could think of to get the horse moving.
“Ye are lost, miss?”
She started at the voice.
Lovel walked towards her. His shirt had come open almost to the waist, revealing a thick mat of black hair on his brown chest. He carried a shotgun over his shoulder, and a bloody, dead rabbit swung from one hand. His dark eyes were unfathomable.
Vanessa shifted on the saddle. “Yes, I appear to be. I lost sight of his lordship and must have taken a wrong path.” She stared down at him, disliking being alone with the man in this isolated place.
He bent and retrieved her whip, handing it to her. His gaze roamed over her again in that unsettling rather imperious manner one would not expect to find in a humble groom. “They would have ridden over the meadow. His lordship don’t like to ride in the woods. Especially, after the lady’s death a while back.”
He shrugged as if it was a matter of indifference to him that some poor woman had ended her life somewhere amongst these trees.
It made Vanessa even more determined to ride away, but no amount of tapping and tugging made the slightest difference to Flora. “I’m afraid Flora doesn’t respect my authority,” she was forced to admit.
“Not good for a governess,” he said with a sly smile. “You have to teach a horse who is the master.”
“Could you assist me then, Lovel?” Vanessa tried to keep the impatience out of her voice.
Lovel had only to raise his hand, and Flora stopped chewing to watch him. He seized the bridle, backed the horse up, and turned her.
“Do as you’re told, Flora.” He slapped the mare on the rump.
Flora whinnied with indignation. She took off at a fast clip back the way they’d come.
Grinding her teeth, Vanessa held on grimly as Lovel’s laugh came from somewhere behind her. She doubted she could stop Flora now that horse had the bit between her teeth. They dashed along, bushes grabbing at Vanessa’s clothing and a low branch almost knocking off her hat. She dared not consider what the branch might have done to her head had she not had the presentiment to duck.
“Easy girl. Slow down.” Vanessa rasped out her infuriatingly weak command as her throat tightened with fear. She almost cried out with relief when she spied his lordship and Blythe waiting on the trail ahead, but it was short lived. It soon appeared that Flora was going to gallop right past them.
As they raced by, Lord Falconbridge angled his horse alongside and grabbed her reins. Flora gave in to his masculine command without a fight.
Vanessa sagged weakly in the saddle.
Lord Falconbridge grabbed her arm. “Are you all right? Not faint? It appears that you lost us, Miss Ashley.”
Struggling to gain her breath, Vanessa shook her head, gazing at Lord Falconbridge, imperious in his riding clothes, with his boots polished like mirrors. She felt so unattractive and inept she could have wept. “Or you lost me, my lord,” she bit back.
“Quite so,” he said mildly. “I didn’t like to ask too much of you this first time and left you to your own devices. Perhaps I shouldn’t have done so.”
“If you’d just told me which path to take, I would have followed happily behind you,” she said, knowing full well it was unlikely to have happened that way. Flora would still have ridden down the wrong path, and once the horse made up her mind, it was difficult to change it. Vanessa was positive Flora was half-mule.
Blythe rode to her side. “Are you all right, Miss Ashley?” she asked anxiously. “Your cheeks are red.”
“Just a bit hot from the ride, Blythe.” She glanced at Lord Falconbridge. She felt sure his lips twitched. “I hope I didn’t cut short your outing.”
“Oh, no. We had a grand gallop,” Blythe said. “Didn’t we, Father?” She gazed adoringly up at him.
“We did indeed, my dear.” Did he have the grace to look a little contrite before he guided his horse toward home?
“Thankfully, I met Lovel, returning from a spot of hunting, and
“Ye are lost, miss?”
She started at the voice.
Lovel walked towards her. His shirt had come open almost to the waist, revealing a thick mat of black hair on his brown chest. He carried a shotgun over his shoulder, and a bloody, dead rabbit swung from one hand. His dark eyes were unfathomable.
Vanessa shifted on the saddle. “Yes, I appear to be. I lost sight of his lordship and must have taken a wrong path.” She stared down at him, disliking being alone with the man in this isolated place.
He bent and retrieved her whip, handing it to her. His gaze roamed over her again in that unsettling rather imperious manner one would not expect to find in a humble groom. “They would have ridden over the meadow. His lordship don’t like to ride in the woods. Especially, after the lady’s death a while back.”
He shrugged as if it was a matter of indifference to him that some poor woman had ended her life somewhere amongst these trees.
It made Vanessa even more determined to ride away, but no amount of tapping and tugging made the slightest difference to Flora. “I’m afraid Flora doesn’t respect my authority,” she was forced to admit.
“Not good for a governess,” he said with a sly smile. “You have to teach a horse who is the master.”
“Could you assist me then, Lovel?” Vanessa tried to keep the impatience out of her voice.
Lovel had only to raise his hand, and Flora stopped chewing to watch him. He seized the bridle, backed the horse up, and turned her.
“Do as you’re told, Flora.” He slapped the mare on the rump.
Flora whinnied with indignation. She took off at a fast clip back the way they’d come.
Grinding her teeth, Vanessa held on grimly as Lovel’s laugh came from somewhere behind her. She doubted she could stop Flora now that horse had the bit between her teeth. They dashed along, bushes grabbing at Vanessa’s clothing and a low branch almost knocking off her hat. She dared not consider what the branch might have done to her head had she not had the presentiment to duck.
“Easy girl. Slow down.” Vanessa rasped out her infuriatingly weak command as her throat tightened with fear. She almost cried out with relief when she spied his lordship and Blythe waiting on the trail ahead, but it was short lived. It soon appeared that Flora was going to gallop right past them.
As they raced by, Lord Falconbridge angled his horse alongside and grabbed her reins. Flora gave in to his masculine command without a fight.
Vanessa sagged weakly in the saddle.
Lord Falconbridge grabbed her arm. “Are you all right? Not faint? It appears that you lost us, Miss Ashley.”
Struggling to gain her breath, Vanessa shook her head, gazing at Lord Falconbridge, imperious in his riding clothes, with his boots polished like mirrors. She felt so unattractive and inept she could have wept. “Or you lost me, my lord,” she bit back.
“Quite so,” he said mildly. “I didn’t like to ask too much of you this first time and left you to your own devices. Perhaps I shouldn’t have done so.”
“If you’d just told me which path to take, I would have followed happily behind you,” she said, knowing full well it was unlikely to have happened that way. Flora would still have ridden down the wrong path, and once the horse made up her mind, it was difficult to change it. Vanessa was positive Flora was half-mule.
Blythe rode to her side. “Are you all right, Miss Ashley?” she asked anxiously. “Your cheeks are red.”
“Just a bit hot from the ride, Blythe.” She glanced at Lord Falconbridge. She felt sure his lips twitched. “I hope I didn’t cut short your outing.”
“Oh, no. We had a grand gallop,” Blythe said. “Didn’t we, Father?” She gazed adoringly up at him.
“We did indeed, my dear.” Did he have the grace to look a little contrite before he guided his horse toward home?
“Thankfully, I met Lovel, returning from a spot of hunting, and
Similar Books
