Daring In a Blue Dress by Katie MacAlister Page A

with.”
    â€œGotcha.” She tidied up the now teeming stacks of papers and books on the rickety card table. “I know how it is when you just meet someone, and it takes time for things to warm up. Gotta run. Fenice had to deal with a guy who brought a bunch of bales of hay, and we didn’t get to finish having our talk about archery.”
    â€œHay?” he asked, rubbing his chin as she hurried around him and opened the French doors. “Archery? Wait, do you mean she’s having hay delivered to my garden? My nice, orderly garden?”
    His voice echoed slightly in the empty room. Mercy was gone, jogging down the gravel path toward the back of the house, waving good-bye as she did so.
    He sighed and sat back down in the chair, absently rubbing the spot on his cheek she had kissed, and wondering if the day would ever come when he could talk to a woman like a normal man. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor, and he picked it up, absently smoothing it out. It was a letter from the late baron to Sybilla.
    A little smile curled Alden’s lips.

Chapter 5
    â€œO h, there she is. Mercy, come meet Patrick.” Fenice waved me over as soon as she saw me trot down the stairs into the garden. “He’s late, which surprises no one, I’m sure, but at least he made it here.”
    â€œIn one piece, which is more than I can say for you,” her brother replied, poking at her arm before he turned and flashed a megawatt smile at me. He even executed a fancy bow, saying, “The name is Vandal, and the pleasure is all mine, milady Mercedes. Welcome to Hard Day’s Knights.”
    â€œHi,” I said, wanting to giggle at his Renaissance Faire roguish persona, but decided that might be rude. So instead, I bobbed a little curtsy. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”
    â€œIt is, indeed.” His eyebrows waggled, but he turnedback to Fenice when she whapped him with her good arm. “What for are you beating me, sister mine?”
    â€œWe were having a discussion about what to do with the new owner. Stop flirting with Mercy and focus.”
    I had to admit, Vandal wasn’t hard on the eyes in any way. He was of a medium build—wiry, but not hipster thin—and tall, taller than Alden, who was just a few inches above my height. He had long hair midway down his back, which was tied back with a leather thong, and narrow, high cheekbones that made me think of Vikings.
    â€œI told you that there was nothing to worry about,” Vandal said while I was giving him the visual once-over. “We have a contract, signed and sealed, and nothing this new bloke can do will break it. Stop fussing about that and tell me what the hell we’re going to do for an archery instructor since you’ve gone and broken your collarbone.”
    â€œActually, I was going to talk to you about that, Fenice,” I said quickly, before she could reply. “If all you need is someone to teach kids how to use a bow and arrow, I can do that.”
    They both turned to me, surprise etched on their faces. “You can?” Fenice asked, frowning a little. “You’re an archer?”
    â€œWell . . . I did do two and a half years of a phys ed degree at a university in Oregon, and spent a year on the longbow archery team. I can use a crossbow, too, although I’m not as good with it as I am the longbow.”
    â€œWhat draw weight?” Fenice asked.
    â€œOh, I can do seventy, but I’m more accurate at forty-five.”
    â€œShe’s an archer,” Fenice said to Vandal, relief filling her voice. “Bless the goddess, she’s a real archer.”
    â€œA longbow archer yet, none of that moderncompound-bow business. It does seem most propitious,” Vandal answered, giving me a thoughtful look. “Why don’t we try you out on Fen’s bow and see how you do?”
    I murmured something about not wanting to use a valuable bow, but