head, a smile teasing his lips.
“You never could stop gracefully,” Meredith answered, and then she jumped, trying to grasp the envelope.
“You’re quite short.” Lucas waved the envelope, dipping lower then raising it when she jumped again.
“You’re freakishly tall,” she accused, her eyes narrowing, her gaze darting between the envelope and his face.
“Tall, dark, and handsome has never been issued as complaint before.”
“Tall, annoying, and passable is a little more likely.”
“Oh? Is that how we are to play?” He lowered the envelope until it was just in front of her face and wiggled it.
“Give me that!” She swiped for it and failed.
“Not till you take back that nasty lie you told.”
“What lie?” She bit out.
“About me.” He shrugged, waving the envelope again.
“I don’t want to win that badly.” She took a step away, arching a brow.
“You just admitted you lied.”
“I did nothing of the sort!”
“Yes, you did. You simply said you didn’t want to win that badly, leaving the assumption that you want to stick with your lie more than you want to win. If you were simply telling the truth, your answer would have been more along the lines of, ‘To take back my words would be the only lie.’“ He finished in a falsetto voice.
“That was awful.” She shook her head, but a giggle escaped at his theatrics.
“I never was one for the theater.”
“No… your mother would have to blackmail you to get to you to darken the door of Drury Lane.”
“She still does,” he admitted.
“Some things never change.” Meredith grinned, her expression without guile.
“Some things do.” He held out the envelope, like a peace offering.
Her eyes darted from the envelope to his, then back. Slowly she took a step forward, then another, till the clue was within reach. She plucked the envelope from his hand. The delicate white lace of her glove brushed against his sleeve. He hadn’t felt it; yet the fleeting touch stirred him to distraction.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Her gaze locked with his, the air humming with energy. Somehow, she broke the spell and looked away, breaking the seal with her fingers.
“ You’ve reached the end, which is only to say you’re finally ready to begin.”
“Well said.” He reached out and clasped her hand. And to his delight, she didn’t shy away, but tightened her fingers around his hand in return. “Shall we find my mother and claim the victory?”
“How do you know that someone hasn’t already won?”
“I’m confident, and of course, we were the ones that broke the seal.”
“You always were overly self assured.”
“I always will be. You should take note.” He led her along back toward the center garden.
“I’ll add it to my volumes on your person.”
“I always knew you were secretly obsessed with me,” he whispered in her ear, biting his laughter when she gasped.
“Was not! You started this whole — thing,” she sputtered, her face blooming with color.
“And you are ending it?” he asked. Though he spoke jokingly, part of him shivered in anticipation of how she’d respond.
“A true thief doesn’t return what’s been rightfully stolen,” she answered, winking and tugging on his hand to increase their pace.
“And you are a true thief?” he asked, pleasure coursing through him.
“True enough.”
His gaze scanned her face as the moonlight illuminated the delicate lift of her smile, the enchanting crinkle of her eyes. She was astounding, both in wit and in form, and she would be his.
He’d see to it.
CHAPTER NINE
S URE ENOUGH, THEY HAD won the contest, much to Louisa’s dismay. Although, Meredith did find it suspicious that Hugh and Louisa were the last to finish the scavenger hunt. Hugh’s gaze lingered on her sister, not so unlike the way Meredith often caught Lucas watching her. It was an altogether dizzying sensation. So when the evening activities ended, it was with high
“You never could stop gracefully,” Meredith answered, and then she jumped, trying to grasp the envelope.
“You’re quite short.” Lucas waved the envelope, dipping lower then raising it when she jumped again.
“You’re freakishly tall,” she accused, her eyes narrowing, her gaze darting between the envelope and his face.
“Tall, dark, and handsome has never been issued as complaint before.”
“Tall, annoying, and passable is a little more likely.”
“Oh? Is that how we are to play?” He lowered the envelope until it was just in front of her face and wiggled it.
“Give me that!” She swiped for it and failed.
“Not till you take back that nasty lie you told.”
“What lie?” She bit out.
“About me.” He shrugged, waving the envelope again.
“I don’t want to win that badly.” She took a step away, arching a brow.
“You just admitted you lied.”
“I did nothing of the sort!”
“Yes, you did. You simply said you didn’t want to win that badly, leaving the assumption that you want to stick with your lie more than you want to win. If you were simply telling the truth, your answer would have been more along the lines of, ‘To take back my words would be the only lie.’“ He finished in a falsetto voice.
“That was awful.” She shook her head, but a giggle escaped at his theatrics.
“I never was one for the theater.”
“No… your mother would have to blackmail you to get to you to darken the door of Drury Lane.”
“She still does,” he admitted.
“Some things never change.” Meredith grinned, her expression without guile.
“Some things do.” He held out the envelope, like a peace offering.
Her eyes darted from the envelope to his, then back. Slowly she took a step forward, then another, till the clue was within reach. She plucked the envelope from his hand. The delicate white lace of her glove brushed against his sleeve. He hadn’t felt it; yet the fleeting touch stirred him to distraction.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Her gaze locked with his, the air humming with energy. Somehow, she broke the spell and looked away, breaking the seal with her fingers.
“ You’ve reached the end, which is only to say you’re finally ready to begin.”
“Well said.” He reached out and clasped her hand. And to his delight, she didn’t shy away, but tightened her fingers around his hand in return. “Shall we find my mother and claim the victory?”
“How do you know that someone hasn’t already won?”
“I’m confident, and of course, we were the ones that broke the seal.”
“You always were overly self assured.”
“I always will be. You should take note.” He led her along back toward the center garden.
“I’ll add it to my volumes on your person.”
“I always knew you were secretly obsessed with me,” he whispered in her ear, biting his laughter when she gasped.
“Was not! You started this whole — thing,” she sputtered, her face blooming with color.
“And you are ending it?” he asked. Though he spoke jokingly, part of him shivered in anticipation of how she’d respond.
“A true thief doesn’t return what’s been rightfully stolen,” she answered, winking and tugging on his hand to increase their pace.
“And you are a true thief?” he asked, pleasure coursing through him.
“True enough.”
His gaze scanned her face as the moonlight illuminated the delicate lift of her smile, the enchanting crinkle of her eyes. She was astounding, both in wit and in form, and she would be his.
He’d see to it.
CHAPTER NINE
S URE ENOUGH, THEY HAD won the contest, much to Louisa’s dismay. Although, Meredith did find it suspicious that Hugh and Louisa were the last to finish the scavenger hunt. Hugh’s gaze lingered on her sister, not so unlike the way Meredith often caught Lucas watching her. It was an altogether dizzying sensation. So when the evening activities ended, it was with high
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