for only a moment. He didn’t respond well to threats, he never
had. “Perhaps you should.” His tone was even and devoid of inflection. Nonetheless, she recoiled as if he’d slapped
her. Lucinda Langdon was a beautiful
woman and clearly accustomed to getting what she wanted, especially when it
came to men.
She stiffened. “You
don’t mean that,” she said, studying him through narrowed eyes.
“Actually, I do.”
“You bastard,” she said indignantly. “You think you can end it, just like
that?” She snapped her fingers, her face
reddening in anger.
It was a decidedly unattractive color on her. “Yes, as a matter of fact that is exactly
what I think,” he said, then abruptly turned on his heel and walked away. Despite the outraged hiss that followed him,
he didn’t look back.
As Tiffany meandered through the wooded terrain, she tried
to make sense of her feelings regarding Alex. Although she knew it was foolhardy to pine for a man who might never
return her affections, she seemed incapable of controlling her wayward
emotions. And after last night, having
experienced the wonder of his kiss, it seemed that she was helpless to deny the
depths of her feelings any longer. Heaven help her, she was falling in love with Alexander Warrene, truly,
madly, deeply and beyond reason. Therefore, the question now it seemed was what did she do about it? Or perhaps, what could she do about it?
Unfortunately though, as she continued her leisurely ride,
she couldn’t seem to come up with an answer. It was frustrating to say the least. Lost to her thoughts, she scarcely noticed when the first few drops of
rain began to fall around her, dripping intermittently through the thick cover
of leaves overhead. In fact, it wasn’t
until a large glistening droplet landed with an unmistakable splat directly
upon the leather pommel that she was shaken from her musings and looked to the
sky. Through a gap in the trees she
could see that it was darkening. Urging her mount toward the
small clearing that lay ahead, she broke free of the sheltering trees and
scanned the sky above. Her eyes widened
as she noted the dark, ominous looking clouds moving swiftly in overhead. She’d been so distracted that she hadn’t even
noticed the changing weather.
Collecting her bearings, she realized that she had traveled
farther away from the picnic site than she had intended. Silently castigating herself for her lack of
attention, it was then that she heard the first low rumble of thunder. Mentally calculating how long it would take
her to get back to the group, she emitted a low groan. She doubted that she could make it before the
rain began to fall in earnest. Besides,
the others had probably noticed the darkening sky long before she had and most
likely had already begun their return to Sethe Manor. Blast her rotten luck! As she considered her options, she noticed
that her riding habit was quickly becoming dotted with tiny wet splotches. Marvelous! She was going to be soaked within minutes.
Glancing back to the trees, she wondered how much cover they
would provide once the rain really began to fall. Not much, she figured; and the sprinkles were
already turning into a light drizzle. All too soon it would be pouring buckets. She needed to make a decision and she needed
to make it quickly. Dare she try to make
it back to the house in the storm, or did she look for shelter and simply wait
it out? Sadly, neither option was all
that appealing. Just then, another loud
rumble of thunder sounded overhead, spooking the mare and causing her to
side-step nervously. As Tiffany patted
the horse’s sleek neck and tried to calm her, the solution suddenly came to
her. The old overseer’s cottage! She and Ashleigh had stumbled upon it weeks
ago during one of their rides. She
looked up, once more scanning her surroundings as
had. “Perhaps you should.” His tone was even and devoid of inflection. Nonetheless, she recoiled as if he’d slapped
her. Lucinda Langdon was a beautiful
woman and clearly accustomed to getting what she wanted, especially when it
came to men.
She stiffened. “You
don’t mean that,” she said, studying him through narrowed eyes.
“Actually, I do.”
“You bastard,” she said indignantly. “You think you can end it, just like
that?” She snapped her fingers, her face
reddening in anger.
It was a decidedly unattractive color on her. “Yes, as a matter of fact that is exactly
what I think,” he said, then abruptly turned on his heel and walked away. Despite the outraged hiss that followed him,
he didn’t look back.
As Tiffany meandered through the wooded terrain, she tried
to make sense of her feelings regarding Alex. Although she knew it was foolhardy to pine for a man who might never
return her affections, she seemed incapable of controlling her wayward
emotions. And after last night, having
experienced the wonder of his kiss, it seemed that she was helpless to deny the
depths of her feelings any longer. Heaven help her, she was falling in love with Alexander Warrene, truly,
madly, deeply and beyond reason. Therefore, the question now it seemed was what did she do about it? Or perhaps, what could she do about it?
Unfortunately though, as she continued her leisurely ride,
she couldn’t seem to come up with an answer. It was frustrating to say the least. Lost to her thoughts, she scarcely noticed when the first few drops of
rain began to fall around her, dripping intermittently through the thick cover
of leaves overhead. In fact, it wasn’t
until a large glistening droplet landed with an unmistakable splat directly
upon the leather pommel that she was shaken from her musings and looked to the
sky. Through a gap in the trees she
could see that it was darkening. Urging her mount toward the
small clearing that lay ahead, she broke free of the sheltering trees and
scanned the sky above. Her eyes widened
as she noted the dark, ominous looking clouds moving swiftly in overhead. She’d been so distracted that she hadn’t even
noticed the changing weather.
Collecting her bearings, she realized that she had traveled
farther away from the picnic site than she had intended. Silently castigating herself for her lack of
attention, it was then that she heard the first low rumble of thunder. Mentally calculating how long it would take
her to get back to the group, she emitted a low groan. She doubted that she could make it before the
rain began to fall in earnest. Besides,
the others had probably noticed the darkening sky long before she had and most
likely had already begun their return to Sethe Manor. Blast her rotten luck! As she considered her options, she noticed
that her riding habit was quickly becoming dotted with tiny wet splotches. Marvelous! She was going to be soaked within minutes.
Glancing back to the trees, she wondered how much cover they
would provide once the rain really began to fall. Not much, she figured; and the sprinkles were
already turning into a light drizzle. All too soon it would be pouring buckets. She needed to make a decision and she needed
to make it quickly. Dare she try to make
it back to the house in the storm, or did she look for shelter and simply wait
it out? Sadly, neither option was all
that appealing. Just then, another loud
rumble of thunder sounded overhead, spooking the mare and causing her to
side-step nervously. As Tiffany patted
the horse’s sleek neck and tried to calm her, the solution suddenly came to
her. The old overseer’s cottage! She and Ashleigh had stumbled upon it weeks
ago during one of their rides. She
looked up, once more scanning her surroundings as
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