speculatively, as if she were a puzzle he couldn't quite make out. "Where are you going?"
Ophelia raised her brows. "Never mind. It's entirely respectable, and I'll be perfectly safe. I'll take my groom with me."
"You'd jolly well better."
"I will. Meet you at Candover's." Ophelia gave him a light kiss on the cheek and retreated before he could change his mind. Her slippers had sprouted wings. She sent a hasty note to the stables.
* * * * *
A lexander heard her light, quick steps before he turned and saw her. He could see the shimmer of her dress where the silken cloak opened in the front, and under the hood he caught a glimpse of something shiny coiled on her dark curls. She stopped when she saw him. A deep rose gown warmed her skin. Ropes of pearls at her throat, gathered with gold filigreed clasps, echoed the delicate ivory lacework of her narrow, dipping bodice. He was muddy and tired and too pleased to see her.
When he'd first wakened to rain on the stable roof, he had told himself a day without her was a relief, yet every hour he'd wondered if she would come, if she'd make some excuse to leave the house. When his work was done, he'd occupied himself with a few extra chores better left to the stableboys, even though it was folly to hope she might come down to see her horse. He should have gone back to the tailor's shop to work on his plans for Trevigna.
Then her note had come, asking him to wait for her and prompting all sorts of improbable speculation. Her name was on the tip of his tongue. In the dim and drowsing stable, she was like a bright, flickering flame.
"Am I keeping you from your fellows at some tavern?" she asked. Her breath came out in a bright vapor.
"What do you want?" He lowered his gaze to her feet, too tempted by her in her finery. He realized the riding habit, while elegant and fashionable, was a heavy garment. In silks, she was a winged creature—firefly, moth, night fairy.
"I want you to take me to Hetty's."
"Not a good idea."
"No one will know I've gone. My parents believe Jasper's calling for me at ten, but I'm meeting him later. I'm free." High spirits and raw energy radiated from her. She seemed to have lost all sense of caution.
He raised a practical objection. "I can't put horses to a carriage for you."
She glanced along the stalls. "Take me on Raj. No one will care if you take Raj out."
He had an instant image of the intimacies riding her in front of him would allow and a wave of heat swept through him. "No."
"No?" She stiffened, looking puzzled and annoyed.
He had to make her think about what she was doing. "How did you get out? Who knows where you are?"
"No one knows, that's the beauty of it. Jasper trusts me. He told me to take my groom wherever I was going."
"I won't take you, Ophelia."
She stared at him, frowning in concentration. "Why are you doing this? You're not my father or my brother. You know there's no true impropriety in my going to Hetty's."
The desire to take hold of her was very strong. He shoved his hands in his pockets. He wasn't prepared to explain his reluctance. "I let you go in the mornings because you bribe me, Ophelia."
"So much for ideals, then. Must you have another bribe?"
She asked the question carelessly, expecting some demand on her purse or her friendship. He couldn't answer. He suddenly knew exactly what he wanted from her. Her reckless mood infected him. He craved the chance to hold her against him as they rode through the dark, his arms about her ribs, his face in her hair.
The air around them pulsed with unseen energy.
"If you won't escort me, I'll go on my own." She spun toward Shadow's stall and whistled softly. The mare stuck her head over the stall door and whickered.
Alexander reached out and snagged Ophelia's elbow.
She looked at him over her shoulder. "You can't stop me."
He didn't want to; fool that he was, he wanted to go with her.
Chapter 6
R ain dripped from the eaves, horses blew softly in
Ophelia raised her brows. "Never mind. It's entirely respectable, and I'll be perfectly safe. I'll take my groom with me."
"You'd jolly well better."
"I will. Meet you at Candover's." Ophelia gave him a light kiss on the cheek and retreated before he could change his mind. Her slippers had sprouted wings. She sent a hasty note to the stables.
* * * * *
A lexander heard her light, quick steps before he turned and saw her. He could see the shimmer of her dress where the silken cloak opened in the front, and under the hood he caught a glimpse of something shiny coiled on her dark curls. She stopped when she saw him. A deep rose gown warmed her skin. Ropes of pearls at her throat, gathered with gold filigreed clasps, echoed the delicate ivory lacework of her narrow, dipping bodice. He was muddy and tired and too pleased to see her.
When he'd first wakened to rain on the stable roof, he had told himself a day without her was a relief, yet every hour he'd wondered if she would come, if she'd make some excuse to leave the house. When his work was done, he'd occupied himself with a few extra chores better left to the stableboys, even though it was folly to hope she might come down to see her horse. He should have gone back to the tailor's shop to work on his plans for Trevigna.
Then her note had come, asking him to wait for her and prompting all sorts of improbable speculation. Her name was on the tip of his tongue. In the dim and drowsing stable, she was like a bright, flickering flame.
"Am I keeping you from your fellows at some tavern?" she asked. Her breath came out in a bright vapor.
"What do you want?" He lowered his gaze to her feet, too tempted by her in her finery. He realized the riding habit, while elegant and fashionable, was a heavy garment. In silks, she was a winged creature—firefly, moth, night fairy.
"I want you to take me to Hetty's."
"Not a good idea."
"No one will know I've gone. My parents believe Jasper's calling for me at ten, but I'm meeting him later. I'm free." High spirits and raw energy radiated from her. She seemed to have lost all sense of caution.
He raised a practical objection. "I can't put horses to a carriage for you."
She glanced along the stalls. "Take me on Raj. No one will care if you take Raj out."
He had an instant image of the intimacies riding her in front of him would allow and a wave of heat swept through him. "No."
"No?" She stiffened, looking puzzled and annoyed.
He had to make her think about what she was doing. "How did you get out? Who knows where you are?"
"No one knows, that's the beauty of it. Jasper trusts me. He told me to take my groom wherever I was going."
"I won't take you, Ophelia."
She stared at him, frowning in concentration. "Why are you doing this? You're not my father or my brother. You know there's no true impropriety in my going to Hetty's."
The desire to take hold of her was very strong. He shoved his hands in his pockets. He wasn't prepared to explain his reluctance. "I let you go in the mornings because you bribe me, Ophelia."
"So much for ideals, then. Must you have another bribe?"
She asked the question carelessly, expecting some demand on her purse or her friendship. He couldn't answer. He suddenly knew exactly what he wanted from her. Her reckless mood infected him. He craved the chance to hold her against him as they rode through the dark, his arms about her ribs, his face in her hair.
The air around them pulsed with unseen energy.
"If you won't escort me, I'll go on my own." She spun toward Shadow's stall and whistled softly. The mare stuck her head over the stall door and whickered.
Alexander reached out and snagged Ophelia's elbow.
She looked at him over her shoulder. "You can't stop me."
He didn't want to; fool that he was, he wanted to go with her.
Chapter 6
R ain dripped from the eaves, horses blew softly in
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