“I’m sure,” Gillian snapped. She could not for the life of her understand what had gotten into her sister. It was as if Whitney were deliberately trying to sabotage the plan by encouraging Lord Lionhurst. Gillian shook her head and turned back toward the source of her problems, the blue-eyed devil himself.
“Fine, I’ll go,” Whitney huffed. “But don’t expect me to cover for you if you two don’t show your faces in the next few minutes.”
Gillian faced Lord Lionhurst, intent on laying down some ground rules. “That is the second time you have kissed me without asking.”
“Are you angry?”
The question gave her pause. She was angry, but at herself for responding to him and not stopping him. “Do not kiss me again.”
“I won’t, unless you ask.”
The audacity of the man! “I won’t be asking.”
“Then I won’t be kissing you. But I promise you will ask.”
“You!” She pointed a finger at him. “We made a deal. You help me win the hand of your partner, and I’ll help you gain revenge on my unwanted fiancé. Either stick to our deal or the bargain is off.”
“And how far do you think you would get with my friend if I told him you only wanted to marry him for his money?”
“That’s not true,” she said with a gasp.
“How do I know? I could be leading poor Sutherland into a life sentence of a terrible marriage.”
“No.” She shook her head, her pulse skittering in panic. “I swear I mean to make him a good wife. The best. A true and loving wife.”
Something darkened Lord Lionhurst’s face, but he looked away, making it impossible to read what the man was thinking.
“I may be a fool, but I think I believe you.”
“Thank you!”
He turned to her, a half smile stretched across his lips. “The only other time I believed a woman’s declaration I lived to regret it. Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t. I swear.”
“Straighten yourself up, peach. I think we have company.”
“What?” She didn’t see anyone coming down the path, but now that she was really listening she heard men’s voices. She glanced toward the stables, knowing that at any moment the hunting party would probably round the bend to find her mere inches from a well-known libertine. The thought sent her flying backward in haste. Lord Lionhurst raised an amused eyebrow at her, but made no move to advance in her direction.
She tidied her hair and smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress. When she was done, she looked up and was surprised to find Lord Lionhurst’s gaze boring into her. “Do I look presentable?”
“You look delectable.”
“Who’s delectable?” The deep voice behind her caused her to flinch. She spun on her heel and met the inquisitive gaze of Mr. Sutherland.
Mr. Sutherland stared down at her. His coffee-colored eyes, she noted, wishing to heaven above that she could ignore it, could not compare to the blue of Lord Lionhurst’s gaze. Of all the people to come up behind her, it had to be him. She had no idea what to say to his inquiry.
His gaze flickered from her face to Lord Lionhurst’s. Lord Lionhurst stepped beside Mr. Sutherland and motioned to her. “Lady Gillian was worried the ride over here mussed her hair. I was just assuring her she still looks lovely.” His mouth quirked into a smile.
If that ludicrous explanation was an example of how Lord Lionhurst intended to help her, she’d do better without him. “Lord Lionhurst is teasing me.”
“Have I interrupted something private?” Mr. Sutherland asked.
“Of course not. I was actually hoping to have a chance to speak with you today. Would you care to escort me to the hunting group?” She pasted her sweetest smile on her face. The one she had practiced to get her father to rethink going back into Society. Of course, it had not worked, but maybe she’d have better luck with Mr. Sutherland.
His throwing his head back and laughing seemed like a good sign. She wanted to share in his mirth, but she was too annoyed with herself. It was taking all her will not to glance at Lord Lionhurst. She wished he’d go on ahead. His presence made flirting difficult. Finally, Mr. Sutherland’s laughter died to a low chuckle. “I do believe you are a woman after my own heart.”
“Your heart and everything else,” Lord Lionhurst snapped, pushing past them, untethering his horse from the tree and leading it down the path.
“Shall we join the hunting party?” Gillian quickly asked, watching Lord Lionhurst walk away. What on earth was wrong with him? He needed lessons in being helpful.
Before Gillian and Mr. Sutherland had taken too many steps, her cousin Trent rounded the corner. Recognition flashed in his eyes and a smile spread across his face. “My favorite cousin,” he said with a wink and stepped forward to embrace her.
Gillian gasped at the changed man before her. Trent had gone to Paris a man in the prime of health with shining eyes. Yet one look at his slight body, drawn face and dull eyes told her this was not the man she had said goodbye to a year ago. No, indeed. This man had a fresh, angry red scar about three inches long, running down his right cheekbone. She quelled her desire to question him and reached out to return his hug. As her fingers splayed over his hard back, she noted his loss of flesh was even greater than she had thought. What had happened to him?
“Gillie, I missed you.”
She felt rather than saw Mr. Sutherland move past them. She would have to thank him later for giving them a moment of privacy.
“I missed you too.” She squeezed his hand. “Why are you so thin? Did the food in Paris not agree with you?”
“You could say that. Come, you don’t want to hear my boring Paris stories. Moreover, those men are ready to hunt. We can catch up tonight.” Trent held out his arm, and they walked toward the men mounted on the horses in a semicircle.
Making it a point not to look Lord Lionhurst’s way, she concentrated on the stable boy as he held Lightning steady. The moment she sank into the saddle, Lord Lionhurst moved his beast beside her.
“I’m surprised to see you’re not riding sidesaddle.”
“Why? I’m an excellent rider.”
“Really?” His eyebrows rose in an arc of incredulity.
Situated between the man she meant to catch and the man who apparently meant to drive her to insanity, she gripped Lightning’s reins, determined not to be baited.
Lord Lionhurst smirked. He knew, blast him. The devil understood the price her silence was causing her.
“Do you care to make a wager?” he asked, taunting her.
She gritted her teeth, until she thought she might crack one. Mr. Sutherland would think her utterly scandalous if she took a wager. “No, I―”
“Never mind. I see you have reconsidered your claim.” He turned his back, dismissing her as an unworthy opponent.
Maybe this was all part of a grand plan he had? If he led her astray may he suffer the pox. “I’ll wager you I can reach the fox first.”
The group fell silent, including her sister, which was never a good sign. Gillian kept her gaze firmly on Lord Lionhurst as he faced her. An amused smile quirked his mouth.
“A bold claim. Since we’re both confident in our abilities, why not raise the stakes?”
She swallowed. Backing down in front of a group of people would kill her, and somehow Lord Lionhurst read the weakness of pride in her eyes. A simple pox was too generous for him. He deserved a thousand. “How do you propose we obtain a winner of the booty if not by who reaches the fox first?” She was grateful her voice did not betray her mounting anger. Had he lied to her? Did he mean to help her or ambush her?
His eyes bore into hers. “Simple. We reach the fox, and we jump the fence.”
“You’re mad,” Gillian’s cousin Marcus blurted. “Have you seen the new fence? It’s a good four inches taller than it used to be.”
“I’ve seen it,” Lord Lionhurst said. “It can still be cleared, but only by a rider with superb skills. Do you sti
ll care to take my wager?”
“She does not,” Trent said.
“I do.” She met Lionhurst’s gaze. He did not say a word, but his eyes held a dare in their depths. “I most certainly do.” She could barely contain her smile. She was a superb jumper. She would teach that man never to underestimate a woman.
“It sounds like this group is more than ready,” the hunt master said. “Shall I release the fox, Lord Davenport?”
“The sooner the better.”
“Tally-ho!” the hunt master yelled, causing her to jerk in surprise. By the time she got her wits about her and tapped Lightning into a start, she coughed and spit in a most unladylike manner, glaring at Lord Lionhurst’s departing back and the wake of his dust billowing around her. It was not until she went around the first bend that she realized she had completely forgotten about Mr. Sutherland and her plan to spend the day making him fall in love with her.
* * * * *
Alex pressed low against his horse’s neck, getting as close to Braun as possible. The beast snorted but did not slow his frantic pace in the least. Wise beast. Tension strummed through Alex, making him clench his legs tighter than he normally would. No doubt Braun was reacting to the signals.
Swiftness was a must. Gillian appeared to be very smart. He had no doubt she would quickly surmise he was leading her deep into the woods, and he wasn’t entirely sure the lady would follow. He knew Sutherland, though. If he thought Alex might be interested in the lady, that would make his business partner all the more fascinated himself.
He tossed a quick look over his shoulder to make sure she was still there. She was bent low over her horse, concentration furrowing her brow. She’d gobbled up the bait of the challenge more easily than he’d expected. The dogs yelped as they raced across the trail in pursuit of the reddish-brown coats. Hooves pounded behind him, and with a quick snap at Braun’s reins, Alex urged his horse to let loose. In seconds, the wind blew harder in his face.
His instincts sang like lightning through his veins. He pulled Braun’s reins to the left onto a narrow path, hardly wide enough to be called a trail, but the passage would do for his purposes. Braun did not hesitate as he descended the rocky incline toward the water in the distance. The jarring motion clanked Alex’s teeth together, causing him to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek. His mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.
Branches loomed from every direction and trees passed in a swimming blur. He ducked just in time to avoid being knocked clean off Braun by a low, gnarly limb of a gigantic oak tree. Was he endangering Gillian by leading her down this steep path? He pulled up on Braun’s reins to turn his horse and warn her.
Braun took objection and whipped his head back around, causing the beast to misstep. As they slid down the path, Alex braced his legs and threw his weight back. Approaching hooves beat an ominous tempo behind him. Saints above, the woman would kill them both if she intended to pass him on the narrow trail. Before he could move, noise exploded and Gillian brushed past, so close their horses’ flesh whispered a greeting.
She maneuvered down the steep embankment with the ease of water sliding down bare skin. At the bottom, she paused where the slope met the edge of a stream. The sun shone on her, highlighting auburn streaks in the shimmering black of her hair. She grinned up at him, and Alex swallowed against a strange catch in his throat.
She raised her hand to her eyes. “You should see the look on your face. Clearly, you’re astonished to find I am the superior rider.”
What astonished him was the realization that she excited him. A tug of jealousy that Sutherland would likely soon be sharing her bed pulled at Alex. Let it go, old man. Everything is settled for the best.
“If you’re so superior, why have you stopped when you have yet to corner a fox?”
The smile slid from her face, and she turned toward the stream. He regretted the loss of her smile, but he knew by the way she reached for the reins but then hesitated that she only now realized she did not hear the dogs, nor see any fox.
She faced him, black brows furrowed together and lips pressed in a firm line. “Where are the dogs?”
“I do believe,” he said, surveying the landscape to decide which way to send them, “the fox and dogs went upstream.” The rocks led to a trail cast in deep shadows by swaying branches of willow trees—a perfect place to get lost for a bit.
She cocked one eyebrow up before plunging her horse into the stream to follow the path. She fascinated him. Steely determination underlined everything she did, but she appeared a delicate creature with her fine bones and luscious curves. His experience with the opposite sex had taught him there was nothing fragile about their minds, which turned, plotted and hurt a man foolish enough to forget this fact.
He blinked and tapped Braun, signaling the beast to move. The horse plunged into the stream, soaking Alex’s pants leg with ice-cold water. “Damnation!” With the weather a bit warmer, he had not expected such freezing water.
Gillian chuckled from the other side on the embankment, but as he drew nearer, he could see her lips had a slight blue tint to them.
He arched his eyebrows. “You might have mentioned the temperature of the water to me.”
“I might have, but this is so much more amusing.”
Sutherland was lucky. The unexpected thought astonished him. Keep your mind on the goal. Make Sutherland want the lady so you can get revenge.
“I don’t hear the dogs anymore. You’re sure they came this way?”
“I’m sure they didn’t.”
“What are you up to, Lord Lionhurst?”
“Planting seeds and strategizing.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “I beg your pardon?”
“We men are like children.”
She nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”
She had a beautiful smile. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed until now.
“Lord Lionhurst…”
“Um, yes?”
“Your thought. Men are like children…?”
He cleared his throat. “We want all the toys in the playroom.”
Her brow furrowed in an adorable way. He had the urge to reach over and rub his thumb over the crease. Instead he gripped his reins tighter.
“Am I the toy?” she asked.
“In this analogy you are.”
“Do you mean to say you think Mr. Sutherland will want me more if he thinks you want me?”
“Precisely.”
She huffed out a breath. “In the future, just say what you mean and skip the analogies.”
He loved her witty banter. Working with her would be amusing. “I did just say what I meant. And might I point out you understood me perfectly.”
“Only because I’ve had practice getting to the real meaning of my sister’s nonsensical ramblings. So, did you challenge me on purpose?”
“Of course. I meant to lead you away from everyone else.”
“Then why didn’t you just whisper that in my ear?”
“Because I suspected you wouldn’t have followed me. Was I right?” The wind around them picked up and blew loose strands of her hair across her face. She pushed them away.
“Probably. Why did we need to leave the group to make Mr. Sutherland jealous? Wouldn’t it be better if he witnesses you flirting with me?”
“No.” A drop of rain hit Alex’s hand. He glanced up at the dark sky and frowned.
“Lord Lionhurst?”
He looked at her and almost laughed. A raindrop had plopped on the end of her nose. She wiped it away and stared at him expectantly. “This way is better,” he said. “Sutherland doesn’t know what’s going on, and when he finds us, the curiosity will drive him nuts. We’ll flirt a little and make him wonder.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” She cocked her head and glanced up at the sky, then refocused on him. “And what of strategizing?”
“That’s simple. I’ll make sure to reiterate to Sutherland that you do not wish to marry Westonburt
, and then I’ll nudge him in your direction. He asked me about meeting you previously, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to reignite his interest.”
“He wanted to meet me?” A grin spread across her face, lighting up her eyes.
Alex was suddenly, unaccountably annoyed. He was glad things had worked out as they had, so why did he feel jealous of the lady’s enthusiasm over Sutherland? He pushed the question aside and forced himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. “So you know your part?”
She nodded. “Flirt discreetly.”
“Excellent. We better get going. The rain’s not going to hold.”
Lightning illuminated the sky as she turned her horse toward the path.
“Damnation,” he cursed under his breath. “We better take cover. The sky’s about to let loose and if your horse slips on the embankment and you break your pretty little neck, my plan will be ruined.”
She turned in her saddle and looked at him. “Your concern for my neck warms my heart. But I know this trail, and I’m not worried. As I said before, I’m an excellent horsewoman.”
Just then thunder vibrated the air, and a streak of lightning came down with a crack. Her horse reared up on his hind legs and neighed wildly. Alex’s pulse jumped. He was beside her in a flash and took hold of the horse’s reins. She couldn’t mask the look of surprise on her face, but she tried. He’d give her that. Before he could suggest again that they wait, the sky opened up and rain came pouring down.
He jerked her horse around and led them both back to flat ground. He knew she was protesting by the outraged look on her face, but the rain muffled her exact words. “We need to dismount,” he yelled over the thunder.
She shook her head, but as she did lightning came down again and the horse jerked as if to bolt. Lady Gillian pushed her wet hair out of her eyes. “I think I’ll dismount now.” He held in his smile. Amazing how the lady acted as if the idea had just occurred to her. If he wasn’t trying to help her marry his partner, getting to know her could be enjoyable.
Lord Lionhurst grasped her around the waist as she slid off her horse. When she turned, he was so close she could see the vein pulsing near his right eye. “Should we tether the horses?” she asked, taking a discreet step backwards
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