Kailyn couldn’t believe she was already fifteen minutes late to breakfast. Lady Sedgewick had expressly requested the list of fête teams be in her hands before breakfast. And thanks to whichever ghost meddled this time, the ink had disappeared from her handwritten copy.
Giving up, she typed the names into her computer one last time and pressed scramble. Of course, the crazed laptop placed Ginnette with the same timid, bird-brained women for each event—again. It wasn’t right, but it was the only list the computer would spit out. Grabbing the printout and the full skirt of her pink walking dress in one hand, she flung the door open.
Markham lurked in the hallway.
Worry about the stupid fête and its absurd events fled her mind. His green hunting coat, buff breeches and polished boots made her drool. He looked delectable. If she ended up marrying him, she’d make him role-play once in a while so she could keep things interesting.
Banishing the sexy fantasy, she waved the paper under his nose. “I don’t know which ghost is controlling today’s show, but my computer is still haywire. It can’t even print a list in the order I want.”
Markham caught her hand and kissed her knuckles. “It doesn’t sound like I’m going to get a good-morning kiss.” Placing her hand on his arm, he turned toward the stairs. “Perhaps breakfast will sweeten your mood.”
His attempt to tease her out of her snit didn’t solve the problem of the disappearing ink and woo-woo magic that was sure to come back to bite her later today. “Don’t knock my crabby frame of mind. You don’t have to win a dippy contest while a ghost messes with you.”
Markham stopped abruptly and looked up at the ceiling. “Tell me you know how to embroider, arrange flowers, sketch and shoot an arrow.” His clipped British accent left no doubt as to the importance he placed on such useless feminine skills.
“Well, you’re in luck. I can win half of them. The other two, not a chance.”
“Bolster your skill with creativity, but win. I don’t want to be stuck with Desdemona’s favorite at the ball.”
“It’s not my fault you came up with these ridiculous activities.” She whirled to face him, poking her finger into his chest. “You stay away from any red glow. I’ll take care of the rest.”
No one chatted at breakfast. She hurriedly scarfed down a few bites then strolled into the parlor. To avoid the grumbling women bunched at the doorway, she wandered over to the fireplace and picked up an interesting-looking antique box from the mantle.
Instantly, a green glow circled her fingers. “Thou must defeat thy foes. The fate of Ryne rests in thy hands.”
Crap. Nothing like a blasted ghost to turn a game into a life-and-death trial. She carefully replaced the box on the mantle and stepped away, but the emerald ring still winked with energy. The last thing she needed was Lady Anne coaching her every move.
“Kailyn, what were you thinking?”
Allison’s voice pulled Kailyn’s thoughts back from the spirit world. “What have I done wrong now?”
Her friend’s eyes grew round in disbelief. “Given Ginnette the advantage. You can’t wish that bloody harpy on the Earl.”
“It’s not my fault. I think one of the ghosts hexed my printer. At least it put you and Emily on my team.”
Her friend’s eyes narrowed and a frown creased her pretty face. “Don’t tell me you can’t embroider or arrange flowers?”
“Bingo.” She shrugged. “Well, the last flower arrangement I made looked like a lopsided triangle. The only embroidery sampler I ever stitched, my mother stashed in her bottom drawer.”
“You must win both competitions.” Allison tilted her head and studied her friends standing by the door. “I can rig the embroidery event. I’ll talk to Emily about the flower arranging and drawing contests.”
“Thanks.”
“Who knows, I may be able to do more than that.” Allison struck out across the room like a general ready to muster her troops.
Kailyn was still chuckling at Allison’s craftiness when Lady Sedgewick entered the parlor. “Ladies, I’m sure you are ready to begin today’s events. Please proceed to the courtyard and join your group.”
Ginnette grabbed Kailyn’s elbow as she walked through the French doors, making Kailyn step back, staring. Was Desdemona hiding in her puppet’s metallic red gown? Fisting her right hand, she poked Lady Anne’s emerald ring toward Ginnette’s face.
The brunette pushed Kailyn’s hand aside. “I’m glad to see you put me with the two weakest contestants. Ryne will acknowledge my rightful claims before today is over.” Ginnette flashed an evil smile. “Be sure you lose.”
That damned woman wouldn’t win the dance with Markham even if Kailyn had to cheat—which it looked like she’d have to do. She squared her shoulders. With Emily’s help in flower arranging and Allison’s in embroidery, she’d ace this old-fashioned test of feminine brainwashing even if Desdemona threw a fit.
When she lifted her chin and marched over to her two teammates, Allison squeezed her hand. “Won’t that nasty witch be surprised when you win? Stand next to Emily and copy her every move with the flowers.”
Mrs. Chadwick waved the group to a low table where three baskets of cut flowers and three vases sat. “Ladies, in an hour I will judge your flower arrangement.”
“Take the rose and clip its stem like this,” Emily whispered quietly, as Allison chatted loudly about Lady Anne and the university’s ghost hunting studies.
Slowly and carefully, Kailyn copied Emily’s actions. Twice her instructor shook her head and told her to try again.
After poking the last flower into the vase, she stepped back to compare her work to Emily’s. Her heart sank. Emily’s was splendid, but no matter what way Kailyn jiggled the flowers, hers was a half a bubble off center.
As Mrs. Chadwick stepped toward the table, Emily abruptly bumped her own vase. It tumbled onto the floor in the midst of loud gasps of dismay from Allison.
The housekeeper patted Emily’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry dear, but I can’t give you another hour to make a new one.”
Mrs. Chadwick handed Kailyn the first place ribbon. A watery-eyed Emily nodded and pulled out her lacy handkerchief to cover up a giggle.
Mutely Kailyn accepted the prize. Why had Desdemona allowed her to get away with the snow job?
Allison nudged her. “Take your ribbon and place it under your name on that board by the arbor.”
She pointed toward the stone bench where an easel labeled Group One stood.
Ginnette could gripe all she wanted, but Kailyn felt elated. She’d gotten through one hurdle without being zapped by a ghost.
As she headed to the second station, Allison fell in beside her. “You do know how to make a basic needlepoint stitch, don’t you?”
“Sort of.”
“Brilliant. We start from scratch. At least, an R for Ryne can have square corners.”
Kailyn blinked. “We embroider an R?”
With a worried frown, Allison nodded and stepped into the tent.
“Sit here, Kailyn.” Emily pointed to a chair in the middle of the row. “We all need to share the thread.”
Lady Sedgewick stepped forward and handed each woman a piece of white fabric stretched over a wooden hoop. “You have one hour to embroider a monogram fit for the new Ryne linen.”
Rats. Blowing out her breath, Kailyn prayed the rest of her team was ready to make a god-awful mess out of their designs. Hers wasn’t going to be a masterpiece, no matter how much Allison helped.
She looked across the garden. Markham was instructing Ginnette on how to hold her bow. Kailyn squinted. Did that shimmer in her rival’s hair mean Desdemona was hanging around him? Tapping the emerald, she muttered, “Lady Anne, wrap Markham in your green shield. Desdemona is sniffing around him.”
Allison pinched her arm. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” She glanced back at Markham to see a green light hovering above him.
Allison elbowed her in the ribs. “Pay attention. We’re using the basic needlepoint stitch to form a block letter R.” She held out her hoop for Kailyn to see.
Under Allison’s watchful gaze, Kailyn pulled the needle through the fabric from the bottom.
“The hard part is the diagonal. Complete it first. Skip a space between each stitch.” Allison demonstrated a couple of stitches on her canvas.
Kailyn’s thread knotted at least ten times before she managed to created a plain but good-looking R in royal blue.
Emily handed her some gold thread. “Repeat the design on the inside with this.”
Dutifully she obeyed. Before she could stretch her cramped fingers, another skein of thread dropped in her lap. Purple this time. So it went until Lady Sedgewick told them time was up and took the hoop from her hand.
Somehow her letter R had grown into an intricate, colorful monogram of purple, blue, silver and gold, while the two other women’s work looked like deformed blobs. Grateful for her friends’ less-than-best efforts, she accepted the first place ribbon.
She didn’t celebrate long. Ginnette had also posted her second win. Desdemona hadn’t caused any trouble yet, but she certainly hadn’t given up, either.
The cold lunch of watercress salad and grapes turned somersaults in Kailyn’s stomach as she walked to the drawing competition. What was Desdemona up to? Why hadn’t the ghost challenged any of the rigged contests? She had the terrible feeling that her enemy was lying in wait for her.
To Kailyn’s dismay, she saw that the easels were set only a few paces from a boulder she knew was one Desdemona had hurled yesterday from the west tower.
Skirting it, Kailyn turned to Spencer’s sister. “Nell, do we have to stay in this area to sketch?”
“I have to watch each of you during the contest.” Nell indicated a circular area with her hand. “You may move a few feet either way, but the supplies are here.”
Kailyn carted her easel as close to the stone bench as possible without moving beyond Nell’s boundaries. She’d just have to stay alert for more of Desdemona’s missiles while she sketched.
“Your task is to draw Ryne Castle,” Nell informed the contestants. “As with the other tasks, you only have an hour to finish the picture.” Nell motioned the women to the equipment on the lawn.
Allison settled down next to Kailyn and shot a worried glance at the west tower. No doubt her friend feared a Desdemona boulder shower again. Maybe they would get lucky today, and the ghost wouldn’t attack again.
At least this task didn’t require cheating. Thanks to years of drafting and drawing building perspectives, Kailyn was prepared. She set to work creating the view of the castle she’d seen from the ruins. Every time she switched pencils, she scanned the area for a red glow.
Before she realized it the hour was up, and Nell had removed Kailyn’s sketch from her easel. The three drawings were lined up to judge. The other two sketches, all with lopsided walls and stick figures, reminded Kailyn of kindergarten art. Somehow, she didn’t think this represented her friends’ true talents. Emily and Allison had done it again. Nell had no choice but to give her the blue ribbon.
On the way back to post the results, her companions giggled. Allison tried to shush them until they moved out of Nell’s hearing.
“I’m surprised Nell didn’t call foul. She’s seen our artwork before.” Turning to Kailyn, Allison gushed, “Your drawing was fabulous. Can you shoot an arrow just as well?”
“Don’t worry.” She returned her friend’s grin. “I usually hit the target. Well, most of the time. If the wind isn’t blowing or a ghost doesn’t meddle.”
Emily chuckled. “We’ll try not to make our goofs too obvious. The earl might not take kindly to being set up.”
The thought of tricking Markham made the silly games mildly amusing. As she pinned her art ribbon on the board, she couldn’t keep a straight face.
“Won’t he be surprised?”
“Don’t get too cocky.” Allison pointed to Group Two’s standings. “You’re still tied with Lady Ginnette. I don’t know what kind of tiebreaker the earl will come up with.”
In silence, Group One tramped across the lawn. A quick glance at her friends’ faces confirmed Kailyn’s suspicion. They planned to rig the results of any tiebreaker in her favor. She’d no idea what she’d done to earn their loyalty, but she loved their devious minds.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Markham called to the group. “Welcome to the archery contest. Kailyn, stand here beside me and be my model.”
Chin tilted up, Kailyn stepped forward. Markham’s mind-blowing sex appeal was a complication she hadn’t considered. Who knew where the arrow would go if he was breathing down her neck when she fired it?
“Place the armguard securely along the inside of your left forearm.” Markham ran his finger from her wrist to her elbow.
Shimmers of electricity shot through her. The blasted man didn’t have to flirt with her while she was trying to save his hide from Desdemona. How did she back the flirtatious British dandy off? Nothing had fazed him so far.
She wriggled closer and reached back to pat his butt. “You’re quite a distraction in those tight breeches.”
After a glance that said she’d pay for her sassy remark, he stepped back and grabbed the smallest bow from the rack. “I recommend you use a bow that suits your height.”
Saucily she walked over to the rack, picked up each bow in turn and tested them. With a shrug, she returned to his side and took the bow he held in his hand.
Squinting at the target, she expertly lifted the bow, set the arrow and sent it sailing straight into the bull’s-eye. Winking at him, she marched back to the line of women and high-fived Allison.
“I was about to explain the rules before Kailyn decided to fire off a shot.” Markham beamed. “The winner of this competition is the woman who scores a bull’s-eye in the fewest number of tries. It appears Kailyn stands in first place. However, let’s continue. Everyone, except Kailyn, please prepare to shoot at the target directly in front of you.”
Her two friends aimed and shot. One arrow hit the tree, the other dirt, but not the target. In the second round, Allison hit the target, but not a bull’s-eye.
By the third round, Emily had stuck an arrow somewhere on the target, but only Kailyn had hit the center ring twice. On the fifth try Emily’s arrow finally found the edge of the center circle, followed by Allison’s. Before the hour ended, her two friends had scored one bull’s-eye each.
Satisfied with her three bulls-eyes and all her arrows finding the target, Kailyn accepted the first place ribbon from a proud Markham.
“I trust this isn’t the first one of these you’ve earned today.”
Allison smiled broadly. “No, your lordship, she’s undefeated. I bet her archery skills are unmatched.”
“Indeed.”
Before Kailyn could step away, Spencer inched closer, leaned down and kissed her cheek. “My domestic diva strikes again.”