considerable charm while teaching Pammy how to drive. Mattie stood ready to call a halt to the outing at the first hint of flirtatious behaviour.
As William patiently placed each of Pamela's fingers where it needed to be, Mattie could not truly fault his manner. There was nothing lover-like in his approach. He spoke to Pammy kindly, much the way His Grace had when teaching Mattie how to play whist when she had been of a similar age.
Despite this similarity— or perhaps, because of it, Mattie could not be certain— she felt her worry increasing. A subtle difference underlay the two episodes, but a difference Lord Westbury could not help. He could not be blamed for being so handsome, for having a voice both gentle and low, or for possessing hands that were at once, both strong and elegant.
Mattie focused on his hands as he shifted them farther down the reins to support Pamela's grip. Surely, the sight of such hands alone would attract any girl's notice. If not, then the tone of his hypnotic murmur would lure her. And if all else failed, which Mattie could not conceive of, then a look into Lord Westbury's keenly etched face would do the trick.
Mattie saw the way the horses tossed their heads, and William's correspondingly firm grasp upon the reins. His hands seemed bigger and his shoulders even broader as he controlled them.
Pamela was shy of him, but so eager to drive the carriage that she seemed hardly to notice his charm. William cautioned her once more as he adjusted one more loop between her fingers. He did not relinquish control entirely even when Pamela was ready, but placed his hands lightly over hers in case she should have need of him.
He gave the word, and Gerald jumped back onto the seat beside Mattie, stretching to see in front. Unused to a light open carriage, Mattie gripped the seat, expecting a lunge at the very least. But Pamela managed to ease the horses out fairly smoothly.
"Well done!" Gerald called. He was sitting so far forward that Mattie thought he might spill onto the two in front. "Have her tighten up on that leader, Will."
William made the adjustment without responding. After they walked the length of the drive, he encouraged Pamela to take the team out onto the road and trot them.
Her movement must have been too abrupt, for one of the leaders bolted. Mattie felt a sharp jerk backwards, but she recovered in time to see Pamela bringing the team back under control.
Instead of making a grab for the reins, William had calmly instructed Pamela how to do it herself.
"You shouldn't have had her trot them so soon, Will," Gerald grumbled. "You should have demonstrated longer than you did."
Mattie had to agree, but she could see that Pamela was thrilled to have stopped the horses on her own. Nothing daunted, she was eager to let them out again.
"Let me show her first, Will." Gerald bounced on the back seat.
"Gerald," William called patiently over his shoulder. "If you do not stop driving from the rear bench, I shall have to put you out."
Pamela giggled, and Gerald turned a mottled colour.
"Just trying to help," he muttered, falling back against the seat.
"You are helping, and you shall help again," William replied, "but you might try entertaining the duchess while awaiting your turn."
Gerald started guiltily, and Mattie hid a smile. He was an engaging boy, and she did not want to be a burden to him. Gerald had neither his brother's looks nor his Town polish, but his boyish enthusiasm pleased her.
To put him at his ease, she said, "I would be very grateful if you would explain some of the terms you and Lord Westbury are using. I am very ignorant, you see, when it comes to driving."
He brightened at a task he could so easily fulfill. "Certainly, Your Grace. Well, the two horses in front are called the leaders, naturally, and the two in back are known as wheelers. Each nag is guided by a set of ribbons— which is what we call the reins."
Seeing that Mattie had followed his very basic
As William patiently placed each of Pamela's fingers where it needed to be, Mattie could not truly fault his manner. There was nothing lover-like in his approach. He spoke to Pammy kindly, much the way His Grace had when teaching Mattie how to play whist when she had been of a similar age.
Despite this similarity— or perhaps, because of it, Mattie could not be certain— she felt her worry increasing. A subtle difference underlay the two episodes, but a difference Lord Westbury could not help. He could not be blamed for being so handsome, for having a voice both gentle and low, or for possessing hands that were at once, both strong and elegant.
Mattie focused on his hands as he shifted them farther down the reins to support Pamela's grip. Surely, the sight of such hands alone would attract any girl's notice. If not, then the tone of his hypnotic murmur would lure her. And if all else failed, which Mattie could not conceive of, then a look into Lord Westbury's keenly etched face would do the trick.
Mattie saw the way the horses tossed their heads, and William's correspondingly firm grasp upon the reins. His hands seemed bigger and his shoulders even broader as he controlled them.
Pamela was shy of him, but so eager to drive the carriage that she seemed hardly to notice his charm. William cautioned her once more as he adjusted one more loop between her fingers. He did not relinquish control entirely even when Pamela was ready, but placed his hands lightly over hers in case she should have need of him.
He gave the word, and Gerald jumped back onto the seat beside Mattie, stretching to see in front. Unused to a light open carriage, Mattie gripped the seat, expecting a lunge at the very least. But Pamela managed to ease the horses out fairly smoothly.
"Well done!" Gerald called. He was sitting so far forward that Mattie thought he might spill onto the two in front. "Have her tighten up on that leader, Will."
William made the adjustment without responding. After they walked the length of the drive, he encouraged Pamela to take the team out onto the road and trot them.
Her movement must have been too abrupt, for one of the leaders bolted. Mattie felt a sharp jerk backwards, but she recovered in time to see Pamela bringing the team back under control.
Instead of making a grab for the reins, William had calmly instructed Pamela how to do it herself.
"You shouldn't have had her trot them so soon, Will," Gerald grumbled. "You should have demonstrated longer than you did."
Mattie had to agree, but she could see that Pamela was thrilled to have stopped the horses on her own. Nothing daunted, she was eager to let them out again.
"Let me show her first, Will." Gerald bounced on the back seat.
"Gerald," William called patiently over his shoulder. "If you do not stop driving from the rear bench, I shall have to put you out."
Pamela giggled, and Gerald turned a mottled colour.
"Just trying to help," he muttered, falling back against the seat.
"You are helping, and you shall help again," William replied, "but you might try entertaining the duchess while awaiting your turn."
Gerald started guiltily, and Mattie hid a smile. He was an engaging boy, and she did not want to be a burden to him. Gerald had neither his brother's looks nor his Town polish, but his boyish enthusiasm pleased her.
To put him at his ease, she said, "I would be very grateful if you would explain some of the terms you and Lord Westbury are using. I am very ignorant, you see, when it comes to driving."
He brightened at a task he could so easily fulfill. "Certainly, Your Grace. Well, the two horses in front are called the leaders, naturally, and the two in back are known as wheelers. Each nag is guided by a set of ribbons— which is what we call the reins."
Seeing that Mattie had followed his very basic
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