Bedding Lord Ned by Sally Mackenzie Page B

Mama?”
    â€œThat we have an excellent hill for sledding. You must remember how you and the other boys used to spend hours on the slope by the pond after a good snowfall.”
    â€œYes, of course I remember, but—”
    â€œEllie and Jess and Cicely would come, too,” Jack said from his seat on the other side of Lady Juliet. The duchess’s parties were always very informal; talking across the table was not only tolerated, it was encouraged. “Cicely didn’t sled—she always moaned about the cold and went home early—but Ellie and Jess did. They were fearless.”
    â€œFearless, Lord Jack?” Ellie smiled pleasantly—she hoped. She’d really prefer to pick up the hare’s leg from her plate and wing it at him. Since they were eating in one of the smaller dining rooms, she might be able to hit him. His announcing she’d been a complete hoyden in her youth wouldn’t help advance her marriage hopes—of course, her tossing food wouldn’t help, either. “I believe plaguy is what you called me.”
    â€œOf course I did. You kept trying to steal my sledge.”
    In her defense, she hadn’t had much choice—Papa didn’t think sledding was an appropriate activity for a girl, so she hadn’t had a sledge of her own. And of course he’d been right. She should have gone home with Cicely. Jess had been different—she hadn’t cared what anyone thought, and it had been clear for as long as Ellie could remember that Jess would marry Ash.
    â€œI just wanted to borrow it,” she said.
    â€œAll the time.”
    â€œAs I remember,” Ash said, “Ellie usually got the sledge when she wanted it.”
    â€œOnly because she was bigger than I was then.” Jack nodded at the duke. “And because Father would have caned me if I’d rubbed her face in the snow as I’d wanted to.”
    â€œIndeed I would have.” The duke raised his brows. “As it was, I had to remind you on more than one occasion that a gentleman does not fight with a lady.”
    â€œI had no idea I was causing such difficulties.” Perhaps if she apologized, Jack would drop the subject. “I’m so sorry.”
    â€œOh, don’t be, my dear.” The duke smiled down the table at her. “I thought it good for Jack to learn at an early age how to deal with a strong-willed young woman. It’s a skill I’m certain has served him well.”
    The duchess laughed. “Very true.”
    â€œI don’t know, Father. I haven’t had any other female try to steal from me or hit me with a snowball.” Jack turned back to her. “I warn you, Ellie, that I throw much harder now, so beware if we get up a snowball fight during this party.”
    â€œYes, indeed. Do take care, Miss Bowman.” Miss Wharton’s voice had an unfortunate nasal quality to it besides being overly loud. “Lord Jack boxes with Gentleman Jackson himself. He’s quite the Corinthian; everyone in London says so.”
    â€œI’m sure Ellie knows I wouldn’t actually pelt her with snowballs, Miss Wharton.” Jack’s words had a sharp edge, but it was impossible to tell if Miss Wharton noticed, as Mr. Humphrey chose that moment to open his verbal floodgates.
    â€œMiss Wharton, while I’m confident Miss Bowman appreciates your concern, I feel certain that she is fully aware, being much older and wiser today than she was when she was a child, that even if she once was so bold and reckless as to fling a snowball at Lord Jack, such an activity now that she is a grown—or may I even say a mature—woman is completely unsuitable not to say inadvisable.” His nose twitched as if to punctuate his speech, and he turned to Ellie. “Am I not correct, Miss Bowman?”
    Ellie drew in a breath. Mr. Humphrey was right by her side; the hare’s leg, still uneaten, was on her plate. She wouldn’t