Page 14 of Sleepless in Saunton
She was to play against him.
Jane could not deny her drop in spirits at this news. It would have been much easier to spend time in his company if they were on the same team, but she could hardly make a fuss without rousing suspicions.
Instead, she found herself grouped with Peregrine Balfour’s friend, Lord Julius Trafford. The foppish heir to the Earl of Stirling had a bizarre thatch of wheat-colored hair at the crown of his head, but the rest of his hair was a deep chocolate color. She was suspicious that the gentleman’s valet was using lemon juice or vinegar to lighten the nobleman’s hair in some sort of style choice, but she considered it to be a silly affectation. Lord Trafford and the duchess’s brother, Mr. Brendan Ridley, were both friends of Perry’s who had remained for the house party after attending his wedding a few days earlier.
Jane preferred Mr. Ridley over the spoilt young lord. Despite his involvement with widows, Mr. Ridley was an affable young man who had spent a great deal of time cavorting with his infant nephew, Jasper, who was the duke’s heir and had the same rich, chestnut hair as his uncle and mother.
Additional members of her team included a Mr. Adam Dunsford, Mr. Ridley, Tatiana, another child, and several men and women she had not become acquainted with yet.
Mr. Ridley was elected team captain. The duke oversaw the coin toss, and Jane’s team won. Two batters went to the pitch, while Tatiana and Jane hurried off the field along with the other batters to await their turn.
The earl’s team scattered over the field to prepare for play.
Jane found a bat suitable for Tatiana’s height from the collection that had been laid out. She showed her how to grasp and swing it, being mindful of their skirts. Then she explained how to score a run, including how to scarper to the other wicket so their skirts did not trip them up.
The little girl was brimming with excitement, chattering questions at Jane as they went through the rules. It gladdened her to see the child so animated after their first encounter when Tatiana had been so sad about her mother, and she could not help reaching out a hand to smooth the girl’s hair affectionately.
* * *
Barclay tookhis place on the field, bemused, while he observed Tatiana interacting with Jane across the field. When he had agreed to play, he had not realized Tatiana was participating, or he would have made sure they were on the same team in order to help her learn the game.
By the time he had realized she was there, she had already latched onto the intriguing young woman from the library and he had been loath to interrupt the bonhomie he had seen forming between the two. It had been some time since Tatiana had laughed or chattered as much as she was now, her face lit up as Jane demonstrated how to swing the bat and run while wearing skirts, then smoothed his daughter’s silver-blonde hair with affection.
Jane truly was a unique young woman in how she took such an interest in children, playing with Ethan in the library and now with his daughter. Natalya would have approved of such engagement. His eyes ran over her willowy form with appreciation as his thoughts returned to the notion of courting her.
She is still a child herself! There are no more than ten years between her and your daughter, you degenerate lech!
Barclay grimaced. His thoughts were only on courtship because of his conversation with his mother the night before. He needed to find a woman more suitable and forget about the vivacious woman who was far too young for a man at his stage of life.
Looking about the field, he noticed a blonde woman glancing his way in admiration.
Mrs. Agnes Gordon.
He searched the archives of his mind and remembered she was the widow of the vicar from the local village. The earl had provided her with a cottage at Saunton Park when her husband had unexpectedly died three years earlier.
Mrs. Gordon flickered a flirtatious smile from under the brim of her bonnet before approaching him while Barclay contemplated her. A woman closer to his own age. A more mature woman who was of Natalya’s age, if she had still been here with them.
Mrs. Gordon had experience running a household and assisting a vicar—certainly she would make a good wife to a professional man like him.
“Mr. Thompson, I hope I might impose on you to explain the rules of the game?”
Barclay smiled, bowing in acknowledgment. With an appreciative eye, he noted she had a lively manner and was quite comely in her striped muslin dress.
* * *
Mr. Adam Dunsford,the sole heir to a local Somerset landowner, had just been bowled out. Rambling over, he took a seat by Jane under the oak tree while Tatiana held her bat aloft proudly as she walked away to take his place at the crease.
He was a handsome young man, with a mop of curling brown waves that must have taken his valet endless time each morning to perfect into looking effortlessly unaffected.
“You played rather well for a woman, Miss Davis. Twenty runs, was it?”
Jane smiled in return, while wishing she had had more sleep the night before because all the sunshine and activity was making her drowsy. It was not the most effusive compliment—For a woman?—but it was well intended and the gentleman had such a warm manner, it was difficult to take offense. “Yes. Thank you, Mr. Dunsford.”
“I am afraid I batted rather poorly. Barely made twelve runs before a child bowled me out. They are getting more and more talented each year. It has nothing to do with my deplorable talents, I assure you.”
She chuckled in response. His self-deprecation was endearing as he threaded his fingers together and pulled a slight face, leaning forward on his elbows to observe the game. Jane had been watching Barclay with Mrs. Gordon across the field, but now she averted her eyes to watch the bowling. “Have you known the earl for long, Mr. Dunsford?”
“Yes, but I must admit, not very well. It is his brother, Peregrine Balfour, whom I went to Oxford with.”
