“The only lady who hasn’t fallen under his spell is the illustrious Lady Alexandra.” She tossed him a look over her shoulder. “Probably because she’s so busy trying to gain your favor.”

“Are you jealous?” he countered.

“Please,” she scoffed, moving on to the next spot.

He followed, one step behind. “You didn’t say no . . .”

“No,” she said with great emphasis. “Of course I’m not jealous. I think she’s touched in the head quite honestly.”

“Because she’s trying to gain my favor?” he could not help but ask.

She held her hand out for another wicket. “Of course not. That’s probably the most sensible thing she’s ever done.”

He paused. “Why does that sound like an insult?”

“It’s not,” Billie assured him. “I would never be so ambiguous.”

“No, that’s true,” he murmured. “You insult with pure transparency.”

She rolled her eyes before returning to the topic of Lady Alexandra. “I was talking about her obsession with Lord Northwick. He’s engaged to her sister, for heaven’s sake.”

“Ah, that.”

“Ah, that,” she mimicked, shoving another wicket into the ground. “What is wrong with her?”

George was saved from answering by Andrew, who was bellowing their names again, along with a rather vehement exhortation to hurry along.

Billie snorted. “I can’t believe he thinks he can beat me with a broken arm.”

“You do realize that if you win—”

“When I win.”

“Should you win, you will look the worst sort of champion, taking advantage of the weakness of others.”

She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. “I can barely walk myself.”

“You, Miss Bridgerton, have a convenient grasp on reality.”

She grinned. “Convenient for me, yes.”

He shook his head, smiling despite himself.

“Now then,” she said, lowering her voice even though no one was within earshot, “you’re on my team, are you not?”

George narrowed his eyes. “Since when are there teams?”

“Since today.” She leaned closer. “We must crush Andrew.”

“You’re beginning to frighten me, Billie.”

“Don’t be silly, you’re just as competitive as I am.”

“Do you know, I don’t think I am.”

“Of course you are. You just show it differently.”

He thought she might elucidate, but of course she did not.

“You don’t want Andrew to win, do you?” she asked.

“I’m not certain how much I care.”

She drew back.

He laughed. He couldn’t help it. She looked so affronted. “No, of course I don’t want him to win,” he said. “He’s my brother. But at the same time, I’m not sure I feel the need to resort to espionage to ensure the outcome.”

She stared at him with heavy, disappointed eyes.

“Oh, fine,” he gave in. “Who’s on Andrew’s team, then?”

She brightened up immediately. “No one. That’s the beauty of it. He won’t know that we’ve formed an alliance.”

“There is no way this ends well,” he said, sending the words out to the world at large.

He was fairly certain the world was not listening.

Billie set the last wicket into place. “This one’s evil,” she told him. “Overshoot and you’re in the rosebushes.”