My cock is hard all the time for you.

She still couldn’t believe he’d said it, drunk or not. Was it true? Did he desire her in that fashion, or had it been the alcohol talking?

“The question for you, dear Alice,” Nellie continued, “is whether he is what you need. A scoundrel is not an easy undertaking, not unless you’ve broken him first.”

“Broken him?”

Nellie stood and took Alice’s hand, pulling her upright. “We should head toward the house,” Nellie said. “Maddie is inside somewhere and the sooner we find them, the sooner this ridiculous game ends.”

Alice straightened her skirts and the two of them set off across the lawn. “Should we take the path instead?”

Nellie shook her head. “Cutting across the grass is more expeditious and I am feeling lazy.”

More like Nellie was anxious for the afternoon’s activity to finish. “What did you mean by breaking him first?”

“A man like Kit never has to work for female companionship. Everything comes easily for him, especially women. He needs to crawl through fire to earn the love of a good woman. I suspect you might be that woman.”

“That is ludicrous—”

All of a sudden Alice’s foot dropped out from underneath her and she crumpled to the ground, using her hands to break her fall. Sharp pain shot up from her ankle through her leg. “Ow!”

“Oh, no. What’s happened?” Nellie knelt at Alice’s side, her brows lowered. “Did you trip?”

Alice screwed her eyes shut as the stabbing ache in her ankle grew worse, stealing her breath. All she could do was nod.

Nellie shifted Alice’s skirts to see her foot. “You’ve fallen in quite a large hole. I am going to get help, Alice. I’ll be right back.”

Alice didn’t want the other woman to leave but she couldn’t force the words past her throat. She was too focused on not crying or writhing in pain. Digging her fingers into the soft grass, she held on and tried to keep breathing.

Kit tapped the table with two fingertips, irritated beyond measure. Lockwood was charming the chaperones and his future mother-in-law, leaving Kit alone with his thoughts—which was never a good thing.

He couldn’t shake the memory of Alice engaging Lockwood in conversation a few moments ago, just as she’d done last night. Was she hoping to make a favorable impression on the duke? Was that why her mother’s comments had seemingly deflated Alice’s confidence?

Kit shouldn’t care. Once Harrison lured Maddie away from Lockwood, there would be nothing preventing Alice’s pursuit. And shouldn’t Kit encourage it? Then Lockwood could take Alice over to England, away from her mother, and start a new generation of ducal progeny. Hooray.