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She nodded, then turned her open face to his. ‘Do you think she is as happy with the arrangement as you are?’

‘What a Sybil you are. And how well-named.’

‘There’s nothing supernatural about female intuition, Mr Brabazon.’

‘Well, then you’re an unusually perceptive woman. To answer you, perhaps she feels I’ve been neglecting her recently. So no, she’s not entirely happy with the arrangement.’

‘Perhaps she might like to marry you?’

‘Perhaps she might.’

They continued to sit in companionable silence, but their minds were engaged in very different trains of thought, Sybella’s returning to the unholy bond of enemies who were once the best of friends. ‘Did neither you nor Lord Rockliffe ever marry?’

‘No. How could I with that betrayal, and that death? That shade has ever been upon me.’ His expression was once more stricken.

‘Perhaps it’s time to break this fatal brotherhood?’ Sybella said quietly, as she turned away to see a group of horse riders coming towards them at speed. Mr Brabazon had heard her words and was about to answer when Lord Lynwood and Cleome Stafford cantered up, closely followed by Lucie and Lord Ravenell. Their horses were stamping and prancing with excitement.

All, apart from Lady Cleome’s attractive palfrey, were mettlesome stallions and demanded a lot of skilful handling. Sybella looked at Lucie’s flushed face. Scipio was playing up. He was fresh and wanting to kick up his heels, tossing his head and side-stepping. She was slightly flustered, trying to shorten his reins to control him, and Sybella watched with some concern. She regretted bringing Scipio to Town with her as he hated being confined. Perhaps she should send him back with Gem to George, who would take him for gallops across the fields at home.

Lord Lynwood was the first to arrive at their side and hailed them with his customary grin. ‘Ant and Mrs Lovatt, what are you doing skulking in the shade? Planning some exciting new scheme of rotation cropping?’

‘You, Freddie, are getting a knack for turning up at the wrong time.’ His guardian was unamused.

‘If that’s the case, I learnt from a master.’ He looked across at Sybella, who felt her cheeks colour.

She said with an attempt at sternness, ‘If you’re referring to last night, Freddie, Mr Brabazon turned up at just the right time to save me from the worst ravages of the storm. And I trust that your own fanciful interpretation of events will not be bruited all round your clubs and gaming hells?’

‘You have my word, Mrs Lovatt.’ He bowed, his seriousness belied by the twinkle in his eyes. ‘Saved from the worst ravages of the storm, and other less elemental forces, no doubt.’

‘My lord! You’ve said enough.’ His guardian lifted his hand in remonstrance.

Mr Brabazon and Sybella both greeted Cleome Stafford, and Sybella thought her as cool and pretty as when she had last seen her at a ball. There was something to be said for riding an easy horse, chosen especially for a lady and demanding little effort to handle. Lucie, on the other hand, was having trouble trying to keep her mount from setting off for a wild gallop.

‘Don’t hold his reins so short, Lucie, you don’t want him to unseat you,’ Sybella called out just as Lord Ravenell rode over to try to calm Scipio with the presence of his magnificent great grey. At that very moment, Scipio reared up, whinnying loudly, and Lucie cried out in alarm. She was scrabbling to hold onto the horn of the saddle but quite unbalanced by a second twisting rear that bounced her to the hard ground. As Scipio took off in fright, a back hoof hit her on the head. The crack of the blow sent a chill through the party.

With a cry, Sybella leapt up and began to scramble out of the curricle. Lord Lynwood was the first to get to Lucie. He had sprung from his horse the moment Scipio first reared, and was reaching out to drag her clear just as Scipio’s hoof had struck. Sybella fell to her knees beside him as he cradled Lucie in his arms.

‘Val, get Scipio!’ Lord Lynwood yelled, and Lord Ravenell set off to a distant copse where Sybella’s black stallion was idling after his headlong dash.

Sybella was shocked to see her sister’s face so white, her eyes closed, her body limp and alarmingly unconscious from the blow. ‘Is her head bleeding?’ Sybella quickly untied Lucie’s bonnet and gently slipped her hand into the golden curls to feel for the dreaded ooze of blood. ‘She’s not bleeding, at least.’ She put her fingers to Lucie’s neck to find her pulse. Being quick and efficient stopped fear from overcoming her. ‘Freddie, undo the front of her pelisse, it’s too tight. I’ll straighten her legs. Talk to her. Don’t let her slip away.’

With an ashen face, Lord Lynwood started to gently smooth Lucie’s hair from her brow, speaking clearly. ‘Lucie, we’re here. You’re going to be right again. Just listen to me, Bella and Val and me. We are here. Just keep breathing.’

Mr Brabazon had dismounted and was holding his horses’ heads, quietly watching. Lady Cleome had sunk to the ground in shock and Lord Ravenell now held the reins of all four horses. Scipio had grown subdued, as if he knew.

Lucie lay with Lord Lynwood’s arm around her back, still pale and unconscious as Sybella chafed her hands to encourage the blood to better flow. Her pelisse was open and Sybella straightened the neckline of her afternoon dress, relieved that she was not wearing any corset and her breathing was unconstricted.

‘Lucie, Lucie!’ Lord Lynwood was gazing into her unresponsive face with a fearful expression. The perfection of her beauty without the animation of life made her seem inhuman. He looked up at Sybella, his dark eyes blacker than night. ‘She’s not going to die?’ he whispered.

‘No, she’s not.’ Sybella’s voice was emphatic, as much to reassure herself as others. ‘But don’t say such things here, we don’t know what she may be able to hear.’ He looked chastened and close to tears as he buried his face in her hair.

Sybella saw Lucie’s eyelids flutter. She and Lord Lynwood watched intently, hardly daring to breathe. Lucie opened her eyes and their unfocused blue settled on the handsome face bent over her. She tried to speak, but the sound would not come.

‘Oh, Lucie, Lucie, my darling Lucie. You’re back with us.’ Lord Lynwood’s involuntary cry made her smile weakly. As she tried to sit up, he shifted his position, removing his arm from her shoulders.

Her hand involuntarily felt for his. ‘Don’t leave me, Freddie!’ she said, her voice urgent and cracked. ‘Don’t… leave… me.’ She held his hand so tight, her knuckles were white with the effort. ‘What happened?’ She looked anxiously at her sister. ‘Where’s Scipio?’

Sybella took her other hand and said soothingly, ‘You were thrown from Scipio, but he’s fine. Val’s caught him.’