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Chapter Six
July 14, 1819
Benedict smiled when one of the stable hands brought a saddled Jupiter around. His customary morning ride was often the indicator of how his day would go. “Hello, boy.” He stroked his gloved hand along the horse’s muzzle, and as the equine bobbed his massive head, Benedict chuckled. “You’re as ready as I am for this ride, eh?”
“Enjoy yourself, my lord,” the stable hand said with a wave, just as he always did.
A proper schedule was how one kept his life orderly and sane.
“Oh, good morning, Benedict.”
The dulcet sound of her voice cut through his thoughts and immediately tightened his chest. When he glanced up, Anne was mounted upon a bay mare and sitting in a proper sidesaddle. Her cheerful jonquil dress wasn’t exactly a riding habit, but then she hadn’t brought much luggage with her when she’d arrived on his doorstep. With one knee hooked over the pommel, her skirting rose to reveal a bit of a shapely calf and well-worn leather half-boots.
“What are you doing out here. It’s barely eight o’clock.” Aside from his mother, he’d assumed he was the only early riser. He didn’t care for the bump in his routine, but the opportunity to see Anne again and be in her company was worth it.
Why did I kiss her yesterday?
Oh, he knew why. Of course he did. Up in the air while in the balloon’s basket, he’d been terrified, but when she’d shared the story of how her brother had died, he’d been caught up into her life, had understood her in those moments, and in that near-perfect second, he’d felt almost… peaceful. It was only natural that he kiss her.
Yet a whole day had passed since. So why did he still feel a connection with her as if an invisible thread of the finest gossamer were strung between them?
“I’m much too restless to remain abed, and the sunshine fairly called to me, so here I am.”
Her words once more yanked him back into the present. “Yes, here you are,” he murmured. And his mind continued to reel at that fact.
With a slight tug to her reins, she brought her horse over to his. When the animals greeted each other, she smiled. The absence of a bonnet left her blonde hair gleaming in the morning light. She’d tied it back with a cheerful yellow ribbon, the ends of which danced in the gentle summer breeze. A few escaped tendrils already clung to her neck, which called his attention to her nape and how much he wanted to press his lips to that skin…
Focus, Worthington. Where the devil has this sudden aberration come from?
“Shall we crack on then? I don’t imagine you’d want to tarry here in the stable yard.”
“I do not. Thank you.” With a click of his tongue and a nudge of his heel, he set Jupiter into motion. “Let’s see if you can keep up, eh Anne? Jupiter is accustomed to being given his head immediately during our rides.” Then he launched ahead of her and raced out of the stable yard with a grin.
“I look forward to the challenge.” With a tiny squeal, she gave chase.
By the time they reached the opposite end of his property, Benedict tugged on the reins and brought Jupiter to a walk. The run had been exhilarating but having Anne at his side felt extraordinary. She hadn’t given chase but instead had matched his pace. Together, they’d flown over the meadows and fields, swept down the dusty roads, and the thundering pounding of the hooves had echoed in the blood running through his veins.
“I don’t know why I assumed you couldn’t keep up,” he said with a grin as he pushed his spectacles back into place. “You constantly amaze me.”
“Thank you for the compliment.” Her smile had the power to tighten his shaft. When was the last time he’d had such a swift reaction to a woman so soon after meeting her?
“Have you always been an avid horsewoman?”
“Not really. It’s a form of exercise I enjoy, but if I had my druthers, I’d either go up in my balloon or tinker with my inventions.”
Surprise pushed into his chest to help in forgetting the awareness he had for her. “You’re an inventor along with everything else?”
“Yes. It’s how I spend my time when I’m not flying.” She urged her mount alongside his. “I learned to tinker with things, pluck inventions from my mind, at an early age. While my brother was dreaming of flying, I wanted to make things that would help people.”
The sheer intelligence this woman possessed left him staggered. “Tell me about some of the things you’ve created.”
“I’d like to invent an apparatus that helps a person breathe underwater. Imagine what we could discover beneath the sea, Benedict!” The passion in her voice stirred his own. “Or a respirator that assists men to breathe in smoke. Especially in cities densely populated like London, where fire could decimate many rowhouses, such a device would let a man rescue the trapped or injured.”
“I’m impressed. The inside of your mind must be a spectacular place.” He glanced at her, and when she met his gaze, his stomach bottomed out as if he’d gone up in her balloon again.
“It’s exhausting at times.” She leaned down and stroked her horse’s neck. “I’ve already made a couple of things for the kitchen as well as a pole of iron that, when heated, will allow a woman to curl her hair.”
“Inventions for the kitchen?”
