point. She wasn’t looking forward to a dressing-down in front of guests. It would be best to apologize to the earl now. Waiting meant continued worry.
Turning around, Victoria caught Alexander watching her. When her gaze met his, he looked away and started speaking to her brother-in-law.
On shaking legs, Victoria crossed the drawing room and stood beside Alexander. She waited for him to acknowledge her presence, but he ignored her.
“My lord,” Victoria said softly. When he looked at her, she flicked her tongue out to wet her lips gone dry from nervousness. “My lord, I apologize for trying to injure you. My behavior was inexcusable, and I hope you will forgive me.”
His hazel gaze warmed to her, and the hint of a smile touched his lips. “Are you apologizing on orders from His Grace?”
“No, but His Grace would have ordered me to apologize if he had spoken to me.”
Alexander arched a brow at her. “Are you apologizing in order to prevent a dressing-down?”
“I am apologizing because I was wrong,” Victoria answered, and then tipped her head in the duke’s direction. “I’m certain His Grace will still spare a few minutes out of his busy schedule to give me a dressing-down.”
Alexander smiled at her. Victoria felt a fluttering in the pit of her stomach.
“We wanted to play whist and needed a fourth,” he said, gesturing to her sister and brother-in-law. “Will you play?”
The last thing Victoria wanted to do was play cards. Her inability to distinguish certain numbers would only cause trouble, but refusing the earl’s invitation would appear rude.
“I fear I cannot distinguish the suits without my spectacles,” Victoria hedged.
“You’ll manage.”
“My making mistakes won’t upset you?”
“We aren’t playing for money,” Alexander said. “Relax. It’s only a card game.”
Victoria acquiesced with a nod, and sat across the table from the earl. She glanced at her sister. Samantha wore a worried expression. She knew the danger in Victoria’s trying to read numbers.
Alexander shuffled the cards, set them down for Samantha to cut, and then dealt them. He placed the last card, the trump card, face up on the table before him. “Diamonds are trumps.”
Victoria picked her cards up and felt her stomach flipflop. She had a fair number of sixes and nines, as well as red and black. The reds seemed to be the same shape, as did the blacks. How was she to know which red card was the trump suit?
Victoria wished she had refused the invitation. She glanced at Samantha whose eyes held a question.
Victoria gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. She refused to tell the earl or anyone else about her problem and would muddle through the game as best she could. Never would she even consider admitting to her stupidity.
On her right, Rudolf led the play by tossing a black ten on the table. Victoria stared at the black ten, a one and a zero. She could read that much, but had he tossed a spade or a club?
“Any day now, Tory,” Alexander said with a smile in his voice.
Victoria gave him a sheepish smile. Avoiding the sixes and nines, she tossed a black queen down.
“Tory, are you certain you understand how to play whist?” Alexander asked, stopping the game.
“I play with my sisters all the time.”
“Do you mind if I check her hand?” Alexander asked Rudolf.
The prince didn’t mind, but Victoria did. “Why do you want to see my cards?”
“Pass me your cards,” the earl ordered without giving her a reason.
Victoria handed him her cards. Watching his expression, she knew she had blundered.
“Rudolf played a ten of spades,” Alexander said, irritation tingeing his voice. “You played a queen of clubs, which you are going to lose because it isn’t the lead suit. You could have played the knave of spades and won the trick.”
“I’m sorry,” Victoria apologized, feeling self-conscious. “I did warn you I needed my spectacles.”
Play resumed.
Samantha played the
Turning around, Victoria caught Alexander watching her. When her gaze met his, he looked away and started speaking to her brother-in-law.
On shaking legs, Victoria crossed the drawing room and stood beside Alexander. She waited for him to acknowledge her presence, but he ignored her.
“My lord,” Victoria said softly. When he looked at her, she flicked her tongue out to wet her lips gone dry from nervousness. “My lord, I apologize for trying to injure you. My behavior was inexcusable, and I hope you will forgive me.”
His hazel gaze warmed to her, and the hint of a smile touched his lips. “Are you apologizing on orders from His Grace?”
“No, but His Grace would have ordered me to apologize if he had spoken to me.”
Alexander arched a brow at her. “Are you apologizing in order to prevent a dressing-down?”
“I am apologizing because I was wrong,” Victoria answered, and then tipped her head in the duke’s direction. “I’m certain His Grace will still spare a few minutes out of his busy schedule to give me a dressing-down.”
Alexander smiled at her. Victoria felt a fluttering in the pit of her stomach.
“We wanted to play whist and needed a fourth,” he said, gesturing to her sister and brother-in-law. “Will you play?”
The last thing Victoria wanted to do was play cards. Her inability to distinguish certain numbers would only cause trouble, but refusing the earl’s invitation would appear rude.
“I fear I cannot distinguish the suits without my spectacles,” Victoria hedged.
“You’ll manage.”
“My making mistakes won’t upset you?”
“We aren’t playing for money,” Alexander said. “Relax. It’s only a card game.”
Victoria acquiesced with a nod, and sat across the table from the earl. She glanced at her sister. Samantha wore a worried expression. She knew the danger in Victoria’s trying to read numbers.
Alexander shuffled the cards, set them down for Samantha to cut, and then dealt them. He placed the last card, the trump card, face up on the table before him. “Diamonds are trumps.”
Victoria picked her cards up and felt her stomach flipflop. She had a fair number of sixes and nines, as well as red and black. The reds seemed to be the same shape, as did the blacks. How was she to know which red card was the trump suit?
Victoria wished she had refused the invitation. She glanced at Samantha whose eyes held a question.
Victoria gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. She refused to tell the earl or anyone else about her problem and would muddle through the game as best she could. Never would she even consider admitting to her stupidity.
On her right, Rudolf led the play by tossing a black ten on the table. Victoria stared at the black ten, a one and a zero. She could read that much, but had he tossed a spade or a club?
“Any day now, Tory,” Alexander said with a smile in his voice.
Victoria gave him a sheepish smile. Avoiding the sixes and nines, she tossed a black queen down.
“Tory, are you certain you understand how to play whist?” Alexander asked, stopping the game.
“I play with my sisters all the time.”
“Do you mind if I check her hand?” Alexander asked Rudolf.
The prince didn’t mind, but Victoria did. “Why do you want to see my cards?”
“Pass me your cards,” the earl ordered without giving her a reason.
Victoria handed him her cards. Watching his expression, she knew she had blundered.
“Rudolf played a ten of spades,” Alexander said, irritation tingeing his voice. “You played a queen of clubs, which you are going to lose because it isn’t the lead suit. You could have played the knave of spades and won the trick.”
“I’m sorry,” Victoria apologized, feeling self-conscious. “I did warn you I needed my spectacles.”
Play resumed.
Samantha played the
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