“Aye, sir.”
Ainsley poked her head out. “Kade, please help us down.”
He turned back and helped her down, then took Tira in his arms and gently plopped her onto the road.
“Grandda?”
Angus waved him away. “I’m fine. Go help yer brother. He’s trying to keep Brown from killing yon lassie.”
Kade strode to the other side of the carriage and then pulled up short. The young rider stood a bit off to the side, the reins of a magnificent white stallion in one hand, her other hand up in a gesture of apology. Her golden hair flowed from under her tweed cap, then down her back in a wind-whipped tangle.
He glanced down at Tira, now standing by his side. “It looks like you’ll get to meet our mystery woman after all.”
CHAPTER3
Charlie couldn’t blame the coachman for tearing a strip from her backside. Only by the grace of God and Frost’s excellent temperament had they managed to avoid disaster. Having her horse take that leap over the hedge had been a colossal mistake, and Charlie wanted to bash herself over the head for it.
And now, on top of everything else,hewould have to be the one to witness her humiliation—in front of his family, no less.
Don’t be a ninny.
Charlie pulled her attention from the man standing with the little girl back to the Kendricks’ coachman, who was still delivering a blistering tirade. Once more, she tried to interrupt his rapid-fire flow of words.
“Truly, I ammostsorry,” she said. “This was all my fault, and I can only hope that no one inside the carriage was harmed.”
“We’re all fine. You needn’t worry about that,” said the kind man who’d come to her rescue.
He was Royal Kendrick, she assumed, because she knew very well who the other man was, even though the difference between the frail boy she’d known and the brawny man who now watched her with a faintly amused expression was nothing short of extraordinary. It was Kade’s cobalt blue eyes and his resemblance to Lord Arnprior that allowed her to recognize him.
Charlie had no expectation that he would know who she was and almost wished he wouldn’t. Of all the ways she’d dreamed of meeting Kade Kendrick again, this was surely not it.
“It’s a blessing and a miracle that no one’s come to harm, Mr. Kendrick,” the coachman said. “But I canna say the same for my poor horses. At least not yet.”
“I think they’re fine,” said Kade. “Billy is giving them a good check.”
Charlie dredged up a smile for the coachman, her jaw so tight she almost expected her cheeks to crack.
“You handled your team expertly, sir,” she said. “I was most impressed.”
“No thanks to you,” he snapped.
“You’ve made your point, Brown,” Royal said in a firm tone. Then he frowned at Charlie. “And how are you, miss? I hope you didn’t injure yourself in any way, or that fine animal of yours.”
Charlie glanced over her shoulder at her horse, who was standing placidly and hardly even flicking his tail. It took a great deal to disturb Frost’s composure, which was why she’d been able to bring him so quickly under control after her jump into the road. She’d been on a shortcut back to the house that she’d taken dozens of times without any mishaps. But she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she’d not even heard the sound of the carriage coming around the bend in the road.
“I’m perfectly well, sir,” she answered Royal. “And Frost would let me know if there was anything wrong with him.”
“He’s a foine-lookin’ beastie,” said the old fellow who’d strolled up to join Royal. “Good as gold, from the looks of it.”
Charlie remembered Angus MacDonald, grandfather and family patriarch. He’d been a regular pip to her, even though she’d been a rough-and-tumble little girl. Mr. MacDonald had actuallyseenher, something most adults had failed to do at that time in her life—unless they wanted to deliver scolds for her bad manners.
She smiled at him. “Yes, he’s an excellent fellow. It’s mostly due to him that I didn’t come to harm.”
By now, the groom was inspecting the two horses on this side of the carriage.
“Well, Billy?” asked Royal. “What’s the verdict?”
The groom straightened up with a relieved smile. “No damage that I can see, sir, and they’re not causing any fuss when I touch ’em. I’ll take a better look when we get to Laroch Manor.”
