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“No, no, thank you, Henrietta.”
“For what, Clayton?”
“For the treasured joy of your company. May I call on you tomorrow morning?”
When she blushed and hesitated, Harry jumped in. “You won’t find her at home, as she has already consented to take a drive with me tomorrow morning.”
Clayton inclined his head. “The next morning then.”
She said nothing but nodded and gave him a tentative smile. He started off but turned to say, “Are you coming Harry?”
“No, not just yet. I recalled that I must speak with Mrs. Harkins up at the house.”
He then moved to ride alongside Henrietta, and they made their way to the stables. There, he jumped down before turning to take her waist as she slipped out of her sidesaddle. Slowly, he lowered her to the ground, reveling in the pink of her cheeks. “I look forward to our drive tomorrow.”
She lowered her gaze. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. I know you were trying to save me from Clay’s advances, and I am ever so thankful.
“Yes, I was trying to save you from him … but for myself.”
Their eyes met, and Harry was aware that his entire body heated up. When had this happened? For he knew something had happened. Just what it was, he didn’t
quite understand … but he knew it was something.
He took his leave, and it wasn’t long before he came across Bickwerth in the road, bending over his horse’s left fore leg. He was cleaning out the shoe with a gloved finger and looked up to say, “Ah, Harry. A stone … glad of it. I thought he was off, and it worried me.”
“Right then, glad you found the problem,” Harry said, but he saw that Clayton was about to speak his mind and prepared for it.
Clay remounted and looked intently at Harry for a moment before saying, “What is your game, Harry?”
“What the devil do you mean?”
“You are a wealthy man. You have no need of Henrietta’s fortune, but I do. Why are you putting a spoke in my wheel?”
“Not doing that, and not after her fortune,” Harry said on a hard note.
“Then what? You can’t be dazzled by her beauty—I mean, she isn’t a beauty, is she!” Clayton snapped.
“You’re blind,” Harry almost spluttered. “She is the loveliest woman I have ever clapped eyes on.”
“Dammit. Since when did you start looking in her direction?”
“Unlike you, who only glanced her way when you found out Kitty was no longer the recipient of Wharton Place, I have always found Henrietta Harkins a handsome and beautiful woman, inside and out.”
“I will cut you out with her,” Clay warned.
“Will you? We shall see.”
Clay laughed suddenly and said, “What we need is a run. Are you game?”
“Am I game?” Harry repeated, getting into position. “To the next milepost then!”
* * *
Kitty was the first to bring in her horse as they reached the crossroads. She could see Clay and Harry galloping at them in a steady cloud of dust.
She laughed and raised a hand, at the same time steadying her horse under her, for her mare pranced and fidgeted all too excitedly at the arrival of new horses.
The earl too, was bringing his big gray under him as the gelding danced in place, looking like a Lipizzaner horse in training. His voice soothed his nervous animal. “Ho there, lad … ho …”
