Lord Finchley chuckled. “An excellent idea! I am still becoming acquainted with Miss Prudence, but I will try my best. What about you, Mr. Ellington? Are you equal to the task?”
Isaac cast a smile in Prudence’s direction. “I knew Prudence several years ago. She was still a child. I assume she has altered greatly since then.”
“She is not as altered as you might think,” Sophia said with a teasing smile.
Prudence shot her a scowl, but it was half-hearted.
“Then let us begin!” Aunt Hester dusted the crumbs off her fingers and tapped her chin. “I will pose a question, then we shall all present our answers. Prudence will confirm which is most correct, and then someone else will pose a question. The first person to reach three correct answers wins.” She took a deep breath, the ruffles of her chemisette brushing against her chin. “If Prudence were to become lost in the woods for a week, how would she spend her time?”
Sophia could easily guess, but she wanted to hear what the others thought first. Prudence was grinning now, as if she had already forgotten her disappointment with Mr. Ellington.
Lord Finchley spoke first. “Miss Prudence strikes me as a resourceful young woman. I suspect she would first locate a source of water, and then gather as many food sources from the vegetation as possible. Considering her love of animals, she would avoid hunting at all costs.”
Isaac’s voice cut in. “On her way to find water, she might become distracted by a family of toads beside the stream. She would scoop them up, take them with her, and build a shelter for the lot of them.”
Prudence laughed, her lips twisting into a thoughtful smile.
“I know exactly what Prudence would do.” Sophia eyed her sister. “She would spend her first night wallowing beneath a tree.” She laughed at the dismay on her sister’s face. It quickly melted into surrender.
Prudence knew full well that she would.
“After wallowing for a night,” Sophia continued, “she would collect as many wildflowers as possible, and make a bouquet to improve her spirits. Then, she would go to the stream to drink water, but she would also swim in it, for Prudence cannot resist an opportunity to swim.”
“Oh, very well. You win.” Prudence sighed, then her lips curved into a smirk. “Why do I now wish to be lost in the woods?”
Sophia laughed, and so did the rest of the group. Lord Finchley appeared to be thoroughly entertained by Aunt Hester’s choice of game. It continued for three more rounds. Aunt Hester took one point, and Sophia took the other two, earning her place as the winner. Isaac and Lord Finchley played along, though their answers were more a display of wit than accuracy.
“It would seem that it is your turn, Sophia.” Aunt Hester blinked innocently behind her spectacles. “Since you’ve won, we shall now compete to see who knowsyoubest.”
Sophia let out a nervous laugh. “I didn’t know that was a rule.”
“Nor did I.” Aunt Hester pressed a hand to her chest as she chuckled. “I am inventing this as we go along.”
Drat. Sophia would have tried to lose if she had known this was the consequence of winning. Unlike her sister, she didn’t like being the center of attention at all…especially not in this particular company.
Isaac sat up straighter.
Lord Finchley refilled Sophia’s cup of lemonade.
Sophia would have preferred to sink straight down into the grass and disappear rather than play another round of the game. Her palms perspired inside her lace gloves.
“I will pose the first question,” Aunt Hester said in a cheerful voice. “If Sophia had to choose one season to spend the rest of her life in, which would she choose and why?”
Lord Finchley peered at her face, eyes narrowed. “It would be summer, to be sure. Miss Hale has commented on many occasions how she loves the increased warmth and sunshine the season brings.”
“Thatisthe obvious choice,” Prudence said with a frown. “What happens if we all answer correctly?”
Aunt Hester contemplated for a moment. “Then I suppose we all secure a point, and the game continues.”
“Well, I also think she would choose summer.” Prudence studied Sophia’s face. “I think she enjoys summer fashions the most—the pastel colors, the light shawls, and the fresh flowers for her bonnets.”
Aunt Hester pursed her lips. “I will say spring. The same reasons could apply, but spring brings the most rainstorms, and I know Sophia loves watching the rain. What say you, Mr. Ellington?”
Sophia clasped her hands together so hard they hurt. In all the hours she and Isaac had spent together, they had covered countless subjects. They had shared all their preferences, dislikes, dreams, and stories. But it had been so long ago. She doubted Isaac would remember something so specific as her favorite season.
He held her gaze as he spoke in a confident voice. “I think Miss Hale would choose to spend the rest of her days in autumn. She does love rain, but she also loves a warm fire and a hot cup of chocolate. She cannot reasonably sit by a fire indoors during the summer, and she thinks people who use their fans excessively inpublic are seeking attention, so she would want the outside air to be cold. Her favorite color is orange, like the leaves when they change, but she chooses not to wear it because she doesn’t think it favors her. Personally, I disagree. I don’t think there is any color that wouldn’t favor her.”
Sophia’s gaze dropped to her hands. Her heart pounded. Two of her fingers had lost feeling completely from how tightly she was squeezing them. How on earth had he remembered all of that?
