as the little cavalcade moved off. Frustration made her bum with anger, although she faced the fact that Rosa Montafies probably had more right to the use of the mare than she had herself in the circumstances. Her own right * was simply a fantasy that Miguel had fostered out of compassion.
It always seemed to come back to Miguel, and for a moment the old feeling of resentment arose again. If he hadn't kissed her, then Rosa Montafies would have had no cause to be so furiously jealous; and yet when she recalled the moment when she stood in the circle of his arms and felt the touch of his mouth on hers, Kirstie
found it hard to wish it hadn't happened, whatever upheaval it had caused.
She seemed to have walked for miles, and yet it couldn't be so very far in reality, but Kirstie wished she could have foreseen a walk back before she rode so far. The smart brown leather boots she wore for riding pinched unmercifully when she walked in them, and her mood worsened with every painful step.
She blamed herself for not having made more of an effort to stop Rosa Montaiies from taking the mare; she blamed Rosa Montanes for being so insanely jealous, and eventually she blamed Miguel for being the original cause of the whole thing. It was at that point that she noticed him in the distance, riding towards her along the dusty track between the trees, and she watched his approach with mingled anger and relief.
The fact that he had Scheherazade on a leading rein made it inevitable that he had seen Rosa Montaiies, she thought, and it made her ponder on what kind of a mood he was Hkely to be in. How had the other woman explained her possession of the mare? she wondered, and hoped it had not been without a certain amount of embarrassment.
Seeing he was bringing her her horse, Kirstie saw no ^ point in walking any farther and she leaned back against a tree to take as much weight as possible off her feet. Her anger had already diminished to some extent, and she was as much curious as anything as she watched him coming, lowering her eyes when he came to a halt and sat looking at her for a moment before he dismounted.
He tethered the stallion and brought the mare with him across to where she stood. 'Are you all right?' he asked, flinging Scheherazade's rein carelessly around a branch, and Kirstie nodded.
'My feet hurt, that's all; these boots weren't made for walking in.'
He took note of the dark look in her blue eyes and the slight thrust of her lower lip, and shook his head.
*And you're angry,' he said.
'I am!' She left the support of the tree, wincing when she took the weight on her tender left foot. *What do you expect me to be but angry? I've just been firmly put in my place, so I was informed, and I shouldn't think it's an experience anyone enjoys!'
'Rosa?'
He knew perfectly well it was Rosa, and the look Kirstie gave him condemned him for even asking. 'Of course!' she said, and brushed dust from her trousers with quick jerky movements of her hands. 'You know it i was, you must have seen her come back with my horse!'
'I saw her come back with your horse,' Miguel agreed in a voice that suggested he wasn't about to offer sympathy. 'But all she would say was that you needed to be taught a lesson and she'd put you afoot; ; I didn't stop to question her, I brought the mare back for you instead.'
'Thank you!' Rashly impulsive as always, she didn't pause to think before she went on, 'Although in the circumstances it might have been more tactful to have sent someone else with her, since you were the reason I was being put in my place!'
'/ was?' Kirstie was already regretting having been so outspoken, but there was nothing she could do to avoid the steady gaze he fixed her with. 'I think you'd better tell me the rest, having gone so far, Kirstie.' When she instinctively shook her head he gripped her arms and gave her a slight shake. 'What are you holding me responsible for now, eh?'
She used her hands in a vaguely helpless gesture, for
It always seemed to come back to Miguel, and for a moment the old feeling of resentment arose again. If he hadn't kissed her, then Rosa Montafies would have had no cause to be so furiously jealous; and yet when she recalled the moment when she stood in the circle of his arms and felt the touch of his mouth on hers, Kirstie
found it hard to wish it hadn't happened, whatever upheaval it had caused.
She seemed to have walked for miles, and yet it couldn't be so very far in reality, but Kirstie wished she could have foreseen a walk back before she rode so far. The smart brown leather boots she wore for riding pinched unmercifully when she walked in them, and her mood worsened with every painful step.
She blamed herself for not having made more of an effort to stop Rosa Montaiies from taking the mare; she blamed Rosa Montanes for being so insanely jealous, and eventually she blamed Miguel for being the original cause of the whole thing. It was at that point that she noticed him in the distance, riding towards her along the dusty track between the trees, and she watched his approach with mingled anger and relief.
The fact that he had Scheherazade on a leading rein made it inevitable that he had seen Rosa Montaiies, she thought, and it made her ponder on what kind of a mood he was Hkely to be in. How had the other woman explained her possession of the mare? she wondered, and hoped it had not been without a certain amount of embarrassment.
Seeing he was bringing her her horse, Kirstie saw no ^ point in walking any farther and she leaned back against a tree to take as much weight as possible off her feet. Her anger had already diminished to some extent, and she was as much curious as anything as she watched him coming, lowering her eyes when he came to a halt and sat looking at her for a moment before he dismounted.
He tethered the stallion and brought the mare with him across to where she stood. 'Are you all right?' he asked, flinging Scheherazade's rein carelessly around a branch, and Kirstie nodded.
'My feet hurt, that's all; these boots weren't made for walking in.'
He took note of the dark look in her blue eyes and the slight thrust of her lower lip, and shook his head.
*And you're angry,' he said.
'I am!' She left the support of the tree, wincing when she took the weight on her tender left foot. *What do you expect me to be but angry? I've just been firmly put in my place, so I was informed, and I shouldn't think it's an experience anyone enjoys!'
'Rosa?'
He knew perfectly well it was Rosa, and the look Kirstie gave him condemned him for even asking. 'Of course!' she said, and brushed dust from her trousers with quick jerky movements of her hands. 'You know it i was, you must have seen her come back with my horse!'
'I saw her come back with your horse,' Miguel agreed in a voice that suggested he wasn't about to offer sympathy. 'But all she would say was that you needed to be taught a lesson and she'd put you afoot; ; I didn't stop to question her, I brought the mare back for you instead.'
'Thank you!' Rashly impulsive as always, she didn't pause to think before she went on, 'Although in the circumstances it might have been more tactful to have sent someone else with her, since you were the reason I was being put in my place!'
'/ was?' Kirstie was already regretting having been so outspoken, but there was nothing she could do to avoid the steady gaze he fixed her with. 'I think you'd better tell me the rest, having gone so far, Kirstie.' When she instinctively shook her head he gripped her arms and gave her a slight shake. 'What are you holding me responsible for now, eh?'
She used her hands in a vaguely helpless gesture, for
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