Earlier, Mr. Scott had pulled her aside and informed her of the men who were scheduled to meet with her. He instructed her that she must pick one to marry by Sunday evening.

Of course, she’d wanted to refuse and tell him his plan was all rot, but his stern expression warned her that if she protested, he’d carry through on his threat to send her back to England. And if she returned to England, what would happen to Patience if she came on the next ship? Yet if she stayed, would she be trapped into marriage?

Her attention shifted to the men, many of whom were more interested in watching the women than the cricket game. Some of the women had been bold in flirting and making connections whenever possible, but Mercy only shuddered at the prospect of interacting with them.

A newcomer to the game caught her attention as he shook hands with his team members. He had a handsome profile and a muscular build with broad shoulders . . .

Her heartbeat lurched to a stop. Joseph.

He held himself with an air of confidence and strength that set him apart from the others. As he jogged out to his position, she couldn’t help but admire him, just as every other eligible woman in Victoria was probably doing.

When she hadn’t seen him that morning at the regatta, she’d begun to worry, even experiencing a surge of panic until she glimpsed Captain Hellyer and realized the Tynemouth hadn’t left early, that Joseph was still in Victoria.

Even if she was forced to let Joseph go, she didn’t want him to leave without saying good-bye. In fact, she couldn’t bear the thought of his sailing away without speaking to him one last time—as a friend and nothing more.

Although she’d never watched a game of cricket before today, she didn’t have a difficult time figuring out that Joseph was by far the best player on the grassy field. The handsomest too. She soon found herself on the edge of the blanket, unable to take her eyes off him.

Not for the first time, she was proud of him. Not just for being kindhearted, generous, and hardworking, but also for how skilled and athletic he was. He might be a gentleman, yet he wasn’t above sweating and laboring and mingling with others of a lower rank.

Midway through the game, Joseph overthrew the ball to one of his teammates. It rolled toward the blanket and stopped almost directly in front of her.

She scooped it up and was about to throw it back when she realized Joseph was heading her way, his eyes upon her. There was something intense in his expression that made her stomach flutter and her breathing grow shallow. She knew she should toss him the ball, but she couldn’t get her arm to obey.

When he finally reached her, she held out the ball.