There was a long moment of silence, then she said, “Thank you for telling me that.”
He smiled wryly. “I’m not such a terrible person, you know.”
She sighed. “I know.”
Something about her resigned expression made him grin. “But maybe a little terrible?” he teased.
She brightened, their return to levity obviously making her much more comfortable with the conversation. “Oh, for certain.”
“Good. I’d hate to be boring.”
Kate smiled, watching him as he pulled on his stockings and boots. She reached down and picked up the pink ball. “I’d better carry this back to the shed.”
“In case I’m overcome by an uncontrollable urge to toss it back in the lake?”
She nodded. “Something like that.”
“Very well.” He stood. “I’ll take the blanket, then.”
“A fair trade.” She turned to walk up the hill, then spied Colin and Edwina disappearing into the distance. “Oh!”
Anthony turned quickly around. “What is it? Oh, I see. It seems your sister and my brother have decided to head back without us.”
Kate scowled at their errant siblings, then shrugged in resignation as she started trudging up the hill. “I suppose I can tolerate your company for a few more minutes if you can tolerate mine.”
He didn’t say anything, which surprised her. It seemed just the sort of comment to which he’d have a witty and perhaps even cutting comeback. She looked up at him, then drew back slightly in surprise. He was staring at her in the oddest manner…
“Is—is everything all right, my lord?” she asked hesitantly.
He nodded. “Fine.” But he sounded rather distracted.
The rest of the trip to the shed was met with silence. Kate set the pink ball in its spot in the Pall Mall cart, noting that Colin and Edwina had cleared the course and put everything neatly away, including the errant purple mallet and ball. She stole a glance at Anthony and had to smile. It was obvious from his beleaguered frown that he’d noticed as well.
“The blanket goes in here, my lord,” she said with a hidden grin, stepping out of his way.
Anthony shrugged. “I’ll bring it up to the house. It probably needs a good cleaning.”
She nodded in agreement, and they shut the door and were off.
Chapter 11
There is nothing like a spot of competition to bring out the worst in a man—or the best in a woman.
LADY WHISTLEDOWN’S SOCIETY PAPERS, 4 MAY 1814
Anthony whistled as they ambled up the path to the house, stealing glances at Kate when she wasn’t looking. She really was quite an attractive woman in her own right. He didn’t know why this always surprised him, but it did. His memory of her never quite lived up to the enchanting reality of her face. She was always in motion, always smiling or frowning or pursing her lips. She’d never master the placid, serene expression to which young ladies were meant to aspire.
He’d fallen into the same trap as had the rest of society—of thinking of her only in terms of her younger sister. And Edwina was so stunning, so amazingly, startlingly beautiful that anyone near to her couldn’t help but fade into the background. It was, Anthony allowed, difficult to look at anyone else when Edwina was in the room.
And yet…
He frowned. And yet he’d barely spared Edwina a glance through the entire Pall Mall game. This might have been understandable simply because it was Bridgerton Pall Mall, and it brought out the worst in anyone named Bridgerton; hell, he probably wouldn’t have spared a glance for the Prince Regent if he’d deigned to join the game.
But that explanation wouldn’t wash, for his mind was filled with other images. Kate bending over her mallet, her face tense with concentration. Kate giggling as someone missed a shot. Kate cheering on Edwina when her ball rolled through the wicket—a very un-Bridgerton-like trait, that. And, of course, Kate smiling wickedly in that last second before she’d sent his ball flying into the lake.
Clearly, even if he hadn’t been able to spare a glance for Edwina, he’d been sparing plenty for Kate.
That ought to have been disturbing.
He glanced back over at her again. This time her face was tilted slightly toward the sky, and she was frowning.
“Is something wrong?” he inquired politely.
She shook her head. “Just wondering if it’s going to rain.”
He looked up. “Not anytime soon, I imagine.”
She nodded slowly in agreement. “I hate the rain.”