while they waited for dinner. When she walked into the room, she stopped seeing Kingsley leaning over the table to take a shot. The fabric of his trousers stretched over his buttocks, causing a rush of butterflies to take flight in her belly. His dark hair fell over his face, but he still managed to get a ball into the pocket.
“Emma, what are you doing down here?”
She smiled over at her brother-in-law, ignoring the glare she felt from Kingsley. “Mamma would like a word in private while Louisa settles George.”
Harry glanced between them both. “Would you like to return upstairs with me?”
“Or perhaps take over for Harry?” Kingsley asked. “You certainly couldn’t do any worse than him.”
Emma sipped her sherry and nodded to Kingsley. She couldn’t blame the sherry as she’d only had one taste. Perhaps it was the slight sound of a dare in the man’s voice. “I will take over.”
“Very well,” Harry said with a pointed look at his brother. “I will return in a moment.”
“If you must,” Kingsley said with a grin.
“I must,” Harry retorted before leaving the room.
“Come along, Miss Drake, take your stick.” Kingsley held out the long cue to her. “I assume you have played before?”
“Yes.” Emma smiled, not wanting him to know that she considered herself quite accomplished at the game. “I fear I am not any better than Harry.”
Kingsley leaned over to continue his turn but looked up at her with a smug grin. “Well, I am much better than Harry, so I believe this game will be over rather quickly. Harry is playing blue and has already lost a life.”
He missed the blue ball, and his white ball rolled into the center of the table. Kingsley stood and looked at her thoroughly.
Emma gasped, seeing the bruising on his nose and chin. The man was a scoundrel to be sure. “What happened to you?” she blurted.
Kingsley leaned nonchalantly against the billiard table. “I ran into a fist last night.”
“That is disgraceful. A man your age engaging in fisticuffs.”
Kingsley laughed. “The man who threw the punches has nearly twenty years on me.”
“You are despicable.”
“Yes, I am. Now take your turn.”
Emma picked up her stick and then walked around the table. She leaned over and tapped the white ball slightly off-center so it would clip the edge of the green ball, knocking it into the left pocket.
She sneaked a glance at Kingsley, who stood there with one dark brow raised.
“Very nice shot,” he remarked.
“Just lucky. And now you have lost a life.”
She walked past him as she took in the table again. A hint of cloves and something else she couldn’t determine wafted by her nose. It smelled far too enticing.
“Just lucky?” Kingsley asked with a half-grin.
With a shrug, she asked, “So how exactly did you get those bruises?”
“I made a mistake in thinking someone was trying to hurt my business.”
“You punched him?”
“It was a misunderstanding that has been resolved.” Kingsley muttered a curse as he missed her ball again. “I do believe you were jesting when you said you weren’t any better than Harry.”
“Perhaps.”
“So,” he drawled as she was taking her shot, “have you stolen any silver this evening?”
His words cut through off her concentration, causing her to nick the cue ball and miss its intended target. She rose and stared at him. “You did that on purpose.”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
No one cheated on her at billiards. “All’s fair, I suppose.”
“Exactly.” He took his stick and leaned over the table.
She tried not to glance at his bottom again, but her eyes seemed determined to look. Heat crept over her cheeks. Hearing the crack of the balls, she pulled her attention back to the game just in time to see him make his shot. This would never do.
“That is two lives down. You have one left,” he commented.
He walked behind her as she lined up her next shot. Was he taking in her bottom as she had his? Thankfully, she landed her target. Rising, she turned only to find him directly in front of her.
“Very nice shot, Miss Drake.” He stared down at her with those sapphire blue eyes.
“Thank you. I do believe we are now tied.” She had to throw him off balance. “Did you contact Mrs. Sherburne about becoming your next mistress yet?”
Kingsley muttered a curse as he rose and watched his ball roll past its target. “No, and that is not a topic to ask a man.”
She tilted her head and smiled. “It is if I wish to