Page 34 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

“Not at all.” I did my best to hide my own smirk.

“Shall we play again?” Mr. Merritt asked the group.

Everyone seemed agreeable, so Miss Allen drew names again. This time I was first. And once again, my ball went through the hoop on the first hit.

“What is happening here?”

“How, Miss Robbins?”

“Is it your mallet?”

“Something’s not right here. No one is that lucky.”

The latter comment was made by Miss Rose Rutledge.

“Tell us your secret, Miss Robbins.” Thomas Merritt stepped toward me and leaned on his mallet. “How do you do it?”

“The secret,” I said, “is that I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Everyone was talking at once, giving their opinions, some loudly and some whispered to their neighbor.

“Well played.”

I turned to see Lord Brookhaven standing near my right shoulder. He was smiling in a congratulatory way.

“Did you know about this?” Miss Rose Rutledge demanded, staring at Lord Brookhaven.

“Know about what?” he asked, his expression bland.

Lady Rutledge scowled.

“That she was born playing pall mall and couldn’t miss?” Lord Markeley said.

“That she would show us all up?” Mr. Merritt added.

Lord Brookhaven took his time answering. “No, I did not know of Miss Robbins’s experience with playing pall mall. If I had, it wouldn’t have mattered—not to me, at least. It appears she has earned her expertise at playing the game from extensive practice.”

Both Rutledge ladies continued to look disgruntled, perhaps more so because of his coming to my defense.

“It is not as though anyone has placed any wagers on the game,” Lord Brookhaven continued.

“Speak for yourself,” Lord Markeley muttered, exchanging a look with Mr. Merritt.

After some more grumbling, I said, “If I may? To make the game harder, my friends and I added small iron stakes to the alley. We had to hit each stake once on our way to the hoop. For example, if we put a zigzag of three stakes on the alley, we would have to hit the ball so that it touched each stake once, and then get it through the hoop. And if you like, everyone else could just get their ball through the hoop without having to touch the stakes.”

“That seems fair,” Rose Rutledge said.

“I will do what Miss Robbins does,” Mr. Merritt said. “I will hit the stakes and take my ball through the hoop.”

“I will as well,” Lord Markeley said, then murmured, “though I know it is folly to play pall mall with Miss Robbins.”

Lord Brookhaven sent a servant to fetch three iron stakes, then said, “Everyone may do as they wish. When it is your turn, you must announce whether you plan to hit the stakes or whether you simply wish to hit your ball through the hoop.”

It was a livelier game after that. Lord Brookhaven looked as if he was enjoying it.

Out of the next three games, I won two quite easily and tied the third with Mr. Merritt. I was able to observe Lord Brookhaven’s good-natured way of playing, as well as Miss Rutledge’s petulance.

Mr. Merritt and Lord Markeley were quite competitive and enjoyed wagering over the outcome of each game, and Millicent seemed in awe of the liveliness of the gentlemen. And I enjoyed myself immensely.