It lifted a notch.
“I . . . That . . .”
Dare grimaced. He almost for sorry for the man. He had turned into a tongue-tied boy right before their eyes. Surprising.He’d thought Heart would shut his sister down, not flounder to this extent.
“Well?” Leonora demanded.
“What? Can’t a man be curious?” Heart finally tossed back. A glare jabbed his way. “Why are you turning it on me when she called on Dare?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea, Heart. Her call was merely a matter of family business, that’s all,” Dare said. It was the truth, after all.
“What family business could she possibly have with you?” Heart growled.
The scrunch of Lady Leonora’s brow deepened. “Heart! That’s unforgivably rude.”
Calstone picked at his jacket.
Heart had the grace to look sheepish. “He is the unforgivably rude one. Not taking anything I say to heart.”
“And why should I?” Dare responded.I’m not your lapdog.
“Why don’t you keep your mouth shut?” the man snapped back.
“Heart! Why shouldheshut his mouth when you’re the one spouting nonsense? He has the right to speak just like you have the right to growl.”
“Now, gentlemen,” Calstone interjected. His gaze flicked to Lady Leonora. “And lady. Let’s not get our feathers into a twist. We are all in the same boat. Quite literally.”
“Some of us don’t belong here,” Heart muttered.
Dare arched a brow. “Agreed.”
“I meant you.”
“And I meant you.” Dare glanced at Calstone. “And him.”
“I’m in agreement with Lord Dare.” Leonora folded her arms across her chest. “You are the interlopers. My apologies, Duke.”
“Oddly, I take no offense at being called an interloper.”
That’s because you are a deliberate interloper, you dandy.
“The only interloper I see is the one sitting across from me,” Heart harped.
“You keep harping and harping on the same thing, Heart.” A certain bird came to mind. “Are you Plummington’s parrot?” The moment the words left Dare’s mouth, he knew it was a mistake. A mistake he couldn’t take back.
The man leaped to his feet, fury rolling off him like waves.
“Heart!” Leonora cried out as the boat rocked.
Dare cursed as he reached to grip the edges of the boat before changing his mind and reaching for Lady Leonora, pulling her over to his side. She had been seated opposite him, caged in between Calstone and her brother. Dare didn’t know what Heart might do next, but the boat did not have an even distribution of weight as it was. Rocking the boat might land them all in the damn water, and he couldn’t let that happen.
Well, he would try his best not to let that happen.
However, Calstone, for all his poise, had lurched to the side when Heart leaped up, tilting the boat even more. It was the final straw for Heart losing his footing, and he tumbled into the lake. A great splash sent water spraying in all directions. Dare shielded Leonora from any stray droplets and kept her anchored as the boat rocked back and forth at the disturbance.
Good.You deserve it.
Lady Leonora’s hand clasped his leg, craning her neck to stare at the water. “He won’t drown, will he?”
