Page 17 of Almost a Countess

Dora grinned. “Thank you, my lord.Enjoy your morning.” She touched her heel to Gretchen’s flank, andthe horse dutifully broke into a trot.

“I will, Miss Harper,” hecalled after her.

Heading down the driveway, unable tosee Lord Aberfoyle, but the back of her neck prickling, Dora triedto dismiss the idea that he was watching her ride away. Alfred wasat her heels so she couldn’t very well turn around and look. Butwhen they reached the road, she paused and shot a glance backtoward the house.

Unmoving, Lord Aberfoyle still stoodin the driveway, watching her.

Dora shivered. If she hesitatedfurther, he might take that as a sign of her interest or aninvitation of some sort. Urging Gretchen into a canter, she quicklypassed out of his sight and could relax once more. This visit was along-awaited treat.

****

Finn waited until Miss Harper and hergroom disappeared before turning to James. “Your assistance please,lad.” He stalked around the house, heading for thestable.

“Where are you going, mylord?” The groom trotted along behind him, uncertainty in hisvoice.

“I’m going tae saddle oneo’ Miss Harper’s wee beasts and have a trot about the estate.”Despite Miss Harper’s request that he not ride in her absence, Finnsaw no reason why he shouldn’t test his ankle with a little turnaround the park. They reached the stable, and he was assailed bythe comforting smells of horses, leather, hay, andmanure.

“But MissHarper—”

“Miss Harper is merelytrying tae devil me, lad. Tae assert her authority when it makesnae nevermind whether or no’ I ride alone.” Finn summoned all thedignity he could muster. “I wish tae have this horse saddled.” Hepointed to a grand, tall beast, coal black with an intelligent eye,and glared at the groom. “Or I’ll dae it myself, lad.”

Reluctantly, the footman did as he wastold, though he continued to stare at Finn, a grim look on hisface.

Miss Harper’s instructions dispensedwith, Finn mounted, gathered his reins. “What’s hisname?”

“Hannibal, mylord.”

The groom looked none too happy, butFinn was determined to try his ankle and taste a little freedom inthe process. He moved the big stallion down the driveway at a fastwalk. Miss Harper still didn’t trust him, so he could understandwhy she wanted to ride with him. And he’d certainly have preferredriding with her. The lady sat her horse to perfection. Of course,she’d have to be an excellent horsewoman to have maneuvered themhome yesterday with him unconscious. Riding well was a quality he’dalways admired in women.

Still, he could not waste a wholemorning in a stuffy library or picking flowers in the gardenwaiting for Miss Harper to return. When he presented himself andher horse this afternoon, safe and sound, perhaps she would beginto trust him a smidgeon more.

He urged his horse to a trot andwinced as his ankle sent a twinge of pain up his leg. But only atwinge now. Much better than before, thank goodness. The pain levelhad diminished by more than half since yesterday. With an injurypainful enough to cause him to pass out twice, he’d truly feared abreak. Now it seemed to be mending nicely.

After trotting for some minutes, Finnpushed Hannibal into a canter. A throbbing ache appeared brieflythen settled down to a dull nuisance. Encouraged, he turned off tothe left lawn, where Miss Harper had directed him, and gave thehorse his head. If he ran into the soldiers once on the road, heneeded to be able to ride swiftly. When the trees thinned and theplowed land opened out, he’d try his hand at a gallop.

The estate was lovely, and he took amoment to look at it before it was hidden by the trees. Set wellback from the front road, the manor house of orange-red brick hadobviously been built in an earlier age, for it held no hint of thePalladian style currently in fashion. Still, its symmetry made itvery pleasing to the eye. A curved driveway, flanked by tall treeson either side, gave the property an elegance he found restful.Somehow, it suited Miss Harper with her no-nonsense manner.Although he’d been more than a little miffed to find himself aprisoner this morning, he did understand the logic of such aprecaution on her part. It hadn’t stopped him from railing againsther, but she’d stood up to him, which had also pleased him. Hishostess was proving a delightful companion. More than any otherwoman of his acquaintance, that was certain.

If only he didn’t need to leave forLondon. Without this devilish arrest hanging over his head, hecould remain here and get to know her better. Much better, if hehad his way.

Of course, if he hadn’t been arrestedand escaped the soldiers, he’d likely never have met Miss Harper.Perhaps his luck hadn’t deserted him when he’d been taken byLieutenant Scarlet after all.

He sighed and struck out through afallow field across the road from the manor house. Perhaps on hisreturn from London—God willing, a free man—he could return here andvisit Miss Harper again. Renew their budding friendship. Despitehis troubles, Finn had found himself thinking more about the youngwoman who’d rescued him and less about planning his journey. It hadoccurred to him that she was a perfectly acceptable candidate to behis wife, a thought he’d never had before. Something about thecombination of kindness and a backbone of steel was wildlyappealing. He’d never considered the characteristics he wanted in awife, but now those two were at the top of the list. Along withwit, spirit, and beauty. And since Miss Harper possessed all thoseattributes in abundance, that made her his first choice of possiblewives. Of course, his list currently had a single name.

Finn’s musings had distracted him somuch he’d given Hannibal his head once more. The horse had carriedhim across the fallow field toward a burn Finn recognized as theone in which he’d hidden himself yesterday. That sent a nasty shockthrough him, and he reined the horse down to a walk and patted hisneck. “Did ye want a drink o’ water, my fine fellow? I dinna blameyou. ’Tis hot as Hades.” He urged the horse toward the embankment.“Here we go. Have yer drink, lad.”

The horse whinnied and jogged down theslight bank to stand in the cool water and lower his head todrink.

Finn would’ve liked to have done thesame, for the August sun seemed to be shining brighter than usualand directly on him alone. But if he got down, could he get backup? Perhaps he shouldn’t have dispensed with James after all.Hannibal, a thoroughbred, stood at least sixteen, and possiblycloser to seventeen, hands high. While he’d had no trouble leapingup onto Miss Harper’s horse, Gretchen was a much shorter animal.Could he perform the same feat on the bigger horse? Well, if worstcame to worst, he could lower the stirrup so he could remount. Notideal, but not an impossibility either.

When Hannibal had drunk his fill, Finnnudged him up the bank and into the shade of the trees. Finn jumpeddown then tied the reins to a prickly bush nearby. Taking one lastlook around, he moved cautiously back to the burn and half walked,half slid down the embankment to the swift-flowing stream. He knelton the thick ferns at the water’s edge and scooped up a handful,relishing the cool drink as it slid down his throat. His ankle hadceased throbbing, so the exercise had apparently helped rather thanhurt it. That boded well for him continuing his journey in the nextday or so.

The thought of his imminent departureboth pleased and tortured him. While he must go to London to escapethe vicious Lieutenant Scarlet, he wished just as strongly toremain here, with Miss Harper. An irrational desire, but hisdesire, nevertheless. Folly were he to act on it. He must make hisown safety and ultimately that of the earldom his priority. He mustfind his uncle—who would know exactly which officials tocontact—and ask him to sort this whole muddle out.

What kept whirling around Finn’s head,however, was the fact that with his escape, he’d made a fool ofLieutenant Scarlet. Should he fall into the man’s clutches again,he’d most likely be summarily executed. The wild look in Scarlet’seyes when he’d accused Finn of treason could only mean that thelieutenant would take justice into his own hands if he ever had thechance again. Never mind that it was illegal; Scarlet’s men wouldsay nothing when they turned his body in save that Finn had beencaught after escaping. Or worse, he’d be dumped in some unmarkedgrave and neither his uncle nor anyone else would ever know whathad become of him.

That thought sent a chill down Finn’sspine. Goose walking over his grave. He shivered and stood up. Heneeded to return to Bromley and plan his journey tomorrow. No needto wait for his fickle luck to turn tail again. The sooner he quitthis countryside, the sooner he’d be safe from Scarlet and hismen.

With quick steps, he climbed the bankand freed Hannibal’s reins. He tried to slip his foot into thestirrup, but it kept sliding out. Damn, he’d have to lower it. Whata time to have misjudged the matter. Retethering the horse, Finnkept listening for any sound out of the ordinary. He’d finallylowered the stirrup as low as it would go when a dull rumble,seeming to come from beneath the ground, brought his head up.Holding his breath, he tried to determine where the noise camefrom. He immediately recognized it as the thunder of hooves.Unmistakable when one had heard it all their lives. Curse thereturn of his bad luck.