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  A horrified expression flashed across Blaine's eyes. "That's a truly awful idea, Gar."

  "But why? He comes from a good family. He'll be a marquess someday."

  "The vicar, our mercenary brother." Darius snickered.

  Blaine shook his head. "Look, Dash is a friend, a good friend of mine. But he's the last sort I'd ever want to see shackled to Prissy."

  "What's wrong with him?" Emory asked, not that he wanted to change their plans, but Blaine's countenance piqued his interest.

  The youngest Hawthorne brother sat forward, lowering his voice. "Nothing I can put my finger on," he confessed. "And his reputation mirrors Will's, actually. He goes through some dark spells, and every now and then I think he could just snap. Makes me a bit uneasy sometimes."

  "Wonderful!" Pierce hissed. "So glad you brought the man into our midst then, you dolt."

  "What?" Blaine complained.

  "Well, he doesn't seem like the sort of fellow we'd want panting after Prissy, does he?" Pierce frowned. "Why did you even invite the man for the holidays?"

  Blaine raked a hand through his dark hair. "I invited him before we decided to use him in this little ruse. He doesn't ever speak to the marquess, and he's by himself most of the time." He shrugged. "I just thought it might do him some good to be part of a big family, if only for a few weeks."

  "This is getting us nowhere," Emory said, "Brimsworth is here, but he's not our concern. Will and Prisca are." He leaned in closer. "So focus on the task at hand. What is the plan for tomorrow?"

  Pierce grinned roguishly. "How about a little Blind

  ? Let him get his hands on her."

  Garrick inhaled sharply.

  Emory winced. "I don't know, Pierce. We'd all have to play, and I'd rather not end up fondling Lizzie Giddings, if you don't mind."

  "So you don't have to play. Be standoffish in the corner and scowl at the girl," Pierce suggested.

  "How else can we get them alone?" Darius asked.

  "We could do some sort of scavenger hunt and pair them up," Blaine said. Then he winked at Emory. "Don't worry. We'll make sure you end up with one of us to keep you from Miss Giddings' grasp."

  "Go ahead and laugh, Blaine. She hasn't got her eye on you."

  Blaine bit back a smile. "So what if she's got her eye on you? No one can make you do anything about it."

  Darius laughed. "You, little brother, were at school when Prissy finagled Blackmoor's demise. If she ensnared

  him

  , none of us have a prayer."

  "Blackmoor wanted to be ensnared," Emory informed them. "But Prissy didn't give him a choice in the matter. Just think, men, if we're successful in our plans, she'll have her hands full with Will over the next few years and we can all live free from fear of her ever doing such a thing to us."

  "Self-serving as always," Garrick complained.

  "Indeed." Emory looked down his nose at his most difficult brother. "And for that,

  you

  can be paired off with Lizzie Giddings during the scavenger hunt."

  Garrick shrugged. "She's a perfectly fine chit. I don't know what you're complaining about."

  Seven

  Will smothered a chuckle behind a closed fist as Garrick slid up next to him and said quietly, "Save me from Lizzie Giddings."

  Garrick winced a bit when Will clapped him on the shoulder and said, "I thought she'd set her cap for Emory?"

  The vicar shook his head. "His scowling has put her off, and she's focused her attention on me."

  Ah. That made sense. "Well, I believe Emory is about to reveal the partners for the scavenger hunt. I'll say a quick prayer for you." He bent his head, closed his eyes and mouthed a few words.

  "Your sense of humor is sorely lacking," Garrick grumbled, his eyebrows drawn together tightly. "Prayer is not a laughing matter, you know."

  "My apologies, Garrick." A heavy pant reached Will's ears, and he looked around the floor. Surely Emory wouldn't bring the hounds inside, not into the parlor while guests were here, even if he was trying to dissuade particular ladies in attendance. Then he glanced up and caught the gaze of Miss Giddings, whose heavy breathing grew louder and louder as she approached.

  "Will God forgive me if I warn you she's flanking you right now? You've only moments to make an escape, should you desire one."

  "I'll say a prayer for you, Will," Garrick said sto ically, as he stepped around him and ducked his head. But, as he did, Will didn't miss the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. The good vicar did have a sense of humor after all. One could not grow up with so many derelict brothers and not maintain some appreciation for the fantastical.

  Lizzie Giddings nearly ran Will over to chase after Garrick. "Oh, Vicar Hawthorne," she sang, waving her hand in the air as she trailed him. Will could do no more than shake his head and laugh.

  "That's what he gets for condemning Emory for not wanting to partner the girl," Blaine whispered quietly, stepping to Will's side.

  "I bet he'll not do that again," Will replied absently. His gaze settled on Prisca, his ears perking up when he heard her laugh over something Brimsworth said. Damned earl! He'd been by her side the entire night.

  Be careful around the man

  . What a fool he'd been with that bargain. He should have asked for a lot more than that! Stay twenty paces away from him at all times. That should have been his demand. Don't flirt with him. Don't laugh at his inane jokes. He should have thrown those in for good measure.

  "Prissy's having a good time of it," Blaine said. "And even Blackmoor has relaxed a bit." Will glanced over to where Simon stood talking amiably with the Giddings brothers. He was much closer to Prisca than where Will stood, which comforted him just a bit. That was probably because Lily was with her.

  Of course, Ben rested on the couch with his hand on Elspeth's expanding stomach. He'd not moved more than two feet from his wife, either. It was almost as though he sensed some sort of danger. Like any good shepherd circles his flock, a Lycan would circle his true master all night, if he sensed danger nearby.

  Will had been trying to edge closer to Prisca throughout the evening, but every time he took a step in her direction, Brimsworth grabbed her elbow and pulled her farther away. And she'd gone willingly. At least his brothers sensed the same danger he did. He wasn't completely daft. Just worried.

  "I believe it's time for a game of Blind Man's Bluff," Emory said over the conversations bouncing around the corners of the room. With a smile, Prisca passed him a length of silken fabric, which he folded to make a blindfold.

  Will wanted to groan with the tedium of it, but then Prisca called out, "Once you're blindfolded, the person you touch will also be your partner during the scavenger hunt, provided that you can name the person you've captured, of course."

  Lizzie and Sarah Giddings both clapped loudly. Garrick sunk back to lean against the wall. "Fun, fun!" Lizzie called. "Who goes first?"

  Prisca scanned the assemblage quickly. Then Emory held the blindfold out to Lily, who laughed as he beckoned Simon to bend down so she could tie it over his eyes. "You will owe me for this, Your Grace," Simon muttered to her, so low that only Lily and the other Lycans in the room could hear him.

  Will couldn't hold back his chuckle when Lily replied in a hushed whisper beside Simon's ear, "Promises, promises, Your Grace." Then she giggled, tied the knot, and spun Simon in a quick circle. The object of the game was to disorient the seeker so he wouldn't know who he grabbed blindly. But the game was a complete failure on a Lycan. A Lycan always knew his mate. And with their sense of smell, any of the Lycans in the room could pick out exactly who each person was.

  However, Simon made a grand show of reaching out blindly, clasping and unclasping his hands. Darius grunted when Simon bumped an elbow into his ribs as he spun around. And Pierce held back an oath when Simon trod upon the toe of his Hessians. Simon would get recompense, one way or the other.

  Finally, Simon gave up the game and honed in on Lily. She had a pla
yful gleam in her eye. She was the only person who'd ever been able to

  play

  with Simon. When he stepped closer to her, he reached out to grab her arm but she dashed around the outside of the room, making a show of keeping a finger in front of her mouth, urging everyone to be quiet.

  Simon followed slowly, his gait predatory. "Lily, dear. I believe you're cheating," he challenged. Then he made one giant leap over the settee and landed on his feet directly in front of her, where he swept her into his arms and kissed the side of her neck. "Oops, I missed," he laughed as Lily pulled the blindfold from his eyes.

  "You never miss," she laughed as she patted his chest and then turned to hand the blindfold to Elspeth.

  Ben and Elspeth danced a similar dance, but theirs was a bit more comical to watch. Ben didn't go after Ellie with the single-minded purpose that Simon had used. But, finally, he caught her.

  Then it was Will's turn to catch Prisca.

  Will watched as Elspeth removed Ben's blindfold and he bent to claim a quick kiss to her cheek. He wanted a love like that. Elspeth held the blindfold out to Will, but as he kicked himself away from the wall and started across the room, Brimsworth got there first.

  "Would you mind if I take the next turn, Lady Elspeth?" he asked graciously, sending her a charming smile. The man probably had a slew of women dropping at his feet to kiss his boots on a daily basis.

  "I was goin' ta pass it ta William, but if he doesna mind," she said as she looked around Brimsworth in Will's direction. Her eyebrows raised in silent question. And sympathy.

  There was no way Will could take the blindfold and catch Prisca if Brimsworth got it first. By not taking it, he guaranteed Prisca would be partnered by the strange Lycan during the scavenger hunt. She'd disappear alone with him. And there'd be nothing he could do about it. But to raise a fuss would appear suspicious with everyone looking on. Will simply shrugged and reclaimed his place against the wall, where he leaned negligently against the doorjamb as though he hadn't a care in the world.

  Yet Will's heart raced within his chest. The earl tied the blindfold over his eyes himself, and then Emory came forward to spin him around.

  "Oh, dear," the earl grunted as he bumped into a tea table. Then glasses rattled as he bumped the sideboard. "I hope I didn't break anything," he joked.

  "Not yet, Brimsworth," Emory called back. "Though you get closer to doing so every second."

  "Hopefully, I'll stumble into one of the lovely ladies in just a moment. One of the beautiful Giddings sisters would be a great find right now."

  Will looked over at them where Sarah Giddings fanned herself with her hand. She laughed a bit, followed by a loud snort. Blaine tucked his head into his chest and bit his bottom lip to hide his grin.

  When Brimsworth was within a foot of Prisca, Will kicked away from the wall again and tensed. Simon sent a warning look, but Will paid it no heed. The blasted earl sniffed loudly, his nose close to Prisca's hair.

  "I believe I know

  that

  scent," he said. Then his hand reached out and touched the back of Prisca's head. A red haze passed before Will's vision as the earl stroked down the length of the shiny sable mass, his hand finally landing at the small of Prisca's back.

  "Miss Hawthorne," the earl said slowly with a smile that made Will want to rip his lips right off his face, "I do believe you've been caught."

  A round of applause sounded around the room as Brimsworth jerked the blindfold off and bowed dramatically before the occupants of the room.

  "Looks like I'll have the fortune of being paired with you during the hunt, Miss Hawthorne," the earl said.

  Prisca smiled back at him, as any gracious hostess should. "Bravo," she congratulated. But her eyes lacked their normal sparkle. Was that disappointment in her gaze? Or was his foolish mind playing tricks on him?

  Play continued around the room until each of the Giddings sisters were paired with a Hawthorne, except for Emory who was exempt from playing the game as he'd been the one to hide the scavenger items— something he looked rather smug about.

  Will, thankfully, was paired with Garrick, who looked to be immensely relieved himself. "Thank heavens it's you," the vicar said as he and Will took off in search of their hidden item, a shepherdess figurine once belonging to the late Lady Hawthorne.

  Will's heart told him to stay close to Prisca, not to get far from her. But, with Garrick leading the charge and having great fun with the scavenger hunt, there was no possible way for him to bow out gracefully. As he brushed past Simon, his oldest brother murmured, "There are three of us. No worries."

  Will nodded slightly. But he

  was

  worried, all the same. And angry. And so damn jealous he couldn't see straight.

  ***

  Prisca bit back her disappointment at being paired with the earl. In truth, she'd hoped to end up with Will. She'd wanted an excuse to spend time with him. After their brief encounter, she didn't even know what she'd say to him. But she did have a million questions all running together in her mind.

  "Where shall we start looking, Miss Hawthorne?" Lord Brimsworth asked, a smile on his face that would probably charm the squirrels from the trees without even the promise of a nut.

  "What is it we're searching for, again?" she asked as she leaned close to him to look at the unfolded square of foolscap he held in his hand to see

  bust of Sir Alfred

  Hawthorne

  scrawled in Emory's handwriting. Their grandfather's likeness was usually in the gallery, but where would her oldest brother have hidden it?

  As she pondered this question, Lord Brimsworth shifted closer to her, and she could almost swear he inhaled hard enough to suck her hair right up his nose. "Are you all right?" she asked.

  "I must tell you that you've quite enchanted me, Miss Hawthorne," he said slowly as she led the way down the corridor toward the study. She thought she might find the item listed in her father's sanctum. "That scent you wear makes me take leave of my senses. If you'll forgive me for saying so."

  Prisca hugged her arms around herself to fight a sudden desire to flee. "Forgive you for paying me a compliment? Is that normal practice? I'll have to pen a note to the head mistress of my girls' school and let her know, Lord Brimsworth." She threw a smile in his direction.

  He swallowed it like she'd thrown a bone to a dog.

  "Would it be all right to dispense with the formalities? I'd love to hear you call me Dashiel."

  "Dashiel?" she asked, her mind still on Will.

  "It's so nice to hear it from your lips," he said quietly as he brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. She shook his touch away as nicely as she was able. "May I call you Prisca?"

  "As long as you don't pick up any of the horrid monikers my brothers use for me," she replied pertly. "I assume it's all right."

  Dashiel took her elbow in his hand and turned her slowly toward him as he stepped into her space. Prisca firmly believed that she, like everyone else, had a space around herself she could call her own and which only those invited could invade. And William Westfield, of course. After all, there was an exception to every rule.

  Dashiel was breaking her rule, which made her a bit uncomfortable.

  "I'm not typically so forward, Prisca," he began, his amber eyes glittering at her. "But I fear that if I don't make my intentions known, I could miss out on something I want very badly."

  Prisca looked at him blankly. "I don't…" she began.

  But he cut her off. "I sense there's something between you and William Westfield. Would I be correct?"

  Had he not been holding her elbow, she'd have probably toppled over. Wait. Why

  was

  he still holding her elbow? She tugged it gently from his grasp. "I don't know what you mean."

  "Yes, you do. Please tell me if I am treading on territory he's already marked."

  "Marked?" Prisca shook her head to clear it.

  "I would like to get to know you bette
r, Prisca," he said, bending to look into her eyes. Something dark lurked in their depths, but she wasn't sure what she saw. Whatever it was, it scared her just a bit.

  He had none of William's charm. Nor wit. Nor anything else she adored about him. But, of course, he wouldn't. He was a different man, after all. One who wanted to get to know her better.

  "I'm not certain we'd suit, Dashiel," she said quietly, shaking her head. She should call him off immediately. It was most definitely the appropriate thing to do.

  "There's only one way to find out," the earl said.

  "And what would that be?" She wished he would stop talking in riddles.

  Before she even saw it coming, the earl bent down a bit and touched his lips to hers. They weren't soft and supple like Will's. And he had none of the silky glide that made her want to crawl into his lap and kiss him all day.