The Bridgertons Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn Read Free Book Online Page B

year,” she said, smiling straight at him. “You always put the first wicket in the same place, and you always hit the ball precisely the same way.”
    Colin chose that moment to return. “Your play, Kate.”
    She darted out from behind Daphne and scooted toward the starting pole. “All’s fair, dear husband,” she called out gaily. And then she bent forward, aimed, and sent the green ball flying.
    Straight into the puddle.
    Anthony sighed happily. There was justice in this world, after all.
     
    Thirty minutes later Kate was waiting by her ball near the third wicket.
    “Pity about the mud,” Colin said, strolling past.
    She glared at him.
    Daphne passed by a moment later. “You’ve a bit in . . .” She motioned to her hair. “Yes, there,” she added, when Kate brushed furiously against her temple. “Although there is a bit more, well . . .” She cleared her throat. “Er, everywhere.”
    Kate glared at her.
    Simon stepped up to join them. Good God, did everyone need to pass by the third wicket on their way to the sixth?
    “You’ve a bit of mud,” he said helpfully.
    Kate’s fingers wrapped more tightly around her mallet. His head was so very, very close.
    “But at least it’s mixed with tea,” he added.
    “What has that to do with anything?” Daphne asked.
    “I’m not certain,” Kate heard him say as he and Daphne took their leave toward wicket number five, “but it seemed as if I ought to say some thing.”
    Kate counted to ten in her head, and then sure enough, Edwina happened across her, Penelope trailing three steps behind. The pair had become something of a team, with Edwina doing all the swinging and Penelope consulting on strategy.
    “Oh, Kate,” Edwina said with a pitying sigh.
    “Don’t say it,” Kate growled.
    “You did make the puddle,” Edwina pointed out.
    “Whose sister are you?” Kate demanded.
    Edwina gave her an arch smile. “Sisterly devotion does not obscure my sense of fair play.”
    “This is Pall Mall. There is no fair play.”
    “Apparently not,” Penelope remarked.
    “Ten paces,” Kate warned.
    “From Colin, not from you,” Penelope returned. “Although I do believe I shall remain at least a mallet’s length away at all times.”
    “Shall we go?” Edwina inquired. She turned to Kate. “We just finished with the fourth wicket.”
    “And you needed to take the long way ’round?” Kate muttered.
    “It seemed only sporting to pay you a visit,” Edwina demurred.
    She and Penelope turned to walk away, and then Kate blurted it out. She couldn’t help herself:
    “Where is Anthony?”
    Edwina and Penelope turned. “Do you really want to know?” Penelope asked.
    Kate forced herself to nod.
    “On the last wicket, I’m afraid,” Penelope replied.
    “Before or after?” Kate ground out.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Is he before the wicket or after it?” she repeated impatiently. And then, when Penelope did not answer instantly she added, “Has he gone through the bloody thing yet?”
    Penelope blinked with surprise. “Er, no. He has about two more strokes, I should think. Perhaps three.”
    Kate watched them depart through narrowed eyes. She wasn’t going to win—there was no chance of that now. But if she couldn’t win, then by God, neither would Anthony. He deserved no glory this day, not after tripping her and sending her tumbling into the mud puddle.
    Oh, he’d claimed it was an accident, but Kate found it highly suspicious that his ball had gone spluttering out of the puddle at the exact moment she’d stepped forward to reach her own ball. She’d had to do a little hop to avoid it and was congratulating herself on her near miss when Anthony had swung around with a patently false “I say, are you all right?”
    His mallet had swung with him, conveniently at ankle level. Kate had not been able to outhop that one, and she’d gone flying into the mud.
    Face down.
    And then Anthony had had the gall to offer her a handkerchief.
    She was