I did not know if he realized I was holding back, but he had to know he was in dire straits. I’d outshot him last year, and the year before, though it still hadn’t been enough to prove myself. Nothing was enough. I chewed the inside of my cheek. At least I could defeat the baron. That was more than I could say for a different, equally provoking gentleman. I surreptitiously glanced around as Lord Beauford prepared to shoot again. The crowd was thick, but I wasn’t searching for a bystander. I was searching for calculating brown eyes and a maddening smirk. I was searching for my real competition.
