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Dropping and sailing.
The silk envelope deflated a bit more.
Dropping and sailing.
Half of the inflation had decreased now. How long would it be?
Oh, dear God!
His pulse raced. He clenched his jaw so tightly he feared he might crack teeth as he watched in horrified fascination. The wildflowers in the field raced by the basket, which was so close to the ground now a mere five feet of space separated them. Then, with a tug on the chain, Anne expelled another burst of hydrogen. The balloon sank further. Grass and flowers scraped the bottom of the basket. A fluffy white sheep scuttled out of the way while giving them a look of askance. A bucolic barn rested not far from their location, and he hoped they wouldn’t drift or crash into it. And as the silk envelope deflated and sank downward, the basket of the balloon skidded to a halt. Unlike the first landing where she’d touched down hard on the road, the basket didn’t tip over.
The sensation of not moving was so at odds from flying and sinking that Benedict stared about him for several seconds, in complete awe of what she’d managed to accomplish. We didn’t die! “Surely we must have gone a good ten miles in…” He wrenched his watch from a waistcoat pocket. “…an hour’s time. Is that good?”
“It’s neither good nor bad. Travel by balloon without a steering mechanism means you’re at the mercy of the wind, the air temperatures, and the performance of the hydrogen.” Then she flashed him a grin as she removed the goggles and leather helmet. “But I’d like to think it was very good time indeed.” She tossed the gear into a corner of the basket. “All in all, we made a great run.” A shiver racked her body. “Landing is one of my favorite parts of a flight. It makes me feel alive and tingly. That rush of knowing I’m upright and unhurt and have flown is addicting.”
“Ah.” He wasted no time in going over the side of the basket. His own stomach couldn’t decide if it were upset or would settle. When his boots touched solid, unshifting ground, the urge to whoop in gratitude took hold, but in deference to her, he merely took in a ragged breath and let out a shuddering sigh. “I can honestly say that was the singular most interesting and terrifying hour of my life.”
Anne snorted. She perched on the edge of the basket, and he couldn’t stop staring at her legs encased in the ivory breeches. “The question remains: would you do it again with me? More precisely, will you accompany me on my flight around Cranleigh?”
Did he have the stamina for another flight? “You have to know the risks attached to such a venture are quite high. To say nothing of what could happen in front of spectators.”
She narrowed her eyes as she slid from the basket to land on booted feet as lithe as a cat. “And you have to know that everything in life comes with a risk.” Quickly, she closed the distance between them and poked a gloved forefinger into his chest. “Stop trying to dissuade me from my purpose when you couldn’t find enough courage to fulfil yours.”
His lower jaw dropped. Barbs of hurt went through his chest with the accuracy of shrapnel. No one had ever laid his situation out as forthright as that, and to his face even. Perhaps he needed to hear it. “That’s fair.” Before he could respond further, regret and guilt clouded her eyes. “Thank you for the reminder.”
“Oh, Benedict, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” She flattened her hand against his chest. “I merely meant—”
“I know what you meant.” He eased backward and let her touch fall away but immediately missed that warmth. “You were right to say it. I certainly deserve your contempt.” I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. “You are quite different from me, and I’d do well to remember that.” Yet he didn’t want to seem less than in her eyes. As he shoved his spectacles back into place, he sighed. The best way through the muck was to ignore it, for he wasn’t mentally ready to lay bare his soul, for once he did, she’d end their association. “Regarding your next flight—”
“—our next flight,” she inserted, and she crossed her arms at her chest. “For I won’t go unless my favorite assistant accompanies me.”
A thread of annoyance curled through him. “What difference does it make? You’ve already established I’m a man who lacks courage.” The longer he looked at her, the more awareness skittered along his skin. Bloody hell, she was gorgeous, and in those mannish clothes with her feminine curves on full display, he’d make a fool of himself if he weren’t careful.
“It makes all the difference. You were the first person to believe in me since my brother.” A tiny waver set up in her voice. “I don’t take that lightly.”
Damn. “Anyone could do that.”
“But anyone didn’t.” She let her arms fall to her sides. “When I make the trip around Cranleigh, I want you in that basket with me.” The same stubborn determination she’d always carried reflected in her expression.
“Why?”
“Because I want to see the look on the slimy Mr. Davies’ face when he realizes that you, the man he belittled during the war, is standing at my side, the woman whose reputation he’s shredded, and that we both accomplished something great. Together.” The gleam in her eye arrested the wild beating of his heart for a few seconds. “Imagine how much attention you’ll garner from the crowd, for how often does a handsome viscount make a sensation?”
“I don’t wish for attention.” Just the thought of it tightened his chest.
“Then I shall deflect it for you.” She popped her hands on her rounded hips, and once more his notice slid down her body. “What do you think the people of Surrey will say to seeing me, the daughter of an earl, attired thusly?”
“I think we both know what they’ll say.” And it wasn’t a positive prospect. “No doubt you’ll attract attention, though.” A sliver of jealousy went through him. He didn’t want any man staring at her who wasn’t worthy,
As if I am.
“Perhaps.” The sparkle in her cornflower blue eyes was this side of wicked. “I aim to change your mind, though. You will be with me.”
In what way? Somehow, she’d gotten into his brain and was attempting to scramble it. “How do you figure? If I look at every risk, I’d be a fool to accept your invitation.”
“You’ll be a fool not to,” she said in a lowered voice as she once again closed the distance between them. This time she took hold of his cravat and gently tugged until he bent his head to hers. “Do you know why I adore landing so much and why I want you with me on that oh-so-important flight?”
“I couldn’t begin to answer that with any authority. Everything you’ve done surprises me.” At least that was the truth.
