AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What I am, is fed up. You say you’re sorry to Lady Madeline tomorrow at breakfast, and youmakethat hideous witch apologize. And tell your dumb friends to cut it out with man-handling my lady, and no more cruel jokes.” I put my hands on my hips because if I don’t do something with them, I might just strangle him.
And then I’ll go to jail, and who’ll look after Maddie then?
Benedict clears his throat.
“I will talk to them. And I will apologize—”
“And that bitch better—”
He holds up a hand to stop me.
“She will apologize.” He watches me, cautiously, and then smiles. “You’re sexy when you’re angry and protective,” he muses. That does it. In an effort not to murder him, I choose to exit before this situation devolves further.
“Goodnight,” I snap at him, and retreat into my bedroom, slamming the door in his face. A wince immediately crosses my face. I hope I didn’t just wake Maddie.
There’s a soft knock on my door, not a moment later, and I freeze, listening.
“Goodnight,” Benedict says, on the other side, his voice pitched low. “Sleep well.” There’s a wistfulness in his voice that’s absolutely out of place, and dangerous. It races up my spine, traces along my skin, and evaporates the anger that’s simmering in my chest.
I throw the lock, just in case, and the last thing I hear before his footsteps move away, is a low, rich chuckle that sends me running to my bed.
22
Eva
I didn’t know I could hate mornings more, but having a party of assholes in the house makes them even less fun. Maddie’s up with the sun, and there’s a plan to ride through the vineyards today, which means I need to be prepared with sunscreen, sunscreen, and more sunscreen.
They’re all gathered in the courtyard of the stables after breakfast, mounts being brought out by the stablehands and footmen. I don’t know much about horses, but even these animals look a cut above what I’ve seen in my past life, beautifully groomed with glossy coats and tack that gleams in the sunlight.
The duke even makes an appearance as I wait for Maddie to come out of the stable with the new equitation instructor. I haven’t met her yet, but Mrs. Harris told me her name is Joan Framer, and she’s supposed to be an improvement on Jethro.
“Good morning,” the duke says to me as he walks by, the first of them to acknowledge my presence. Benedict’s avoiding looking at me, and I wonder if he’s annoyed I told him off last night.
“Will you be joining us, Angeles?” Brighton asks, shamelessly cheerful given what he knows about Benedict’s plot to overthrow the duke. I try not to look sharply at the duke, wondering if he’ll go with them. If he does, he’s putting his life in danger. I have no doubt of it. There’s so many things that can go wrong on a trail ride with horses. It wouldn’t take much.
“I’ll be on the ATV,” the duke says, and I try to discreetly breathe a sigh of relief.
“Boys ride ATVs, men ride horses,” Benedict says, and I can see the duke’s eyes flashing in annoyance. I think of that moment the duke came to find me, riding his ATV, his shirt rumpled and pulled by the day’s breeze. There was nothing boyish about him then. “Anyone can master a machine. But how many can say they hold the same over flesh and blood?”
“You’re showing off for your friends,” I mutter under my breath, even though he can’t hear me, as Madeline comes out on her pony, Joan at her side, walking. She’s a tall woman, with dark skin that glows in the sunlight, her coiling black hair pulled into a tight bun that sits low under her riding helmet. Joan smiles at me and nods her head as they approach, Madeline grinning from atop her pony.
“I’ve got my mount tacked up and ready to go, if you don’t mind standing with Maddie for a moment,” Joan says, dressed to ride, and sticking out her hand in greeting. “I’m Joan, you must be Miss Bell.”
“Eva’s fine,” I say quietly, shaking it back. Firm, but not arrogant or challenging. Joan is an absolute improvement on Jethro, and I hope I’m not the only one who thinks so. I wonder where he is and what he’s doing? Joan would probably know. There’s no time to ask though, as one of the footmen breezes past me frominside the stable kitchen, a tray in his hands with small espresso cups on it.
Just as he passes by, a sharp pain explodes in my arm, and when I look up, it’s Wilder, smirking at me before he goes up to the first gentleman, offering the tray.
He hit me with his elbow, so hard that I want to rub it to make it feel better.
Joan’s gone inside, but Maddie’s quietly watching me, her eyes wide under the shadowy rim of her helmet.
“Did that hurt?” She asks me, voice pitched low, “did he do it on purpose?”
“Never mind, I’m fine,” I say with a smile. “Now are you going to listen to Joan today for the ride?”
Maddie’s eyes go even wider.
“I love her,” she confesses in the barest whisper. “She’s so nice. And she said she’d show me how to braid Champagne’s mane later with ribbons, pink ones.” My heart melts.
