Page 14 of Avoiding the Merry Viscount
And the mention of Miss Cary again caused Elias to lose control of his face, allowing his annoyance to show. How was he going to overcome his obvious attraction to her? And if Matt intended to set his cap at her, that would certainly impede the things Elias had planned for her in his thoughts later.
“Oh, don’t tell me that you are smitten, Matt?” Jude teased him.
Hudson perked up his ears at that, and Elias was thankful that it was Jude who broached the subject.
“No,” Matt scoffed. “Nothing like that. She just didn’t simper and enjoyed discussing the latest news. It was comparable to speaking with Diana or Hannah.”
Hudson balled the hand resting on the table into a fist. Elias assumed it was the informal address of his sister, which had been another point of contention between the pair.
“I’m sure we will all look forward to getting to know her better,” Elias said quickly, before Hudson could say something odious. Even if it caused his friends to cast him curious glances.
Elias continued, “I just mean that if she is a friend of our sisters,” he motioned between himself and Hudson, “she will likely be among their group of friends we accompany to the events.”
That seemed to pacify their curiosity, and Jude changed the subject to speak about the evening that he and Elias had before they arrived at the party.
Perhaps it was the nearness to the anniversary of his mother’s passing, but recalling their conquests irked him a bit. It couldn’t be for any other reason than that.
Once the gentlemen had all finished their port, his father directed them all to join the ladies in the drawing room. Elias went straight for the sideboard, giving himself a healthy pour of brandy and avoiding eye contact with anyone.
“Gather around everyone,” Diana addressed the room. “We shall play charades.”
Elias inwardly sighed. Couldn’t the ladies just sing or something? His sister would no doubt keep them all busy with nonstop games and activities.
“We will divide into two teams. The ladies on one team and the gentlemen on the other. If the ladies win, they will get to select their partners for an activity tomorrow, but if the gentlemen win, they will do the selecting.”
Elias scanned the room and noted that Lady Billings stared at him, a smirk playing on her face. He was suddenly far more invested in ensuring the men were victorious, if only so he could make certain that he didn’t end up with the unrelenting widow as his partner.
He refilled his glass and moved to the area of the room where the men had congregated. Elias had always excelled at parlor games, and so did Matt and Jude. But Diana and Hannah were spirited competitors, so the ladies wouldn’t make it easy for them.
The ladies took the first turn, and they selected Diana to act out a cue first. The ladies quickly guessed “Father Christmas” before the men could steal the point. Matt went next, and the men guessed “snowman,” earning them the point and tying the game.
Elias flashed his sister a smirk, her attention to detail in theming allof their activities after the Christmas holiday wasn’t lost on him.
They continued the game in that fashion for a few more rounds, keeping the game tied. The men had stolen a point from the ladies, pushing them ahead, but then the ladies stole one back.
Miss Cary got up to take her turn. She pulled a piece of paper from the vase on the table and then began attempting to act out the word, her eyes remaining locked where the ladies sat.
Knowing what the answer was, Elias called it out. “Angel.”
She locked eyes with him, frowning, disappointed that the women had lost the point.Not the most angelic reaction, he thought, amusing himself. Evidently, she too had a competitive streak. He enjoyed that in a woman. Not that it mattered, of course.
Elias took his turn next, drawing a breath before he pulled his own slip of paper. He locked eyes with Jude, willing him to read his mind. They must maintain their lead. Elias began to dramatically move his hands.
“Handbells,” Jude called just a second before Miss Cary repeated the word.
“Yes,” Elias said excitedly, pointing at Jude. They narrowly earned the point. The ladies groaned at the gentlemen maintaining their lead, and Elias fought to play the part of a good sport and not taunt his sister. They hadn’t won yet. There was still one round left.
For the last round, the women earned their point, and it came down to the last piece of paper. If the ladies stole the point, it would be a tie game, and they’d have to come up with a tiebreaker. Hudson begrudgingly stood and moved to the table.
Elias groaned internally, as his friend wasn’t one to put as much thought into such games. He could only hope that the women would have a hard time discerning Hudson’s movements.
Hudson set the piece of paper down on the table and looked at the gentlemen as he drew an annoyed breath.
Elias focused on him, waiting for him to make his first movement.Hudson made a rounded circle with his hands and then wrapped his arms around himself and puckered his lips. Elias might have poked fun and laughed at him if it weren’t crucial that they win the point. He thought for less than a second and then jumped to his feet. “Kissing ball!” he shouted.
Hudson pointed at him. “Correct.”
Elias patted his friend on the back from the delight at their victory. He could ensure he wouldn’t be paired with Lady Billings.
