Page 5 of An Accidental Elopement

“I cannot believe you were not able to make out ‘redwing,’” Cecilia stated in a way she hoped was casual when Flint walked her to her room that night. She had pleaded with her father for his permission, thinking that it would be good for them to spend a few minutes in private.

“I thought you mouthed ‘dead king’,” Flint answered and did not look at her.

When asked which bird he wanted to give his heart to, he had sent her a pleading look and Cecilia had readily tried to help him, mouthing the name of the bird she had chosen. But apparently, Flint was horrible at lipreading and had picked Lady Hester’s bird instead. Meaning that he had had to kneel in front of her at the end of the game. Cecilia was certain that everyone in the room had noticed how bright red Lady Hester had turned. She was not certain how to handle the knowledge that Lady Hester evidently was attracted to Flint.

“But why would you say ‘kingfisher’ then?” Cecilia went on and studied his profile. They had reached the landing and turned left down the same hallway as her parents. She was vaguely aware that her parents were at the end of the dimly lit hallway.

“I don’t know, I panicked, I suppose.”

“But don’t you know that Lady Hester is writing a treatise on kingfishers?” Cecilia went on, trying to ascertain the relationship between Flint and Lady Hester. When he had mentioned her previously, he had given the impression that they did not know each other well, even though his younger sister, Lady Addinggrove, was best friends with Lady Hester.

Flint merely shook his head, his eyes on the end of the corridor where her parents had just disappeared. The line of his jaw gave nothing away. Cecilia turned forward as well, thinking that she was probably making it all up.

“Cecilia, may I kiss you?” Flint surprised her by asking as he gently drew her to a halt.

Cecilia looked up into his deep brown eyes. He looked so serious, but it was very courteous of him to ask for her permission. Her gaze strayed to his lips. They were perfectly fine lips and she had kissed them before, but she felt no inclination to kiss them. Nor did she feel any disgust in doing so. But she knew that she would have to do much more than kiss when they married and thus gave her acceptance. She might as well practice now.

It was a sweet and chaste kiss like the others he had given her but only left her more confused than she had been before.

Three

“Lord Archibald, great that you could join us,” Francis Drummond shouted as Archie approached the group in front of the stables. Archie only waved, still, a bit annoyed himself for having his valet wake him at the ungodly hour of eight-thirty in the morning. Despite having been in the country for weeks, he had still not fully acclimated to country hours.

Francis Drummond was waiting along with his two sisters, Algernon Gaywood and Miss Gaywood. All of them had already mounted their horses. Lord Lambourn was standing by Miss Gaywood’s horse but did not seem to be joining them, although he wore a riding habit.

Both Drummond and Gaywood had said that they would go riding this morning and asked whether he would be their guide. He had hesitated, but when they had mentioned that their sisters would be joining them, he had agreed. At least he could ride next to Miss Gaywood and share a harmless flirt.

The gentlemen had perhaps hoped that Hester would join them as well, but Archie had just more or less run into her as she was entering the estate as he was exiting. He absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder, uncertain of why she would be in such haste when returning from watching birds. She always woke at five thirty or a similar time to go birdwatching if the weather permitted it.

A groom brought out his horse Jupiter, a large bay gelding, and the group took off, saying farewell to Lord Lambourn who headed back to the estate. Archie steered his mount to walk beside Miss Gaywood’s. He could see that it was one of the horses from his father’s stable. Minerva.

“Why isn’t the earl joining us?” he asked in what he hoped was a casual manner.

“He has already been out riding,” Miss Gaywood answered curtly. He was not certain whether it was him or the earl that she was upset with.

Archie glanced at her profile. She was wearing a crimson riding habit and a small black hat with a veil and feathers. She looked like a piece of confectionary and Archie’s mind immediately went to how she might taste. Which of course was a mistake, since the thought of his mouth between Miss Gaywood’s legs made his cock harden, and riding with an erection was definitely not pleasant.

He willed his mind away from her with his old trick of going through the list of monarchs: William the Conqueror, 1066 to 1087, William II 1087-1100, King Henry I, 1100-1135. He had reached King Henry III before it was finally comfortable for him to ride again.

“Does your sister often wear pantaloons, Lord Archibald?” Miss Gaywood asked beside him. Archie was almost startled at hearing her voice. He had been so focused on names and dates that he must have been quiet for several minutes.

“I have no idea. I don’t make it a habit of looking at my sister’s legs,” he answered truthfully. “Was she wearing pantaloons this morning?”

He tried to remember but had only briefly seen Hester when their paths crossed at the doorway. And then he had been more focused on the fact that she ran into him without apologizing.

“She was,” Miss Gaywood confirmed in a way that told him that she did not approve of it.

“I suspect it’s more convenient when she goes birdwatching, but I gather that you disapprove, Miss Gaywood?” he asked and tried to keep his tone light. He did not like her criticizing Hester, but he would also much rather flirt with Miss Gaywood than play the protective big brother right now. He would if he had to though. He had probably not been able to hide his protectiveness completely because Miss Gaywood quickly amended:

“I meant no disrespect of course. I merely meant that it is an unconventional choice of clothes for a woman.”

“So, there are no circumstances under which you would consider wearing a pair of pantaloons yourself, Miss Gaywood?” he asked in a light tone and raised his brows in question, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Absolutely not,” Miss Gaywood answered instantly. Her gray eyes found his for a moment and he saw the mirth in them.

“What if I forced you? At gunpoint?” Archie knew that he was grinning smugly as he said this.

“Well, by heavens,” Miss Gaywood’s lips quivered as she said this as if she wanted to smile, “if you forced me - at gunpoint - I might actually have to consider it.”