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Chapter 8
Miss Anne Bryant was a kind, considerate woman. She had always been a good teacher, but she was not the sort of woman that people paid much mind.
Mary appreciated Anne. She cared nothing about the dull, freckled complexion, the watery brown eyes, the stout frame, or the fact that she had no fortune of her own.
Miss Anne was a good woman and an excellent governess. Mary would not overlook that.
As the two were out riding one afternoon, Mary took a deep breath of the fresh air that surrounded them. They had departed from the property that her father owned and were now enjoying the green, rolling hills just beyond the estate.
She was grateful that Anne enjoyed riding. It was one of Mary’s favourite things to do with her governess—outside of discussing literature.
Although Anne tended towards the same books as Sarah, she had at least read a few that Mary enjoyed. But riding was something they agreed upon with ease and they enjoyed going out for a breather from being cooped up inside the house.
As Mary gazed out over the green, she saw two men on horseback a short distance away. Suddenly, her eyes went wide.
Was it possible? Was that Lord Hanbrooke with another gentleman?
In all this time, Mary had never met or seen Lord Hanbrooke, but now it seemed as though he was everywhere. First at the ball and then in her mind for the past four days, and now out riding.
“Miss Anne…” Mary said, slowing her horse as she looked towards the men.
Anne knew very little about the incident at the ball, but Mary had a feeling she would soon need to explain everything.
“Who are those gentlemen? And why is that one waving?”
“Lady Mary!” he called to her, bridging the gap between them.
Mary was shocked and almost wished that she could escape in a hurry so she would not be in greater trouble for interacting with Lord Hanbrooke. And yet, at the same time, she could not have been happier. She had hoped for an opportunity to see him again, and here it was.
“Lord Hanbrooke,” she said, as he drew near. “How wonderful to see you.”
“And you. I am pleasantly surprised, I must admit. Oh, forgive me, this is Mr. Post. He is my groom and the best rider in all of London,” Lord Hanbrooke said, making introductions.
“And this is Miss Anne Bryant. She is the bestgovernessin all of London,” Mary replied.
“Ah, she must be if she is the woman who encouraged you to have such a deep appreciation for difficult authors,” Lord Hanbrooke said.
“Oh, goodness, that was not me. I urged her to read, but she was the one to choose all those dour books that simply depress a woman,” Miss Anne replied.
Mary laughed and returned her gaze to Lord Hanbrooke, who was still eyeing her with a sweet expression that made her feel as though she was melting.
“Well, Lady Mary, it is marvellous to see you again. I know that we spoke of discussing books at our next meeting, but I did not think it would come about so soon. What do you say—shall we ride together for a time? We may discuss matters with ease for a bit before I am sure you must return home,” he suggested.
Mary’s stomach did a flip. She could hardly believe that he wanted to ride with her or spend time together at all. It felt like a dream. However, she knew that her stepmother could turn it into a nightmare with ease, and yet Mary could not be rude.
She knew that she would only get into trouble for not making a stronger effort to be polite if she did not ride with him, even if it meant angering Charlotte.
“Very well. I think that sounds like a good opportunity for some excellent company,” Mary replied, genuinely eager to continue speaking with him.
They kept a steady pace, Miss Anne and Mr. Post riding behind them while they spoke. Mary was delighted as Lord Hanbrooke maintained the conversation. After their first meeting, she had believed that he simply had no interest in talking. But here he was, enjoying the chat with her.
“So, have you managed to procure a copy of our newest book yet? Or are you still finishing the other?” he asked her.
Mary grinned and shook her head.
“Mr. Blackford should have known where his actions were leading,” she laughed, referring to the tragic end of the book they had both read before.
“Ah, so you finished. Yes, it was to be expected that if he was going to make those choices, it would come back to haunt him,” Lord Hanbrooke remarked.
