Page 37 of Snapdragons
There was no need to pull from the hat the remaining names, as only Lucas and Henri had not had their names drawn. With the teams determined, the planning began.
Niles walked beside Miss Seymour to a far corner of the room, unsure how to begin a conversation. Ought he to acknowledge what he’d seen in her expression? Apologize for the embarrassment she’d endured? Ignore it all entirely in favor of moving forward on good terms?
She saved him the trouble. “I realize your friends do not actually long for an evening filled with Irish-themedentertainments. But I suspect theywouldappreciate something genuinely enjoyable. That leaves us with the question of what we are able to plan and execute together.”
It was, in fact, the challenge of two randomly selected individuals attempting to find something both could equally participate in that made the game enjoyable.
“Unfortunately,” Niles said, “I don’t think Digby would permit us to ride horses in the drawing room. We share that talent.”
“Even with the drenching, it was an enjoyable ride, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “It was.” And he found he meant it. Yes, he was uncomfortable with her pointed efforts at courting him, but he couldn’t deny that he’d enjoyed riding with someone who was good at it. That part of the morning had been nice. “Though we did end our race without a winner.”
“You will think me odd, but that was one of my favorite aspects of our morning ride. I have not lost a horse race in five years. Continuing that run of luck without actually winning was unexpectedly delightful.”
Niles wasn’t certain which aspect of that declaration he found most intriguing: that she was undefeated for a half decade, that she was not upset to have not been victorious, or that she took genuine delight at having lost a race without truly losing a race. Too many people who shared his enjoyment of athletic pursuits were so focused on victory that they didn’t enjoy the oddities that occurred from time to time.
“Since Morwenna and Midnight can’t join us, what ought we to do instead?” Niles asked.
“Do you draw?” she asked.
Niles shook his head.
“Neither do I.” Playfulness twinkled in her eyes. Miss Seymour liked to tease, that much had become clear early on.
“I also don’t sing,” Niles said.
“Neither do I.”
A quick glance around the room revealed very different interactions. Nicolette and Violet were smiling broadly, clearly enjoying each other. Aldric and Mr. Seymour appeared to be having a very stilted conversation, one punctuated by how intimidating Mr. Seymour seemed to find his partner.
“I incompetently play the pianoforte,” Niles said to Miss Seymour.
She laughed lightly. “A perfect description of my ability on the instrument.”
“We could subject the others to a painfully inept duet,” he suggested.
“Thatisthe most entertaining variety.” She brushed her hand against his, though in a way that he didn’t think she even realized she’d done. Or did she? It might very well have been more of her courting efforts. He would do best to remain on his guard. “We should go see if Mr. Layton has any music broadsheets we could fumble our way through.”
Their trek from the room took them past Lucas and Henri.
“Abandoning the competition already?” Lucas tsked. “We promise to say flattering things no matter how mortifying your performance is.”
“We not only aren’t quitting,” Miss Seymour said, “but we also intend to hold you to that promise no matter that you don’t realize how impossible a task you have set yourself to.”
“Ce sera une performance douloureuse?” Henri had slipped into French more often these past few days than he usually did.
Miss Seymour looked to Niles, a question in her eyes. But there was no flirting in her gaze, which eased his worries from a moment before. “I don’t know what he said,” she whispered.
“He asked if our performance will be painful.”
“Ah.” She turned to face the others once more. “Horriblypainful, which makes it an absolute shame that there will not be a prize for the worst performance. We would be sure to win.”
“I don’t know about that,” Niles said. “I spied another team who looked to be struggling with their collaboration.”
“My brother and Lord Aldric?” Miss Seymour guessed with a grin.
“Perhaps standing about in uncomfortable silence will be their offering.” Niles chuckled.
