introduction, Gerald continued, "Did you see how Will made Lady Pamela lace the ribbons through her fingers?"
She nodded.
"Well, it is done that way, you see, so one won't get them tangled up, and each horse may be controlled separately."
Gerald went on, and Mattie lent him half an ear while she strained to listen to the conversation taking place between her daughter and William. She half-feared that Lord Westbury had set his brother the task of distracting her so that he could sweep Pammy off her feet when her mother was not watching. But, for the moment at least, she heard nothing to confirm her suspicions.
William took back the reins, and immediately Gerald's attention shifted forwards.
"Is it my turn, Will?" he asked eagerly.
"In a moment."
William showed Pamela how to turn the carriage in a tight spot in the road. Then, he addressed the proper way to hold the whip.
He gave a flick to his leader's ear, and the phaeton bounded forward, just as William trapped the thong in his fist.
To Mattie, the quick movement seemed a miracle of precision, so she was surprised when Gerald said, "What's got into you, Will? I've never seen you make such a mess of it."
"Thank you, Gerald. If I had known that you meant to point out my faults to the ladies, I would have had second thoughts about bringing you along."
Lord Westbury's teasing note robbed the words of their sting, and Gerald laughed. But Mattie was confused.
"I must say," she confessed to Gerald in a low whisper, "that I failed to see that your brother did anything amiss."
Gerald hovered anxiously over William's head as he attempted the manoeuvre again. "It's not that he did anything wrong, but I've never seen Will startle his horses so."
Lord Westbury tried the flick of the ear again, but his horses jerked forward as if they had shied.
"Will!" Gerald's voice was plaintive. "You shouldn't be teaching Lady Pam to do it the wrong way."
"Then, perhaps you would like to show her yourself," William said over his shoulder. "I seem to be missing the knack today."
Gerald eagerly agreed, and as soon as William brought the team to a halt, leapt out of the seat to go to the horses' heads. William trusted Pamela to hold the reins while the exchange of drivers was quickly effected, then came around back and climbed in beside Mattie.
She found that William occupied considerably more of the bench than Gerald had. Whether his larger size was to blame, or something more mysterious, she could not tell, but she immediately felt his nearness in a burst of heat.
As Gerald drove, William met her gaze, and a deprecating smile lit his eyes before it touched his lips. "I am afraid that I have just been given my conge."
"No, not at all!" Mattie felt an absurd desire to defend him. "You taught Pammy beautifully, and I am certain she is most grateful."
William sighed. "You are too kind, Duchess. It is always wounding to one's pride to be outshone by one's younger brother."
"You could not be outshone." The words escaped her before she thought.
An irrepressible grin lit up his face, and Mattie was conscious once again of a heat stealing over her. Why, oh, why, she thought, did this man make her so uncomfortable?
"Thank you, Duchess. Or may I call you Mattie since we are neighbours, and everyone else seems to do so?"
His request took her off guard. She was not familiar with the way such matters were decided in society these days, but His Grace's household had always been a casual one. At least, where she was concerned.
Mattie knew her servants' familiarity must appear quite odd to a man who had been raised by Lady Westbury, so she hastened to explain. "You will think that I have a shocking lack of authority where my servants are concerned, and I must admit that I have. I was raised by His Grace after my parents died in a boating incident. You may have noticed that my servants tend to coddle me, but they all raised me, you see. They never have stopped thinking of me as a child."
"I
She nodded.
"Well, it is done that way, you see, so one won't get them tangled up, and each horse may be controlled separately."
Gerald went on, and Mattie lent him half an ear while she strained to listen to the conversation taking place between her daughter and William. She half-feared that Lord Westbury had set his brother the task of distracting her so that he could sweep Pammy off her feet when her mother was not watching. But, for the moment at least, she heard nothing to confirm her suspicions.
William took back the reins, and immediately Gerald's attention shifted forwards.
"Is it my turn, Will?" he asked eagerly.
"In a moment."
William showed Pamela how to turn the carriage in a tight spot in the road. Then, he addressed the proper way to hold the whip.
He gave a flick to his leader's ear, and the phaeton bounded forward, just as William trapped the thong in his fist.
To Mattie, the quick movement seemed a miracle of precision, so she was surprised when Gerald said, "What's got into you, Will? I've never seen you make such a mess of it."
"Thank you, Gerald. If I had known that you meant to point out my faults to the ladies, I would have had second thoughts about bringing you along."
Lord Westbury's teasing note robbed the words of their sting, and Gerald laughed. But Mattie was confused.
"I must say," she confessed to Gerald in a low whisper, "that I failed to see that your brother did anything amiss."
Gerald hovered anxiously over William's head as he attempted the manoeuvre again. "It's not that he did anything wrong, but I've never seen Will startle his horses so."
Lord Westbury tried the flick of the ear again, but his horses jerked forward as if they had shied.
"Will!" Gerald's voice was plaintive. "You shouldn't be teaching Lady Pam to do it the wrong way."
"Then, perhaps you would like to show her yourself," William said over his shoulder. "I seem to be missing the knack today."
Gerald eagerly agreed, and as soon as William brought the team to a halt, leapt out of the seat to go to the horses' heads. William trusted Pamela to hold the reins while the exchange of drivers was quickly effected, then came around back and climbed in beside Mattie.
She found that William occupied considerably more of the bench than Gerald had. Whether his larger size was to blame, or something more mysterious, she could not tell, but she immediately felt his nearness in a burst of heat.
As Gerald drove, William met her gaze, and a deprecating smile lit his eyes before it touched his lips. "I am afraid that I have just been given my conge."
"No, not at all!" Mattie felt an absurd desire to defend him. "You taught Pammy beautifully, and I am certain she is most grateful."
William sighed. "You are too kind, Duchess. It is always wounding to one's pride to be outshone by one's younger brother."
"You could not be outshone." The words escaped her before she thought.
An irrepressible grin lit up his face, and Mattie was conscious once again of a heat stealing over her. Why, oh, why, she thought, did this man make her so uncomfortable?
"Thank you, Duchess. Or may I call you Mattie since we are neighbours, and everyone else seems to do so?"
His request took her off guard. She was not familiar with the way such matters were decided in society these days, but His Grace's household had always been a casual one. At least, where she was concerned.
Mattie knew her servants' familiarity must appear quite odd to a man who had been raised by Lady Westbury, so she hastened to explain. "You will think that I have a shocking lack of authority where my servants are concerned, and I must admit that I have. I was raised by His Grace after my parents died in a boating incident. You may have noticed that my servants tend to coddle me, but they all raised me, you see. They never have stopped thinking of me as a child."
"I
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