Page 29 of The Viscount's Daring Cinderella
“Ah, I see,” Theodore replied.
“And Mattie, can you tell your uncle the song’s words?”
“Yes, Lady Beryl. One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more!” Mattie sang.
“Well done, girls. Shall we get started?”
They began passing the ball to each other and singing the song, and with each round, they passed the ball and sang faster. Lady Beryl passed the ball much faster than he anticipated, and it fell to the ground before he could catch it.
The children began to giggle as they could not contain their amusement.
“That was rather clumsy, Uncle,” Louise said with an impish grin.
Theodore laughed. “I am afraid I am not as good as you at this game. You need to teach me.”
“Truly?” Mattie asked.
“Yes,” Theodore replied.
The girls glanced at each other, delighted, and his heart once again squeezed.
“Let us start again,” Lady Beryl said.
At first, Theodore thought the game was a bit silly, but he actually enjoyed it. He liked that the girls no longer seemed so morose. He took great pleasure in hearing Lady Beryl’s laughter, like the tinkling of a bell. Her face flushed and returned to its usual stoic expression when she caught him staring at her.
When he dropped the ball the second time, Mattie exclaimed, “Oh dear! I think you need to have some lessons with our governess, Uncle.”
Lady Beryl had a hearty laugh at his expense. Her laughter was so intense that tears pooled in her eyes, and she gasped for breath between each bout of mirth. She was so lovely when she appeared carefree. As if she had no need to worry about how she might seem to the outside world. Her eyes crinkled, and when her lips parted, it showed her beautiful white teeth.
I am bloody smitten, he groused silently;even her teeth I think beautiful. Theodore raked his fingers through his hair, a sense of bemusement creeping over his senses.
Lady Beryl wiped her eyes, her cheeks flushed with the exertion, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips.
It was the sigh that made him forget himself. What it would be like to hear her sigh of pleasure once more. He remembered all too well when she sighed against his lips, her hot breath scorching him with desire. His cock jumped, and he willed himself to behave. This was neither the time nor the place.
“Girls, it is time for lunch. Go ahead and wash up. I shall join you shortly.”
The girls ran toward the house, and he was finally alone with Lady Beryl.
She raised a brow. “Was there something you wanted to speak with me about, my lord?”
“Not particularly. I searched for you in the tutor room, and you were not there.”
“I see,” Lady Beryl replied.
“That is where I expected you to be,” Theodore said.
“You do remember we had established the rules, do you not, Theodore?”
“I do, but you can hardly call this teaching,” he said.
Beryl scoffed. “That is where you are wrong.”
“Is that so?”
She could not mask her annoyance. “Most assuredly. Children do not only learn in the tutor room, my lord. In our game, the children improved their speed, agility, ball skills, hand-eye coordination, and attention span.”
Theodore inclined his head to the side and continued to scrutinize her. “I take your point. I did not look at it quite that way.”
