others. Unlike the lily white pampered pets before him, he’d made his own way in the world, fought for his own food with sinew and stealth, teeth bared the entire way.
He turned Lucifer toward a side path and brought the restless horse through a low bracket of brush a short distance up the path. He caught sight of Elizabeth, her eyes meeting his for thespace of a second. To his immense satisfaction, she reacted instantly. Her face brightened and her eyes flashed with pleased recognition, her lips parting as if to say his name.
But just as quickly, she rethought her reaction, for she bit her lip and looked away, her color high.
That decided it. “Come, Lucifer,” he murmured. “We are summoned.” Christian touched his heels to the sides of his mount. The gelding sprang forward as Christian guided him between the side of the cabriolet and the men who attempted to ride next to it.
No horse was a match for Lucifer. He sneered at the other mounts, snorting and baring his teeth. The other animals, as pampered and protected as their owners, took one look at the aggressive gelding and shied out of reach, away from the cabriolet.
Soon, Christian was in place beside the carriage. “Lady Elizabeth,” he said, touching his whip to the brim of his hat, smiling down into her eyes. “You look”—he let his gaze drift over her—“lovely. A rose in a hothouse of daisies.”
In Christian’s experience, a normal maid—especially one so inexperienced—would have been immediately thrown into a flutter of unease and excitement. But Lady Elizabeth was made of sterner stuff.
Her brows rose ever so slightly, and she said in that slightly husky voice of hers, “I beg your pardon, but have we met? I don’t believe I know you.”
A smile danced in her eyes, a dimple quivered on one rounded cheek.
For an instant, Christian completely forgot his quest. He forgot he was in the park, on his horse. He forgot that there were other people about. He forgot everything but the smiling eyes of the woman before him.
He leaned forward. “My lady, it is my most fervent wish that you did know me. Well.”
Her lips quirked in a delicious half smile. “Well, then. Perhaps that is something we can remedy, my—”
“Beth!” Her companion—Mrs. Thistle-Bridgeton—grasped Elizabeth’s hand and said, “Careful!” in a warning tone very similar to the one she’d used the night before.
Elizabeth sent her cousin a reluctant glance, then winced as if remembering something unpleasant. “Oh yes,” she said in an irritated tone. “That.”
Christian did not allow the smile to slip from his face, but all his senses sharpened. What was this? He struggled to understand.
Beside Christian, the Duke of Standwich was trying desperately to keep his rather plump mare under control. The normally placid animal wildly eyed Lucifer and tugged her reins in a most unseemly manner. “My lord!” Standwich huffed, sawing unbecomingly at the reins. “Pray control your mount!”
Christian glanced down at Lucifer, who was prancing with glee beside the cabriolet but otherwise minding himself with fair decorum. “My mount is under control. Your mare is the one who is unruly.”
Standwich’s mouth thinned, even as he had topull his restive horse back onto the path. “Lady Bud never behaves in this manner—”
“I beg your pardon,” Christian said, trying to suppress a grin and failing. “Did you call your horse ‘Lady Bud’?”
Beside him, Elizabeth gave a short gurgle of laughter. Christian flashed a smile in her direction, their eyes meeting a moment.
Standwich’s face reddened. “Yes! Yes, I did call her that. It is my mother’s mare, if you must know. I only borrowed it because I thought it would behave prettily in a lady’s presence.” The duke sent a resentful glare at Lucifer. “Unlike your mount, which is not fit for public usage!”
Christian rubbed Lucifer’s neck, which made the animal pick up his feet a bit higher. “I
He turned Lucifer toward a side path and brought the restless horse through a low bracket of brush a short distance up the path. He caught sight of Elizabeth, her eyes meeting his for thespace of a second. To his immense satisfaction, she reacted instantly. Her face brightened and her eyes flashed with pleased recognition, her lips parting as if to say his name.
But just as quickly, she rethought her reaction, for she bit her lip and looked away, her color high.
That decided it. “Come, Lucifer,” he murmured. “We are summoned.” Christian touched his heels to the sides of his mount. The gelding sprang forward as Christian guided him between the side of the cabriolet and the men who attempted to ride next to it.
No horse was a match for Lucifer. He sneered at the other mounts, snorting and baring his teeth. The other animals, as pampered and protected as their owners, took one look at the aggressive gelding and shied out of reach, away from the cabriolet.
Soon, Christian was in place beside the carriage. “Lady Elizabeth,” he said, touching his whip to the brim of his hat, smiling down into her eyes. “You look”—he let his gaze drift over her—“lovely. A rose in a hothouse of daisies.”
In Christian’s experience, a normal maid—especially one so inexperienced—would have been immediately thrown into a flutter of unease and excitement. But Lady Elizabeth was made of sterner stuff.
Her brows rose ever so slightly, and she said in that slightly husky voice of hers, “I beg your pardon, but have we met? I don’t believe I know you.”
A smile danced in her eyes, a dimple quivered on one rounded cheek.
For an instant, Christian completely forgot his quest. He forgot he was in the park, on his horse. He forgot that there were other people about. He forgot everything but the smiling eyes of the woman before him.
He leaned forward. “My lady, it is my most fervent wish that you did know me. Well.”
Her lips quirked in a delicious half smile. “Well, then. Perhaps that is something we can remedy, my—”
“Beth!” Her companion—Mrs. Thistle-Bridgeton—grasped Elizabeth’s hand and said, “Careful!” in a warning tone very similar to the one she’d used the night before.
Elizabeth sent her cousin a reluctant glance, then winced as if remembering something unpleasant. “Oh yes,” she said in an irritated tone. “That.”
Christian did not allow the smile to slip from his face, but all his senses sharpened. What was this? He struggled to understand.
Beside Christian, the Duke of Standwich was trying desperately to keep his rather plump mare under control. The normally placid animal wildly eyed Lucifer and tugged her reins in a most unseemly manner. “My lord!” Standwich huffed, sawing unbecomingly at the reins. “Pray control your mount!”
Christian glanced down at Lucifer, who was prancing with glee beside the cabriolet but otherwise minding himself with fair decorum. “My mount is under control. Your mare is the one who is unruly.”
Standwich’s mouth thinned, even as he had topull his restive horse back onto the path. “Lady Bud never behaves in this manner—”
“I beg your pardon,” Christian said, trying to suppress a grin and failing. “Did you call your horse ‘Lady Bud’?”
Beside him, Elizabeth gave a short gurgle of laughter. Christian flashed a smile in her direction, their eyes meeting a moment.
Standwich’s face reddened. “Yes! Yes, I did call her that. It is my mother’s mare, if you must know. I only borrowed it because I thought it would behave prettily in a lady’s presence.” The duke sent a resentful glare at Lucifer. “Unlike your mount, which is not fit for public usage!”
Christian rubbed Lucifer’s neck, which made the animal pick up his feet a bit higher. “I
Similar Books
