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“Really?” Andrew perked up. “I thought they had all been burnt, as they deserved.”
Simon laughed and Isleen looked over her shoulder at him. The way her dark eyebrows were raised, a few black curls loosely framing her pretty face, and the curious smile upon her lips made his heart jump. He smiled back at her, reflexively, and she turned frontward again. He most certainly didnotsigh. Not with Andrew watching him closely.
“You like her,” Andrew said.
Simon’s heart raced, but he remained outwardly calm. “Of course I like her. She is an excellent addition to our house party this year.”
“So is her brother, but I don’t see him invited to ride with us. In fact, I think the only reason Josie and I are here is to keep your intentions less obvious.” Andrew nudged Simon’s shoulder with his riding crop. “And you know what I meant. You don’t merely like her. Youfancyher.”
When the blood rushed to warm Simon’s neck and cheeks, there weren’t any excuses to disguise the blush. It was too cold for his cheeks to heat for any natural reason. Maybe Andrew wouldn’t notice. “That is a strange conclusion to jump to. I have known her for less than a fortnight.”
“And I have known you for nearly all our lives,” Andrew reminded him. “I can count on one hand, not even using all my fingers I might add, the number of times I have seen you show this sort of interest in a lady.”
“You are daft,” Simon muttered, ducking his head beneath a low branch. They had made it down the hill and nearly to the village.
“You say that because you aren’t sure how she feels about you yet.” Andrew smirked. “I can’t even venture a guess about her feelings. Besides women being less obvious creatures than men, I don’t know her well enough. I must apologize for being little help to you there.”
“Andrew.” The single word came out as a warning.
The baronet had the gall to put on an innocent expression. “What? If you keep on like this, her brother will ask you your intentions. Or she will. I have the feeling Miss Frost prefers to speak for herself on most occasions.”
Simon hunched forward and gave his horse a nudge to outpace Andrew. If he’d wanted advice on his relationship with Isleen, he would’ve asked for it. As it was, he couldn’t say even to himself what he hoped for from their acquaintance. But he did like her. That much he knew.
He’d hoped, foolishly it would seem, to spend more time speaking with her on during their ride. Josephine hadn’t given him a chance, keeping Isleen all to herself. And now he had Andrew’s suspicions to sort through.
As he caught up to the ladies, on Isleen’s side, he slowed his horse and offered her a wan smile. Then he spoke across her to his sister. “Josephine, your husband is tiresome.”
“I have always said so, you will recall,” she answered with a shrug. “Yet I am glad to see we are finally in accord.” Then she grinned and slowed her horse, ostensibly to let her husband catch up to her so they might ride alongside each other into the village.
Isleen’s smile brightened as she turned her head toward him. “They have a unique relationship. I cannot imagine what force of nature finally brought the two of them to the conclusion they loved one another rather than the opposite.”
“It is still a mystery to me. One day they were as enemies on the battlefield, the next they were announcing their impending marriage.” He shook his head over the state of things. His last quip slipped from his lips without his full consent. “Love is ridiculous.”
Isleen took no offense, thankfully. She laughed. “I don’t know if I agree with that. Though it certainly is nonsensical. Have you never been in love?”
What a question. And a personal one at that. He ought to refuse to answer. He should change the subject. A fortnight’s acquaintance wasn’t enough for such conversation. And yet, hadn’t her own mother told him only a few evenings before of Isleen’s experience? That gave him the advantage in the conversation. An unfair one, at that. He settled for the most honest answer he could give. “I don’t think I have.”
Then they both fell silent until they were through the village. From the corner of his eye, he saw Isleen studying him with undisguised curiosity. On the other side of the village, they came to lands of open meadows. Perfect for riding at a faster clip. For exercising the horses. Or outrunning his own confusing thoughts.
Why had Andrew confronted him with things no one had any business knowing?
Because hedidfancy Isleen Frost. And knowing she had loved before, so deeply she had seemingly yet to recover enough to find love again, twisted his heart painfully. And it was strange and ridiculous for him to feel this way about her after so short a time.
Spending time alone with her no longer felt wise.
When they left the road for the meadow, Simon looked at Isleen, meeting her gaze directly. “Enjoy yourself, Miss Frost. This may be the last good ride before the weather turns.” Then he kicked his horse’s flanks, shouting a command for haste, and rode quickly away from his guest.
CHAPTER13
When Simon had issued his invitation, Isleen had imagined more time spent at his side. The disappointment that had sunk into her stomach when he rode away without looking back worried her.
Why did she care that he hadn’t wanted to spend his time with her?
Simon had invited her to be a companion to his sister, so he could spend time with his friend. That made perfect sense. If Isleen had misconstrued his invitation, she had no one to blame but herself.
Josephine stayed at a gentle canter, and Isleen kept her company. Though equal to a more vigorous exercise herself, she didn’t wish to leave the other woman’s side. The men rode ahead at wicked speeds, until they disappeared over a hill and out of sight.
The cold air whipped around the ladies, and they stayed warm only by keeping their horses moving. Heat from the animals and their own exercise protected them from feeling the bite of the December air. Still, the earth smelled of ice and the only trees still green were the pines.
