“Then it’s settled,” answered his mother. “She can use Juno, can’t she, Guy?”
“Well…” If the thought of the whirlwind wandering alone on the quiet Kentish lanes gave him the jitters, the prospect of her cutting across them at speed on an Arabian gave him palpitations. “Juno is—”
“Can’t she,Guy?” His mother’s fingers dug into his forearm like talons, making it impossible for him to yank it away without an unseemly tussle.
“Surely you trust Longbottom to run your errands instead, aunt?” His question made the sparkle in Miss Travers’s fine eyes dim and her plump lips flatten with disdain but she said nothing. She didn’t really need to when her renewed dislike of him shimmered off her in waves. “It isn’t safe for a young lady to travel all those miles alone.”
“For pity’s sake, Guy.” Mama’s claws retracted so that she could fold her arms and glare at him. “Why must you always be so difficult? All we are asking for is the lend of a horse—not your firstborn son. Although at the rate you’re going, pigs will fly before you get around to providing me with one of those!”
“What does this”—he jabbed both pointed palms left—“have to do with that?” He jabbed them right. “Why does every single conversation with you currently get twisted to suit your agenda?”
Arms still folded, his mother stuck her nose in the air. “Because youwould try the patience of a saint, Guy, that’s why. I am honestly at the end of my tether with you. Your dear father would be turning in his grave to see the horrid man you have become!”
His jaw hung slack because honestly, it beggared belief how quickly this conversation had spiraled into him being the villain of the piece when he had had nothing to do with Aunt Almeria’s blasted errands in the first place. “I am apparently the only person here who cares for Miss Travers’s safety and that makes me horrid? If she were your daughter, would you allow her to ride unchaperoned to Maidstone, Mama?”
Aunt Almeria sighed. “I understand his reticence, Constance, even if it is overly cautious. Entrusting a complete stranger with a precious mount, irrespective of its breed, is not something a diligent stable owner like Guy should take lightly. His concern for my companion’s safety is also noble.” For a moment, he actually thought his aunt was about to see sense and take his side—until she ruined it. “Why don’t we give Guy a demonstration of Travers’s superior abilities as a horsewoman right this minute, and then that will put his mind at rest.”
Backed into a corner and sick and tired of his mother’s lack of grandchildren being used as a stick to beat him with, Guy had done the sensible thing over the main course and partially relented before he beat a hasty retreat out of the dining room. He agreed the harpy could borrow a horse on two conditions. The first was that she could have a gentle mare and not a fast Arabian. The second was that wherever she went on it, she had to be back by six at the latest for the sake of her own security. It wasn’t an ideal compromise but at least he didn’t have to worry about her breaking her irritating neck on Juno, and he went to bed satisfied at his small victory.
This morning, now that he was watching Bill flirt shamelessly with the minx as she was introduced to the mare, he had some serious misgivings. For a start, he should have stipulated that she could only borrow the horse when she had errands to run for her mistress that could not be done by anyone else. He hadn’t thought that far ahead in his hurry to escape allhis mother’s nagging histrionics last night, so he hadn’t expected Miss Travers to take advantage of his offer first thing this morning when she had no errands to run whatsoever. Simply to ride. Just for the fun of it but cunningly dressed up as getting to know Blodwyn, the sturdy Welsh cob he had assigned to her.
What Blodwyn lacked in speed she made up for in intelligence and a sure foot. In other words, she was the sort of horse that his aunt’s reckless companion was the least likely to get herself killed riding. Although now that Guy watched Bill insist on helping her onto the pony and enjoying the sight of her swinging one long leg over Blodwyn’s thick body far more than was polite through the tack room window, he realized that he should have also insisted upon a fourth stipulation. A sidesaddle. Because nobody could ride like one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse perched on one of those complicated and unbalanced contraptions.
Now that he knew the menace was going out astride, he wondered if it might be prudent not to visit his orchards at the farthest end of his estate and to follow her instead. For no other reason than to put his mind at rest that she wasn’t in any danger.
Before he talked himself out of it, he quickly saddled Zeus and led him out of the stable just as Miss Travers trotted out of the yard. Besotted Bill was too engrossed in ogling her bouncing derriere to notice him at first and when he did, Guy gave him a stern look. “Why did you let Miss Travers use a man’s saddle?”
“It seemed rude not to after she’d selected it herself and hauled it to Blodwyn’s stall before I got there.” The charmer grinned and wiggled his brows. “Those long legs of hers seemed to have no trouble sitting on it, so I reckon she’s done it before.” Then Bill winked and all of a sudden, they weren’t just talking about saddles anymore. “She’s a feisty one, that one, and a mighty fine filly to boot. Wouldn’t mind going for a ride with her myself.”
The flash of jealousy at the innuendo caught Guy off guard. “Do your courting on your own time and not mine. Be in no doubt, my aunt’s companion is off-limits if you’ve set your wandering eyes on courting her!”
“Is she, now?” Rather than reel at Guy’s cutting tone or jump to it because he had uncharacteristically pulled rank, the scoundrel flashed him a knowing smile instead.“Interesting.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Only that I’ve known you close to three decades and not once in all that time have you ever had a problem with where my wandering eyes have wandered, that’s all.”
“My point is merely that my aunt is very fond of her, though goodness knows why.”
“Point taken.” Bill chuckled as he turned to go about his business, then took his time leaving to gaze across the field at Miss Travers, who had now kicked Blodwyn into a canter. “And goodness knows why indeed. For what hot-blooded male wouldn’t be interested in that fine filly?”
The wretch was still chuckling as he disappeared inside.
That outrageous misapprehension alone convinced Guy not to follow her. The last thing he needed was having anyone thinking his noble concern for the Valkyrie’s safety—and by default poor Blodwyn’s—meant more than it did. Especially as his only interest lay in getting the pair of them back in one piece.
He certainly wasn’t interested in the termagant inthatway.
He wasn’t an idiot after all.
Or stark-staring mad.
He pitied the fool who took on that handful.
Reassured that Bill had the entirely wrong end of the stick, Guy turned Zeus toward the orchards. Trotted that way until the stables were well out of sight, then found himself veering after her regardless.
ChapterTEN
“Would you look at all this, Blodwyn.” Who knew that once they crested the small hill, Lottie and her stout pony would be confronted by a shimmering expanse of water on the other side of it?
