Page 13 of Sleepless in Saunton
Her cousin almost launched into the air with his excitement. “Where did you get that? I have never seen one so small before!”
“I had it made for you in London.”
Ethan had reddened in his excitement, scrambling to join his father and take it reverently in his hands. “We are to play cricket? Together?”
“I will have to help you when it is your turn at the wicket.”
“Do you mind, UncleBar-clee? Can we play chess later?”
Barclay inclined his head. “Of course, we shall leave the board set up for later.”
Jane stood up and walked over. “Shall I place the board on that table? The servants know to leave it alone if it is resting there.”
Ethan nodded vigorously, not able to take his eyes from the specially commissioned club. “Are you playing with us, UncleBar-clee?”
“Say yes, Barclay, and I promise a full-length bat for you,” Richard joked, his emerald eyes as bright with enthusiasm as his son’s. Jane had never seen the sophisticated earl so eager and boyish.
The gentleman chuckled. “It has been some time since I played, but I suppose I might rack my memory to recall the rules. Will you play with us, Jane?”
Her breath caught in delight at the invitation. His brown eyes were studying her as he waited for her reply, and Jane had difficulty finding her voice as she became lost in his warm gaze. For all the reasons that made no sense for a match between them, something inexplicably drew her to the man.
“Yes! Do join us, Jane?” Richard spoke from behind Barclay’s shoulder, oblivious to the heat between his brother and his houseguest. Jane reluctantly turned her gaze to him as he continued. “Sophia is coming to watch, and a few ladies have expressed an interest in joining in. One of them attended that women’s match at Ball’s Pond nearly ten years ago. She claims she is one of the spectators depicted in the drawing by Thomas Rowlandson. We are short players to make a proper match of it.”
Jane was taken aback by the earl’s zeal. It was clear he had a love of the bat and ball that hitherto she had been unaware of. Her family, who had just left to go home after Emma’s wedding, would have happily taken part in a match had they been aware of his fondness for it.
Realizing that Barclay would be there, she inclined her head in assent. “Of course, it has been a year or two, but I am sure I can manage. I shall go change into my boots. Where are we playing?”
“We have created a playing field on the west lawn to take full advantage of the afternoon sun.”
Ethan grasped his white willow bat, tugging on his father’s sleeve. “How long will we play? For three days? Must I tell Miss Lovell we will not be doing lessons in the morning?”
Richard and Barclay both burst out laughing. Jane herself held her palm against her mouth to keep a giggle back at Ethan’s transparent attempt to evade his governess.
“We are all amateurs,” his father replied. “We shall see if we can even make it last the afternoon.”
Ethan’s face fell. “Oh. We were going to practice Latin tomorrow morning. I was hoping to tell her I was busy.”
The earl pursed his lips as if giving the matter serious consideration. “If you learn Latin, we can practice talking to each other. Latin is important, is it not, Barclay?”
“Without my Latin lessons, I would not have been able to visit Florence and Rome and learn to draw plans for important buildings,” agreed the gentleman with a sage expression for his nephew’s benefit.
Ethan grumbled but appeared mollified as they departed the library. Jane was too distracted to pay him any mind. She headed to her room to change her shoes, with nervous excitement that Barclay had personally invited her quickening her steps as if a tail wind pushed her down the hall.
It means nothing, you silly chit! He was just being polite.
Nevertheless, she was excited to be seeing him again so soon.
* * *
When Jane reachedthe western lawns, it was to find that most of the houseguests had gathered. Because the countess was increasing, she sat on a bench in the shade of a tree to watch while lamenting that she also wanted to play. She looked lovely in her blue day gown with her red-blonde hair in a coif, having removed her bonnet to take advantage of a breeze that rustled the verdant leaves above her.
The Duchess of Halmesbury elected to sit with her, although there was envy in her brandy eyes as the teams assembled and Jane thought she might have wanted to play, but felt obligated to keep the countess company. “I suppose it is only fair I sit out if my husband is one of the umpires,” she remarked to Jane before making her way to join Sophia.
Tatiana was standing by to join a team, looking exuberant. She raced over to Jane when she spotted her, grabbing her hand. “Are you playing, Jane?”
Jane agreed she was, and Tatiana asked if they could be on the same team, so Jane might instruct her on how to play. The little girl had never attended a game, but was caught up in the ebullience of the other guests.
When Jane reached the crowd of gathered players, she was disappointed to discover that Barclay had already been assigned to a team that was now full. They had assigned the players to put an even number of men, women, and children on each team, which was only fair, and Barclay, Richard, and Ethan were teamed together.
