you were right.”
A half hour later, Brandon, Myles, and Larken were riding across a field of grass and wildflowers. Myles rode ahead in an irregular pattern as he and his pony chased down butterflies.
“I do feel terrible about missing your birthday,” Brandon said. “A family party just doesn’t seem enough to make up for it. Let’s go to town, shall we? I have a townhouse in Grosvenor Square.”
The thought of taking the train made Larken tense up. “No, thank you. It would be difficult for me to travel by train, I’m afraid. I had to take laudanum just to get here from Rugby.”
“That’s because of the accident, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. Mrs. Howley accused me of being a malingerer.”
“She’s an idiot. As I recall from the newspaper stories, you were trapped in the wreckage overnight. Few people could overcome such a horrible event.”
“Maybe I will…someday. I wouldn’t like to believe otherwise.”
“Perhaps it would help if you talked about it?”
“I-I can’t.”
“Never mind, then. I don’t want you to think about anything unpleasant today.”
Brandon smiled, but she could see he was disappointed. What she wouldn’t give to wave a magic wand and make her fear go away! They rode quietly for a few minutes, when suddenly she spotted a broad swath of puffy white dandelions in the grass. It was very late in the year for dandelions to seed, so she knew it must be an omen.
“Wait! Brandon, can you help me down?”
“Why?”
“If you make a wish and blow on dandelion seeds, the wish will come true.”
“You’re joking.”
“Come on, Brandon. I didn’t make a wish on my birthday, so this is my opportunity.”
He laughed and shook his head, but dismounted nevertheless. As he crossed over to Juniper, Myles came riding up.
“What are we doing?”
“Larken wants to make a wish on a dandelion.”
“Oh, me too!”
Myles jumped off his pony and began racing around the field, collecting white puffy seed heads.
“Save some for me!” Larken exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, I see several over here,” Brandon said.
He helped her down from her mare, plucked a dandelion from a mound nearby, and then presented it to her. She made a silent wish and then blew on the seeds until the stem was bare. Afterward, she picked one and thrust it at Brandon.
“It’s your turn.”
He waved her off. “No. Blowing on dandelions isn’t dignified.”
She slid him a flirtatious glance underneath her lashes. “Can’t you think of anything to wish for?”
He grinned. “If you put it that way.”
A mighty puff blew all the dandelion seeds into the air, where the warm breeze carried them along toward their final destination. Several yards away, Myles was sputtering at his dandelions with a long, frothy blow. Afterward, he flopped backward into the grass with a groan. Brandon and Larken rushed over in alarm. The lad was clutching a dozen naked stems and wore a foolish expression.
“What’s wrong?” Brandon asked.
“I blew my wishes so hard, I got dizzy,” Myles exclaimed.
Larken and Brandon laughed as the boy jumped to his feet, shook his head to clear it, and darted off. Brandon’s eyes met hers, and without warning, he caught Larken around the waist and drew her close.
“Can you guess what I’m wishing now?” he murmured.
His tender, lingering kiss set all her nerve endings tingling.
Over near his pony, Myles snickered. “Whoop!” he shouted. “I just got my first wish!”
Chapter Nine
To Town
W HEN L ARKEN R ETURNED T O G RACELING H ALL , Lord Rowe had sent her a message saying he and his sister would have to suspend dance lessons for a week or ten days because Clarissa had a cold. Larken sent back a note wishing her a speedy recovery. Since Brandon and Myles were going fishing in the afternoon, she was to be at loose ends after lunch. Her curiosity had been piqued when Brandon mentioned the similarities between him and his brother, so she decided to sort through
A half hour later, Brandon, Myles, and Larken were riding across a field of grass and wildflowers. Myles rode ahead in an irregular pattern as he and his pony chased down butterflies.
“I do feel terrible about missing your birthday,” Brandon said. “A family party just doesn’t seem enough to make up for it. Let’s go to town, shall we? I have a townhouse in Grosvenor Square.”
The thought of taking the train made Larken tense up. “No, thank you. It would be difficult for me to travel by train, I’m afraid. I had to take laudanum just to get here from Rugby.”
“That’s because of the accident, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. Mrs. Howley accused me of being a malingerer.”
“She’s an idiot. As I recall from the newspaper stories, you were trapped in the wreckage overnight. Few people could overcome such a horrible event.”
“Maybe I will…someday. I wouldn’t like to believe otherwise.”
“Perhaps it would help if you talked about it?”
“I-I can’t.”
“Never mind, then. I don’t want you to think about anything unpleasant today.”
Brandon smiled, but she could see he was disappointed. What she wouldn’t give to wave a magic wand and make her fear go away! They rode quietly for a few minutes, when suddenly she spotted a broad swath of puffy white dandelions in the grass. It was very late in the year for dandelions to seed, so she knew it must be an omen.
“Wait! Brandon, can you help me down?”
“Why?”
“If you make a wish and blow on dandelion seeds, the wish will come true.”
“You’re joking.”
“Come on, Brandon. I didn’t make a wish on my birthday, so this is my opportunity.”
He laughed and shook his head, but dismounted nevertheless. As he crossed over to Juniper, Myles came riding up.
“What are we doing?”
“Larken wants to make a wish on a dandelion.”
“Oh, me too!”
Myles jumped off his pony and began racing around the field, collecting white puffy seed heads.
“Save some for me!” Larken exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, I see several over here,” Brandon said.
He helped her down from her mare, plucked a dandelion from a mound nearby, and then presented it to her. She made a silent wish and then blew on the seeds until the stem was bare. Afterward, she picked one and thrust it at Brandon.
“It’s your turn.”
He waved her off. “No. Blowing on dandelions isn’t dignified.”
She slid him a flirtatious glance underneath her lashes. “Can’t you think of anything to wish for?”
He grinned. “If you put it that way.”
A mighty puff blew all the dandelion seeds into the air, where the warm breeze carried them along toward their final destination. Several yards away, Myles was sputtering at his dandelions with a long, frothy blow. Afterward, he flopped backward into the grass with a groan. Brandon and Larken rushed over in alarm. The lad was clutching a dozen naked stems and wore a foolish expression.
“What’s wrong?” Brandon asked.
“I blew my wishes so hard, I got dizzy,” Myles exclaimed.
Larken and Brandon laughed as the boy jumped to his feet, shook his head to clear it, and darted off. Brandon’s eyes met hers, and without warning, he caught Larken around the waist and drew her close.
“Can you guess what I’m wishing now?” he murmured.
His tender, lingering kiss set all her nerve endings tingling.
Over near his pony, Myles snickered. “Whoop!” he shouted. “I just got my first wish!”
Chapter Nine
To Town
W HEN L ARKEN R ETURNED T O G RACELING H ALL , Lord Rowe had sent her a message saying he and his sister would have to suspend dance lessons for a week or ten days because Clarissa had a cold. Larken sent back a note wishing her a speedy recovery. Since Brandon and Myles were going fishing in the afternoon, she was to be at loose ends after lunch. Her curiosity had been piqued when Brandon mentioned the similarities between him and his brother, so she decided to sort through
Similar Books
