"I see that you have been. My apologies for doubting you." Adam raised her hand to his lips and dropped a light kiss on it. Allegra's eyes widened at the gesture and Adam looked down into her face, a question in his own eyes.
Emily joined them at that moment. "Fie, Adam, for keeping poor Allegra standing about in the hall. She must be exhausted after the journey. As am I, I assure you!"
Adam blinked and then turned to summon servants to conduct his wife and mother to their chambers. Allegra felt almost sorry to leave him, but she followed the butler upstairs and through a seemingly endless corridor to her room. It adjoined Adam's and, as always, she saw the closed door between the two suites and worried about what the future held. Emily had very nice taste in furnishings, and Allegra was delighted with the modern and charming decor of her chamber. The aquamarine and white color scheme could have been selected specifically to set off her coloring, and the hangings, carpets and furnishings appeared to be almost new. She threw herself on the bed to gather her strength for an evening in Adam's bewildering company and soon was fast asleep.
The entrance of her maid woke Allegra, and soon she was standing docilely to be dressed for dinner. Despite the fact that there was no one to impress except her mother-in-law and husband, she found herself taking exceptional pains with her appearance. Merriwether waited patiently as Allegra hesitated between the blue satin and the green silk dress and fretted over whether her hair should be powdered or not, elaborately dressed, or casually curled. Her maid managed to send her down to dinner only a little late, charmingly dressed in a pale yellow gown that brought out the warm highlights in her skin and hair.
Dinner was surprising for its lack of formality or fireworks. Adam and Allegra, to their own and Emily's surprise, made it to the end of the meal without a single disagreement. The ladies retired to the drawing room after dinner, but Adam did not linger long over his port. He soon joined Allegra and his mother in the sitting room, and they engaged in a few hands of whist.
Allegra excused herself early, pleading weariness from the trip. As she prepared to leave the room, Adam touched her arm.
"If you would care to, I would be delighted to show you the estate on horseback in the morning," he said, his tone formal.
Allegra looked up, surprised, but saw nothing in his eyes except sincerity. "Thank you, Adam. That sounds delightful." She couldn't resist teasing him. "You know how I enjoy riding."
The remark only brought a smile to Adam's face. "Indeed, I do. I'll await your summons in the morning."
Adam held the door for Allegra as she exited the room. Perhaps, she reflected as an unbidden glimmer of hope flared in her breast, this visit to the country would not be so unpleasant after all.
The couple's meeting in the morning was polite, if formal. With grooms hovering in attendance they spent some time selecting Allegra's mount, and if Adam thought the horse she chose a trifle strong for a woman, he held his tongue. It had occurred to him over the last day that Allegra perhaps had some depth to her character that he had not previously perceived; certainly, she had a strong will and great control, and he had seen for himself how capable she was of handling a horse. He was prepared to humor her to some extent, at least here in the country where her actions would not reflect so strongly on him.
They rode out of the stable yard side-by-side, and turned their horses down a rutted lane. At first they spoke little, rather uncertain of what to say to one another, but when Allegra ventured a complimentary remark on the neatness of the estate, she was amazed to draw forth a long and enthusiastic response on the problems and joys of managing such a large land-holding. Adam, she was surprised to discover, was deeply involved in the day-to-day affairs of his estate, and took the welfare of his tenants to heart. Although little acquainted with such matters, Allegra's intelligent questions and her evident appreciation of the beauty of the countryside drew Adam out, and soon the two were chatting like old friends. Almost before they realized it, several hours had passed, and they realized that they were due back at the house for tea. As they turned their horses, Allegra looked at Adam with a wistful expression.
"You have been so kind to me, my lord. Perhaps you will indulge me in one small wish?"
"And what might your small wish be?"
"I see you must hear it before you promise. You are truly a cautious man," laughed Allegra.
"I fear that with you I need to be cautious," said Adam, but a rueful smile softened the words.
"Oh, unkind!" replied Allegra. "Nonetheless, I will ask anyway. May we perhaps gallop? I believe my mount would appreciate the chance to stretch his legs."
"And you, of course, will derive no pleasure from this gallop," responded Adam.
"None at all," replied Allegra meekly. "I think only of my horse."
"In light of the needs of your mount, I can only say yes," said Adam gravely. "I wouldn't want so magnificent an animal to suffer."
Allegra's dimples appeared. "Thank you, my lord. You spoil me."
She urged her horse to an easy canter, as she took the measure of his gait, and then with a tiny kick pushed him into a full gallop. Adam, who hadn’t expected the rapid transition, had a fine view of her very straight and steady back and the gold lace ribbon floating from her hat before his horse too broke into a gallop. He deliberately lagged behind for some distance, watching the stability of Allegra’s seat and the steadiness of her hands. Then he urged his gelding forward, and began to gain on her. As Allegra heard the hooves behind her drawing near, she tapped her horse’s side gently with the stick and he answered her call with additional speed, opening the gap between them once more. Surprised, Adam considered a race, but even as he began to dig in his heels, Allegra further demonstrated her horsemanship, by smoothly slowing her horse to a canter so he could draw up next to her.
“Your horse is too green to be racing in these open fields,” she said as Adam came even with her.
Surprised she had noticed, Adam could do nothing but agree.
“He is just 3 years old, and while he is well trained and good natured, you are right, he needs a great deal more time in the open to be trustworthy.” Allegra slowed to a trot, and looked over.
“I think he will make an excellent hunter when he has more experience,” she remarked kindly. “He has a well-shaped shoulder and good hind quarters. He should be able to go all day and be clever with the jumps.” Adam knew that she was correct in her comments, but was astonished at her rapid and casual assessment of his horse’s capabilities. There was silence for a few moments as they trotted to the crest of a hill, where Allegra stopped to admire the view over a small lake below.
“This is a very lovely country side. Far more fertile than the north Yorkshire hills of my father’s estates,” she remarked.
“It is good land to be sure,” Adam replied, “and my father and grandfather have given it a great deal of attention.” He twisted in the saddle to look at her as the started to walk down the hill.
“You ride like you were born in the saddle,” he said.
Allegra smiled merrily, “There is little enough to do in the North Riding, and my father keeps a very good stable. I don’t remember learning to ride, and have always spent a great deal of time in the stables.”
"I truly believe that the back of horse is your natural element, Allegra. I watched you quite carefully, and very few men can bring as much from their mounts as you."
"My father, you know, has a passion for the stables which is nearly as strong as his love of gambling and drinking. As a little girl at Redecombe I often spent hours loitering about the mews, hiding from my governess."
She smiled dreamily, remembering those happy times, and Adam was struck by her extraordinary beauty. "The grooms treated me kindly, and there was always time to help me with my pony, or show me what they were doing to treat some injury or ailment. I learned a great deal more from them than I did from Miss Wolsterly."
Adam digested this information in silence, as it was in conflict w
ith the images he had of her as a terrified child, and as a flirtatious empty headed lady of fashion.
The horses trotted sedately into the stable yard, the sound of their hooves echoing roundly from the surrounding buildings, and Allegra smiled at Adam. "What a lovely ride," she exclaimed. "And no critical biddies to tell me that a lady does not gallop ventre a terre. Your mother was absolutely right that a few days away from the racket of town would be delightful."
Adam, in the act of swinging down from his horse as one of the grooms grasped the reins, did not reply. He walked over to Allegra's mount, an attractive sorrel gelding whose coat gleamed like copper in the sun, to help her dismount, and arrived just in time to grasp her about the waist as she jumped down on her own. Her face was flushed from her exertions and she was smiling joyfully. A sudden impulse made him grip her close, allowing her to slide against his body as he set her down. The increasingly familiar feeling of desire for his wife made his abdomen clench, and instead of releasing Allegra he held her closer and looked down into her beaming face with a smile of his own.
A wild notion of kissing this suddenly soft Allegra crossed Adam's mind, but he banished it, and released her. She felt an obscure regret when he did so, for the warmth and strength of his arms had been very pleasant, but did not allow the feeling to linger. The pair walked across the stable yard, boot heels ringing on the ground, Allegra leading the way into the barn.
"Your father's stables are truly remarkable, Adam. All of the most modern notions of equine management have been implemented here. I am truly impressed."
They walked down the aisle, past spacious box stalls, their doors gleaming with polished brass. The oaken floor shone with daily washing and waxing, and sunlight slanted through the dimness from the window in each stall, while the scents of horses and fresh straw mingled pleasantly. The occupants were all sleek and well groomed, some carriage horses, some hacks, and some tall and well-made hunters for the Duke's use. Allegra drifted gracefully down the aisle, the long skirt of her riding habit caught up over her arm. She patted a soft nose here, blew teasingly at another horse, and spoke gently to a third. She obviously had a feeling for them, and Adam was intrigued to see the tiny woman so at home with the large beasts.
Toward the end of the barn, several of the grooms were huddled at the door of a very large stall, discussing the mare within in anxious tones. Allegra stopped to inquire about the situation and learned that her foaling was not progressing as it should. The mare was one of the late Duke's prize brood mares, imported at great trouble and expense from Egypt. She looked into the stall and saw the horse sweating and trembling, the liquid brown eyes in her sensitive face bulging and rolling as she heaved to deliver the foal.
"How long has this been going on?" she asked, her voice sharp with concern.
"Too long," the grizzled head groom replied with a shake of his head. "That foal should have been on the ground an hour ago, but one of the babe's legs is in the wrong position, and I don't know if the mare can deliver it. If it goes much longer, I'll have to try to push the leg back, but with these hands, 'twill be hard on her." He thrust out his large hands, callused by years of labor.
"I've done it before," offered Allegra. "The same thing happened to one of my father's mares, and the groom showed me how to help, because my hands were small and fine." She pushed past the knot of men into the stall to examine the horse. She touched the mare's shoulder gently and softly stroked the flaring nostrils before feeling the mare's abdomen. Adam stood silent and ignored outside, watching her.
"Get me an apron and a bucket of fresh water," Allegra snapped. She stripped off her fringed and embroidered leather gloves and began unbuttoning the jacket of her riding habit, removing it to reveal a thin linen shirt. As she removed her hat as well, a few curls escaped the severe coil of hair to rest on the collar, glinting in the shaft of sunlight that lanced into the stall. The groom brought an oiled linen apron to her and Adam stared to see his elegant wife transformed into a stable hand. She rolled up her sleeves, and washed her arms and hands, then with the chief groom to assist, set to helping the mare birth her foal.
The minutes stretched out into a quarter and then half an hour, as Adam, now ignored, dawdled in the aisle, with no more noise than the panting of the mare and Allegra's soft commands. Then he heard a satisfied "Ahhh, that'll be it, Your Grace," from the head groom, and Allegra responding indistinguishably. The other men gathered around murmured their relief for the mare, and appreciation of the lady's skill and pressed forward to congratulate her.
Adam peered into the stall and saw his wife kneeling by a helpless foal, as it struggled to stand on its hopelessly gangly legs, while its mother licked it clean. The mare gently nuzzled Allegra's neck as if in thanks and she reached up to soothe the horse with a gentle hand.
Five minutes later she emerged from the stall with a smile and an air of satisfaction. "A lovely filly," she said briskly. "And I think the mare is unharmed, and can be got with foal again next year. A fortunate outcome. It is easy to lose both mare and foal in these situations, but Parker is a very good horseman."
Adam stared at her silently, a confusing mixture of emotions roiling within him. Allegra was warm from her exertions and a thin film of sweat shone on her forehead and her cheeks glowed a gentle pink. Her rolled-up sleeves were marked with blood, and droplets of water glistened in the muted light as they clung to her arms after washing. The thin linen, damp from her efforts, clung to her body, and she had removed the heavy apron as she prepared to leave the barn with the Duke, so he could clearly see her lacy undergarments. He felt an unfamiliar mix of emotions; pride in her abilities, pleasure that she cared for his property, appreciation of the unselfishness that could make her come to an animal's aid. In fact, he felt a most unaccustomed warmth towards his wife, and one which was composed of emotions which diverged widely from the purely physical desire he had experienced when he had kissed Allegra in London.
"Allegra," he said huskily, grasping her shoulder and turning her to him, "Thank you for saving my father’s mare. I never knew that you were so ..."
His voice trailed off, and he looked into her dazzling eyes, then slowly, gently, lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her softly, but felt a volcano of heat building within himself. He lifted his head briefly, and felt her soft mouth cling to his firm lips, and kissed her again, harder, this time. He could sense that her passion had been already stirred, and that it would burst forth with the same heat he had seen previously.
Allegra felt the astonishing mixture of sensations tingling through her body that she knew Adam’s lips and hands could elicit. Her eyes flew open and she put one softly protesting hand against his chest.
“The grooms will be watching, Adam.” She murmured.
He immediately lifted his head, and looked down at her with a gentle expression. It was obvious to him that Allegra possessed a depth of character he had not previously suspected. He turned her gently towards him and draped the discarded riding coat over her shoulders and they walked towards the house, her bright head resting against his arm, his arm about her shoulders.
Chapter 10
A Berry Ripe for the Plucking
They entered the hall thus, to be greeted with a quiet smile by the butler. Adam released Allegra, and looked down at her questioningly. She looked very confused, but she smiled at him.
"I suppose we must join my mother for tea," said Adam.
"Yes, she will be expecting us," agreed Allegra. "I should go change into something more suitable."
She began to turn away, and Adam stayed her with a touch on her arm.
"Allegra..." he said.
"Yes?" she replied, swinging around to face him.
Adam paused. "Thank you again for saving the mare."
Allegra's eyes dropped. "I could not stand by and watch her suffer, when I had the power to help her, my lord." She walked slowly up the stairs, while Adam gazed after her, trying to organize his confused thoughts.
They
met again in the sitting room. Allegra had changed into a charming gown and Emily was presiding over the teacups. Adam entered, and immediately she looked up. As their eyes met, Allegra colored and Adam smiled.
"What is this?" asked Emily, delight in her voice. "Do I sense a thaw between my son and his wife?"
Allegra grew even redder. "It is merely that we had a pleasant ride this morning, Mama. Gravesmere is so lovely that I could not help but enjoy myself."
"It's true, Mother," said Adam teasingly. "Allegra seems to find Gravesmere utterly charming, despite the company she is forced to keep."
"How unkind of you to put words in my mouth, my lord," laughed Allegra. "Your son was a most gracious companion, Mama."
The older woman looked from one face to the other, and then broke out in a huge grin. "You two are keeping secrets from me," she accused. "Yet I think I know what they may be. Pray, how did this rapprochement come about?"
"It is simply that Allegra is a woman of unsuspected talents, Mother," said Adam. "I had thought her merely a charming face and a clever wit, but I find that she is not only a notable horsewoman but an experienced stable hand as well."
"And I have discovered that my husband, when he is not scolding me, is a man of charm and substance," said Allegra, not to be outdone.
"Well, this is very good news, indeed," said Emily. "And I take all the credit for myself. Didn't I say that the country was a fitter place than the city to spend one's time?"
Adam took her hand and kissed it. "As always, we bow to your superior wisdom, Mother."
Emily laughed. "What a flatterer you are, Adam. But I'm very glad to see the two of you being polite to one another. Civility is the basis for many a good marriage."
"Perhaps, if all goes well, we can move beyond mere civility," said Adam, his eyes meeting Allegra's.
She dropped her eyes and smiled. "Perhaps. But for now, civility is a most unusual and welcome state."
Adam exerted himself to be pleasant the rest of the evening, and Allegra responded with alacrity. Under Emily's pleased eye, they laughed over dinner and played piquet in the sitting room afterwards. Emily retired early, pleading fatigue, leaving Allegra and Adam facing one another alone.
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