“I’m not giving you a gun,” Benedict retorted. “We don’t have enough to go around.”
“We can share,” Eloise ground out. “Have you ever tried sharing? It’s very improving.”
Benedict scowled at her in a manner that wasn’t particularly fitting for a man of his years.
“I think,” Colin said, “that what Benedict was trying to say is that he’s as improved as he’s ever going to be.”
“For certain,” Sophie said, not even raising her eyes from her book.
“Here,” Phillip said magnanimously, handing his gun to Eloise, “have mine.” The four Bridgerton men groaned, but he decided he rather enjoyed annoying them.
“Thank you,” Eloise said graciously. “From Anthony’s bark of ’round two’ I deduce that you’ve each taken one shot?”
“Indeed,” Phillip replied. He looked over at her brothers, all of whom wore dejected expressions. “What’s wrong?”
Anthony just shook his head.
Phillip looked to Benedict.
“She’s a freak of nature,” Benedict muttered.
Phillip looked back at Eloise with renewed interest. She didn’t look particularly freakish to him.
“I’m dropping out,” Gregory muttered. “I haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”
“You’ll have to ring for more,” Colin told him. “I already finished it all.”
Gregory let out an annoyed sigh. “It’s a wonder I haven’t starved,” he grumbled, “younger brother that I am.”
Colin shrugged. “You’ve got to be quick if you want to eat.”
Anthony looked at the two of them with disgust. “Did the two of you grow up in an orphanage?” he asked.
Phillip bit his lip to contain his smile.
“Are we going to shoot?” Eloise demanded.
“Youcertainly are,” Gregory said, slumping against a tree. “I’m leaving to eat.”
He stayed, though, watching his sister with a bored expression as she lifted her arm and, without even appearing to aim, fired.
Phillip blinked in surprise as the footman brought forth the target.
Dead center.
“Where did you learn to do that?” he asked, trying not to gape.
She shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you. I’ve always been able to do it.”
“Freak of nature,” Colin muttered. “Clearly.”
“I think it’s splendid,” Phillip said.
Eloise looked at him with glowing eyes. “Do you really?”
“Of course. Should I ever need to defend my home, I shall know who to send out to the front line.”
She beamed. “Where’s the next target?”
