When they reached the local pub, they went in. A handful of men sat at the bar, and about half the tables were full. Reid claimed an empty table in the back.

Dexter ordered two drinks, then sat across from her, pushing one of the mugs her way. “What do you want to talk about?” he asked.

Reid wrapped her hands around her mug. “Who says I want to talk?”

Dexter took a drink, not bothering to respond.

“Fine.” She sighed. “Something’s off.” A feeling of being off kilter had inundated her since leaving the palace. “I can’t say what it is exactly.” She took a sip, not sure how to explain.

His right leg bounced under the table, proof he was restless, too. “I agree.” He chugged the rest of his drink before he said, “I know you want to get to know your grandparents better, but I would prefer to leave tomorrow. They’ll be at the palace for our wedding, so you can spend more time with them then. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes.” Maybe she’d feel better once she returned to the safety of the palace.

“The way you were brought here, the feeling I’m getting, it adds up to something being wrong.”

“What happened to Victor?” She hadn’t seen him since they arrived earlier in the day.

“He went home.”

Her cousin could have at least bid her goodbye.

Dexter abruptly stood, the legs of his chair scraping against the wood floor. “Let’s play a game.” He pointed at the dart board on the back wall.

Reid eyed it. “I should warn you—I don’t like to lose.”

Chuckling, Dexter responded, “Neither do I.” He picked up ten darts, setting the five yellow ones on the table in front of her. “What do you say? Are you up for the challenge?”

“I’m not sure a game of darts is a challenge.” She shrugged. “But you’re on.”

He stood ten feet back from the target, his toes on the white line. Fingering his first red dart, he raised it, aimed, and threw. It landed in the center ring, slightly to the right.

“That’s too bad.” Reid stood and picked up her first dart, sauntering over. Standing just behind the line, she lifted her dart and threw. It hit the center ring, slightly to the left. She cursed.

“That’s too bad,” he mocked.

“There’s something wrong with these darts.” Her dart should have struck dead center.

“I know. Otherwise, I would have one in the middle.”

She stepped aside, allowing Dexter to take her place. He threw his dart. Again, it struck the center ring, a little too high this time. They went back and forth until they’d thrown all their darts. When they finished, they observed the board. All ten were in the middle circle, though not a single one was dead center.