unharmed.”
“I nearly fell off that pony!” Molly’s eyes were round as carriage wheels. “I might’ve been kilt if not for his lordship…”
When she trailed off with a worshipful look at Alec, who was still speaking to the officer, Katherine bit back a smile. Alec conquered hearts wherever he went, didn’t he? No doubt poor Molly would relive the daring rescue for days to come. As would Katherine. She couldn’t believe how close the girl had come to death.
The officer began to disperse the crowd, and Katherine squeezed the maid’s shoulders. “Molly, why did you tell Mama you could ride?”
Dropping her gaze to the ground, Molly twisted the handkerchief about in her shaky fingers. “Somebody had to go with you, miss, and your mother’s maid couldn’t be spared and… well… she said it didn’t matter if I could ride.” With a glance over to where Alec seemed absorbed in tending his horse, she lowered her voice. “Mrs. Merivale said to come home once I lost sight of you, so you and his lordship could be alone. She said something was bound to happen and then he’d have to make you his countess.”
Color flamed in Katherine’s face. Nor did it help when she saw Alec go still, apparently having heard every word. But when his shoulders began to shake with laughter, she scowled at his back. Eavesdropping rogue.
She would deal with Mama and her tactics later. “We’d better get you home now,” she told the maid.
“I’ll take her back.” Alec turned toward them. “She shouldn’t go alone, and I know you don’t want to miss the reading.”
“We’ll all go,” Katherine said firmly.
“Please, miss, don’t you do nothing like that!” Molly cried. “Your mother’ll have my hide if she knows I ruined your outing with his lordship.”
The officer walked up, having cleared the street of curious onlookers. “I can see the young miss home, if you like.”
Katherine hesitated, but she didn’t want Molly to get into trouble—unfairly or not, Mama would blame everything on her. Flashing the man a smile, she said, “We’d be most grateful.”
She fished in her reticule for a coin, but Alec was already taking care of it. He even arranged for a passing hackney to carry Molly and the officer back. Within minutes, they were headed off with the pony Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html tied to the back of the carriage.
Alec faced her, his eyes dark with concern. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, managing a game smile.
“Do you still want to attend the reading? We’d be late, but if we go now, we should arrive in time for most of it. That is, if you’re not too shaken.”
“To be honest, I could use something to calm me, and the reading would be perfect since it’s a less…
er… adventurous sort of entertainment.”
With a laugh, he strode over to retrieve his fallen hat, which had been trampled beneath the crowd’s feet. He examined the flattened disc ruefully.
“Looks like you’ll have to go without your poor hat,” she said.
“Not a chance.” He balanced it atop his head. “This and my mud-spattered breeches might convince them to ban me from the reading.”
“Don’t count on it. I doubt anyone there would even notice.”
“Right, I forgot.” Eyes twinkling, he tossed the ruined hat aside. “Poets consider poetry more important than fashion.”
“I don’t know how you can joke after what just happened,” she said, as he strode back to her side.
“My heart is still pounding.”
He helped her mount. “If I’d realized that was all I had to do to make your heart pound, I would have arranged a whole day of horseback rescues.”
“You could probably do it, too,” she retorted, as he mounted his own horse, and they started off. This time, as if by mutual consent, they took it slower, walking the horses along the busy street instead of trotting. “You were amazing. I’ve never seen anyone ride so
“I nearly fell off that pony!” Molly’s eyes were round as carriage wheels. “I might’ve been kilt if not for his lordship…”
When she trailed off with a worshipful look at Alec, who was still speaking to the officer, Katherine bit back a smile. Alec conquered hearts wherever he went, didn’t he? No doubt poor Molly would relive the daring rescue for days to come. As would Katherine. She couldn’t believe how close the girl had come to death.
The officer began to disperse the crowd, and Katherine squeezed the maid’s shoulders. “Molly, why did you tell Mama you could ride?”
Dropping her gaze to the ground, Molly twisted the handkerchief about in her shaky fingers. “Somebody had to go with you, miss, and your mother’s maid couldn’t be spared and… well… she said it didn’t matter if I could ride.” With a glance over to where Alec seemed absorbed in tending his horse, she lowered her voice. “Mrs. Merivale said to come home once I lost sight of you, so you and his lordship could be alone. She said something was bound to happen and then he’d have to make you his countess.”
Color flamed in Katherine’s face. Nor did it help when she saw Alec go still, apparently having heard every word. But when his shoulders began to shake with laughter, she scowled at his back. Eavesdropping rogue.
She would deal with Mama and her tactics later. “We’d better get you home now,” she told the maid.
“I’ll take her back.” Alec turned toward them. “She shouldn’t go alone, and I know you don’t want to miss the reading.”
“We’ll all go,” Katherine said firmly.
“Please, miss, don’t you do nothing like that!” Molly cried. “Your mother’ll have my hide if she knows I ruined your outing with his lordship.”
The officer walked up, having cleared the street of curious onlookers. “I can see the young miss home, if you like.”
Katherine hesitated, but she didn’t want Molly to get into trouble—unfairly or not, Mama would blame everything on her. Flashing the man a smile, she said, “We’d be most grateful.”
She fished in her reticule for a coin, but Alec was already taking care of it. He even arranged for a passing hackney to carry Molly and the officer back. Within minutes, they were headed off with the pony Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html tied to the back of the carriage.
Alec faced her, his eyes dark with concern. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, managing a game smile.
“Do you still want to attend the reading? We’d be late, but if we go now, we should arrive in time for most of it. That is, if you’re not too shaken.”
“To be honest, I could use something to calm me, and the reading would be perfect since it’s a less…
er… adventurous sort of entertainment.”
With a laugh, he strode over to retrieve his fallen hat, which had been trampled beneath the crowd’s feet. He examined the flattened disc ruefully.
“Looks like you’ll have to go without your poor hat,” she said.
“Not a chance.” He balanced it atop his head. “This and my mud-spattered breeches might convince them to ban me from the reading.”
“Don’t count on it. I doubt anyone there would even notice.”
“Right, I forgot.” Eyes twinkling, he tossed the ruined hat aside. “Poets consider poetry more important than fashion.”
“I don’t know how you can joke after what just happened,” she said, as he strode back to her side.
“My heart is still pounding.”
He helped her mount. “If I’d realized that was all I had to do to make your heart pound, I would have arranged a whole day of horseback rescues.”
“You could probably do it, too,” she retorted, as he mounted his own horse, and they started off. This time, as if by mutual consent, they took it slower, walking the horses along the busy street instead of trotting. “You were amazing. I’ve never seen anyone ride so
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