Page 86 of The Trouble with Tigers
The men slanted competitive glances at each other.
“I can’t speak for Randall, but I certainly do.” Caden looked supremely self-assured.
“I was top of my class in world studies,” Randall rejoined.
They faced off a moment longer before switching their attention to her.
“What have you in mind, my lady?” Caden asked.
She gestured for them to sit before lowering herself onto one of the armchairs. “I propose a game whereby we take turns spinning the globe. I will close my eyes, and when the player whose turn it is calls time, I will place my finger on the globe, like so.” She broke off and spun the globe again. Next she closed her eyes, and after a brief hesitation, dropped her finger onto the rotating world map, thereby stopping the rotation. Then she opened her eyes, peeling her finger slowly back to read the name of the target location. “Antarctica,” she said.
“In this instance, whoever spun the globe would recite a little known fact about Antarctica. Such as the median temperature, the first known settlers, the indigenous population, or anything factual, just so long as it’s not too well-known. The other two players must decide whether the information is true or false. If they choose correctly, they win a point.”
“How would any of us know whether or not the person citing these little known facts is being truthful?” Caden asked.
Kitty gave him a tut-tut look.
“In other words, this is to be a game of honor,” Randall stated.
“I have no intention of lying.” She glanced from one man to the other.
They both gave grave assurances they had not, either.
“What shall be the forfeit for the winner?” Caden asked.
“Ah….” She remembered the kiss Zeke claimed in forfeit the night he’d beaten her at chess. Praying her face hadn’t gone pink, she said, “Winner’s choice.”
***
Zeke let himself out of his grandfather’s study, leaving the earl and his long-time man of affairs, Carson Hallis, to share a well-earned glass of cognac. Irritable after spending what amounted to the entire day poring over estate reports rather than settling things with Kitty as intended, he declined to join them.
He descended the stairs two at a time, anxious to get to the ground floor and finally get down to the business at hand.
At the base of the stairs, he plotted his hunt. Surely Kitty had emerged from her bedchamber by now. She was a social creature by nature and wouldn’t abide staying hidden away all day unless she was ill. Something told him that was not the case.
He’d go room by room, hitting all the shared living spaces 'til he found her. He smiled and set off at a comfortable pace.
At least the morning hadn’t been a total bust. He’d discussed the investigative work he wanted Hallis to assume. Primarily, he sought information on dear cousin Garrick. His history, his friends. Anything that might explain what made the man tick.
Of equal importance, Zeke wanted Hallis to check into his claim on the Maidstone title. Now that Zeke understood Garrick James’ relation to Kitty, he had questions regarding his ascension to the Maidstone barony. Not that inheritance laws came up in Zeke’s world often. Hell, never. But he seemed to recall learning in one of those stuffy classes on codified law a man had to be legitimately linked to the titleholder to inherit.
Laws could change. Probably had. But Zeke believed in being thorough, especially when it came to Kitty. She was his future wife, after all.
***
Kitty preened, having just answered another question correctly. She was having a marvelous time, and hadn’t noticed Zeke’s continued absence at all, or so she kept telling herself.
“We’re all tied. Someone will have to work a bit harder at her trickery.” She waggled her brows and spun the globe.
Peeling back her finger, she read. “New Zealand.” She sat back. “New Zealand’s native people, the Maoris, descendants of the Australian Aborigine—”
“Again with the Aborigine.” Caden threw up his hands. “Let me guess. Another story of British brutality against the natives. I’m beginning to think you proposed this game merely as a way to illustrate Britain’s global villainy. Much more of this and I’m likely to defect.”
Kitty stared at him, a stern expression on her face.
“Yes, my lady?” Caden looked suitably cowed.
“May I go on?”
