Daniel put an arm around my shoulders. “Why don’t we go outside? Lord Williams is sure to be occupied in his room for the rest of the day. You won’t have to worry about meeting him again until dinner. Alice, come with us. How about a game of bowls?”
Alice smiled. “Oh, yes. I would love that.”
I remained silent until we stepped onto the lawn. “This is unbelievable,” I finally said, wrapping my arms around myself.
Daniel nodded. “I had not thought to ever see him again.”
“It makes no sense. Why would Lord Williams do this?”
“Perhaps he is as determined to live a life of misery as you are,” Daniel said.
I ignored the comment. The situation had all the appearance of a cruel joke. I could hardly stand to be in the same room with this man. How was I to endure his visit—or worse, marriage? I would never be able to do it. “What am I going to do?”
“Well, to begin with, you’re going to ignore me for a moment.” Daniel stretched his hand forward and tugged at the side of my hair.
I wrenched away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Retrieving this.” He held up a blade of grass.
My hand flew to my head. “That was in my hair?”
He nodded.
I glanced up at the window to the baron’s room in mortification. The curtains were drawn, but I could easily imagine him in his room laughing at me. “What a perfect day.” It certainly could not get worse.
“A little competition will ease your anxiety,” Daniel said.
I trudged after him to our playing spot across the lawn. “Margaret,” Alice said tentatively, “would you like to deliver the jack?”
I looked at her in surprise. She always tossed the little white ball that then became the target of the larger ones. Lawn bowls was her favorite game.
My surprise turned to chagrin. I shouldn’t have allowed my feelings of the moment to overrun my sense of decorum. My father had been correct. I had shown a want of character and, worse, I had done so in front of Alice. No matter how abhorrent the circumstance, my reaction was inexcusable. “No. You do it. I assume Daniel and I are on a team?”
She nodded, then bent in concentration and tossed the jack. It landed a bit closer than usual, but she stood with a smile.
“Alice, would you like your turn first or last?” Daniel asked.
She picked up one of her balls. “First.”
“I cannot imagine a worse situation.” I spoke quietly enough that Alice wouldn’t overhear.
“Oh, come, Margaret. The situation isn’t that bad.”
“How is it not?”
“The baron’s not an unpleasant-looking fellow, is he? He isn’t old. And he doesn’t smell.”
“I could more easily wear a clothespin on my nose than abide Lord Williams’s presence for days on end.”
Alice’s ball landed some distance from the jack. “Bad luck, Alice,” Daniel said loudly. He picked up one of our balls. “You don’t mean that. And, though you don’t agree, he is a better choice than Mr. Northam.”
“The two are not even comparable.”
Daniel tossed the ball. He hit Alice’s, knocking it farther from the jack. “Looks like your luck is taking a turn for the worse, Alice.” He turned to me. “Sorry, you’ll have to fix that.” He gestured toward Alice’s ball. “But you are correct, they are not comparable. No matter how he acts toward you, Lord Williams is a far better match for you.”
“How is an arrogant, unintelligent, rash baron a good match for anyone?” Alice picked up her next ball, and I decided to watch, for if her toss landed poorly, I would need to fix that as well.
Daniel glanced at me and straightened. “Margaret—”
“No, Daniel. I’m serious. I can’t imagine Mr. Northam ever walking out on a lady’s performance.”
If only Mr. Northam had proposed at the Hickmores’.
“Margaret!” Daniel hissed.
“Fine. Don’t relent. But I’m not giving up on him. Mr. Northam is perfect. Everything I want. He is handsome, engaging, and much too intelligent to ever—”
“My lord, would you care to join us?” Daniel cut in.
I rolled my eyes. There was no way I was falling for that jest. “Really, Daniel. Can you think of nothing better than that?”
“I wouldn’t care to intrude on a private game.” The deep voice came from directly behind me, and a faint scent of mild cologne and saddle oil wafted in the air.
My face flamed with embarrassment. I hadn’t been speaking loudly, but it was very probable the baron