Page 21 of The Earl’s Inconvenient Nemesis

Alice laughed, “Well, thank you. It was very kind of you and I appreciate it.”

“I imagine you will want to sleep in tomorrow, but we could go in the afternoon.”

“That would be lovely.”

They stood in charged silence for a moment before Alice recalled herself. “I should return to the dancing now, I believe I have a partner waiting.”

As she walked away, she could feel Anthony’s eyes following her. And for the first time, she did not entirely mind.

Chapter Nine

Alice allowed herself the rare luxury of staying in bed until far later than usual the following morning. They had returned from the ball in the early hours, and she had very nearly fallen asleep in the carriage - only the knowledge that Anthony sat opposite her, potentially witnessing her snoring, had kept her awake.

The weather was chilly but dry and crisp, with a watery sun fighting its way through the clouds and Alice dressed eagerly in her riding habit looking forward to blowing away some of the lingering cobwebs of the previous evening by getting out for their ride.

She noticed Anthony gave her a wide berth as she mounted Rosalind. She could hardly blame him after her undignified dismount on their last ride.

They set off towards Hyde Park again.

“Do you like London?” Anthony asked as they trotted through the park gates.

“Honestly, not very much,” admitted Alice. “I feel rather like a fish out of water and I miss the space and clean air of the country. Being able to ride here definitely helps though, seeing the grass and the trees . . . You probably think I am terribly provincial…”

“Not at all. I also prefer the country,” said Anthony.

“Really?” asked Alice, forgetting to hide her surprise.

“Yes, I come to London when I must, but I am always glad to return home to my estate.”

“I would not have expected that of you.”

Anthony shrugged. “Perhaps you do not know me quite as well as you think you do.” He offered her a small smile. “I can show you a more secluded part of the park where you can gallop properly, if you wish.”

“That would be wonderful,” Alice said immediately.

They turned off the main thoroughfare onto narrower paths.The trees grew denser, and the sounds of the fashionable crowd on Rotten Row faded away.

“You can imagine you are in the countryside,” exclaimed Alice happily as she followed Anthony.

“Hyde Park covers nearly four hundred acres so there are plenty of surprisingly private parts if you know where to look,” Anthony said.

All of a sudden, Alice became acutely aware that they were quite alone. No grooms, no other riders. She was by herself with a well-known rake with only the trees for company. Should she be concerned? She glanced over at Anthony and saw he was watching her.

“Is something the matter?” he asked, concern written on his face.

“No, of course not,” she answered brightly. She was being ridiculous. Anthony may have his faults, but she could trust him, she realised. He would never do anything to hurt her. She was not quite sure why she now knew this, but found she was absolutely certain it was true. She was safe with him.

“Let us race!” she cried and set off at a gallop before Anthony had a chance to work out what was going on.

“Cheat!” she heard him cry out, laughter in his voice, as he urged his horse into pursuit. But as Alice not only had a head start but was also deciding where the race ended, he really did not stand a chance.

“Do you have time to go riding again tomorrow?” Alice found herself asking as they returned to her aunt’s house later, her cheeks pink from the cold air and exercise.

“Certainly,” replied Anthony, raising his eyebrows. “I believe your aunt mentioned she has morning calls to make, so shall we go after breakfasting?”

“That would be lovely. And you need not look so shocked,” Alice commented.

“Alice Fairfax is suggesting we spend more time together. You can understand if this is a little unexpected.”