Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

ANNE

I rushed forward, testing the knob for myself. It didn’t move.

We exchanged a glance.

Alexander’s brow furrowed as he crossed the room to the card table and all that had been arranged on top of it. A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Well, this is certainly unexpected.”

I walked toward him with cautious steps. He glanced up as I approached. I felt his gaze on the side of my face as I inspected the chess board closer. I had played countless games of chess when I had been a companion to my friend Nora. To combat our boredom, we had become quite skilled at it. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have objected to a game of chess, but these circumstances weren’t normal at all.

I was locked in a room with Miles’s brother at midnight.

My invitation had said I wouldn’t be permitted to leave until the game was complete.

My throat was dry. I could hardly swallow or breathe or think clearly. “We have to finish a game of chess,” I said in a flat voice. “That is the only way to have the footman unlock the door.”

Alexander gave a slow nod. “That’s what I’ve gathered as well.”

I pinched the pendant of my necklace, drawing a deep breath. “Lady Tottenham must have chosen us because of what she saw this morning.”

“I have no doubt.” He laughed. “It seems she has a new match in mind. She wanted us to be alone.”

My eyes darted to his. I looked away fast. “She really needs to stop with her matchmaking.”

“Why would she stop now? Her skill is improving.” I could hear the teasing smile in his voice.

“No, it’s not.”

“Do you not agree that you and I would make a better match than you and Lord Kirkham, or Octavia and myself?” The depth of his gaze threatened to throw me off-balance.

“I don’t agree. I think you and Miss Octavia would make a very handsome match.”

“I’m glad to hear that you think I’m handsome.” He walked closer, stopping at my chair to pull it out.

I sat down with a sigh. “You are insufferable.”

He laughed as he sat across from me, resting his folded arms on the table. “Do you know how to play chess?”

I rested my chin on my hand, debating the best way to respond. If I led him to believe I rarely played, he would be more shocked when I took my victory. I shrugged. “I think I remember how to play. Do you know how?”

He tipped his head to one side. “I think so.”

My gaze slid to the tray of tiny desserts and other pickings. What would Alexander think if I began stuffing my face with them? Did I really care what he thought? If the riddle told me I had to eat twenty-three, then I would have to eat quickly before Alexander could snatch too many of them. To start, I grabbed two miniature hot cross buns. I popped them in my mouth, one after the other.

I swallowed, picking up two almond cakes. “I’m hungry,” I said with a laugh.

Alexander didn’t look appalled as I had expected. His smile grew as he watched me fill my cheeks with both cakes at once. “That is completely understandable considering what little we were served for dinner.”

I nearly inhaled the cake into my lungs. The dinner had been nothing short of a feast. Alexander must have thought I was a glutton now. I didn’t know how I would prove that I had eaten all twenty-three as the riddle had specified, but I had to try. Lady Tottenham’s game was underway, and I didn’t want to ruin my chances now. “I cannot resist sweets,” I said with a shrug.

“Do not stop on my account.” Alexander pushed the plate toward me. He poured me a cup of tea.

“Thank you,” I said, glancing up through my lashes as I took a sip. The tea burned my tongue. I sputtered, coughing out the hot liquid. My eyes watered.

He leaned his arms forward on the table. “The fastest way to victory is to wound your opponent.”

I lowered the teacup with a glare. “Well, then. Shall we start the game?”

His expression didn’t falter, amusement still gleaming behind his eyes. “A simple chess game sounds rather boring, does it not? I suggest we raise the stakes.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Are you suggesting that I gamble?”

“No.” He poured a splash of cream into my teacup before preparing his own. “I don’t gamble.”

According to Miles, gambling had been one of Alexander’s worst habits. Hearing him deny that he ever gambled at all was difficult to believe. What reason could Miles have had to make Alexander out to be such a villain? It seemed more reasonable for Alexander to lie in order to paint himself in a good light than it was for Miles to lie in order to condemn his brother.

One of them was lying. How could I not assume it was the man across from me? I hardly knew him. I would sooner trust Lady Tottenham with my hair arrangement than I would trust Alexander’s mischievous smile.

“What are you suggesting then?” I asked.

He picked up one of the roses from the vase, rolling the stem between two fingers. The rose spun, a blur of red velvet petals. “A bargain.”

I raised my brows. “That is vague. What are the terms?”

“If you win the game, you may choose a woman from among the guests at the party for me to court. If I win the game, I will choose a gentleman for you to court.”

I gaped at him, an astonished laugh escaping my chest. “You would allow me to choose any woman here for you to court? Even Mrs. Pike?” The woman was at least fifteen years his senior. Mrs. Fitzgibbon was at least five, and I was closest at one.

“Well, I do specialize with older women.” His lips twisted in a smile as his eyes met mine.

I chose to ignore that remark. “Why do you want the opportunity to choose a gentleman for me?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You know that I’m waiting for—” I stopped myself. We had agreed not to speak of Miles.

Alexander set the rose down in front of his teacup. “That’s exactly why I want the opportunity. I want you to be sure that Miles is the man for you. If the man I choose doesn’t win over your affections by the time Miles returns, then you will have proven me wrong.” He took a sip from his teacup, setting it down firmly on the saucer. “I don’t think Miles is your match, and I want the chance to prove it.”

Our rule not to speak of Miles had already been broken, and it hadn’t even been a day. A wave of frustration anchored me to my seat. I took a steadying breath. Proving Alexander wrong would be a pleasure, though I didn’t want to be forced to court any of the men at the party. If I had to guess, he would probably choose Mr. Hatcher or Mr. Amesbury. I drummed my fingers on the table. If I won, I could have the pleasure of matching him with anyone I chose. He would regret suggesting the bargain at all. Miss Morton or Miss Rowley would love the opportunity to court Alexander, and it would hopefully serve to humble Miss Octavia as well.

Alexander wasn’t aware of my hours upon hours of chess practice. He didn’t know who he was competing with.

“Very well, we have a bargain,” I said. I ate two more desserts from the plate, popping one in each cheek. My stomach protested, but I still had sixteen to go. I would have to spread them out over the course of the game.

Alexander looked far too pleased with my reply.

And too confident.

“Go on, make the first move.” Alexander sat back in his chair, picking up a cherry tartlet from the plate. I kept my eyes fixed on the pastry. He took a bite, wiping a drop of jam from his lower lip with his thumb. I looked away fast. I had already forbade myself from finding him attractive, and looking at his lips would only make matters worse. Focus, Anne .

I moved my first pawn, sitting back while Alexander made his move. I snatched up another two pickings of my own from the plate. If he went on eating, my twenty-three would run out before the game was over.

His eyebrows lifted and his hand froze over the board as he watched me pick up another hot cross bun. “Ten,” I whispered by accident. I chewed fast and took another sip of tea. Thirteen to go. I counted the items that remained on the plate. There were only sixteen remaining, which meant Alexander couldn’t eat more than three. I would have to keep one eye on him the entire time. The footman in the corner of the room might have been watching to see how many I ate—to see if I deserved another clue in Lady Tottenham’s game.

I moved another piece, and Alexander made his second move. His hand reached for the plate of sweets. I panicked and snatched up two more, moving them to my side of the table. I cast him an innocent smile.

After ten minutes of strategic play, I realized that Alexander was not as unfamiliar with the game as he had portrayed. He knew exactly what he was doing. After twenty minutes, he struggled to keep a serious expression as he watched me devour the plate of sweets. He was winning the game because I was too preoccupied with a different one. I didn’t know where my desperation to obtain another clue had come from, but I could taste my victory along with almost twenty small pastries.

Alexander only reached for the tray twice, but that was enough to make panic rise up in my chest. I had been eating three times as fast as he was, but I still had four to go. Alexander had already eaten his allotment if I were to claim all twenty-three of mine. My stomach ached as I took my turn on the chess board.

I grimaced. I should have been more focused throughout the game. I had never been skilled at dividing my attention. I stuffed a miniature pear cake into my mouth.

Alexander’s smile brought a surge of dread to my over-filled stomach. He reached for the plate, and I jumped to my feet. I nearly lunged across the table. “No!” I clutched the back of his wrist to stop him from taking one of my final three cakes.

His eyes rounded as he stared up at me. I released his hand, my face burning. I sat back in my chair. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t realize I was so competitive.”

His lip quivered with laughter. “Over sweets?”

“I—well…” my voice faded. “I found a clue to Lady Tottenham’s game,” I whispered.

“A clue?”

“Yes.” I could hardly sit up straight. My stomach felt close to bursting. “Did you have a note tied to your bedpost today?”

He shook his head. His dark brows pinched together. “I haven’t seen any clues.”

“Did she only leave the clues for me?” I mused, more to myself than to him.

“What did she leave you?”

I eyed him with caution. “Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

I sighed. “One moment.” I picked up the last items from the plate, finishing them in three bites. I drained my teacup, forcing myself to keep a proper posture. I had already been behaving like swine; I could at least maintain a shred of elegance. Alexander’s wide eyes made a laugh bubble out of my mouth. I swallowed hard to keep anything else from coming up with it. “Now I can be sure you won’t sabotage me.”

“Please do explain,” he said with a nervous smile. His eyes flickered to the trail of crumbs on the table.

“Close your eyes for a moment,” I said.

He hesitated, but finally obeyed, his dark lashes fluttering closed. I reached in my bodice and withdrew the clue I had found in the blindfold. I unfolded the foolscap just as his eyes opened. I read it aloud.

“If you wish to pass the test

You must stand out from all the rest

Take part in my peculiar feast

And eat no less than twenty-three.”

His eyes widened. “Twenty-three of these?” He gestured at the plate.

I nodded, and my stomach lurched with dismay. “I have never eaten so much in my entire life.”

A laugh burst out of him. “Why the devil would Lady Tottenham require you to do that?”

I shrugged. “Her games are never ordinary. She seems to enjoy watching her guests embarrass or torture themselves. Don’t forget that as we speak, we are locked in a room after midnight being forced to play a game of chess.”

“That is true.” His gaze settled on my face for a long moment, eyes narrowed in thought. “Are you determined to participate in her game, then?”

“If I have no choice but to stay at Birch House, then I see no reason not to. It will help pass the time. She obviously wants to see her guests enjoying their time here, embracing her ideas, and searching for her secret ‘prize.’”

“She also wants her guests to fall in love with one another,” Alexander added with a sideways smile. “Do you plan on participating in that?”

I took a sip of tea, meeting his gaze over the rim of the cup. “You already know that answer.”

“You might not have a choice if I win this game.” He grinned, lifting his next piece on the chess board.

“You are not going to w?—”

My eyes blurred for a moment, my stomach roiling as I inspected the board. I had been far too distracted. “Drat it all,” I muttered, gritting my teeth.

He had beat me in a smothered mate. That was even more embarrassing than an ordinary loss. How had I allowed myself to become so careless?

Alexander leaned back in his chair with an apologetic grimace. “Checkmate.”

“You cannot be serious.” I pressed a hand to my stomach. I had focused my attention on the wrong game. Those blasted pastries had seemed more important than Alexander’s bargain.

“I won the game,” he said. “And the bargain.”

I laughed, my voice shaking. “Surely the bargain wasn’t serious. There’s only one man at the party who would even want to court me. You wouldn’t be so cruel as to force me to court Lord Kirkham.” I stood, cringing as I held my stomach. Had the footman unlocked the door yet? I took a few steps toward it.

I shrieked with surprise as Alexander rushed around me, blocking the path. His eyes danced with amusement as he took me by the shoulders and backed me toward the table again. “You can’t escape until we discuss the terms of the bargain. Are you a woman of your word?”

“Yes,” I snapped. I scowled up at him, my heart racing. His hands held my shoulders, crumpling my sleeves, but all of that was buried under the sensation of his thumb against the edge of my collarbone. A string of shivers ran down my arms and spine, which only infuriated me further.

He stopped walking when I was a safe distance from the door, but his hands still held me still, as if he thought I would make a dash for the corridor at any moment.

“Please don’t make me court Lord Kirkham,” I blurted.

Alexander laughed, and his hands slipped away from my shoulders. “If I had any confidence that he could steal your heart, I would, but you have made your feelings about him perfectly clear.”

“I don’t like any of the men here.” I rounded my eyes with sincerity. “It would be a waste of time for me to encourage any of them. Not only that, but it would be unkind to pretend I was interested in one of them if I am not.”

“Do you actually know any of them? Have you ever had a conversation with anyone but Lord Kirkham?”

“Yes. Mr. Barnwall.” He was only in search of a mother for his six children, all of whom he rarely saw or interacted with. “I am not fond of him either.”

Alexander bit his lower lip. The brown of his eyes appeared more golden in the candlelight as he searched my face. “Perhaps you’re right. None of the other men here would suit you.”

The tension in my chest relaxed, and I nodded my agreement. “They wouldn’t.”

“However, you still must uphold the bargain and court someone of my choosing.”

I sighed. “Is that truly necessary? You just said?—”

“You may rest assured that I haven’t chosen one of them.” His smile quirked upward, and dread filled what little space was left in my stomach.

“Who did you choose, then?” My voice cracked. I guessed his reply before it escaped his grinning lips.

“Myself.”