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Anthony turned to see the man who was causing him all this grief standing beside him. “Morning, Blackburn.”
“Pleasant day for a ride, don’t you think?”
Not bloody likely. “I suppose so. With whom will you be riding?” Please say Jennette and get me out of this mess, he thought.
“Mary Marston,” Blackburn replied.
Damn. “You seem to be spending an increasing amount of time with her. Is marriage in the works?”
Blackburn smiled tightly. “It is a possibility. Although, I have yet to meet her parents.”
“They didn’t attend?”
“She told me they will arrive later today.”
A slow smile tilted Anthony’s lips upward. Now he knew he didn’t have to worry about attempting to ride with Jennette. Miss Marston’s parents would certainly reject a man who had killed his own best friend.
He would make certain of that.
And if that should happen to fail, he could seduce little Mary and make her fall in love with him. It would be an easy and enjoyable task.
Matthew reined his horse to a slow trot. Mary wasn’t a skilled rider, having lived in town all of her life. She knew how to look good while riding but barely could move beyond a canter.
“Thank you for slowing down, my lord,” she said with a warm smile.
“You are welcome.”
Hearing the gallop of a few horses, he moved slightly off the path to give the faster riders room to get around them. “Move off,” he said to Mary.
She positioned her horse off the dirt path just as four riders came into view. Jennette, Lady Elizabeth, Lord Selby, and Lord Ancroft raced past them. Each of them nodded and Jennette smiled at his predicament.
“Where was Lady Selby?” he wondered aloud.
“Oh, she doesn’t ride well,” Mary replied. “I heard she’d taken a fall when she was young and she didn’t feel she could keep up with us.”
Matthew was quite sure Lady Selby could have kept up with Mary. The sound of another horse galloping up the hill made Matthew cringe. As the rider reached the crest of the knoll, he slowed his mount.
“Somerton, nice to see you again,” Matthew said. He glanced over at Mary. Her eyes widened and positively sparkled as she stared at Somerton with her mouth slightly agape. Wonderful, the woman he was supposed to propose to appeared completely captivated by Somerton.
“Good afternoon, Blackburn.” Somerton looked over at Mary and his lips twitched. “I don’t believe we have met.”
“Miss Marston, may I introduce Lord Somerton.”
“G—g—good to meet you, my lord,” she stammered.
Somerton reached across his horse for her hand. “An absolute pleasure, Miss Marston.”
“T—thank you, my lord.”
Dear God, the girl twittered.
“May I ride with you both?” Somerton requested, staring at Mary like a wolf about to devour a rabbit.
“Oh yes!” Mary said in an overly excited voice.
“Wonderful,” Somerton said.
Wonderful indeed, Matthew thought.
