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He hurriedly made his way to the main pike just in time to see Freddy embracing Serena, and as best as he could see, it appeared as though they were kissing one another. His heart stopped. His mind burned as lava poured into it. Logic and good sense were lost in the heat, and he sat his horse and glared because, for that moment, he could not speak.
Serena was the first to see him and exclaimed in worried accents, “My lord.”
He saw a look come over her face that gave further proof of her guilt.
“Uncle Danny,” Freddy said in some surprise.
“What the deuce do you two think you are doing?” he demanded in a total fury of emotions.
“What do you mean?” Freddy frowned and appeared to be ready to take offense.
“Answer the question! How dare you take Miss Moorely into your arms, here on the open road!”
“Uncle Danny!” clearly Freddy was shocked. “What are you talking about?”
“When I saw you steal out of the stables, Frederick, I rather thought you were up to mischief, which in itself is naught, but under the circumstances is inexcusable. I did not think, however, that you were meeting Miss Moorely clandestinely, thus putting yourself and her into considerable danger,” his lordship snapped.
Serena’s lower lip quivered. He saw it, and he saw her eyes wide with shock. Why should she be shocked? And those eyes, those dark eyes were suddenly wet. What the devil was that?
She said, “Hold just a moment. You, my lord, are not behaving like the gentleman I have always known you to be. This was not, as you think, a clandestine romantic meeting. However, I take leave to tell you that you are too quick to judge something you know nothing about.”
“Did you agree to meet my nephew in this secretive fashion, Miss Moorely?” He snapped the question at her.
“I was the one who asked him to meet me, my lord,” she said, her chin well up.
Something about her, the honesty with which she replied, softened him, and he frowned but said, “Just so, then?”
“You, my lord, are insufferable,” she answered, and he did, in fact, see a tear quietly roll down her lovely cheek. She turned her mare away from him.
His nephew eyed him and said, “Well, I mean to see Serena home, Uncle. You, I think, probably should leave her be. You are out in this.”
His lordship’s temper had subsided, and good sense had begun to make its way through his jumbled brain. There was more here than actually met the eye.
~ Eighteen ~
HIS LORDSHIP COULD not remember ever having experienced the degree of anger that had just surged through him. When he saw Freddy leaning in to embrace Serena, it was as though his mind actually crumbled and took his heart along with it.
His reaction was not disproportionate with the situation. He had been jealous. Insanely jealous and furious with his nephew as well as with Serena, who should not have been in such a situation.
Upon reflection he immediately saw that it was probably innocent, and yet, just what the bloody hell were they doing at such an early hour, and did it have something to do with the two men he had seen on the open road?
He knew his reaction was caused by a primal desire to keep Serena for himself. He had no right, for he had not declared himself, and still, he felt she was his, only his.
Reason became convoluted with emotion. Good sense was wiped away by anger. Why wouldn’t she confide in him? Why had she gone to Freddy?
He had totally lost his control, and off he galloped at a thunderous pace to cut them off and stop them from getting any further. He had more to say.
He passed his nephew, he passed Serena, just a bit ahead of Freddy, and in a whirl of fury and dust he blocked their path.
Both slowed their horses, although Serena was forced to swerve a bit to the right, whereupon she attempted to ride past him. He was a determined and a bold man. He moved to block her once again, pulled her reins into his hands, and brought her to a halt.
Although she made no move to stop him from taking control of her reins, she regarded him coldly.
Freddy, who was looking more than a little perplexed at his uncle’s bizarre behavior, said in shocked accents, “Uncle?”
She did, however, demand, “How dare you? I don’t know who you think you are, but I take leave to tell you that I think you are a horrid man. Kindly release my reins and get out of my way!”
He saw her dark eyes glint with fury, and oddly enough he found himself calming down. His answer was cool but polite. “Yes, I can see that you think badly of me, and I do beg your pardon. My anxiety over the safety of my nephew this morning when I discovered he had broken his promise to me and snuck off clouded my judgment. When I then saw that you too could have been in some danger of being shot, well, indeed, I allowed my temper to get the better of me. Again, Miss Moorely, Serena … please forgive me and explain what is going on.”
