Page 102 of Aurelia

An hour and a half later Aurelia strolled into the empty courtyard outside the stables, her heart thudding at what she had done. How long had the earl waited? Had he been angry? Where had he gone? And why did she feel so horribly disappointed that he wasn’t waiting for her?

“Ah, here you are.”

Aurelia’s head whipped around at the sound of the earl’s voice. He was striding out of the stables, Celsa’s new hound—Princess—bounding along beside him.

“I thought perhaps you had not received my message,” he said, his smile more of a smirk.

“No, I received it,” she assured him, not wanting to get Charles in trouble. “I just had a few things to do, first.” Like stare at my coffee cup and then take three times as long to change into my habit.

Just then both Silas and Jemmy came out of the stables, each leading a horse.

“Take this beast back to the kennel before she gets kicked, Jemmy,” the earl said as Princess frolicked dangerously close to Frost’s hooves.

“Aye, me lord.” The boy snapped his fingers and the pup darted toward him.

Roland swiftly moved to Aurelia’s side. “Allow me,” he murmured, his hands landing on her hips and then sliding slowly to her waist before he lifted her up into the saddle.

He smiled up at her, his hand tight around her booted ankle, as if daring her to say something.

Aurelia ignored him, looking straight ahead.

He laughed, released her, and then swung up onto Frost’s back.

“Where are we going?” Aurelia asked as she followed him out of the courtyard, Black Prince needing to trot to keep up with the far larger horse.

“It is a surprise, Aurelia.”

“I don’t like surprises, my lord.”

He smiled. “I think you will be surprised how much you like my surprise.”

Aurelia clamped her jaws shut, refusing to rise to his bait, and they rode down toward the bay in silence.

Lord Crewe reined in Frost some distance away from the pier.

Aurelia stopped Black Prince beside him and looked up at the earl. “Why are we stopping here?”

He gestured toward the rocky shore. “I thought a few hours over there might put you into a more biddable mood.”

Aurelia squinted at him and then looked to where he was pointing.

A laugh slipped out of her when she saw the notorious ducking stool. “You are very droll, my lord. But if either of us deserves to be disciplined for bad behavior surely it would be you.”

The earl threw his head back and laughed, the sound of his amusement causing a warm feeling in her belly.

“Where are you really taking me?” she asked when they resumed their journey.

“I thought you might like to see some flame scallops.”

“Flame scallops?” she repeated, irked when she didn’t manage to keep the excitement from her voice. “But I thought those were only in deep water?”

“Is that what you thought?” he said, his voice playful.

Aurelia gave an exasperated huff. “Is it not possible for you to answer a question directly?”

“Now where would be the fun in that?”

Aurelia pursed her lips, refusing to encourage his teasing behavior.