breeches,
knee-high boots, and close-fitting coat emphasized the latent power in his
figure.
Julian smiled as Sophy came down the stairs. He held aloft a small basket. "I
had Cook pack us a picnic lunch. Thought we could explore the old castle ruin we
spotted on the hill overlooking the river. Does that appeal to you, madam?" He
came forward to take her arm.
"That was very thoughtful of you, Julian," Sophy said humbly, striving to
maintain a smile. His anxiousness to please her was touching and it only served
to make her feel even more miserable.
"Have your maid run upstairs and fetch one of those lamentable books of yours. I
can tolerate anything but the Wollstonecraft. I've picked out something from the
library for myself. Who knows? If the sun stays out we may want to spend the
afternoon reading under a tree somewhere along the way."
Her heart leapt for an instant. "That sounds lovely, my lord." Then reality
returned. Julian would not be in any mood to sit reading with her under a tree
in some leafy glade after she told him the awful truth.
He led her outside into the bright Spring sunshine. Two horses stood saddled and
waiting, a blood bay gelding and Angel. Grooms stood at their heads. Julian
watched Sophy's face carefully as he slid his hands around her waist and lifted
her into the saddle. He looked relieved when she did not flinch at his touch.
"I'm glad you felt up to riding again today," Julian said as he vaulted into his
saddle and took the reins. "I've missed our morning treks these past two days."
He shot her a quick, assessing glance. "You are certain you will be, uh,
comfortable?"
She blushed vividly and urged her mare into a trot.
"Most comfortable, Julian." Until I find the courage to tell you the whole truth
and then I shall feel absolutely terrible. She wondered morosely if he would
beat her.
An hour later they drew to a halt near the ruins of an old Norman castle that
had once stood guard over the river. Julian dismounted and walked over to the
gelding Sophy was riding. He lifted his wife gently out of the saddle. When her
feet touched the ground he did not release her immediately.
"Is something wrong, my lord?"
"No." His smile was whimsical. "Not at all." He took his hand from her waist and
carefully rearranged the plume that had fallen forward from the brim of her
small brown velvet hat. The plume had been dangling at a typically precarious
angle.
Sophy sighed. "That was one of the reasons I was such a failure during my short
season in London. No matter how carefully my maid did my hair and arranged my
clothing I always managed to arrive at the ball or the theater looking as if I'd
just been run over by a passing carriage. I think I should like to have lived in
a simpler time when people had fewer clothes to worry about."
"I would not mind living with you in such a time." Julians grin widened as he
surveyed her attire. There was laughter in his sunlit green eyes. "You would
look very good running about in very few clothes, madam."
She knew she was turning pink again. Hastily she swung away from him and started
toward the tumbledown pile of rocks that comprised what was left of the old
castle. At any other time Sophy would have found the ruin charmingly
picturesque. Today she could hardly focus on it. "A lovely view, is it not? It
reminds me of that old castle on Ravenwood land. I should have brought along my
sketchbook."
"I did not mean to embarrass you, Sophy," Julian said quietly as he came up
behind her. "Or frighten you by reminding you of the other night. I was just
trying to make a little joke." He touched her shoulder. "Forgive me for my want
of delicacy."
Sophy closed her eyes. "You did not frighten me, Julian."
"Whenever you move away from me like that I worry that I've given you some new
cause to fear me."
"Julian, stop it. Stop it at once. I do not fear you."
"You do not need to lie to me, little one," he assured her gently. "I am
knee-high boots, and close-fitting coat emphasized the latent power in his
figure.
Julian smiled as Sophy came down the stairs. He held aloft a small basket. "I
had Cook pack us a picnic lunch. Thought we could explore the old castle ruin we
spotted on the hill overlooking the river. Does that appeal to you, madam?" He
came forward to take her arm.
"That was very thoughtful of you, Julian," Sophy said humbly, striving to
maintain a smile. His anxiousness to please her was touching and it only served
to make her feel even more miserable.
"Have your maid run upstairs and fetch one of those lamentable books of yours. I
can tolerate anything but the Wollstonecraft. I've picked out something from the
library for myself. Who knows? If the sun stays out we may want to spend the
afternoon reading under a tree somewhere along the way."
Her heart leapt for an instant. "That sounds lovely, my lord." Then reality
returned. Julian would not be in any mood to sit reading with her under a tree
in some leafy glade after she told him the awful truth.
He led her outside into the bright Spring sunshine. Two horses stood saddled and
waiting, a blood bay gelding and Angel. Grooms stood at their heads. Julian
watched Sophy's face carefully as he slid his hands around her waist and lifted
her into the saddle. He looked relieved when she did not flinch at his touch.
"I'm glad you felt up to riding again today," Julian said as he vaulted into his
saddle and took the reins. "I've missed our morning treks these past two days."
He shot her a quick, assessing glance. "You are certain you will be, uh,
comfortable?"
She blushed vividly and urged her mare into a trot.
"Most comfortable, Julian." Until I find the courage to tell you the whole truth
and then I shall feel absolutely terrible. She wondered morosely if he would
beat her.
An hour later they drew to a halt near the ruins of an old Norman castle that
had once stood guard over the river. Julian dismounted and walked over to the
gelding Sophy was riding. He lifted his wife gently out of the saddle. When her
feet touched the ground he did not release her immediately.
"Is something wrong, my lord?"
"No." His smile was whimsical. "Not at all." He took his hand from her waist and
carefully rearranged the plume that had fallen forward from the brim of her
small brown velvet hat. The plume had been dangling at a typically precarious
angle.
Sophy sighed. "That was one of the reasons I was such a failure during my short
season in London. No matter how carefully my maid did my hair and arranged my
clothing I always managed to arrive at the ball or the theater looking as if I'd
just been run over by a passing carriage. I think I should like to have lived in
a simpler time when people had fewer clothes to worry about."
"I would not mind living with you in such a time." Julians grin widened as he
surveyed her attire. There was laughter in his sunlit green eyes. "You would
look very good running about in very few clothes, madam."
She knew she was turning pink again. Hastily she swung away from him and started
toward the tumbledown pile of rocks that comprised what was left of the old
castle. At any other time Sophy would have found the ruin charmingly
picturesque. Today she could hardly focus on it. "A lovely view, is it not? It
reminds me of that old castle on Ravenwood land. I should have brought along my
sketchbook."
"I did not mean to embarrass you, Sophy," Julian said quietly as he came up
behind her. "Or frighten you by reminding you of the other night. I was just
trying to make a little joke." He touched her shoulder. "Forgive me for my want
of delicacy."
Sophy closed her eyes. "You did not frighten me, Julian."
"Whenever you move away from me like that I worry that I've given you some new
cause to fear me."
"Julian, stop it. Stop it at once. I do not fear you."
"You do not need to lie to me, little one," he assured her gently. "I am
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