by Wendy Stone
“Did you lose your tongue?” she asked, her voice sharp.
“You are quite lovely,” he said, almost kicking himself as he heard the inane words coming from his mouth. “And I had no clue that your horse hadn’t spooked and gotten a hold of his bit. Do you race through the park like that often? You came very close to knocking my head off.”
“This park is part of my family’s estate here in London. You, on the other hand, were trespassing and have no rights to be here.”
“Your family? That would make you…”
“I am Lady Alyssa Cortland. My father is Lord Edward Cortland, Duke of Sexton.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Alyssa, though the circumstances are such as they are.” He stepped back, bowing low and taking her hand to press a kiss upon her knuckles. “I am Lord Jason Ashington. Since I have deprived you of your mount, perhaps I can give you a lift back to your home?”
* * * *
Alyssa snatched her hand from his grasp. A strange tingle shot up her arm, leaving her gasping. She blinked as she heard his name, for it was well known in London. He was a known rakehell and scoundrel, a determined bachelor and a touted horseman. He was also rumored to be known for his fists at the gentleman’s club he frequented; not one to take on in the ring unless one was willing to walk away bruised and swollen.
And he was unbelievably handsome, a fact that was just becoming apparent to Alyssa as her ire slowly faded. She had a temper as fiery as her hair and was known for sharp tongue and bursts of pique. But she was also known for her generosity and kind heart.
This was her first trip to London. She had been forced to come. She’d returned home from France just a few months before, where she’d gone to a finishing school at the behest of her father who thought she was becoming too “male-minded”. The one bright point of this trip would be her visit to her best friend, Lady Catherine Trent. Cat had been her roommate at school and also her conspirator, helping her get away with numerous pranks on the staffers of the school. A fact that hadn’t set well with her father and had caused him to rage at her when he’d come to visit.
But now she had returned to the life she loved; raising horses, reading, and hunting, all the things that had sent her father into such a tizzy.
“It is not necessary, Lord Ashington. I am sure I will be able to find my own way very well.”
“But Lady Alyssa, it grows late and the night will be upon us soon. With no horse, it will be full dark before you reach home. Come, it is only a small ways and you can ride pillion behind me, if that will cover your maidenly modesty,” he chuckled, watching as her cheeks grew redder, and her eyes flamed with ire once more.
She lifted her fingers to her lips, pursing those lush morsels and letting loose a shockingly loud whistle. Within moments, a high pitched whinny was heard, followed by the sound of a horse’s hooves beating down as it ran. Alyssa held her gown as her mount barreled toward her, making no effort to get out of the brute’s way.
Jason watched, his heart unexpectedly in his throat, his hand, ready to pull her out of the way. To his surprise, the horse swerved at the very last moment and ran past Alyssa. She reached out, grasping the pommel with both hands, swinging herself up and into the saddle with an ease that told him that this was a practiced move.
“Impressive,” he said, whistling through his teeth as he watched the fiery vixen ride away. She turned and he swore she was laughing at him. With a wave of her hand, she aimed her mount into a small copse of trees and disappeared from his sight.
Chapter Two
Alyssa stretched, yawning as the drapes were pulled open allowing the sun to shine into the decadently huge bedchamber. Her maid, Beth, hurried to the hangings on the bed, pulling them aside and tying them so that they created a swag against the tall bed posts. Then she sat a tray across her mistress’s lap, and hurried to straighten the room.
A pot of chocolate, toast and a petite omelet met Alyssa’s eyes when she glanced down at the food sent to tempt her palate. With a smile, she lifted the pot, pouring a small amount of the hot drink into a fragile porcelain cup and lifted it to her mouth. “So, Bethy,” she said after sampling the treat, “what’s on the schedule for today? Does Papa have me scurrying pillar to post after social acceptance again?”
Beth, new to Alyssa and not used to her ways, flushed. “Miss, I’m sure Lord Edward is just looking out for your future.”
Alyssa laughed, a gay trill of notes that were lovely as they floated on the air. “My father is just trying to wed me off to the closest eligible man that passes muster, Beth. We both know this,” she sighed. “And I suppose it is what I deserve for the sins of my past.”
“What sins are these?” Cat said, walking in without knocking, pulling off her riding gloves. She strode to the bed to plop down next to her friend. Lady Catherine Trent, sister of Lord Matthew Trent, Duke of Marshalling, was an appealing sight.
She was a lovely minx with almond shaped eyes, lush pink lips and a tiny straight nose that she swore had a bump in the center, though Alyssa had never seen it. Her hair, thick and black as a raven’s wing in the sunlight, was coiled and coiffed into a fashionable style. A high top hat, meant to mimic a man’s, perched daintily among the curls. Emerald green ribbons hung from the brim, ready to trail in the wind as she rode.
It made Alyssa deplore her own red mop that never stayed in its pins, always falling to curl riotously around her face. Cat’s tawny skin made her self-conscious about her own pale flesh that grew red and flushed with the least little exertion.
In a split-skirt riding habit that would have all the scandal mongers tongues a wagging, Cat was the epitome of upper class elegance. The habit was made of fine wool, emerald green to match the young beauty’s eyes.
“The sin’s of our past, Cat, which you should well know since you helped me commit most of them.”
Cat leaned over and lifted the small cup, taking a sip before answering. “Of course I know them, silly. They and you are the only things that made Madame Bridgette’s Finishing School for Young Ladies bearable.” She rolled her eyes. “Remember Monsieur Tremaine and his stuffy etiquette class?”
Alyssa found herself chuckling. “I thought the man would have an apoplectic fit the day he came in and saw what you had done to his table. Stealing the silverware was one thing, Cat, but writing curses in French on the napkins? That was over the top.”
“You thought it was an excellent idea at the time,” Cat answered, her eyes shining.
“Yes, and I still thought it a good idea even after I was sent to the kitchen to peel potatoes for the next three days. My punishment for your crime.”
“Oh come on, Lyssie, that was last year. You could have told on me and saved yourself, you know. How many times do I need to apologize?” Cat reached for the toast that Alyssa had just spread with strawberry preserves, stealing a bite before returning it to her friend.
“I don’t tattle on friends. And I know you don’t, but perhaps you can give me some information. I met someone yesterday and I’ve developed a curiosity. Since you know everyone…” she trailed off.
“Who?” Cat asked quickly, shifting forward on the bed. “Who is he?”
“Lord Jason Ashington,” Alyssa said, her voice lowering to a whisper. “What do you know of him?”
“Handsome, intelligent, witty, and a confirmed bachelor.” Cat sighed dramatically. “How did you meet him? He’s definitely not interested in unsophisticated debutantes.”
“I almost ran him down in the park. He was bent over, picking up his hat when Vixen and I rode by.” A chuckle escaped her as she remembered the look upon his face. “He thought Vixen was running away with me and charged to my rescue.”
“He caught Vixen?” Cat asked, her eyes huge. Alyssa’s big brute of a horse was more than even she wanted to tackle. Vixen refused to let anyone near him except his handler and Alyssa.
“Don’t sound so shocked. It wasn’t as if I were racing him. I didn’t know he was chasing me unt
il he pulled me from the saddle.”
“He unhorsed you? This is an event to mark on the calendar.” Cat laughed as Alyssa threw her napkin at her. “Jason Ashington, and you got that close to him,” she sighed. “I know dozens of girls who would kill to exchange places with you. So what happened when he realized his mistake?”
Alyssa felt her cheeks warm and cursed her fair skin.
“Ah ha, I knew something happened. Now you have to tell me,” Cat said, spying that telltale blush.
“I bit him.”
“You what?” Cat asked, sitting back with her small fingers covering her mouth.
“I bit him. He had me across his lap in the most demeaning of fashions and I had no idea who he was. So…I bit him.”
“Where?”
“In the park, silly. I told you that’s where I met him.”
“No,” Cat said, waving away her words. “Where on his…person did you bite him?”
“Oh, that,” Alyssa said, her blush deepening. “On his thigh. He deserved it. I didn’t know who he was or what he was doing. All I knew was that I got plucked off my horse and thrown face first across his lap.”
“What did he do?” Cat asked. Her eyes shining, she leaned close to hear every detail.
* * * *
“I dumped her off my lap and onto the ground. The little hoyden deserved it for the bite she gave me. Bruised my leg, she did, and left some impressive teeth marks.” Jason ducked under the right cross his friend threw and countered with a resounding blow to his body beneath his guard.
“You threw Lord Edward Cortland’s daughter to the ground?” His friend and confidante, Lord Theodore “Teddy” Paxton, was both gasping from the blow and appalled at his friend’s actions. “You actually just pushed her off and let her fall?” He renewed his attack with a body blow his own, striking the Duke squarely in the stomach. He winced, thinking he had done more damage to his hand than to Jason.
“Right down on her little arse. She had it coming, Teddy. I mean, I tried to do a good deed and look at the payment I got.” He circled his friend, dancing just out of reach of his next swing and going in under a left meant for his chin. “Come on, you’d have done the same.”
“I’ve seen the girl, Jason. If she’d had her face buried in my lap, it wouldn’t be to bite my thigh.” He chuckled at his own dubious wit, and thus missed the punch aimed for his face. Though Jason pulled it at the last moment, it knocked Teddy senseless for a moment. He staggered forward and fell, catching himself with his hands. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the vaulted ceilings of the club and waited for the stars to disappear from his vision.
“You still there, old man?” Jason asked, offering his hand to help his friend up.
“Well, my body is, but I’m not sure about my brain matter yet. Hell, Jason, I’ve got to stop letting you talk me into the ring. I always end up with a headache and bruises.” He took the hand, letting Jason pull him to his feet, and slapped him on the back. “I’d hate to be you when the Duke finds out what you did to his favorite daughter.”
“All I did was pull her from what I thought was a runaway horse,” Jason said, throwing up his hands.
“And push her off your lap and down on that very pretty little bottom of hers,” Teddy added, smirking at the look Jason gave him.
“Stuff it, Teddy. I’ll probably never see the girl again. She’s probably husband hunting with the rest of her ilk.” Jason stepped off the mat and headed for the heavy bag in the corner, needing to release a little more of the frustration he’d been feeling the past few days.
“We both know you want nothing to do with that,” Teddy said. He grabbed a towel, throwing it over his shoulders and using one end to wipe the sweat and blood from his face. “Hell, Jason, you bloodied my damn nose with that punch,” he said, staring down at the towel.
Jason plowed his hand into the leather of the bag, feeling the blow zing up his arm. He hadn’t been able to get the girl off his mind last night, seeing that daring move she made every time he closed his eyes. “How does a girl learn to ride like that? She’s better in a saddle than most men.” He turned and looked at Teddy. “Quit whining, your nose is fine. You won’t scare the women away tonight at the Gala.”
“Are you going?” Teddy asked.
“My mother is going to be there. She’s issued the royal command that I at least make an appearance. So I have no choice.” A smile lit Jason’s face as he thought of his mother. The lady was a wonder, having raised him alone since he was ten; if alone could be considered the governess, his tutor, his valet and the housekeeper. Still, she knew when to order and when to sit back and let him take his knocks.
“Perhaps you’ll get to see the beautiful Lady Alyssa again. I know she will be there tonight. She’s friends with Cat.” Teddy’s voice changed as he mentioned Catherine. He’d been in love with her since the first ball he’d seen her at and it grew worse with every meeting. She treated him as if he were a brother to her, to his despair.
“Oh, now that I know the little heathen is nothing but trouble, I’ll be sure to keep my distance.”
* * * *
Alyssa stared in the mirror, watching distractedly as Beth fastened the last curl into place in the elaborate style she’d given her mistress. The silver gown she wore was the latest in continental style. A full bustle in the back pulled the material of the skirt tight against her hips, emphasizing her tiny waist and long legs. The bodice was trimmed with a dark gray piping, the satin shimmering in the light of the candles as it exposed a goodly amount of the young girl’s ripe breasts and bare shoulders.
The silver was a perfect foil for her hair, the red seeming even more deep and fiery against the soft material. Two long coiled curls fell across one shoulder, drawing even more attention to the mounds of her breasts. Diamond and jet earrings dangled grandly from her tiny lobes, creating a frame against her pale cheeks and lush lips.
Her eyes seemed huge, their color more green than the haunting gray that usually dominated them. She had never looked lovelier, but a tiny voice of unease was gathering in her stomach, making her feel slightly ill. She tried to pawn it off as simply nerves, but that was impossible. She knew better than to ignore these feelings. When she felt this way, trouble always followed. So, after Beth left the room with a thank you from her mistress, she went to her dresser, opening the top drawer and pulling out the little two-shot derringer her father had gotten for her.
Slipping it into the small matching silver bag that she carried, she turned and picked up the wrap she’d wear over her gown and left her room. Her father met her on the stairs, smiling down at his beautiful, if willful, daughter and offered her his arm.
“You look lovely, daughter. I shall be fighting off a bevy of admirers tomorrow.” He bent and kissed her cheek before escorting her down the long staircase that led to the first floor of their palatial residence. “There has been a change of plans though, my darling. I shan’t be able to escort you to the gala after all. A matter of extreme import has arrived. I’ve made arrangements for you to be met there by Lord Matthew and his wife, who will be escorting young Catherine this evening.”
Alyssa made a small moue of disappointment though inside she was actually thrilled. Lord Matthew could barely keep his hands off his young bride and would be lax in his chaperonage of her and Cat. Perhaps this gala wouldn’t be the bore she’d projected it would be earlier this day.
“Oh, Father, I shall miss arriving on your strong arm. And our dance.” She laid her hand on his arm and looked up at him with fluttering eyelashes. “I so looked forward to dancing with you again. I haven’t had the chance since my return from school.”
Lord Edward watched his child’s performance with an amused smile. He’d raised her alone after his dearly loved wife’s death of influenza, and was wise to the ways her wiles worked. “Nicely done, my dear. Perhaps next time, though, a tear in the corner of your eye might be a crowning touch to your act.”
Alyssa tried to pout but cou
ldn’t quite pull it off, laughing as she hugged her father’s arm to her breast. “I shall miss you papa, but you do manage to scare off all the eligible men with your stern visage and the reputation of your aim as a marksman.”
“All this fuss from the chit who is determined not to marry,” Edward laughed, lightly chucking his daughter under her lovely chin. “I fear you don’t know your own mind if you want those mewling jackanapes panting after you at every ball and soiree that you plan to attend while we are here this season.”
“Oh, Papa, I know my mind. I don’t wish to marry for title or prestige, or to fatten some young swain’s purse. I wish to find a true man, an honorable one who will love me the way you loved mama. I can still remember your eyes when she would walk into a room.” She sighed, her free hand rising to her throat. “If I could find that, papa, I would marry willingly. If not, than I shall stay with you always and forever.”
“Heaven forbid that happening,” he quipped lightly, laughing as she shot him a look full of daggers. “No, my daughter, I yearn for grandchildren to dandle from my knee and to fill the house with their wonderful happy voices. So, do an old man a favor. Find love.”
Alyssa rose on her toes, laying her lips against her father’s weathered cheek. She’d been born from his second marriage, his first having ended with his wife’s death during child birth. The baby had survived only for a week before succumbing to a weakness of the heart. Edward had married again, choosing to marry for love this time, taking a wild Irish lass into his home and heart and making her his.
He’d been much older than his bride but that hadn’t stopped love from finding them and enveloping them with happiness. Their one regret was not having a large family. After Alyssa, two miscarriages had stopped them from trying for more children. The heartbreak of each loss was too acute.