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He shrugged. “I have yet to attend a house party where shuttlecock wasn’t played.”

Pippy’s eyes brightened.

Freddie squared his shoulders. Why did making her genuinely excited or happy make him feel so ridiculously pleased with himself?

“I’ve never played it in the snow. Have you?” she asked.

He waved her question away. “Not precisely. But I can’t imagine it is so very different.”

She grinned. “Except for the slipping and sliding? And what of the snowflakes falling in your eyes?”

He shook his head as if she were being silly. “Minor inconveniences. Indeed, those will only add to the entertainment.” He scooted to the edge of the couch. “What do you say? Are you up for the challenge?”

She threw the rug to the side. “How could I decline such an offer?” She hurried to the bedroom, but stopped short of the threshold. “Shall we ask your sisters to join us? I would wager Ari would especially enjoy it.”

Freddie deflated slightly. Did she not enjoy their time alone?

But shuttlecock was more enjoyable with several people, he grudgingly admitted. “Perhaps we could ask Fin and Stan to join us? I feel as though I’ve hardly seen them since they arrived. And as I’m the reason they came, I worry they may throw me in the river Glaston.” He shivered. “That would be deuced undesirable at present.” He walked over, pulled his boots from near the fireplace and pushed his foot into one, tugging until it slid into place.

Pippy grinned. “Perhaps for you…” She waggled her brows then disappeared into the bedroom.

He tugged the other boot on and straightened. When had she become so saucy? He stared at the empty doorway, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “I’ll go extend the invitation,” he called. “Unless you wish to accompany me.”

“I need a bit more time.” Her voice was slightly muffled. Was she in the dressing room already? “Why don’t you go invite the others and we shall meet up in the entryway in thirty minutes?”

Freddie toed at a piece of string that had come loose from the carpets. He’d rather hoped she would join him. But waiting for her was a waste of their time. Although what they had to conserve time for, he had no notion. The entire day was before them. “I’d wager most have not yet eaten breakfast. Perhaps we should meet in the breakfast room and go from there?”

“Ah, yes. That is a better plan,” she called.

He frowned. He disliked shouting at her from another room. Should he not just go into the bedchamber and finish the conversation? But what would she say to that?

He headed out the door and down the corridor toward his sisters’ room. He rapped twice on the door and clasped his hands behind his back as he waited.

Their maid, Holden, finally opened the door and stared back at him. She dipped a curtsy. “Good morning, my lord. May I assist you with something?”

He dipped his head to her. “Good morning, Holden. Are my sisters within, or have they already gone down to the breakfast room?”

She shook her head and held the door open.

Freddie stepped inside.

“His lordship is visiting with them now,” Holden said.

Lud! Was it too late to back out of the room? He should have found Fin and Stan first. Freddie looked up just in time to see his father catch his eye. “Good morning, Weymouth,” the earl said.

“Good morning, Father,” Freddie replied.

“Freddie,” Evie said. “Have you seen the snow?”

He smiled at his sister. Should he invite them in front of his father? Snow shuttlecock was surely something he would find inappropriate. And Freddie simply couldn’t listen to a lecture this early in the morning. Especially not with fresh snow on the ground. But there was no way to invite his sisters without his father hearing.

However, his father would never participate in such an outing, so what was the harm? He surely had ledgers or other dull things to review.

“Pippy and I wondered if you and Ari might like to join us in a game of shuttlecock after breakfast?”

“Yes, I’d be delighted,” Evie gushed. Her eyes darted to the window. “Where shall we play? After playing tennis in the ballroom when I was a child, I don’t believe Aunt will allow us to play there.”

Freddie laughed at the memory. He’d been sixteen. And while he was old enough to know better, he also very much enjoyed making his sister laugh. He’d made many unfortunate decisions for that reason. And in truth, it had been Jules’s idea.