottenham stared at me for a long moment. I couldn’t tell if she was dismayed or amused, but then a laugh burst out of her chest. “We are all entitled to our opinion, I suppose.” Her green eyes gave me a critical sweep before a smirk tugged on her lips. “But you came to the wrong house party, my dear.”
That had been made quite apparent already. I gave a humble laugh, hoping Lady Tottenham would forgive my bluntness. She didn’t seem ruffled by it at all. Whether I liked her games or not, she would still force me to play them. She waved me forward, lifting the blindfold.
Alexander sauntered past, taking the chair I had left behind. How he had managed to choose me from amongst all the other guests was baffling. The only explanation I could think of was that he had cheated, which would quickly have him sent home. If I could find a way to prove it, I wouldn’t have to endure his company for the entire month. I was tempted to accuse him of cheating at that very moment, but I held my tongue.
Lady Tottenham draped the blindfold over my eyes, tying it securely at the back of my head. My eyes adjusted to the dim light behind the fabric. Faint details of the hexagon room came into view—the various animal heads on the wall, the small game animals in the glass case, and finally the outline of Alexander’s face. His features were shadowed, but still recognizable.
I touched the side of the blindfold to ensure it was properly in place. There was nothing wrong with the way it was positioned.
I could see straight through it.
Lady Tottenham clapped, and everyone circled to a new chair. My jaw was slack. Was this what Lady Tottenham had intended? A semi-transparent blindfold was the perfect way for her to see who each player would choose to steal a kiss or secret from, and the perfect way for players to flirt while appearing innocent.
That meant Miss Octavia had chosen Alexander intentionally.
And he had chosen me.
My mind flashed to the way his thumb had caressed my cheek unnecessarily, and how his fingers had brushed through my hair. I clenched my jaw. He had seen my face the entire time.
Lady Tottenham clapped again, stopping the rotation. I pivoted, debating over what might be the best way to proceed. Choosing one of the women would be the best course of action, especially if she was more reserved than Miss Octavia. Mrs. Pike or Mrs. Fitzgibbon could be trusted to avoid choosing Lord Kirkham. That was my sole objective at the moment—ensuring he did not end up at the center of the circle.
I chose Mrs. Pike and guessed correctly after my three questions. I asked for a flattery, only to give her the least amount of distress possible. She paid a compliment to the pink lace on my dress before taking her place at the center of the circle.
The game continued for three more rounds, and to my relief, Lord Kirkham was never chosen. Each time I glanced at Alexander, he maintained his wicked smile. He wasn’t ashamed in the slightest, even knowing that I was aware of the transparency of the blindfold.
What was he trying to do? Was he trying to steal my attention away from Miles, or just infuriate me? The first would never work, and the second was working all too well.
During the afternoon activities, I tried to stay close to the other women of the party. In the garden, we watched as the men played nine pins with Miss Victoria and Miss Octavia. Mrs. Pike stood nearby, quietly scolding Octavia when she came too close to Alexander. Ever since the game of Buffy Gruffy, she had become infatuated with him. She cheered each time he knocked down a pin, clinging to his arm with squeals and delighted giggles. He didn’t seem to mind the attention. From my place at the nearby table, I narrowed my eyes at his back as he threw the ball again.
The hot sun beat down on my parasol. I sipped at my cup of lemonade. White roses grew on a bush beside me, as well as a patch of purple foxglove, which was attracting several bees. Mrs. Fitzgibbon kept one eye on the creatures as she bit into a vanilla glazed cake. Her cousins, Miss Morton and Miss Rowley sat beside her. It had been excruciating trying to engage them in conversation. It was clear that they had judged me for my decision to kiss Lord Kirkham the night before.
I leaned forward, desperate for a subject that might intrigue them. “Do you think there will be another midnight parlor game tonight?”
The three women exchanged a glance. “I hope so,” Miss Morton said.
Miss Rowley pursed her lips, brushing a strand of chestnut hair from her eyes to better see the nine pin players. “I hope Miss Octavia isn’t invited.”
“She makes me want to claw my eyes out,” Miss Morton said in agreement. Both young ladies peeked at Miss Octavia out on the lawn. “Yesterday she said she liked Mr. Hatcher, but now she has obviously changed her mind.”
“Mr. Holland is the most handsome man here,” Miss Rowley said with a disgruntled sigh. “And Miss Octavia is the prettiest girl here. It is entirely unfair.”
“Victoria is pretty too. She looks exactly like Octavia.” Miss Morton flicked a bee off the rim of her teacup.
Mrs. Fitzgibbon shrieked, jumping up from the table and walking a safe distance away from the flowers.
“Yes, but Octavia is a flirt,” Miss Morton said in a casual voice. “She will always win against her sister. It doesn’t matter, though. Victoria seems to have set her attentions elsewhere.”
I followed her gaze to Victoria, who stood off to the side of the lawn with Mr. Hatcher. I shook my head in amazement. Would Lady Tottenham successfully create matches at her party? It was only the second day and attachments were already forming. Time would tell if they were one-sided.
“And you.” Miss Rowley’s golden irises met mine. “You seem to have a liking for Lord Kirkham.”
Miss Morton snickered behind her glove.
I shook my head fast. “I assure you, I don’t.”
Miss Rowley scoffed. “I refuse to believe it. You chose to kisshiminstead of Mr. Holland.”
“We were shocked,” Miss Morton said with a nod.
