Page 27 of The Lyon’s Paw

“Impressive, my lord.” She swept her head from side to side, taking in the stark, bare trees, their colorful leaves of gold and orange scattered along the road. “And very beautiful. I’ve always loved the autumn colors.”

“Then we will strike off here so you may see more of them.” Geoffrey nodded to a faint path off to the right that led up an embankment and onto a wide expanse of brownish-green meadow. They pulled to a stop and Geoffrey swelled with pride at the sight. He would be certain to safeguard his lands going forward. “Are you ready for a gallop?”

His wife gave him a wide grin and nodded. “More than ready.”

Geoffrey touched his heel to Lucifer’s flank and the stallion shot away, flying easily over the ground, exhilarating as always. He glanced to his right to find Diana and Mirabelle were keeping pace with them stride for stride. His wife sat a horse like a dream, looking as though she and her mount were as one. Quite a feat when you considered she’d never ridden the horse before. A flicker of pride flared in his breast.

They slowed as they neared a stand of oaks and came to a complete halt just beneath the trees. His wife was laughing, her cheeks rosy-red, wisps of her long blond hair straggling from beneath her tall black hat. “My, but that was so much fun. I have missed riding this last year.” She leaned forward and patted Mirabelle’s neck. “I believe I must take you up on that offer to ride every day we are here, Geoffrey.”

“That is splendid, my dear. A morning ride will start our days off excellently.” Very well, perhaps this was the moment to broach the change in plans with her. Now, while she was happy. “We will watch the seasons change over the estate from horseback.” He smiled, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace. “From autumn to winter to…spring.”

His wife continued to smile and pat the horse’s neck. “I am certain it will be beautiful in all seasons.”

Geoffrey stared at her, puzzled. Did she not understand what he was telling her? “What I’m suggesting, my dear, is that we…postpone our journey as we had talked about, and stay here at Longford Manor until sometime later next year.”

To his amazement, she smiled broadly. “I suspected you were going to suggest that, Geoffrey. Joanna said something to me that made me think you might insist on us staying.” She cast her gaze down demurely. “I don’t mind remaining here at all.”

Mouth dropping open, Geoffrey finally understood the phrase “could have knocked me over with a feather.” A puff of wind right now would send him sailing off Lucifer. Never had he been so surprised in his life. And never had he wished to kiss his wife so much as now. He’d so feared her uncontrolled outburst that finding it not forthcoming actually made him giddy. “My dear…Diana, I…”

“Cat got your tongue, my lord?” Her absolute glee was astonishing to behold. “Or perhaps the toad got it this time?”

He laughed long and loudly, startling a flock of birds in the nearby trees. “Perhaps it did, although I will be sad not to be able to express my heartfelt gratitude for your understanding of the matter.”

“Gratitude?” Diana cocked her head, her brows dipped in a frown.

“For agreeing so graciously that we can remain in England so I may chaperone Joanna when she makes her come out in the…in the spring.” Geoffrey stuttered to a stop, suddenly aware that his unpredictable wife had changed courses on a sixpence.

“But I thought you wanted to postpone the sailing because you…you…” She sputtered to a stop. “You m…mean to tell me you want to postpone it because of your sister’s social Season?” The incredulous look on face her—as though she couldn’t believe what he was saying—was followed by the dip of her brows into a deep frown. Then quite unexpectedly, she blinked back tears.

What the devil happened? As though cut adrift in the ocean, Geoffrey foundered, unable to understand what had gone wrong. “There is more to it than that, Diana.”

“You no longer have permission to use my first name, my lord,” she snapped at him.

“I beg your pardon, Lady Longford. I am heartily sorry if this discommodes you and your plans, but I am afraid there is no remedy for it.” How had this gone so badly so quickly? What reason for the delay had she been expecting if not his sister’s Season? “We will not be leaving for Pennsylvania until after the Season is through and hopefully my sister is married.” And safe, he added silently in his head. “That much alteration to the plan won’t cause any harm to you.”

“Oh yes it will.” The loud voices made the horses skittish, and she turned Mirabelle in a tight circle. “It means I will have to endure being married to you six months longer than we originally planned. And all because of your precious social Season.” Tears streamed down her cheeks and she wiped at them with her hand.

Something was going on here that he had no idea about. “Diana, talk to me. Other than a slight change in plan, what is the matter?” Geoffrey reached over and grasped her gloved hands. “Why are you so upset?”

With a stricken look at him, she jerked her hands away and set her heel sharply in Mirabelle’s flank. The startled horse sprang forward into a gallop before Geoffrey could make a grab for the reins.

“Damnation. Diana! Geoffrey squeezed Lucifer with his knees and the stallion bounded away after the other horse. His shout made no difference if she even heard him. The problem was she had no idea where she was or where she was going. If given her head, Mirabelle would return to the stables. However, his wife was headstrong enough to try to steer the horse where she thought she should be going. If Geoffrey couldn’t keep up with her, she might become lost in the vast acreage of the estate.

Fortunately, the field they were in was cleared of trees and mostly flat. If he gave Lucifer his head, perhaps they would close the distance between him and his wife. Just as Geoffrey estimated he was gaining on Diana, she changed course, now heading north toward another field enclosed by hedgerows. Damn, she was going to jump the hedge. Geoffrey turned Lucifer toward this new tact and leaned forward to encourage the horse to greater speed.

The hedgerow loomed before his wife, who still maintained her perfect seat. Perhaps the jump would slow her enough to help him catch up to her. He tightened the reins in preparation for his own jump when ahead of him Mirabelle took the hedge like a bird.

The next thing Geoffrey knew, the bay horse was streaking across the far field—now riderless.

Heart in his throat, Geoffrey steered Lucifer away from the spot where Mirabelle had taken the jump, flew over the barrier, then turned the horse and circled around back to the place in the hedge where his wife lay small and still on the hard ground.

Chapter Twelve

“Diana! Diana!”

The sound of her name was muffled, as if being called from a long distance. A man’s voice—Geoffrey’s voice. Slowly Diana opened her eyes to the distraught face of her husband inches from her own. That startled her so badly she gasped, coughed and the world came back into focus.

“Thank God!” Geoffrey sat back on his haunches, passing a trembling hand over his face.