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“What? We’ve been through this before, my lord, you will not dictate to me how to dress.”
He turned back and had to grit his teeth to suppress the urge to grab a blanket from the tack room and throw it over her before anyone else entered the stable.
“Lady Bridget, ladies do not ride in breeches. You surely have a proper riding outfit that will accommodate a sidesaddle nicely. Please go change into it. I am asking, not ordering.”
“I don’t have a riding habit. And I don’t ride sidesaddle.”
Good Lord, the situation was worse than he thought. “You ride astride?” Although he’d heard rumors of a few ladies of the ton—the more daring ones whose husbands seemed to dote on them—known to ride astride, he’d never seen such a sight.
She nodded, her cute little chin sticking out. “That would be correct. I never learned to ride sidesaddle and I am of the opinion that it is stupid and dangerous.”
Cam ran his palm down his face. “This is unbelievable.”
“Nevertheless, I intend to ride this morning. If you do not wish to be seen with the likes of me, I will go alone—”
“You will not go alone. These are unfamiliar grounds, and you could very well get lost or into some other type of trouble.” The woman caused him more indigestion than a spicy meal.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Have you ridden here before, Lord Arrogant?”
Ignoring her insult, he answered. “No.”
She smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you concerned about getting lost or into trouble?”
“Of course not. That’s ridiculous.”
“Why is it a ridiculous scenario for you to get lost or into trouble, but an issue for me?”
His jaw tightened to the point where he thought it might snap. “You. Are. A. Woman.”
Her eyes flashed and she leaned forward, her fisted hands again at her waist. “I. Know. That.”
“Excuse me, my lord, will the lady be requiring a mount?” The stable groom looked between the two of them glaring at each other, his face bland, as a good servant’s should be.
Cam was tempted to forbid the groom to tack a horse for her, but Bridget was not the sort of person to accept his edict and return to the house. In fact, based on the look on her face, he was afraid she was about to swing her fist at him.
Bloody nuisance of a woman.
Since it was quite probable others would be arriving soon for a morning ride—most likely men, because most proper ladies remained abed with their chocolate until mid-morning—he decided it was best to get her away from the house and off where she would not be seen. “Yes. The young lady will be requiring a mount.”
Bridget brushed past him. “I should like to choose my own horse, if you please.”
Cam dr
opped his head. “Of course she does.”
At last, they rode peaceably side by side toward a large acreage behind a field of fruit trees. Banfield had a productive and well-tended estate. Looking around, Cam felt a bit of unease at the neglect of his own estate. He really needed to spend more time there. The regular reports from his land steward were encouraging, but a man needed to see for himself how things were proceeding. Plus, the construction on his bathing room should have started by now, and he wanted to view the progress.
Without saying a word, Bridget kicked her horse’s sides and took off. Cam grinned and chased after her. They cantered through the field, the sun warm on their backs, the air pleasantly scented with autumn foliage.
“Let’s take that wall.” Bridget pointed to a stone wall about half a mile distant.
“That seems a bit high,” he shouted back.
She rolled her eyes. “Are you afraid you’ll fall, my lord?”
He hadn’t meant the height was a problem for him, but for her. She seemed to enjoy placing herself in precarious situations. She must have been quite a trial for her father. He was beginning to understand why the man had thought she needed a guardian. “No. I am not afraid, but you are not familiar with that horse,” he hollered as they continued to race toward the barrier.
Cam held back a bit to watch Bridget as she sailed over the wall. Shaking his head, he followed her over, then rode the distance to where she had slowed her horse to a trot and then a walk to cool him off.
