by Sonia Parin
She recognized the Halton House stable hand sent over with the Woodridge hunters. “Billy’s waiting for us, so I suppose there’s no putting this off any longer or changing my mind.”
“Countess, just don’t go jumping over fences or hedges or anything higher than a blade of grass. I’m still responsible for you,” Tom warned.
Evie grinned. “Brace yourself, I’m going to give you a good run for your money.”
As she greeted Billy, she saw the dowagers, Toodles and Caro arriving in the Duesenberg. They were all dressed in their warm country tweeds and looked quite thrilled to be there. Clearly, Lotte had decided to stay away.
Caro fussed with her hat and tried to keep up with them as they walked around inspecting the horses.
Taking the reins, Evie greeted her horse, “Hello, Poppy. It’s been a while so you’ll have to be patient with me.”
“What’s my horse’s name?” Tom asked.
“Oh, that’s Clover.”
“I’m riding a weed?”
“Clover isn’t a weed. It’s a herbaceous plant. We give all our horses plant and flower names.”
“I suppose I shouldn’t complain. I could have been riding Daisy.”
“Ah, this is about your manhood.” Evie turned and signaled to Billy who promptly produced a block for her to step on. She took hold of the reins and, with her foot firmly in the stirrup, she heaved herself up. “Good girl, Poppy.”
Tom mounted Clover and walked up to Evie. “If you’re harboring any second thoughts, now is the time to speak.”
“Or forever hold my peace? Well, I haven’t come up with a feasible plan so we’ll just have to play it by ear.” When she’d told Tom about her idea to fake an accident he’d immediately vetoed it, echoing Caro’s sentiments and saying it would be tempting fate.
“I’m actually worried about Henrietta. How is she going to manage all the walking? In my experience, not all the tracks are made for walking. That’s usually the case in most estates.”
Tom laughed. “There’s your answer.”
“Pardon?”
“Look over there.”
Evie turned and saw Billy leading a donkey and cart. “She wouldn’t. Surely, she wouldn’t.”
They both followed Billy’s progress. When Henrietta saw the stable hand approaching, her smile widened.
“I hear Queen Victoria enjoyed riding around in one of those,” Tom said.
She should not have been surprised to see Billy run off and return with yet another donkey and cart.
“You look annoyed,” Tom observed.
“I am, but only because they managed to come up with a solution to a problem.”
“Without your assistance?”
Evie gave a reluctant nod. “Not only that. I actually doubt I would have thought of the idea.”
“Lady Woodridge.” Sterling Wright steered his horse toward them. “I’m so glad you decided to join us.”
“And I’m glad I came. Although, I’m sure my opinion will differ tomorrow. I haven’t been riding in a while.” Trying to identify the people staying at Hillsboro Lodge, she pointed at a man and said, “I don’t recognize him.”
“That’s Archie Arthurs. This is his first hunt.”
He looked stocky and, even if Sterling Wright hadn’t mentioned it, she would have known he had limited experience on horses. His shoulders were stooped and his slouching posture left a lot to be desired. In fact, the man didn’t look at all confident and his horse looked skittish.
A man and a woman sidled up to Archie Arthurs and appeared to share a joke as they all laughed.
“That’s Matthew Prentiss and his wife, Pamela.” Sterling Wright leaned in and said, “You made quite an impression on my fiancée. The moment she heard you’d be riding, she rushed off to organize herself.” He lowered his voice and added, “To be quite honest, I never thought she’d take to country pursuits. I almost regretted purchasing this property. In fact, I’d been thinking of selling up and returning to town.”
His consideration surprised Evie. It showed a desire to share some interests and make his fiancée happy. Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised since he’d taken measures to look after her safety by hiring Lotte to follow her.
“Here she is.” Sterling tipped his hat and greeted Marjorie Devon with a warm smile.
The veil on the young woman’s hat covered half her face but Evie could sense a forced smile on the young woman who actually rode sidesaddle.
“Lady Woodridge. How I envy you. Perhaps I should consider riding astride. It’s a shame I wouldn’t be able to wear this lovely outfit.”
Evie smiled and was about to reply when the master of the hunt blew his horn. A slight moment of confusion and a burst of excitement ensued. Then, suddenly, everyone took off after the hounds. The field followed with various degrees of enthusiasm, with Evie and Tom lagging behind.
Evie searched the riders and located Twiggy Lloyd, his rotund body making the search quite easy. A woman rode beside him and they appeared to be engaged in an animated discussion.
As Marjorie Devon had mentioned Twiggy’s wife, Evie searched her memory until she remembered the woman’s name. “Helena Lloyd.”
After a moment, the woman leaned forward slightly, encouraged her horse, and took off. Twiggy Lloyd smacked his hand on his thigh making his displeasure all too obvious.
“Are we bringing up the rear on purpose?” Tom asked. “Or are you about to bow out of the hunt?”
“There’s no hurry. I think it will give us a vantage point. We can observe everyone. As I said, I haven’t been on a horse in a while so it might be best to ease into it.” Although, she knew the precaution wouldn’t stop her from lamenting the day.
They continued on at a gentle canter and almost lost sight of the field.
“We risk being labeled lethargic,” Tom remarked. “And I think Clover is getting ideas about stopping for a bite to eat.”
“Oh, heavens, anyone would think you enjoy complaining.” Evie gave Poppy a light encouragement and she took off at a gallop. Smiling, she called out over her shoulder, “There, are you happy now?”
It took a moment for Tom to respond. When he did, he had no trouble catching up to Evie.
So much for Marjorie Devon’s lack of interest in country pursuits, Evie thought as she observed the young woman galloping at breakneck speed and having no trouble keeping up with the rest of the field.
She glanced toward her left and saw the dowagers, Toodles and Caro making their way along a track that rose up alongside the open field. Either they knew precisely where they were going or they were merely following the other spectators.
Evie loosened her hold on the reins slightly and relaxed into the ride. They were now narrowing the gap and catching up to the field of riders which had slowed down.
“The hounds look confused,” Evie shouted.
“They’re just trying to pick up the scent,” Tom hollered.
They finally caught up with the rest of the field. Evie and Tom slowed down again. They could see the hounds were frantic with excitement, their noses to the ground as they tried to identify the right scent. They almost looked discouraged. Then one of them gave a determined bark and took off with all the others following on its trail.
Evie barely had time to catch her breath. As she looked up and tightened her hold on the reins, she noticed Marjorie Devon looking over her shoulder at her.
“What’s the plan this time?” Tom asked. “Do we keep up or follow at a discreet distance?”
Poppy danced from side to side while Tom’s hunter, Clover, stood perfectly still.
“Poppy’s eager to follow. So… Giddy up.” Before Tom could respond, Evie took off.
She galloped across the open field, with Tom fast on her heels. Glimpsing over the rise, she saw the little carts making their way along. Somehow, Henrietta had managed to gain an even better advantage as the higher ground offered her a perfect view of the foxhunt in progress.
Tom a
nd Evie followed the field down a slope and caught up with them just as the riders galloped alongside a brook.
“Argh!” Evie screeched when the horse in front sent mud splattering on her face. She didn’t need to look over her shoulder to see Tom veering off to the left so he could avoid the same fate. She didn’t need to look because she heard him laugh.
Slowing down, she saw the carts on the nearby hill had come to a stop. Henrietta appeared to be standing up for a better look.
She must have noticed Evie looking toward the group. Henrietta’s arm jutted out and she pointed with jabbing motions.
Following the direction of her hand signal, Evie saw a rider breaking away from the field while the rest of the riders followed the rise and headed for a bridge.
Tom rode up alongside her. “Do you see who it is?”
“It’s a woman but I don’t recognize her.” She might have given up on the chase or grown bored, Evie thought. However, the woman appeared to ride with purpose.
“Which way now? Over or under the bridge?” Tom asked.
She glanced at his pristine white shirt. Rolling her eyes, she said, “I’m already muddy, so let’s go under.”
They saw the rider disappear behind a copse of trees running alongside the brook, but instead of surging ahead, they slowed down and maintained a discreet distance.
If they were caught, Evie thought it would be easy enough to explain themselves by saying they’d fallen behind and lost the others. Doubling back and following the track leading to the bridge would convince the other rider.
Tom pressed his finger against his lips. Edging forward, Evie thought she saw a flash of white.
Taking care to avoid detection, they moved closer. The rider had definitely stopped.
Evie saw the woman leaning down and whispered, “She’s talking to someone.” They couldn’t get any closer because they’d be seen. Although, she supposed they could pretend they had simply broken away from the field. Which, in fact, they had.
When she suggested it, Tom nodded in agreement.
“I don’t suppose the fox is hiding here,” he said in a conversational tone meant to be heard.
Evie replied in an equally conversational tone, “Do you realize our species is the only one to hunt and kill for sport?”
“If you disapprove, why did we join in?”
“For the ride, of course. I don’t mind that part.”
When they came up to the woman, Evie made a show of looking surprised. “Oh, good morning.” She thought she recognized her. Although she’d only seen her from a distance, Evie thought she looked like the woman she’d seen talking with Twiggy Lloyd.
The person she’d been talking with tipped his hat and retreated out of sight before they could get a good look at him. At least, they knew it was a man.
Evie had to wonder why the woman’s secret rendezvous with another man would be of interest to them. Then she realized, as Lotte Mannering’s associate, it would be her job to suspect everyone she encountered and be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.
“Have you lost your way?” the woman asked.
Evie shook her head. “No, I’m afraid we’re not really that enthusiastic about catching the poor old fox or, worse, witnessing his capture.”
“You must be from town.”
Evie introduced herself and Tom. When the woman introduced herself, Evie smiled. She had been right.
Twiggy Lloyd’s wife gave her a whimsical smile. “The Countess of Woodridge? I suppose you haven’t embraced country pursuits.”
“I’m afraid I have some reservations about some of them. However, I have the good sense to keep my opinions to myself.”
“Yes, that’s very sensible. I must admit, my heart is never really in it either. I only do it because Twiggy loves it.” She looked up toward the trail the others had followed. “I suppose we should at least pretend and rejoin the field. If only for the sake of appearances.”
Chapter 6
Outfoxed
After an exuberant gallop across several fields, the master of the hunt decided the fox would live to run free and try to outwit them another day.
“Gone to ground?” Music to her ears, Evie thought. She knew foxhunting had its place in country living. While it served as a leisure sporting activity, it was also deemed a necessity as foxes were perceived as a real threat to livestock.
“Lady Woodridge,” Marjorie Devon said as she trotted toward her, her clothes in pristine order. “I hope you enjoyed your ride.”
Evie remembered the young woman’s earlier greeting had been interrupted by the master of the hunt blowing his horn. Marjorie either wished to pick up where they’d left off and actually engage her in conversation or she had approached her to fulfill her role as a future hostess.
“We did.” Evie smiled to herself. When had she started referring to herself as ‘we’? And did she mean to include Tom? Yes, she most certainly did.
“Will you be joining us tomorrow?” Marjorie asked.
Evie gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to wait and see how my body responds to today’s ride.” As Marjorie Devon rode away, Evie exchanged a look with Tom. “I wonder if she just tried to determine my intentions for tomorrow so she could plan her own day. I know she still needs to visit Mrs. Green and I also know she doesn’t want me to accompany her.”
“And you think she wishes to avoid bumping into you?”
Yes, most definitely, Evie thought. “The question is why.” She glanced over at the riders making their way back to the house. Helena Lloyd rode alongside her husband and they appeared to be holding an amiable conversation. Evie imagined her feeling good about something. Had her assignation put her in good spirits?
“I suppose this has been a wild goose chase. We haven’t really discovered anything of value,” Evie remarked.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. We now know Henrietta and the others are willing to do just about anything to be included.”
“True. I take my hat off to them and their ingenuity.”
Heading back to the house, they met up with the donkey and cart riding group who waved from a distance and slowed down so Evie and Tom could catch up.
Drawing closer, Evie saw Caro’s fingers curled into a tight grip around the side handle. Reading her expression of surprise, Caro exclaimed, “The Dowager almost drove us into a ditch. I never knew a donkey could be pushed to such speeds.”
Henrietta leaned in and said, “It’s Cousin Henrietta. Remember, we are related.” Smiling up at Evie, Henrietta asked, “Did you discover anything interesting about that rider you followed?”
Brushing off some dirt from her face, Evie shared what little she knew.
“Oh, do you think she’s having an affair?” Henrietta asked. “How very adventurous to do it right under her husband’s nose.”
“Something is definitely going on.” Although what that might be, Evie had no idea.
“What now?” Toodles asked. “Do we remain here for lunch? I heard someone mention food.”
“You can stay, but we’re heading back home. I’m sure Lotte has come up with some ideas by now.”
“What happened to trying to remain here?” Sara asked.
“I couldn’t think of a plan that didn’t involve me falling off my horse. I really hope Lotte’s had better luck.”
“Have a gallop back to the house and see if that will inspire you,” Henrietta suggested. Turning to Caro, she said, “Hold tight, Cousin Carolina. We’re racing back to Hillsboro Lodge.”
Henrietta’s donkey must have known better than to baulk at the idea of moving. It took off at surprising speed, its little legs pumping hard and fast, while Sara and Toodles followed close behind in their cart.
“Countess, I think we need to put our heads down. Otherwise, they will beat us back.”
“Oh, let them have their fun and little victory.”
“Are you sure? You’ll have to brace yourself for some serious teasing.”
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br /> Looking ahead, Evie saw they would have to tackle a couple of fences, hedges and a steep incline while the donkey and carts would have a smooth run of it downhill.
She smiled. “On second thought, giddy up.”
Tom rushed after her, warning, “No fences, Countess.”
Avoiding the fences meant going the long way around. Knowing he would follow wherever she went, Evie put her head down and made a dash for the nearest hedge.
Evie’s breath faltered. At the last minute, she considered pulling on the reins but Poppy had other ideas. She wanted to fly. “Oh, heaven help me.”
Tom hollered his warnings even as he matched Evie in tackling the first fence.
As Poppy’s front legs lifted and propelled them off the ground, Evie rose slightly off the saddle and leaned in. Instead of keeping her focus on the jump, she found herself distracted by a rider heading off, away from the house. She couldn’t be sure, but in that split second, she would have sworn it was Helena Lloyd.
With a yelp, she bounced back and forward as Poppy landed them safely.
Evie glanced over her shoulder in time to see Tom take the jump, his brows furrowed, his mouth set in a grim line.
Before he could recover from the jump, she called out, “Race you to the next fence.” Tackling that jump, she then called out, “Race you to the top of the hill.”
Several minutes later, they were both out of breath and laughing as they saw Henrietta and the others had actually bested them by beating them back.
“I’ve just realized we have managed to give ourselves the perfect disguises.”
“What disguises?” Tom asked.
“Insouciance, Mr. Winchester. Someone snooping around would have been asking a thousand questions. Instead, we held back and observed.”
At least one member of the party had plans they wished to keep secret. They could either discount Helena Lloyd as the person responsible for writing the threatening letters because she had her own personal agenda, that of cheating on her husband, or…