Lord Runthorne's Dilemma: A Regency Romance by Sarah-Jane Steele

companion's hair. “This is Alice.”
    “ Ah, I am corrected,” he said. “I am honoured to meet you, Miss Alice.” He bowed a little, his smile softening. Alice’s thumb travelled to her mouth and she buried her face into Elizabeth’s chest. She tightened her arm around the little girl.
    “S he is shy with strangers,” Elizabeth said.
    “ A wise precaution,” he said. Now he frowned at Elizabeth and she twisted the reins in her fingers, jerking them a little. Stuffy, of course, did not react. “What I am more concerned about is why you ,” the finger he pointed at her was mesmerising, “are sitting,” his finger flicked downwards, “on that .”
    Elizabeth stiffened, she hated feeling in the wrong, and Lord Runthorne had the despicable knack of doing just that. “I am riding this horse because I choose to,” she said.
    “ Why?”
    She shook her head. “Because,” she said, “I must have some form of transport. We are too far from town for Alice to walk.”
    He sighed as though he doubted her intelligence. “I meant,” he said with the same deliberation she had used, “why are you riding that stuffy,” here a grin flashed across his face, “old cob, when I know for a fact that Captain Maybourne’s stable is full of fine horseflesh.” He frowned and Elizabeth felt surprisingly warmed by his concern. “Do they deny you the basics of your station?”
    Elizabeth stroked Alice’s hair, again, smoothing a strand that was tickling her chin. “You forget, my lord, my station is vastly different to what it was.” Then she shook her head.
    “ Please do not think that I am denied anything, in the normal way of things, but you must understand that the guests have prior claim on the best in the stable. I assure you, I do not wish to put Miss Lacey’s nose out of joint,” she could not resist adding.
    Lord Runthorne opened his mouth, as though he was going to argue with her, then he turned his head away.
    “ Quite so,” Elizabeth said.
    “ I dislike seeing you mounted so poorly,” he said.
    “ Stuffy is more than suitable for my current needs.” Elizabeth knew she spoke sharply, but his concern for her was reigniting emotions she had spent all night attempting to deny.
    S he wished he would go away.
    It seemed, however, that Lord Runthorne thought a change in conversation was sufficient. “So, you often give rides to local children?”
    “ No.”
    “ But you are today?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ I detect a mystery.”
    “ There is no such thing.”
    Alice began to whimper and even Stuffy twitch ed. She soothed them both, trying to hold on to her temper. “If it is any concern of yours,” and she truly hoped that her tone indicated that it was not, “Alice had wandered too far from home and was tired. I am merely taking her back.” She was glaring now, but did not care.
    “ It may surprise you, my lord, but children younger than Alice work very hard, and their families need the pennies they earn, so any moment’s delay in getting her home is taking food out of their mouths. As slow as he is, Stuffy still goes faster than Alice can walk. So, my lord, I trust that answers your important questions.” She paused for affect. “I hope you will delay us no longer, my lord?”
    “ I assure you, Elizabeth, you have been free to leave since I arrived.”
    Elizabeth tightened her reins and nudged Stuffy’s side. Stuffy ignored her. Elizabeth kicked him a little harder. Still, the stubborn cob would not move. Her cheeks began to burn.
    “ Allow me.” He leaned over and slapped Stuffy on the rump.
    Stuffy broke into an amble. With a horrible, superior smile on his face, Lord Runthorne allowed his stallion to match pace.
    ***
    “There is no need for you to accompany us.”
    Elizabeth was facing forward, refusing to return his gaze, so Runthorne contented himself with admiring her profile. Her features were more defined now, he thought, as though everything superfluous had been burnt away, leaving behind