Every evening, the ladies sat along one side, and the gentlemen lined up on the other, a configuration that proved ideal for sparring. Lilibet, her spirits still in disarray from the disastrous exchange with Roland in the peach orchard, could hardly be bothered to ask for the salt, but the others had no such reservations. Alexandra had apparently been discovered delivering Mr. Burke’s post to his workshop this morning, and the duke was convinced that her motives had been sinister. Abigail, of course, did not agree. “But that’s absurd. If you seduced Mr. Burke, successfully I mean, the wager would technically be a draw, wouldn’t it?” Alexandra choked. “Yes,” said Mr. Burke. “Yes, I believe it would.” Abigail turned to Wallingford. “You see? You may put your mind entirely at ease on the subject of seduction, Your Grace. No reasonable person would contemplate such a scheme.
