Speaking of Maddie, her beau had just arrived, which doubled the number of men interested in her at this house party. Would their hostess now be too distracted to keep a tab on what Kit was doing with the guests?

He did love a good gamble.

“All right, Alice. We’ll start tonight.”

“Really?”

She kept her gaze on the ground as they walked, but the twin spots of color were back on her cheeks. He loved those sweet blushes of hers. “Indeed. Only four nights remain, so we must maximize our lesson time. Though daytime works, as well.” He’d need to capitalize on every opportunity if he planned to get a decent number of recipes.

They approached the edge of the gardens, where a large topiary loomed. One of the Roosevelt girls had coaxed Kit behind it two summers ago and . . . well, they hadn’t been discovered for hours.

Hadn’t been discovered . . . Hmm.

“Let’s go this way.” He clasped her elbow gently. “I want to start our lessons.”

“Now?”

“No time like the present. Follow me, Alice.”

They made it about four steps before she dug in her heels. Balancing the ridiculous eggs hampered his ability to maneuver, so he stopped, as well. “Are you changing your mind already?”

“I haven’t even cabled Chef Franconi yet. There’s a chance you’ll receive nothing in return.”

Her eyes were more green than brown in the sunlight, and he was transfixed. She was lovely, with a delicate nose and flawless skin, full lips that were slightly torn, as if she’d recently been biting them. Was this from worrying about her future? He didn’t like the idea of this clever girl hurting herself out of anxiety.

That was when he decided the recipes could wait.

“This lesson is free. Come along.” He tugged her elbow, leaving her no choice.

When they rounded the shrub, he set the hat full of eggs on the ground. The diamond-shaped topiary would conceal them, in the unlikely event that another guest wandered by. Alice twisted her fingers into her skirts and looked around, as if they’d be caught at any moment. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Trust me, no one can see us back here.”

“How do you know?” He merely arched a brow at her, his lips curved in a half smile. Understanding dawned on her face. “You have past experience with this location.”

“That’s not important. For this to work, you must trust me. I’ll not tell anyone of what we’re doing and I won’t let us be caught.”

She studied his expression, then nodded. “I believe you.”

“Good. Now, we haven’t much time.” He held up his arm. “Our first lesson? Holding my hand.”

“What? No.” Alice took a step backward. “Why do I need to touch you?”