condescending look on his face.
The list grows more and more interesting, she said, intent on distracting him so that she could avoid gal oping off down the lane. Men get up at dawn, feel no fear, andwhat was that you told me last night?stay away from womens hemlines.
Look, youre at a disadvantage, Strange said.
As you already indicated. Harriet put her nose in the air. I find your rudeness insufferable.
Look at you! he erupted. You look exactly like awel you probably dont know the word, so I wont use it. But youl never find a woman at this rate.
Kitty seemed to have no questions about my manliness, Harriet pointed out. She said I was very handsome.
You are handsome, he said, and then made a funny strangled sound in his throat. Its just that youlook at your hair!
Harriet frowned at him. Im wearing a hat.
It has golden streaks in it, he said. Like a womans hair.
Wel , yours has streaks too, she retorted. It looks just like mahogany.
For some reason his face froze with horror. He spun his horse around and said, Bloody hel ! And the next moment he was pounding away down the road.
Harriet let out a little snort of laughter. Strange was cracked. But her horse was straining at the reins, so she gripped with her knees just as the stableboy told her. It felt odd, but perhaps it would keep her in the saddle.
Al right, she said to her mount. Go, then. She loosed the reins.
She would have screamed, but the icy air blowing in her face stole her breath. She would have stopped, but pul ing on the reins did nothing. Her horse was intent on catching up with Strange and clearly considered its rider an afterthought. She would have fal en off except she couldnt loosen her knees from pure terror. So she held on the reins and screamed silently. Her hat flew off.
Her ears froze.
The horse seemed to eat up the ground with its long legsand every time it lurched forward, she flew into the air and then came down with a crash. Ow! Ow! Ow!
Through narrowed eyes streaming with tears from the cold, she saw that somehow she was catching up with that devil, Strange.
A moment later, her horse actual y started to pass him, except that Strange bent over and shouted at his horse until it drew ahead again.
At the end of the road she drooped over the horses neck, panting. She didnt even look at Strange. If he dared to say something about her being a poor rider, shedshedkil him.
But when she final y looked over, he didnt have that sarcastic sneer any longer. Youre not a bad rider, he said. Thats something.
I had no idea that Bess had it in her.
She glared at him.
He was looking pleased with himself. Wel go back nowbut we shouldnt gal op again, Im afraid. Its too cold out here for the horses to be sweating this much.
Thank God, Harriet thought.
He talked al the way back to the house about manly things like fencing moves and boxing matches. She ignored him and thought about whether she had suffered irrevocable damage to her most tender parts, her female parts. She was very fond of that part of her body and didnt want it battered to pieces. She couldnt feel anything between her legs at the moment. It was al numb.
By the time they arrived home, she was regaining sensationand those sensations were not pleasant.
Strange jumped off his horse and threw the reins to the groomsman. Il see you in the portrait gal ery in ten minutes, Cope, he bel owed.
No, you wont, she said.
He frowned at her. His plan seemed to involve keeping her in motion for the next twelve hours.
I want breakfast.
His face cleared. Right. Beef and beer, thatl do the trick. He went into the house without waiting for an answer.
Beer? Beer for breakfast? He must be insane.
The freckled stableboy was standing at her side. He had a nice face, so she gave up her attempts at dignity. Im not sure I can get off of this animal, she told him.
He looked around, but the other groomsman had led Stranges horse away and there was no one to be seen but a footman huddled just inside the
The list grows more and more interesting, she said, intent on distracting him so that she could avoid gal oping off down the lane. Men get up at dawn, feel no fear, andwhat was that you told me last night?stay away from womens hemlines.
Look, youre at a disadvantage, Strange said.
As you already indicated. Harriet put her nose in the air. I find your rudeness insufferable.
Look at you! he erupted. You look exactly like awel you probably dont know the word, so I wont use it. But youl never find a woman at this rate.
Kitty seemed to have no questions about my manliness, Harriet pointed out. She said I was very handsome.
You are handsome, he said, and then made a funny strangled sound in his throat. Its just that youlook at your hair!
Harriet frowned at him. Im wearing a hat.
It has golden streaks in it, he said. Like a womans hair.
Wel , yours has streaks too, she retorted. It looks just like mahogany.
For some reason his face froze with horror. He spun his horse around and said, Bloody hel ! And the next moment he was pounding away down the road.
Harriet let out a little snort of laughter. Strange was cracked. But her horse was straining at the reins, so she gripped with her knees just as the stableboy told her. It felt odd, but perhaps it would keep her in the saddle.
Al right, she said to her mount. Go, then. She loosed the reins.
She would have screamed, but the icy air blowing in her face stole her breath. She would have stopped, but pul ing on the reins did nothing. Her horse was intent on catching up with Strange and clearly considered its rider an afterthought. She would have fal en off except she couldnt loosen her knees from pure terror. So she held on the reins and screamed silently. Her hat flew off.
Her ears froze.
The horse seemed to eat up the ground with its long legsand every time it lurched forward, she flew into the air and then came down with a crash. Ow! Ow! Ow!
Through narrowed eyes streaming with tears from the cold, she saw that somehow she was catching up with that devil, Strange.
A moment later, her horse actual y started to pass him, except that Strange bent over and shouted at his horse until it drew ahead again.
At the end of the road she drooped over the horses neck, panting. She didnt even look at Strange. If he dared to say something about her being a poor rider, shedshedkil him.
But when she final y looked over, he didnt have that sarcastic sneer any longer. Youre not a bad rider, he said. Thats something.
I had no idea that Bess had it in her.
She glared at him.
He was looking pleased with himself. Wel go back nowbut we shouldnt gal op again, Im afraid. Its too cold out here for the horses to be sweating this much.
Thank God, Harriet thought.
He talked al the way back to the house about manly things like fencing moves and boxing matches. She ignored him and thought about whether she had suffered irrevocable damage to her most tender parts, her female parts. She was very fond of that part of her body and didnt want it battered to pieces. She couldnt feel anything between her legs at the moment. It was al numb.
By the time they arrived home, she was regaining sensationand those sensations were not pleasant.
Strange jumped off his horse and threw the reins to the groomsman. Il see you in the portrait gal ery in ten minutes, Cope, he bel owed.
No, you wont, she said.
He frowned at her. His plan seemed to involve keeping her in motion for the next twelve hours.
I want breakfast.
His face cleared. Right. Beef and beer, thatl do the trick. He went into the house without waiting for an answer.
Beer? Beer for breakfast? He must be insane.
The freckled stableboy was standing at her side. He had a nice face, so she gave up her attempts at dignity. Im not sure I can get off of this animal, she told him.
He looked around, but the other groomsman had led Stranges horse away and there was no one to be seen but a footman huddled just inside the
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