Chapter 13

"I SAY, ORIANA," Aunt Beatrix hollered over the breakfast table the following morning, "WHY DO YOU HAVE A BEAR FOLLOWING YOU AROUND?"

Ori felt her cheeks colour as the entire table turned to regard her. She was not used to being the centre of attention and she found it unnerving, moreso now that Beatrix was insisting on making a spectacle of her. Having successfully avoided Cole Stanley all through dinner the previous evening and almost through breakfast this morning, she was now forced to acknowledge the intolerable man. Catching his riveting ice-steel gaze, she tried to ignore the amusement she recognised in their depths.

"It's Captain Stanley's dog," she explained calmly to her grandmother despite the discomfort she felt at being the centre of attention now at the table.

Beatrix snorted indelicately and waved a fork around that had skewered a defenceless slice of fried tomato. "THAT'S A BEAST, M'DEAR," she roared, "AND I'D WAGER HIS MASTER IS ONE TOO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT PERTAINS TO THE-"

"Perhaps you'd like some more bacon, aunt," Imogen interjected quickly before the old woman could complete her sentence, ushering a harassed-looking footman to Beatrix's side.

During the entire interaction, Cole had been boring a hole through Oriana's very soul, his gaze impenetrably silver and astute, never once flinching at Beatrix's insinuation. One corner of his lips twitched upwards slightly and Ori thought that he looked positively and incorrigibly roguish, that perhaps he was quite the beast of all things lurid and sinful and secretive.

Her toes curled in her shoes and she tore her gaze away from him, attempting to concentrate on the lavish breakfast fare spread before her and finding that she had quite lost her appetite. Thankfully, Lady Ashcroft deemed it necessary to make an announcement for them all. "Once we have all adjoined for breakfast," she said to the table at large, her small yet confident voice drawing the attention of all present, "I'd be ever so pleased if you could all await me on the terrace outside. We are to all partake in an activity-"

"Christ help us all," Lord Marshall Sutherland muttered under his breath, not quite so loud that their host overheard but loud enough to cause a murmur of agreement from Lord Rhys Ashcroft who was seated at the other head of the table, opposite his lovely wife.

"A treasure hunt!" A barely suppressed groan could be heard from the table, causing Danielle to retort, "Now don't be like that! I am positive the weather will hold and you'll all have a grand time. We'll each have a partner to work out the clues with and there will be a prize for the winners!"

"I hope," Rhys muttered into his cup of coffee, "that the prize entails the winners to never partake in any more planned activities on this estate."

Lady Ashcroft threw him dark look. "All of our guests are leaving tomorrow, my lord," she told him tartly. "Surely some comradery in a merry game is hardly a burden."

A grunt of agreement was all that was forthcoming from her husband.

Oh, Oriana was no fool. She may be quiet and at times docile, shy as a bird, but she was not immune to a ruse contrived for her benefit. Her ears were burning throughout the remainder of breakfast and the rest of the time that it took her to change into attire suitable for time outdoors. It was obvious to her that Danielle had contrived this game in order to ensure that her and Cole Stanley spent time together, most likely alone, under the pretence of a bit of fun. Oh, she could hardly begrudge Danielle the sentiment but the thought of enduring time alone with the man after what had transpired between them several nights ago...

Filled with mortification, Oriana resigned herself to her fate. It would hardly do at all if she were to outright refuse to be partnered with Cole, and she simply knew that her dear friend would contrive a way to make sure that they would play together. So she would be cordial and aloof, play the dratted game and get the sordid event over and done with, then she would resume ignoring the man who was the cause of her distress and endeavour to forget his very existence.

Impossible, she knew, but she could damn well try.

When she returned to the group later that morning, she found the merry gathering convened under a brightly striped pavilion that had been erected on the terrace just outside the main hall of the castle. There was a table and atop that a pair of gold-plated vases that Danielle rested her primly gloved hands over.

Imogen joined Oriana and linked her arm through her own. "One vase has all the names of the women present," she said wryly.

"And the other is for the men," Ori finished with a sigh. She glanced up at the sky, noting the heavy look of the clouds overhead. The air was quiet and still about them with but a gentle breeze that stirred the trees from time to time, but the clouds seem to bulge and Oriana rather hoped the weather would not hold to entertain the festivities that Danielle had planned.

Undeterred by the prevalence of rain, Lady Ashcroft happily began stating the rules. "I'll be drawing one name from the vase on the left, which contains the names of all the ladies present, and one from the jar on the right, which contains the names of all the gentlemen present." She smiled widely at them all. "You will work together with whoever you are paired with to decipher the clues I have devised. There are ten in total, and they will guide you all over the estate! The first pair to reach the end, wins a prize!"

"What's the prize?" Sebastian Weatherly drawled from beside his tiny wife, who deemed it appropriate to dig her elbow into his side due to his tone.

"Why, a box of the finest patisseries from France for the lady," Danielle answered cheerfully, "and a bottle of his lordship's finest brandy-"

"What the deuce?" Lord Ashcroft glared at Lady Ashcroft, clearly unaware that his valuable spirits were up for the taking.

"Ho ho, old chap!" Sebastian jeered merrily. "I am personally very fond of your special reserves. Much appreciate the incentive, though I am astounded you'd so readily part with a bottle."

Rhys threw his wife a dry look. "I must have been absent during the particular counsel with my wife when the prize was agreed upon," he intoned caustically.

"I SAY," Beatrix hollered and thrashed her way to the table. She brandished wildly at the earl and curled her lip begrudgingly at Danielle. "PATISSERIES?" she sneered. "I'LL BE DAMNED! I'LL NOT ACCEPT NAUGHT BUT THE FINEST BRANDY MESELF! THIS IS A VIOLATION OF ME RIGHTS-"

Danielle held her hands up placatingly. "Very well, Aunt Beatrix."

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Beatrix harrumphed just as Sebastian moved forward and with the patience of a saint guided her away from the table. Calling over her shoulder, the elderly woman added, "AND BEST YOU PAIR ME WITH THIS HANDSOME DEVIL, DANIELLE, OR I'LL BLAST YOUR HIDE!"

Oriana did not doubt that she would and bit back a smile at the stunned look on Danielle's face. Momentarily, however, the slight woman pinned a bright smile to her face. "Shall we begin?" she asked rhetorically and dipped her hand into the vase on the left. She deftly unfolded the piece of parchment and read the name written there. "Lady Imogen." Then her hand went to the right and unfolded the second parchment. "Lord Ashcroft."

"I wasn't aware I had to bloody partake in the game, too," Rhys grumbled as Imogen came to stand next to him.

"Fear not, my lord," she told him with a determined smile, "as the most intelligent person between us, you'll have no trouble keeping ahead. We'll be sure to win."

He glowered down at her but wisely chose to remain silent.

"Lady Weatherly," Dani continued, "and Lord Sinclair." Then, "Miss Brightmore... and Captain Stanley." Other names were called and paired together, including Aunt Beatrix and Lord Weatherly, which was met with loud jubilation from Beatrix, but Oriana hardly heard any of it.

Her throat went dry even though she was fully aware that it had been entirely contrived to place her and Cole together, but as her eyes collided with his and her heart began to beat an erratic staccato that allowed the nervousness she had been harbouring to filter through her limbs and cause a mild tremor to reverberate through her body.

Andas he came to stand beside her and link her arm through his so that she feltevery nuance of the strong muscle that hardened and laced his forearm, Colegrinned down at her suavely. "Don't be so grim, dear," he intoned wryly. "I'lllet you share the brandy."