Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

ALEXANDER

“ Y ou must read this,” Victoria said, running across the lawn toward her sister. She held a sheet of foolscap in one hand.

I had been shooting targets with the other men while Octavia and Mrs. Pike observed at the table near the rose bushes. Victoria slapped the foolscap down on the table beside them. No one had expected the announcement that morning. The guests hadn’t stopped gossiping about it for the past two hours. If I hadn’t been so interested in the subject, I would have retreated to a room in the house where I could be alone. But instead, I tried to eavesdrop as Mrs. Pike and Octavia read the sheet of foolscap at the table. They read in silence, but I awaited their reaction.

I hadn’t seen Anne since breakfast. Lady Tottenham had pulled her away, treating her like her new pet. I was desperate to speak with her about what had happened, not about only the shocking news of her inheritance, but the events of the night before. Kissing her had been a mistake, and so had telling her about Miles. I should have known she wouldn’t believe me about his intentions. Aggravation scratched at every surface of my skin.

I raised my bow and released an arrow. It flew past the target.

I dropped the bow, surrendering to my curiosity. I walked casually toward the table. “What is it?”

The women looked up from the foolscap. Victoria wore a devious smile. “The latest issue of Behind the Fan. You are mentioned.”

I pulled out a chair and sat down. My stomach sank as I read the article from start to finish, pausing on the final lines about the competition for Anne’s hand.

“Devil take it,” I muttered, forgetting about the ladies present.

Mrs. Pike gasped.

Octavia had hardly spoken to me since the fake courtship had begun. Her lips curled with a smug grin. “Are you actually afraid you might find competition?”

Victoria laughed. “The two of you have been inseparable. There is no man who could steal Lady Daventry’s heart now. It is already yours.” She grimaced. “Although, she could easily choose to seek a man with a title if that is her ambition.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, reading the entire passage again. I had always known I had competition. It wasn’t the final lines that troubled me.

It was the fact that the news about Anne’s fortune had already been made public.

I looked up to see a footman approaching the table. His white powdered wig and the tassels on his livery bounced with his exuberant strides. “Mr. Holland, Lady Tottenham requests your presence.”

I nodded, pushing myself away from the table. What could Lady Tottenham want? She had never sent for me before. I followed the footman across the lawn and through the house until we rounded the corner to the vestibule.

My strides halted at the scene in front of me. Miles stood beside Anne, with Lady Tottenham facing both of them. Miles caught my gaze, his eyes flashing with a challenge. My worst fears were confirmed. My heart dropped to the floor.

My attention shifted to Anne, searching her face for any sign of her emotions. Was she overjoyed to see Miles? Did she resent me for kissing her? She was impossible to read. All I saw was the horror in her gaze as it darted between Miles and me.

“Ah, there you are, Mr. Holland,” Lady Tottenham said with a smile. “Where have you been hiding this charming brother of yours?”

I was about to be the opposite of charming. I composed myself with a deep breath. Miles had always excelled at winning the favor of others because he had a much firmer grasp on his emotions. If he was angry, he rarely showed it in front of spectators. If he was going to be malicious, he did it in secret. Any move I made was being observed by Anne, and if I wanted to have any hope of her believing me, I needed to behave like a gentleman. “He recently returned from India, my lady.” I was proud of how calm I sounded.

“Is that so?” Lady Tottenham turned toward Miles. “What brought you back to England?”

Miles cleared his throat. “A prior engagement.” His gaze slid in Anne’s direction.

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Brother, may I have a word outside?” My efforts to contain my vexation hadn’t lasted as long as I hoped.

For a brief moment, Miles revealed a hint of smugness in his expression. “Gladly.”

I started toward the door, waiting at the threshold.

“Please excuse me, my lady,” Miles said to Lady Tottenham. “It was an honor to make your acquaintance, and it will be a delight to speak with you more this evening at the ball.” He took Anne by the hand, pressing his lips to her fingers before starting in my direction. I held her gaze for several seconds until Miles blocked it.

The moment the door closed behind us, the smile fell from Miles’s face. His nostrils flared as he followed me down the steps and out to the cobblestones. There wasn’t another person in sight throughout the square. Fallen leaves stirred up from the ground with the breeze. “Did you come to tell Anne that you have revoked your proposal?” I asked.

Miles scoffed. “That is what you hope, isn’t it? So you can continue courting her behind my back?”

I took one stride toward him, thoroughly tempted to finish the fight we had started the day before. “I fell in love with her, and you were not here to stop me.”

“Well, I am here now, and I am not leaving until she’s my wife.”

I matched his sneer, my blood boiling. “Why the sudden change of heart? Could it have something to do with the news of her inheritance?”

He threw his hands in the air. “What inheritance? Everyone is speaking of it. Please do enlighten me.”

I glared at him. “You read about it in the papers and rushed straight here to try to secure her hand. Don’t deny it.”

His face slowly betrayed him with a smile. “I didn’t rush straight here. I did stop to purchase flowers on the way.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Fifty thousand? All the young ladies of the ton combined could not offer such a sum. I had to read it twice to believe it.”

“Does she know that you were aware of the news before coming here?”

“She will never know. And if you try to explain, she will not believe you. She trusts me completely.” He loosened his cravat. “There is no point in having you here to complicate matters. You should leave as soon as possible.”

His eyes lifted to mine in a casual manner, but I saw through the act. He must have felt some measure of fear that I was a threat to his plans. I had promised myself that I would do everything I could to protect Anne’s heart, and that I would never leave her. Nothing could make me break that promise. “No.” I crossed my arms. “I’m staying here.”

Miles’s jaw clenched.

The door to the house opened, making us both turn around.

Anne stood in the doorway. She hurried down the steps, a gust of wind taking hold of her hair. She stopped between us, her brows pulled tight with a scowl. “I cannot bear the thought of the two of you fighting again. You have enough bruises already.” Her eyes darted to my face. She released a huffed breath. “Tonight is meant for celebration. Please do not ruin it. There is archery on the back lawn. If you can behave yourselves, that would be a better use of your time than arguing.”

Miles shot me a cold glance before extending his arm toward Anne. “Archery sounds diverting,” he said with a smile, his voice taking on a tone far more pleasant than it had been moments before. “I wouldn’t dream of ruining your celebration.” He paused. “What are we celebrating, exactly?”

She took his arm, but I didn’t miss the hesitancy in her movement. He started pulling her away, walking toward the side of the house, but her eyes flickered to my face. “Are you coming too?”

I felt a wave of satisfaction at the vexation on Miles’s face. She had ignored his question. As much as I dreaded the thought of watching Miles fawn over her, my answer slipped out of my mouth. “Of course.”

She held my gaze as Miles began walking. I caught pieces of their conversation. She explained the details of the game, her victory, and her inheritance. Miles was a far better actor than I had ever been. I almost believed his display of surprise and congratulations, as if he were only just learning of her new fortune.

The two targets were still set up on the back lawn. Mr. Hatcher held one of the bows, squinting across the lawn at the sight of the three of us approaching. The ladies at the table would have even more fresh gossip to keep them occupied after seeing Anne on another man’s arm.

Introductions were made, and I could see the intrigue building behind Octavia’s gaze. She whispered something to her sister behind her glove.

Miles picked up the available bow, swinging it at his side as he approached his position. He prepared his arrow and shot, missing the target by at least five feet. “It would seem I am out of practice!” he said with a boisterous laugh.

Anne’s smile made my stomach sink.

He picked up the bow and proceeded to shoot six more arrows, missing the target each time.

That served as sufficient motivation. Mr. Hatcher had stepped away from the other target, so I claimed his place, choosing an arrow from the pile on the grass. I narrowed my eyes in concentration before letting it fly. It struck the second ring from the center with a solid thud.

I grinned. Miles swiftly picked up another arrow, his brow furrowed.

Anne stood directly between Miles and me, but took one step in my direction. “That was nearly perfect.” She gave me an encouraging smile. Her features were shy—more reserved than usual. Perhaps she wanted to mend the awkwardness between us as much as I did.

“Would you like to try?” I held out the bow. “It’s easier than you think.” I made sure to speak loud enough for Miles to hear.

He lowered his bow, watching as Anne walked tentatively in my direction. Her cheeks were flushed, the curls around her face tossing in the light breeze. As she drew closer, the sunlight caught her irises, revealing the caution in her eyes.

I handed her the bow, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I’d wager you can shoot straighter than my brother.” I gave a half-smile, testing her capability to endure any level of teasing.

Her lips twitched. “I’d wager I can shoot straighter than you as well.”

I laughed. “Have you shot a bow before?”

“No.” She lifted it with a scrutinizing look at the target. “I may require a little direction.”

There was nothing stopping me from flirting with her while I had the chance. “Turn toward me.” I placed one hand lightly on the small of her back. She met my gaze. “You will draw the arrow with your dominant hand. Hold the bow with the opposite.” I guided her left hand to the center of the bow. “Keep a relaxed grip.”

She nodded, her throat shifting with a swallow. I handed her an arrow. “Nock the end on the bow string here, and hold it steady between your index and middle fingers. Then draw it back.” I stood behind her, adjusting the height of her elbow. My hand lingered on her upper arm. I touched the bare skin at the back of her shoulder, leaning close to her ear. “Relax your posture, aim, and shoot.”

She released the arrow instantly. It struck the outside edge of the target. She turned to face me with a smile.

“Well done.”

She raised the bow to try again. She lowered her voice. “Lady Tottenham knows about the ruse. She knew all along. There’s no longer any reason to continue it, especially not if it causes more hostility between you and Miles.”

I handed her an arrow. “It isn’t a ruse to me. It never was.”

Her wide eyes reminded me of her expression after I had kissed her. I leaned closer, keeping my voice as low as possible. “If there’s anyone here who is putting on a ruse, it’s Miles. He read the paper this morning. That’s the only reason he’s here.”

Her expression flashed with hurt.

“That was an excellent shot, Anne.” Miles jogged across the grass toward her. “You have bested me on your very first attempt. You must try the other target now.” He waved her toward his side of the lawn.

I turned around to hide my vexation. I wasn’t going to participate in Miles’s game of tug-of-war with Anne. She looked conflicted enough already. I could see the signs of unrest in her features as she followed Miles to his target.

I had said my piece. There was nothing more I could do at the moment.

It was Anne’s choice who to believe.