They were gambling! Right in the yard! The guests surrounding them were whispering animatedly, as if side wagers were being placed on Mr. Ralston’s prowess. She gaped in horror. To all of them, the huge bet was a perfectly ordinary occurrence. Yet it was an obscene amount of money.
Her temper soared, and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. She would never create a scene, and she had no idea how to bluster up and scold them. She would never behave like a shrew and embarrass Gregory.
Mr. Ralston went over to a table where there were bows arranged for the contestants to utilize. He picked up one and fussed with it, testing the tension of the string. Then, with his barely glancing at the target, he fired off the trio of arrows in quick succession. They landed directly in the center.
Spectators cheered or groaned, depending on their wagers, and Gregory’s shoulders slumped with defeat. Then he glared at Mr. Ralston in a way that had others nervously shifting in their shoes. Clearly, there was more transpiring between them than she understood.
Mrs. Starling jumped in with, “Don’t worry, Gregory. You’ll best him tonight. I’m sure you will.”
She grinned and swept her gaze around the group, wearing everyone down until they grinned too. Swiftly, the bystanders were chortling wildly, chattering over Mr. Ralston’s remarkable ability, over the size of the wager. Men hurried out to the target, and they were gesturing and measuring, obviously awed by his skill.
Mr. Ralston laid the bow on the table, and when he straightened, he saw her lurking in the back. He stared intensely, as if imparting a secret message she needed to decode, but she couldn’t fret about him. At the moment, he was the last of her concerns.
She felt aggrieved and very, very angry. She wanted to throttle Gregory, but with the party in progress, how could she make him listen? He never did. Not even her Uncle Samson could get through to him.
Earlier, Janet had wondered if he’d beggar them in the end, and Caroline had sworn he’d never be that reckless. What was she to think now?
She wedged herself into the crowd until she reached Gregory, but it was Mrs. Starling who noticed her.
“Gregory,” she said, “look who’s arrived.”
“Caroline!” Gregory spun toward her. “Were you here when Ralston was shooting? Isn’t he something?”
“Yes, he definitely is.” She leaned nearer. “It’s three o’clock.”
Gregory frowned. “So it is.”
“We had an appointment.”
“Oh. . .” He sipped his beverage, then toasted her with his glass. “It’s not convenient for me. The fun has just begun, and we’re the hosts. It wouldn’t be sporting for me to sneak off.”
“Please?” She hated the beseeching tone in her voice.
“I’ll find you later—after the competition is over. There are a few more men who want to have a chance.” He laughed too eagerly. “Although after the show Ralston gave us, I don’t know why anyone would humiliate himself. Who could match him?”
There was a strong odor of alcohol emanating from his person, and she bit her tongue so hard she was surprised it wasn’t gnawed bloody.
He smiled a condescending smile, the one that warned her she was simply being placated, and he murmured, “In the meantime, could you talk to the kitchen for me? This punch is awful. It’s supposed to be lemony, but it tastes like dishwater.”
“I will speak to someone. I’m sorry that it’s not to your liking.”
Mrs. Starling flashed a derisive smirk, then snuggled closer to Gregory, leaving Caroline with the distinct impression that they were a couple and Caroline an interloper. Another contestant had picked up a bow, and they turned away from her as the wagers commenced again.
She’d been dismissed, as if she was Gregory’s servant, and she was trying not to be furious. After all, she ran the manor and managed the staff. It was only natural—if he had a complaint—that he would expect her to deal with it.
But she should have been the female standing with him. The fact that she wasn’t, that he was enjoying an afternoon of debauchery that didn’t appeal to her in the slightest, underscored that she was marching down a road she shouldn’t be on.
How could she get off it?
She whirled away, but not before she saw Mr. Ralston still gazing at her from across the crowd. That was the worst piece of it for her. She couldn’t bear that he’d watched her being humiliated by her betrothed.
She walked to the verandah, and as she climbed the stairs, Janet emerged from the house. With her blond hair, blue eyes, and curvaceous figure, she was very pretty, but she usually dressed like a grumpy governess. She had declared beauty and fashion to be a wily scheme pushed by men to keep women oppressed.
Yet suddenly, she appeared to be the rich, winsome girl she was. Her hair had been curled and braided, and she was attired in a fetching blue gown. The sight was so odd that Caroline was stunned.
“My, my,” Caroline said, “don’t you look smart.”
“Thank you.”
“What brought this on?”
“I decided to join in the festivities.” She studied the revelers. “Is Mr. Ralston’s brother here. Blake Ralston? Have you met him?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t imagine you can tell me where he is.”
“No, but Mr. Ralston is in the thick of it. He might know.”
“Perfect.”
Janet sauntered off, a lovely, determined young lady on a mission. Apparently, Blake Ralston had intrigued her, and Caroline should have been humored by the prospect. She should have dawdled and smiled fondly as Janet searched for Blake and found him, but she simply couldn’t tarry another second.
She was distressed and feeling completely adrift. She wished she had magical powers, that she was a bird and could fly away to a better place, to a happier place.
With a vehemence that almost knocked her over, it dawned on her that she didn’t want to wed Gregory. She couldn’t abide the idea, and the whole charade left her nauseous.
She went inside, and she raced to the stairs, not caring if she
