Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ben and Miss Cartwright stopped next to them. “You two seem to be enjoying the activity already,” Ben said peevishly.
“He was telling me about his sister, Fiona,” Mia still smiled.
Ben’s frown slipped for a moment. “Ah, yes. She is fiery.” He tilted his head to the side. “The two of you would get on splendidly, I would wager.”
Mia smiled widely. “That is what we decided also.”
Ben eyed them both and while his frown did not return, his smile slipped a bit. Mia was not sure what to make of him just then.
“My lord,” Franny whined. “I’ve never held a bow. Would you mind helping me?”
Mia narrowed her eyes. What was Franny about? Surely she knew how to shoot. Mia tried to recall a time when she might have seen her friend with a bow. There had been village fairs with archery over the years. Was it possible Franny had never participated? As hard as she tried, Mia could not remember seeing her friend attempt archery even a single time.
“Certainly.” Ben moved in behind Franny and wrapped his arms around her.
Mia frowned, her breath huffing out through her nostrils. In principle, she knew such a stance was required to teach Franny the correct way to hold the bow and nock the arrow. But in reality, she didn’t like it. Not a whit. Couldn’t he have held the bow himself and had Franny observe? Surely she would learn just as well from watching and studying his moves.
“Do you need a lesson, my lady?” Lord Montcort watched her, a smile playing at his lips. Was he mocking her or Ben? It didn’t matter. Mia didn’t appreciate it either way. She cast another look at Ben. He might need to take such a stance. But must he hold her so tight? There was hardly a breath’s width between them.
She narrowed her eyes. What was good for the goose, was good for the gander, was it not? “One can never have too much help, do you not agree?” She cooed at Lord Montcort. Gads, what depths she had descended to.
Lord Montcort stepped behind and put his arms around her, his fingers on top of hers. The warmth of his body had the opposite effect of what she thought it would. Instead of melting into him, she stiffened.
“You’ll need to relax if you wish to shoot accurately.” His breath tickled her cheek.
She tried to relax. “Yes, I’m aware of that.” Pulling back on the string, she steadied her breath. Just as she released her grip on the arrow, Miss Cartwright giggled. Mia jerked, as did the arrow, and it flew wide, striking the statue of some dead ancestor or another.
To Mia’s mortification, the arm fell off, hitting the partially askew tomb lid, before landing with a thud on the grass below. A shuffling sound erupted from inside the tomb, and Lady Charlotte and Miss Lucy Meecham screamed. “Is it come to life?”
Two birds flew through the crack, flying high into what rafters remained of the old chapel.
Mia rolled her eyes and held back the irritated sigh.
She glanced at Ben and winced. “I am sorry. I seem to have maimed Lady Berwick. I hope she knows it was an accident.”
Ben stared at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Let us hope she does not choose to haunt you.”
Lord Montcort took the bow from her hands. “A bit off there, but had your aim been true, you would have made it to the target.” He nodded in satisfaction. “I can work with your skills.”
Mia blew a breath out of the side of her mouth. “Perhaps I can try it on my own?”
He shrugged and waved his hand in front of him. “Be my guest.”
Mia took another arrow from the quiver and nocked it. Moving her feet slightly apart, she pulled back on the string and aimed. This time, she blocked out the noises from beside her and released the arrow. It flew long and straight, hitting the target just inches from the center.
She stood tall and turned around to find Lord Montcort’s gaze moving from her to the target and back.
“You seem to have undersold your abilities.”
She gave him a sheepish smile. “A lady never boasts about her talents.”
He laughed. “I know several ladies who might argue that with you.” He took up his bow and took his turn. His shot was lower and to the left of hers but still within the target’s marks.
“Please, Miss Cartwright. Do not turn around to talk to me with your arrow nocked.” Ben put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. “It’s very dangerous.”
Montcort’s lips twitched when Mia caught his gaze. “Why do we not liven up this activity?”
“I’m a veteran of your game enhancing. I’m uncertain I can be a party to it this time.” She side-eyed him. “Were not the birds flying out of the tomb enough excitement for you, my lord?”
He flicked up his brows and grinned.
Mia tilted her head to the side. “What do you have in mind?”
“Perhaps a game or two?”
“That didn’t answer her question, Cort,” Lord Stoke folded his arms.
Montcort dipped his head in acknowledgment. “What if we do it blindfolded?”
Lady Stoke’s brow rose. “Would that not be dangerous? Especially with all these people?” She eyed Miss Cartwright who blushed deeply.
“Pish,” Lord Montcort batted the concern away. “We’ll play in pairs. Only one will be blindfolded and the other must guide their partner in their shot. The closest to the bull’s eye wins.”
“That part is obvious,” His Grace looked blandly at him.
“It sounds quite diverting,” Miss Cartwright said. She looked up at Ben in a way that Mia had never seen. Lud, was she now falling for his charms? What were all these ladies about? It was as if they had never had a gentleman pay them any mind.
“It seems a good way to practice before the real games begin,” Mia said coyly.
“Oh?” Mr. Bancroft said. “And just what are the other games?”
Mia grinned at him. “That is to be a surprise.”
She picked her bow off the table and looked to Lord Montcort. “What are the rules?”
“Yes, give us the rules, Cort,” Ben said with little enthusiasm in his voice.
“You may only give verbal instructions. There will be no touching of your partner.” Lord Montcort gave Ben a look.
“Now that’s a pity,” Lord Stoke winked at his wife and she pinked rather adorably.
Not for the first time, Mia wondered if Ben might not be right about them.
“What if the arrow is aimed in such a way as to be dangerous?” Ben gave a wide-eyed side nod at Miss Cartwright. “You can’t expect us to ignore something like that. What if we must touch them to aim them correctly?”
Lord Montcort tapped his chin with the end of an arrow. “Very well. But if you need to take such measures, that shot will have points deducted.”
“As if it will matter. It is not as if there is anything of value at stake.” His Grace shoved a bow into the hands of his partner, Miss Lucy Meecham. The girl took it, but there was only fear on her face.
“Then why do we not make the reward something of value?” Lord Montcort looked at his friends.
“Do you wager on everything?” Mia had never thought of Ben as a gambler. But his friends had made several wagers already, and they’d only been at the party for six days.
“This is not a wager. It’s a friendly competition,” Montcort defended. “As this is a more difficult competition, I think it only right for the prize to be equal. I have a horseman in Somerset. The winner of the challenge can have his pick of Jenkins’ horses.”
Mia’s brows rose high on her brow. “A horse is the prize? You cannot be serious.”
“It does seem a bit excessive,” Lady Stoke looked between each of them in their huddled little group.
“Just a bit,” Miss Bancroft said timidly.
“Fine,” Lord Montcort let out an annoyed sigh. “What do you suggest?”
“I will offer up a tray of cherry tarts from Mrs. Partridge,” Ben said. “The winning couple may share them.”
Lord Ponsonby nodded. “That is a worthy prize.”
Lord Montcort crossed his arms and jutted out his bottom lip like a petulant child. “Very well.” He looked to Mia. “Which of us shall go first?”
Mia shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Montcort shook his head. “Likely not. I plan on us winning either way.”
Mia sidled closer to him and leaned in. “What if we did not win?”
“Are you daft? Why would we do that?” He looked rather disgusted with her.
She lifted her gaze and jutted her chin toward Lord Rayburton and Lady Charlotte. “They seem to enjoy each other’s company. Would it not be nice if they could enjoy a tray of tarts together?”
Lord Montcort looked at her like she had lost her mind. But finally, he nodded. “If that is what you wish. But just because we do not win does not mean one of the other gents and their partners won’t.” He straightened. “We’re all quite good.”
“You let me take care of that.”
Mia announced the competition to the rest of the group, and the pairs practiced with full sight until the footmen returned with enough blindfolds. As she handed the blindfolds to the ladies of their group, she whispered instructions regarding Lady Charlotte and Lord Rayburton. Each of them grinned and nodded.
Lord Montcort took the blindfold first for their team. They had already planned out their strategy. Mia held onto the bow as he fastened the sash around his head, covering his eyes. “I’ve been thinking, my lady. Could we not still win, but simply offer the tray of tarts to Lady Charlotte and Lord Rayburton? Must we allow them to win?”
Mia sighed. “Must you always win?”
His lips pushed out and she could almost see his brow rise beneath his blindfold. “I prefer it to the alternative.”
Mia looked to the Heavens. “Today you will just have to be disappointed.” She handed him the bow and placed an arrow in his hand. “Are you ready?”
She took his grunt to mean the affirmative.
Mia stood just behind him and looked toward the target. “Twist a little to the right, my lord.”
Lord Montcort turned.
“To your other right,” she said with a hint of irritation. “You do know your right from your left, do you not?”
He twisted his head as if he were looking at her over his shoulder. “I’m not daft, my lady.”
“That remains to be seen,” Mia muttered. “There you are. A little bit more—wait! That is too far. Back to your left about two inches.”
“How am I to know what two inches is if I cannot see it?” He complained.
She huffed. “Can you not visualize it in your head?”
He mumbled something about him not being the daft one, but Mia ignored him. She became rather out of patience with him. “This was your idea, my lord. I thought perhaps you suggested it because you were already proficient at it.”
“How hard can it be to give directions?” He grumbled.
She put her hands on her hips, even though he could not see her. “You are making it very difficult, indeed.”
A cheer went up from those around them, and Mia looked over to see that Lord Rayburton had taken a shot.
“What is all the ruckus about?” Montcort asked, still holding his arrow nocked.
“Lord Rayburton nearly shot a bull’s eye.” Mia smiled to herself. “Perhaps we will not need to ‘let’ them win after all. It seems quite possible they will do it all on their own.”
“You need not think us losers just yet, my lady. I still have not taken my shot.”
“And do you think you will take it sometime this year, my lord?”
He pulled back his arm. “How does my aim look?”
Mia stood on her tiptoes and looked down his arm at the target. “There you have it.”
Lord Montcort released the arrow. It flew through the air, but just before it hit its mark, a crow swooped down and plucked the arrow out of the air.
A gasp sounded, and Lord Montcort ripped off his blindfold. “What is it? Did I hit the bull’s eye?” He frowned. “I don’t see my arrow.”
Mia pointed to the black bird perched in the rafters, the arrow in its beak.
“What the blazes?” Montcort stared up.
The bird squawked, and the arrow fell, causing another gasp as people moved out of the way.
“Surely that doesn’t count as my turn.” Lord Montcort looked at his friends.
They looked anything but sympathetic.
“You can shoot again,” His Grace said with a shrug. “But you’ll have to deduct points from the total.”
“I have never known a more useless assembly!” Lord Montcort folded his arms and glared.
Mia stepped up beside him. “I believe this works to our advantage, my lord. We will not win, but you need not make an inferior shot. What is the harm in it?”
He sighed. “Ah, yes. That is very advantageous.” He seemed anything but pleased.