“I believe so,” the baron replied. “The storm yesterday must have done them in.”
“Yes,” Lady Emily said. “Do you know what kind of ship it was?”
“Military,” he replied, and she looked down at her hands. She still wasn’t likely to swoon, but it did hurt a little bit to think of the military men who had lost their lives.
“Oh,” she said. “That is ghastly.”
She saw a flash of red in her vision then and looked up to see what she thought was a fox shooting across their path. No one else seemed to see it, but she was certain there was something for her to hunt.
“There!” she pointed. “I’ll go after it.”
She was eager to hunt, but she was also eager for a moment alone with her thoughts. She wondered if what the baron said had been true. It wasn’t that he was a liar, but he did sometimes exaggerate the truth, just to make conversation.
She sometimes wondered if the baron felt like he was in a competition to be the most entertaining in the room. She thought that such a prospect would be exhausting. When she wasn’t interested in a conversation, she drifted away, rather than butting in. It was the baron’s type in society that made her want to travel and see what else the word had to offer.
Lady Emily spurred her horse forward and followed the fox without another word. She didn’t look behind her to see if anyone else was following, and she actually preferred they did not.
Her horse knew that Lady Emily often wanted him to go at breakneck speed, and he did not disappoint. Lady Emily loved this horse because he seemed as daring as she was. He would jump over the logs that had fallen without hesitating, and would take corners sharply, all to pursue the animal in question.
The dogs seemed to have spotted the fox too, and they also took off across the clearing. Lady Emily knew that she would not be alone for long, now that the dogs were in pursuit.
“Come on,” she whispered in her horse’s ear. “Let’s be the first ones.”
The horse seemed to understand and picked up his pace. She regularly heard someone call to her from behind, but she didn’t listen. The wind whistled in her ears and her hair flowed freely behind her as they galloped across the field.
This was being free. This was the moment; the life that she craved. She hoped that it wasn’t also the last day she would experience it.
Chapter 4
Emily felt as though she could ride forever. She was aware, of course, that she had lost the fox, and she was now just riding to feel the wind in her hair and the fact that there was nothing stopping her. She knew that if she kept riding, she would eventually come along the cliffs, and she would have to be careful, because sometimes, the end of the land and the edge of the cliff started very suddenly.
She managed to slow down a little when she saw the cliffs, and to her dismay heard someone behind her. The dogs had gone back and she saw that Lord Reginald was behind her.
“Lady Emily,” he said. “Lady Emily, are you all right?”
He was panting, and she saw that he had ridden hard to catch up to her.
“Of course, I’m all right,” she said. “I was just hunting the fox.”
“The fox ran away,” he said. “The dogs took after it in the other direction. Did you not notice?”
“I expect I was so caught up in the moment that I did not,” she replied. “I am not the most skilled hunter, it appears.”
“No,” he said, with a smile. “But that is all right.”
“I agree,” she said. “It’s about the chase most of the time. Hopefully, the others did not panic?”
“Everyone else seems to think that you were just...all right,” he said. She didn’t want to tell him that everyone else thought it was normal that she did such things, and did not chase after her, because they knew she could take care of herself.
She couldn’t work out whether Lord Reginald was just being courteous, or whether he truly didn’t seem to understand that she could take care of herself.
Lady Emily knew that she was different from many women. She just thought that perhaps women in London were a bit more advanced than in her country life. Occasionally, Lord Hambleton had told her stories of women in the colonies, who had to help build their own houses or survive crossing the entire land by themselves. She thought they were admirable, and she wanted to be just like them, which seemed impossible in a land that was set up to do everything for a woman.
It wasn't that she was rude and didn’t want the help from time to time. She accepted that everyone in society would need assistance now and again. She just didn’t think that she needed assistance every second.
She also understood that there were some women who enjoyed that type of assistance, and she didn’t blame them. She appreciated that people were different, and she wished that she was not judged as harshly for being so.
“Shall we ride this way?” Lord Reginald asked. “Since we have already lost the rest of the party?”
Lady Emily did not see any way she could say no, without being rude, so she nodded. She considered riding at breakneck speed again, so that he could at least not carry a conversation, but she decided against it. She didn’t want Lord Reginald to tell the rest of the party that she had been unkind to him, for he deserved no unkindness
“Wonderful,” he said, and started his horse at a light trot. He was about to say something more when she saw someone walking towards them. She knew they were near a village, and as she squinted into the distance, she recognized the person walking carefully along the cliff side.
“It’s Old Sam,” she said, with a smile, and pushed her horse forward a few steps.
“Who is Old Sam?” Lord Reginald asked, confused.
“Everyone knows Old Sam,” she said. “He’s lived here since before anyone can remember. He walks out here every day. He says that the sea breeze is vital to his long life.”
“That is interesting,” Lord Reginald said, as Old Sam approached. When he saw Lady Emily, he smiled.
“Hello, my dear,” he said. “What are you doing all the way out here?”
“I was on a hunt,” Lady Emily said. “And I took off after a fox."
“Of course you did,” Old Sam shook his head. “Have you lost him?”
“Unfortunately,” Lady Emily replied and then gestured to her companion. “This is Lord Reginald. He is staying with my father for a while.”
Lord Reginald looked as if he wanted to add more to that exchange, but Lady Emily had shut the door on the possibility of mentioning their marriage in casual conversation.
“Good to meet you,” Sam said, as he stretched up a bit to shake Lord Reginald’s hand. “Where are you from?”
“From London, sir,” Lord Reginald said.
“Ah, London,” Sam replied. “A place I do not think I would enjoy. Too busy.”
“It can be,” Lord Reginald said. “I keep quite a schedule there, so I am grateful for the retreat to the country.”
“Everyone should come out here,” Sam said. “The country air is wonderful for a long life.”
“I heard your secret was the sea air,” Lord Reginald replied, and Sam winked at Lady Emily.
“That too,” he said.
“Sam, I heard a rumour that there has been a shipwreck out here,” Lady Emily said. “The baron said it was terrible. Was he just telling tales?”
“No, that is true,” Sam said. “And there is picking for all from the wreckage.”
“Really?” Emily said. “I thought it was a military ship.”
“A well-stocked military ship,” he said. “I don’t know whether they were delivering supplies for another ship, or carrying goods, but either way, it’s all floating down there.”
“As well as a good many other things are floating down there, I assume,” Lord Reginald said. “Not a sight for a lady.”
“I have experienced the spoils of war,” she said, calmly, to Lord Reginald.
“She has seen that,” Old Sam put in it. Lord Reginald looked puzzled. �
��I believe that some of the other villagers are going to go check for survivors. It was floating a bit far out when we awoke this morning, but now much of wreckage has come closer...”
“The baron said that there were no survivors,” she said.
“I’m not sure how he would know that,” he said. “We don’t even know that ourselves.”
“This is how rumours begin,” Lady Emily said and then turned to Lord Reginald. “We should assist. If there are survivors, I don’t think I could rest easy knowing that we didn’t do anything.”
“Lady Emily, you shouldn’t…the hunt…” he stammered for words and she raised an eyebrow.
“You could rest easy knowing we continued on?” she asked, and he shook his head.
“Truth be told, I could not,” he replied. “Stay here a moment and I will signal to the rest of the party. I am certain I can catch their attention.”
“Very well, go and signal to the rest of the party,” she said, and he galloped off. Once he was gone, she turned to Sam, who was looking at her with quizzical eyes. “What?” she asked and Sam smiled.
“I have never seen him around before,” he said. Lady Emily rolled her eyes.
“I doubt that you are likely to again,” she said. “When his visit is over, he likely won’t return.”
“Oh?” Sam asked. “Why not?”
She sighed. She had known Sam most of her life and he was like the grandfather she had never met. She knew she couldn’t lie to him.
“Because I am not interested in marrying him,” she said.
“I see,” Sam said. “So, he is a prospect for that?”
“My father certainly thinks so,” she said and he smiled.
“And you do not?”
“No,” she said. “He is not for me.”
“Well,” Sam said. “If I know anything about you, Lady Emily, it’s that you certainly make up your own mind.”
“I don’t mean to sound offensive,” Lady Emily said. “And it isn’t as if he is an unkind man. If I was the type of women who was forced into a situation where I had to marry him, it would not be the most upsetting thing in the world.”
“But you are not that type of woman,” Sam said, and Lady Emily nodded.
“I am not,” she said. “At least, not yet.”
“My dear,” he said. “From what I know of you, you will never be in that spot. Now, I should head to the rescue site on the beaches."
“Do you really think anyone is alive?” she asked. “If the shipwreck is as bad as they say…”
“I’m unsure,” he replied. “But I do know that the storm last night slammed them on the cliff. We are praying for survivors.”
“Aye,” she said. “Even if the rescue party is made up of potential looters?”
“Somehow, if we rescue folk, I don’t think they’ll mind,” Sam said, and headed off. Lady Emily noticed that the rest of her party was attending then and turned her horse around. Everyone seemed out of breath, and they were all talking at once. It was clear that Lord Reginald had told them the shocking news.
“I didn’t think there could be any survivors at all,” the baron said. “Especially given the way the situation was described.”
“It seems like there could be,” Lady Emily said. “Old Sam is certain of it.”
“What we need to do is get organized,” Edward put in. “Yarwood, I need you to ride for help. A wreck of this nature is too much for ordinary people to handle. Go and get the law or even the military. We will need some supplies and possibly medical aid.”
“But…” Yarwood said, but Edward was firm on the matter.
“I know you can be quick,” he said. “So you must go now.”
“All right,” he agreed, and headed off.
“I want to help,” Lady Emily said, but Lord Reginald turned to her.
“No,” he said. “The beaches are mayhem, I know that about the countryside, if nothing else. You and Baroness Yarwood must stay here.”
“But…” Lady Emily said, and turned to her father. Her father, however, seemed to think that Lord Reginald had made the right decision.
“It is best if you stay here, Emmie,” he said.
She wanted to fight against the decision so much, but she decided against it. From the top of the cliff, she could at least see everything.
Once the men headed down the cliff, Baroness Yarwood turned to her.
“This is gruesome,” she said. “I cannot believe this. Those poor men.”
“I know,” she said. “I cannot imagine how frightening it was for them.”
“The poor dears,” Baroness Yarwood put her eyes to the sky. “I will pray for them.”
“Catherine,” Lady Emily suddenly burst out, and the baroness glanced to her in confusion.
“What?” she asked. “What about Catherine?”
“She would be heading to the lunch spot now,” Lady Emily said. “I should go and tell her what is happening.”
“You’re going to leave me here?” the baroness said.
“I won’t be long,” Lady Emily couldn’t just stand around and watch things happen. She needed to do something and going to find Catherine was something she could do. “And you’ll be all right. They will be right down there, just yell if there is something.”
“We can’t yell,” the baroness said. “It is not becoming of a lady.”
‘I’m sure that there is some sort of forgiveness put in place if you are in danger,” Lady Emily said and then spurred her horse forward so she could go and get Catherine.
She knew that Catherine was a bit more delicate than she was, and she didn’t want to distress or disturb her. However, all of those thoughts went out of her head when she saw Catherine, who was sitting at the lunch spot. She seemed blissfully unaware of anything.
“What is happening?” Catherine said when she saw Lady Emily ride up in a panic.
“There has been a shipwreck,” Lady Emily burst out. “And you can see it from the cliff. They think there might be survivors.”
“A shipwreck?” she asked. “Oh my goodness. What’s happened?”
“It’s a military ship,” she said. “And it was shipwrecked in the storm last night. I ran into Old Sam and he told me. Well, really, the baron told me first, but I didn’t believe him and…”
“Lady Emily,” Catherine stood up and went to her friend right away as she dismounted. “What is the matter? I’ve never seen you so flustered.”
Lady Emily knew that Catherine didn’t often use her full name and title. She took a deep breath and tried to speak again.
“I just thought of Lord Hambleton,” she said, in a moment of emotion.
“I know,” Catherine said. “I know. That must be very difficult for you. We can go back to the house if you wish.”
“No,” Lady Emily said. “I want to help, but Lord Reginald told me to stay on the cliff. And my father agreed.”
A Lady's Taste For Temptation (Historical Regency Romance) Page 7