“We shall interrogate no one,” Charity said sweetly. “We shall merely… observe.”
Maria’s shoulders loosened. “Very well. I shall trust you. A little.”
“A little is all we need,” Prudence said, eyes dancing again. “For now.”
Maria looked down at her own joined fingers and, for once, did not argue. She only nodded, cheeks warm, heart steadier than when the conversation began.
Their conversation was interrupted when the butler came into the room to announce the arrival of the Duke.
“His Grace.”
Maria felt her cheeks redden immediately, and she shot her friends a look. As if pleading,please do not make this awkward.
“We trust we do not interrupt your letters,” Temperance said. “It is great to meet you again, Your Grace.”
“You rescue me from them,” Stephen said. His eyes went to Maria again. “Do you require anything?”
It was a small acknowledgement, but one that immediately made her feel seen. The blush that colored her cheeks was an indication of it.
“If you allow me to answer for her, then only your company,” Prudence said quickly, then added, with proper modesty, “for a quarter hour, if you can spare it.”
“I can be made to spare it,” Stephen’s brow quirked.
“We should never presume tomakeyou,” Alethea said, cheeks warming.
“What have you in mind?” Stephen said.
Maria felt her heart beating fast. She had no idea of what they were to say. If they said something embarrassing, Maria would scarcely know how to handle the situation.
Prudence spread her hands in innocent appeal.
“We propose an extremely respectable diversion, if you are not above it, a game of pall-mall.”
“Prudence…” Maria blinked.
“Only if it does not disarrange Your Grace’s morning,” Temperance’s tone was polite. “We should not like to presume upon hospitality.”
Stephen looked charmed by their correctness and not at all averse to being handled.
“If my hospitality objects to being presumed upon, it can speak to me later. Maria?” he turned to her. “What do you think?”
Once again, Maria noticed how nice it felt to be considered.
“I leave the decision to you, Your Grace,” she said, timidly. “You may do as you feel.”
“But what do you feel?” he pressed. Maria could see her friends stifling their giddy laughter in the background. “Is that something that you wish to do?”
“I do not mind a game of pall mall, perhaps,” she nodded.
“Yes, and we have never played together,” Stephen said. “It would be a good way to get to know your friends.”
She tried not to smile and failed. He wanted to get to know her friends. That in itself was a lot.
“If we go now, the ground will be firm,” she said.
“Then we go now,” he said, as if the matter had been his intention all along. He gestured to the footman in the doorway, “Have the mallets and hoops set on the south lawn.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”