The Mysterious Merriana
Page 32
He was not an especially large man, but he was well proportioned, and the graceful confidence of his carriage was unusual in one so youthful. Antonia could tell little more about him in the dusky light except to judge that his appearance was the type over which Fanny and Susan would have swooned. Antonia herself was unimpressed, she told herself smugly. She much preferred men who were blond, and this man’s hair appeared to be dark. His eyes were not the blue she admired, that much she could tell. They were, she assumed, hazel, or perhaps they were only a very light brown.
“Hello, young man.”
The stranger’s words were hardly exciting, certainly not the stuff of which great drama was made. Nor were they of a significance that would explain why Antonia’s world suddenly somersaulted. Except that she had never heard such a voice before. There was an accent to it that was unfamiliar to her, although it was obvious even then that his native tongue was English. But it was not his accent that affected her so much. His voice was beautiful, a sweet, deep baritone that trickled down her spine like warm honey. She tried to speak and found she could not.
The man raised his brows for a second time, then apparently gave up waiting for a return greeting from Antonia. “I’m looking for an estate called Hilltops,” he said. “Have I found it?”
Antonia nodded. In some part of her stunned thoughts, she feared he would think her a dullard, but her body refused to follow directions from her brain. So she stood gaping, wide-eyed, her lips parted and slack. What was wrong with her? Would he think she was a sapskull? Her question was answered in the affirmative when he next spoke.
“Very good,” the man continued, speaking slowly and deliberately in an apparent attempt to give Antonia ample time to assimilate the words. “I’m seeking the Earl of Cardleigh. I was told this is his country seat. Is that correct?”
“No. Yes. I mean—” Antonia stumbled to a stop. With a tremendous effort of will, she forced her thought patterns into a semblance of normalcy. “I mean, yes. This is his home. But he isn’t here now.”
Disappointment was written clear in the quick frown that touched the stranger’s forehead, but he smiled just as quickly. And that smile transformed his face, Antonia admitted to herself, from one that her sisters would swoon over to one that they would die for. She swallowed convulsively and forced her vocal cords to function. “I can take you to him.”
“Can you?” The man sounded both surprised and pleased. “How far is it?”
Antonia unconsciously lifted her hand to massage muscles in the back of her neck, which by now was growing a bit tired. Not once since the man had stopped his horse beside her had she looked away from his face. He noted her gesture and immediately swung one leg over the saddle and dismounted.
“My apologies,” he murmured. “I should not have kept you looking up at me so long.”
Antonia welcomed his descent with relief. No doubt with him on the ground and near her level, the magnitude of his effect on her would shrink to the dimensions of anyone else’s—which would be negligible. But then she looked into his eyes. They were neither hazel nor light brown. But eyes couldn’t be gold, she told herself. It was a trick of the fading light. And yet, they appeared to be gold.
“What color are your eyes?” she asked before she realized that she was speaking.
The stranger laughed. “Not a common color apparently since so many people comment on their unusual hue. I suppose, if I were forced to put a name to them, I would call them amber.”
“Amber,” Antonia repeated. She closed her eyes, trying to visualize amber. She could recall it only as the color of a dress her mother had once worn, a watered satin that glimmered like aged gold when the light caught it. That fabric had been beautiful but not nearly so breathtaking as this man’s eyes.
Antonia opened her own eyes again and looked directly into his, which were sparkling with amusement and an emotion she couldn’t read. Was it frustration?
“How far would I have to go to find Lord Cardleigh?”
Antonia took a deep breath. She had to get herself under control. She was behaving just as Fanny or Susan would have done under the circumstances, she realized, and she had always detested the way her older sisters became befuddled when in the presence of an unusually attractive man. She would not allow herself to behave so irrationally. She squared her shoulders and answered the man’s question in a firm voice. “Justin’s staying at a house that’s about fifteen miles from here.”
The stranger shook his head. “I won’t have time,” he replied, disappointment clear in his voice. “I have to be back in London tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Is there someone here who could see that he receives a message from me?”
“But he’s between here and London,” Antonia replied, truly thankful for the first time in her life that her voice was so low and husky. She needn’t even try to lower it in order to sound like a young boy. “Where he’s staying is only about two miles off the main road. You could visit him and still get to London by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Are you positive?” the man demanded in a voice so charged with an air of command that Antonia literally flinched, but she soon had herself back under control.
“Of course I’m positive,” she exclaimed. “He’s staying at my mother’s house.”
“Your mother’s house? Are you related to Justin in some way?”
Antonia realized too late that she never should have mentioned a family member and, dressed as she was, she could hardly reply with the truth. In any case, she was unusually slow to respond. In the past, she had never felt any qualms about lying when it suited her purposes, and she didn’t understand why she hesitated now.
“We’re related only through Justin’s stepmother,” she answered at last, unreasonably pleased that she could tell this man at least a portion of the truth. She had no intention of sharing with him the full truth—that her mother and Justin’s stepmother were one and the same person. Full truths, she had learned from experience, could be dangerous, while partial truths were often better than outright lies.
“I see,” the man replied. “And are you visiting here then while Justin visits your mother?”
Again Antonia was able to formulate a reply that was truthful. She lowered her head a bit to look toward the ground near her feet. “My mother doesn’t like me around her a lot. I’m forever getting into mischief without intending to.”
“Ah. I’m sorry to hear that. However, that is frequently the case with young men of your age, I believe. I wouldn’t worry overmuch about it.”
Antonia decided it was past time to direct the conversation away from her. “Do you want me to take you to Justin?”
“I appreciate the offer, son, but I’m afraid your mother would not approve. If you’ll give me directions, I’m sure I’ll have no difficulty in finding it for myself.”
Antonia’s mind whirled. There seemed to be two things of importance here. One, she was on the verge of having a real adventure or, at the very least, a change in her routine. Second, if she didn’t think quickly she would miss the opportunity to spend additional time in the company of this man. She didn’t try to determine why spending time with him was important to her. It just was. And, unfortunately, it was evident that if she wished to achieve her desires, selected truths would no longer suffice. She stuck her right hand in her pocket, crossed her fingers, and launched into one of the biggest lies she had ever told.
“Can I tell you the truth, sir?”
“Certainly.” His voice held a note of firm supportiveness and Antonia realized that she had already convinced him of her veracity.
“I’m not really supposed to be here. I broke one of mother’s favorite vases this afternoon, without meaning to of course, and I didn’t want her dressing me down in front of Justin, so I saddled my horse and rode over here. I meant to stay until Justin came back, but now I realize that they may be very worried about me and I feel I should get home as fast as possible. If I could ride along with you, I would appreciate it.�
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“You mean no one here bothered to send a message to let your mother know you’re safe?”
Antonia bowed her head again. “No one knows I’m here except for the groom and the cook and they both assumed I was supposed to be here. If I could just get back home tonight, I know I’d be in a lot less trouble than if I stayed here until tomorrow. Mother might not even realize I’d ever been away.”
“Well.” The stranger showed obvious signs of weakening, so Antonia quickly pressed her point.
“The moon will be up soon. It will be full tonight, and we can ride for as long as we’ll need to. But you might miss the lane turning off to the house if you go alone. And I won’t take long to get ready. I’ll just run to the house to tell Cook that I’m traveling in your company and then to the stables to get my horse.”
The stranger was not immune to the cajolery in Antonia’s tone. “Very well, then. Do you want me to speak to the cook for you? She might be worried about your traveling with someone she doesn’t know.”
“No,” Antonia replied, too quickly and too loudly. She improvised hurriedly. “Cook’s afraid of strangers. She would probably have the vapors if you were to go into her kitchen. I’ll tell her you’re a friend of Justin’s. If that’s true. Is it?”
“Yes.” The man was smiling again and Antonia felt her stomach muscles tighten in response.
“I’ll just be a minute,” she called back over her shoulder as she turned to run down the gravel path that would take her to the side door and the stairway leading to her bedchamber. She had no desire for the stranger to spend too much time waiting for her for fear he might reconsider his offer.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed the beginning of The Untamable Antonia. The ebook is scheduled for release in early 2017. If you don’t already subscribe to my newsletter and you’d like a reminder regarding the release of The Untamable Antonia, just click HERE to sign up. Or visit my website (www.CarolynnCarey.com) for information about all of my books.
Also, feel free to contact me at cc@carolynncarey.com. I always enjoy hearing from readers.
All my best,
Carolynn
About the Author
Carolynn Carey is an award-winning author of both Regency-set historical novels and contemporary novels, including the popular Barbourville series.
Her first Regency, Compromising Situations, was a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest and later won the 2007 National Readers’ Choice Award. Two more of her Regency novels, including A Simple Lady, were finalists in the Golden Heart contest, and A Simple Lady won a Maggie Award of Excellence in 2016. Her contemporary novels also have been finalists or winners in national contests.
Carolynn publishes a newsletter announcing both sales and new releases and invites you to sign up for the newsletter by clicking HERE. She looks forward to hearing from you.
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Also by Carolynn Carey
Regency-Era Historical Novels
Compromising Situations
A Simple Lady
The Secret Christmas Ciphers
My Elusive Countess
The Barbourville Series
Celebrations of Joy
A Summer Sentence
Falling for Dallas
Dealing with Denver
Dreaming of Dayton
The Forgotten Christmas Tree
At Home in Barbourville
The Bow Wow and Meow Campaign
Barbourville Christmas Reunion
Chasing Dreams in Barbourville
Contemporary Novels
Holly Grove Homecoming
My Cupcake, My Love
Lily for a Day
Christmas with Tiffany
Prognosis for Happiness