“It won’t happen again,” she said, her smile like a bright flash of lightning in a stormy sky.

“Donna mistake me for one of the lovesick puppies that follow you about Norwood Park.”

Her brows dipped over a deeper smile. “I would never mistake you for one of them.” She bent her head and touched her lips to the back of his hand. The softness and warmth of her touch tingled in Arran’s skin, and he was painfully reminded of her mouth on his body just last night. His groin began to kindle.

Arran stepped away before that kindling turned to fire. He went to the table and sank into a chair, his gaze on the twilight sky. Bloody hell, he was being undone by her once again.

Margot helped herself to the port and very gracefully took her seat across from him. He remembered that once she’d told him a gentleman ought to seat a lady. The implication being, of course, that he was no gentleman, for he rarely did it. Perhaps he should have endeavored more to be what she wanted. Perhaps then she wouldn’t have thought of betraying him. But had she betrayed him? He couldn’t look at her sitting across from him, smiling happily at having her way, and believe that she had. Aye, but he’d never believed that she would leave him, either.

“There,” she said as she adjusted the placement of a rook.

“Are you happy now?” Arran drawled.

“Not entirely. I would be happier had I dined with you.” She sipped elegantly.

She was quite young yet, but she seemed so much older than before. More sure of herself. “You have indeed changed, Margot.”

“Have I?” Her eyes sparkled with pleasure in the candlelight. “For the better, I should hope.”

He wasn’t certain of that—but she was definitely more intriguing.

“You have the first move,” she said.

Arran lifted himself up and moved a pawn forward. Margot matched his move.

They carried on, the movements quick in the opening of the game. Arran couldn’t help but notice how Margot delighted in the challenge. She was quite good at it, even instructing him on how to attack her pawn with his. He could imagine her surrounded by admirers as she challenged one gentleman after the other to a game. Her eyes glittered every time she looked up at him, filled with pleasure and laughter, and Arran could further imagine how those men had been drawn to her. Had he somehow missed this playful side of her before? Would things have perhaps been easier between them if he’d discovered it? So many questions from that time lingered.

Margot was the first to take a pawn. “Aha!” she said, and tapped his ivory piece from the board. “You must pay closer attention, Arran, or I’ll have your queen.”

“Never doubt it,” he said.