AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No? What do you mean, ‘no’?” She placed her hands on her hips as he opened the door. “You do not get to order me around, husband.”
The way she said “husband” did something to him. It was a pleasurable feeling, but it was not enough to dispel the fury he felt. He flicked his head back in her direction.
“I will get them myself. Mrs Mouser, be so good as to send up Thomas.” He was the new footman they had hired, and being the youngest and strongest, he was best for the task.
“Let me help,” Ophelia pleaded again.
“So the doors can be left open again?” Elliot asked, stepping beyond the door.
“That is not fair. I am sure I bolted them.”
She followed him outside. The sun was waning now and in the growing darkness, it would be twice as hard to find the horses. Elliot was so busy twisting his head back and forth, looking for any sign of the horses, that it took him a minute to realise Ophelia was still following him.
“Ophelia, go back inside, please,” he begged. “I will get this sorted.”
“Do you think me so incapable?” she asked, crossing her arms. “I would have thought after that night at the Thames, you would know I am competent.”
He halted at her reminder and turned back to face her, seeing how red she was in the face in her own anger.
“Oh, believe me, I remember it well.” He moved toward her, his face close to her own. “I know exactly how capable you are, but the nights are drawing in quickly at this time of year. Look around you. It will be dark soon enough. I will not have my wife riding alone through the estate in such weather as that.”
“Wait…” She paused, her brows furrowing together. “You’re trying to protect me?”
“God’s wounds. I begin to wonder how little your opinion of me is if that surprises you.” He huffed and turned away, just as Thomas appeared. “Thomas, good, you’re here. Come with me. This will not be an easy task to round up these horses.”
The young man nodded and hurried to reach his side. Elliot glanced back once to see Ophelia with her lips parted, apparently wanting to say something more, but he didn’t have time to hear it. He turned away and went hunting for the horses with Thomas.
They walked quickly through the undergrowth at the back of the house and toward the steep bank bordered by trees. As they walked, they discussed their best chances of finding and corralling the horses into one group. Shortly after they’d found the first horse and tied some reins around his nose, Elliot began to calm a little.
All will be well, soon enough. We’ll have them home.
“Did you see the horses bolt, Thomas?” Elliot asked as they traipsed through the trees, looking for the other horses.
“No, Your Grace. Miss Barge saw it through a window. She says they made quite a racket.” Thomas nodded as he spoke. “Someone said the door must have been left open.”
“It must have been.” Elliot could think of no other explanation for it. After all, though Ophelia was capable, it would be an easy mistake to make, to leave a single door unbolted. The realisation of what a simple mistake it was made Elliot feel guilty. That guilt rose until he felt quite cold with it, the chill of the night seeping through his skin and into his bones.
I was too harsh with her.
***
Ophelia paced around her chamber. Night had long fallen, and it was clearly taking Elliot and Thomas so long to gather the horses that they did not return in time for dinner. Ophelia retired early for the night, leaving Grace downstairs to practice her piano. More than once did Ophelia try to pick upRomancing the Forest,to lose herself in her reading, but sooner or later she tossed it down again and returned to the window, looking out for any clue of Elliot’s return.
In the end, she didn’t see him, but she heard him. Far behind her in the corridor, she heard Elliot approaching his chamber. He said some quick words to a member of staff, then bid them goodnight and went into his chamber.
Ophelia hovered by the connecting door between their rooms before she thought herself foolish for being nervous. He was her husband. She should feel confident enough to knock on his door. With this in mind, she raised her hand hurriedly and knocked on the door with purpose.
“Come in,” Elliot’s answer was instant.
Ophelia stepped through the door to see Elliot shrugging his frock coat off on the other side of the room. He looked tired with his hair mussed from where the wind had pulled at it. His cheeks were pale, too, a testament to how tired he was. His trousers were covered in mud from having run through the estate for so long. When his eyes found hers, he said nothing. Ophelia was at least relieved to see those eyes didn’t hold the same anger that had been there earlier.
“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, wringing her hands together with her nerves. “I truly thought I had locked the door. I didn’t mean to cause all this trouble.”
“I know.” Elliot sighed and tilted his head up, peering at the ceiling as if he was truly looking at the heavens above. “I’m beginning to think it is just God’s way of causing trouble for us. Perhaps he got a laugh out of seeing Thomas and me running about the estate tonight like headless chickens.” He chuckled to himself, but Ophelia could not join in. When she didn’t laugh, he took off his waistcoat and paused, looking at her. “Not in the mood to jest?”
“How can I be?” Ophelia asked, closing the connecting door behind her, and walking towards him. “I’m sorry, truly. I didn’t mean this to happen—”
“You said that bit, Ophelia.”
