so, she’d increase what had become a miserable excursion by at least another ten minutes.
She dropped her valise to the stones below and gingerly began her descent.
Chapter Six
S ophia?” Vane traversed the vestibule, his mood darkening with each step.
He’d not located her in her room or the kitchen or elsewhere in the house. His wife had vanished. Not knowing where else to look, he ventured onto the porch to dispel the unlikely notion she might have ventured outside, which of course, she would not have done without telling him.
He sighted her instantly, a crimson spot in the paddock.
“Damn my eyes,” he shouted, his breath clouding the air.
How reckless for her to venture off into such inclement conditions and without telling him first. Without even having the courtesy to say good-bye. Bloody hell, she provoked him, but all he could think was that he had to get her back.
He stormed half across the field in pursuit when he heard her exclamation. Flailing, she dropped from view.
A sickening terror rose in his throat, along with the unforgettable details of another fateful fall. Vane broke into a run, sliding to a halt at the edge of the ditch. She sprawled supine, eyes wide open to the sky, her redingote and skirts flipped high, revealing her stockinged legs up to her garters.
Dead. This time Sophia was dead. This time, in her determination to escape him, she’d broken her lovely neck.
Scrambling over, he skidded down. Ice, rocks, and earth crumbled.
By the time he slid to a stop beside her, she stood on her feet, smoothing her skirts.
“Don’t say anything ,” she muttered sullenly.
Thank God for his greatcoat. Otherwise, she would see the unmistakable evidence of his heart having exploded out of his chest. He couldn’t breathe. For a moment he felt certain he had died. He wanted to grab her by the arms and examine her body from head to toe for any sign of injury. He swallowed hard, struggling to temper his response.
“Good God, Sophia,” he shouted hoarsely. “Are you certain you aren’t hurt?”
“I’m perfectly well,” she answered testily.
“You shouldn’t have gone out in this weather.”
“I walk all the time and not always in perfect weather.”
He forced himself not to shout at her. “You shouldn’t have gone without telling me. What if I hadn’t seen you?”
“Ugh.” She clasped her hands over her ears, like a naughty child suffering an unwanted lecture. “I wish you hadn’t.”
“Come along.” With a scowl, he thrust the heel of his Hessian into the frozen earth and extended his hand.
She ignored his offer of assistance. Instead she bent to retrieve her valise, which had popped open and fallen onto its side. The open gap offered a tantalizing glimpse of something ivory trimmed with frilly violet lace. She stuffed the errant garment inside and secured the clasp. “You owe me no such courtesies.”
He did not withdraw his hand. “What sort of gentleman would not offer assistance in such a situation?”
She sniffed dismissively. “You have offered assistance, and I have declined. Now go.” She made small shooing gestures with her gloved hands. He could not recall the last time he’d been shooed.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said with all imperiousness.
“I’m not ridiculous.” Dark lashes flared wide against pale skin. “And I require no escort, which is precisely why I did not ask you to escort me initially. Your duty is done. Isn’t that what we decided on? I felt certain that’s what ‘I want a separation’ meant, that we would go our separate ways. So go yours now and I’ll go mine, at least until after the agreements are drawn. Then we will make arrangements to…well, to…” She exhaled.
“To do what?” he asked darkly, wanting to make her squirm, which to his satisfaction, she did, bristling up like a porcupine.
“Just leave me,” she exclaimed, leaning toward him. “Return to the house, and I will continue on to the
She dropped her valise to the stones below and gingerly began her descent.
Chapter Six
S ophia?” Vane traversed the vestibule, his mood darkening with each step.
He’d not located her in her room or the kitchen or elsewhere in the house. His wife had vanished. Not knowing where else to look, he ventured onto the porch to dispel the unlikely notion she might have ventured outside, which of course, she would not have done without telling him.
He sighted her instantly, a crimson spot in the paddock.
“Damn my eyes,” he shouted, his breath clouding the air.
How reckless for her to venture off into such inclement conditions and without telling him first. Without even having the courtesy to say good-bye. Bloody hell, she provoked him, but all he could think was that he had to get her back.
He stormed half across the field in pursuit when he heard her exclamation. Flailing, she dropped from view.
A sickening terror rose in his throat, along with the unforgettable details of another fateful fall. Vane broke into a run, sliding to a halt at the edge of the ditch. She sprawled supine, eyes wide open to the sky, her redingote and skirts flipped high, revealing her stockinged legs up to her garters.
Dead. This time Sophia was dead. This time, in her determination to escape him, she’d broken her lovely neck.
Scrambling over, he skidded down. Ice, rocks, and earth crumbled.
By the time he slid to a stop beside her, she stood on her feet, smoothing her skirts.
“Don’t say anything ,” she muttered sullenly.
Thank God for his greatcoat. Otherwise, she would see the unmistakable evidence of his heart having exploded out of his chest. He couldn’t breathe. For a moment he felt certain he had died. He wanted to grab her by the arms and examine her body from head to toe for any sign of injury. He swallowed hard, struggling to temper his response.
“Good God, Sophia,” he shouted hoarsely. “Are you certain you aren’t hurt?”
“I’m perfectly well,” she answered testily.
“You shouldn’t have gone out in this weather.”
“I walk all the time and not always in perfect weather.”
He forced himself not to shout at her. “You shouldn’t have gone without telling me. What if I hadn’t seen you?”
“Ugh.” She clasped her hands over her ears, like a naughty child suffering an unwanted lecture. “I wish you hadn’t.”
“Come along.” With a scowl, he thrust the heel of his Hessian into the frozen earth and extended his hand.
She ignored his offer of assistance. Instead she bent to retrieve her valise, which had popped open and fallen onto its side. The open gap offered a tantalizing glimpse of something ivory trimmed with frilly violet lace. She stuffed the errant garment inside and secured the clasp. “You owe me no such courtesies.”
He did not withdraw his hand. “What sort of gentleman would not offer assistance in such a situation?”
She sniffed dismissively. “You have offered assistance, and I have declined. Now go.” She made small shooing gestures with her gloved hands. He could not recall the last time he’d been shooed.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said with all imperiousness.
“I’m not ridiculous.” Dark lashes flared wide against pale skin. “And I require no escort, which is precisely why I did not ask you to escort me initially. Your duty is done. Isn’t that what we decided on? I felt certain that’s what ‘I want a separation’ meant, that we would go our separate ways. So go yours now and I’ll go mine, at least until after the agreements are drawn. Then we will make arrangements to…well, to…” She exhaled.
“To do what?” he asked darkly, wanting to make her squirm, which to his satisfaction, she did, bristling up like a porcupine.
“Just leave me,” she exclaimed, leaning toward him. “Return to the house, and I will continue on to the
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