“No, just the servants.”
Rose tried to ignore the sudden sadness filling her heart. “Help me to my feet. I must warn you both I am quite good at this game.”
Encouraging a competitive spirit would surely quash their solemn thoughts. Indeed, the children tackled their mission to unbalance her with the passion and conviction of an advancing battalion.
The prod in the back came first, followed by tufts of grass thrown at her neck and face. Culminating in Jacob, for who else could it be, dropping a worm into her outstretched hand.
But his plan to annoy her backfired.
While at Morton Manor she often woke to find a spider on her pillow. The infestation of horseflies proved equally troublesome. It was surprising how one grew accustomed to sharing a house with live creatures.
Instead of screaming and throwing the worm in the air, Rose held it gently between her fingers and chased after the children until they were both squealing in terror, and then laughter.
Without warning, they fell silent, no doubt planning something mischievous amongst themselves.
“Even though I can't see you, I know you’re still there.” Well, she hoped they were. How foolish would she look if Lord Farleigh glanced out of the window to find her running around the lawn with a worm in her hand?
Alice giggled again, but Jacob urged her to be quiet.
One of them snatched the worm from her grasp, but Rose was too slow to react. Then, with loud whoops, they ran circles around her, patting her arm and back and shouting, “Catch us. Catch us if you can.”
Rose twirled round and round until dizzy. With outstretched arms, she stumbled forward desperate to cling on to someth
ing solid. The children circled her, tapping her body as they went, their cries of excitement whipping past her ears.
A fog of confusion filled her head. She took two unsteady steps to the left and then she fell. But she did not land on the grass. Wrapped in the vice-like grip of a pair of muscular arms, she landed on a hard body that was most definitely not one of the children.
“Hurray! You caught her, Papa.”
Papa?
All the air left Rose’s lungs as she lay sprawled on top of Lord Farleigh. She did not dare remove the scarf for fear of swooning under the scrutiny of those mesmerising green eyes.
“Shush,” Lord Farleigh whispered. “I cannot release her until she says my name.”
Lord Farleigh had got the rules of the game confused. “I am the one who does the catching.”
His warm breath breezed over her neck, and a deep chuckle burst from his lips. “Oh, you’ve caught me, Rose. Make no mistake about that.”
She imagined saying something flirtatious in return, but all thoughts turned to the strange tingling surging through her body. She tried to move, but the feel of his thighs pressed against hers rendered her helpless. And the smell of his cologne. Good Lord. Never had she inhaled something so divine.
“Lord … Lord Farleigh,” she managed to say.
“Rose has won the point, Papa.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled. “I can’t help but feel I am the winner of this game.”
“You can let her go now, Papa,” Jacob said.
“Yes, I think you’re squashing her,” Alice added.
The girl was right although the experience was far from unpleasant.
“I would release her, but how can I be sure she won’t fall again?”
Rose pulled the red scarf down to the bridge of her nose. White dots flashed in her eyes, and it took a few blinks until she could see Lord Farleigh’s handsome face clearly.
Her heart flew to her throat at the sight of his warm smile. It was a breathtaking sight to behold.