thinking about?” Louisa asked, pulling Emma’s sketches closer.
Not wanting Louisa to find Kingsley's drawing, Emma slid the sketch of George toward her sister and placed the rest in the portfolio where she kept them. “Bolton.”
“Bolton? Why?” Louisa asked with a frown.
“It’s that kind of day. One to remember the past and figure out how to navigate the future.” Emma rose and placed the folder on her bed. “And I would truly like a drink.”
Louisa laughed. “Well, the men already have a head start on us, but let’s join them.”
They found the men in Harry’s study, already imbibing, but they welcomed the ladies with a quick bow.
“Do come in,” Harry said with a smile. “Do you both want some sherry?”
“Brandy,” Louisa answered for them both.
“I thought whisky was your drink, Miss Drake,” Mr. Kingsley said with a lift of his glass in salute.
Emma stared over at the man, who looked entirely at home in the study of a duke. His cravat was unbound, and the first two buttons of his shirt open, causing a riot of sensations in her belly. “I assumed the brandy in your establishment would not be as good as this,” she replied with a lift of the glass Harry gave her.
“Simon’s brandy is far better than even this,” Harry said, returning to his seat. Louisa sat next to him on the sofa, leaving Emma to sit far closer to Kingsley than desired. “And his whisky is exceptional.”
“I do believe Miss Drake is already away of the quality of whisky I serve,” Simon added with a feral smile.
“Let’s not remind her of that evening,” Louisa said, raising the snifter to her lips.
Emma took a small sip and quickly swallowed, wondering why they liked brandy so much. A nice glass of wine would be more to her taste.
“Do you like it, Miss Drake?”
She glanced over at Kingsley, who sent her a knowing grin. He would recognize the fact that the brandy didn’t suit her. “It is excellent.”
He rose and walked to the decanters in the corner. Emma couldn’t help but slide a glance at his back and admire the breadth of his shoulders and slim hips. Drat! She was not supposed to find the man desirable. It was the artist in her, she decided. He had a pleasant form and nothing else.
He returned with a glass of whisky that he handed her. “I believe you might find this to your preference. But I would suggest one glass, not four.”
She took the glass and sniffed before sipping slowly. “Thank you.”
Louisa giggled as she tended to when drinking. “If you did not enjoy the brandy, you only had to say so. It’s just us here. No need to pretend you like something if you don’t.”
Emma nodded. Her breath had caught in her throat when he brought her the whisky. Why would he go out of his way to bring her a drink? And why couldn’t she get the heady scent of him out of her mind?
“What should we door after supper?” Louisa asked.
“There’s always billiards,” Kingsley replied. “I believe Miss Drake owes me a rematch after leaving in the middle of our game at your house.”
“Excellent idea,” Harry agreed with the first smile Simon had seen since arriving. “We could play teams.”
Before Emma could interrupt and make sure she was teamed with Louisa, not Kingsley, Harry continued, “Ladies versus the gentlemen. That should be fair enough.”
Drat! The last thing she wanted was more time near Mr. Kingsley. Being opponents meant devising strategies to beat Mr. Kinsley since Harry was an easy mark to beat. She was quite sure Mr. Kingsley had a competitive streak as wide as her own.
“I am not that bad at billiards,” Louisa said defensively, looking at Harry. “I’ve been known to beat you at a game or two.”
Kingsley laughed. “That is not saying much, Louisa.”
Louisa gave him a sharp look, which made him laugh harder.
He turned toward Emma. “I do believe it will come down to how well we play.”
“I do so love to win,” Emma said as heat seared her cheeks.
“As do I, Miss Drake.”
She wondered why his look implied he wanted to win at something far different than billiards.
THE NEXT MORNING DAWNED gray but not rainy. Simon rose and decided to get a nice long ride in before anyone else awoke. While working at Hell, he tended to wake naturally later. Out in the country, his natural tendency was to be up before most people. After dressing, he meandered to the stables.
“I do need a