by Boom, Naomi
Her violet eyes and light chestnut hair had been inviting in a way that even his mistress could not compare to. He frowned as he thought of her curves. Her bottom had been well-rounded, but she was not as shapely as he normally preferred. For her, however, he did not think he minded. Unfortunately, the woman was beyond his reach. She served as a companion, which was basically a member of the servant class, and he would never prey on a woman who was not in a position to say no.
“Ahem.”
Lord Farris’s musings were interrupted, and he glanced irritably at Lord Collins. “Yes?”
“Did I interrupt something?”
He had no desire to betray his brief interlude with a woman who was basically a servant, and instead said with a grin, “Why, yes. I was just remembering the merry widow, Lady Robbins. These next two weeks without her will be arduous, indeed.”
Lord Collins smiled mockingly. “Small wonder you did not procure an invitation for her. Two weeks is a long time, and I wonder how you will survive.”
His brandy burned a trail down his throat as he took a long drink. “Joke all you want, but I am hardly the only one that wishes to enjoy her favors. I would not be surprised if she had found my replacement by the time I return to town.”
“I am sure you have nothing to worry about.” Both gentlemen were considered among the most handsome gentlemen of the ton and were certainly the tallest. Lord Collins sat down on one of the chairs next to the roaring fire and groaned. “Why do they have to make such dainty chairs? This is the study. They should leave such contraptions in the parlor for the women.”
Lord Farris chuckled and pushed off from the wall he had been leaning on. “That would be much too sensible. We gentlemen can just stand all the time.” His eyes shifted to a similarly fragile-looking sofa, and he smirked. “Or maybe it is just the Songfelds’ way of dissuading us from using the furniture for nefarious reasons.” Now that he thought of it, he realized the mystery woman would have looked remarkably delicious sprawled on the sofa in a state of dishabille. He shook his head. Such thoughts would not do. She was too far beneath him and not in the literal way he would prefer.
The wind howled outside, as if it were offering its own foreboding message of the future. Neither gentleman heeded its warning. Rather they downed the remainder of their drinks and Lord Collins stood. Lord Collins patted Lord Farris on the back and said, “I am sure you hit the nail on the head. Why should they throw a house party and expect anyone to enjoy themselves?”
Chapter 2
The morning dawned bright and clear. The subtle chill of winter’s approach prickled Laura’s nose as she stepped outside in the cold autumn air. She looked forward to this time of year, even though winter was symbolically a time of death. She always viewed it as a warm and promising time when people gathered together against the cold.
She had dressed in her well-used riding habit, which Eleanor was perpetually trying to convince her to throw away. Laura had even caught Eleanor red-handed as she ordered the maid to burn it. Eleanor usually did not bother with Laura’s style, but neither did Laura. She loved her dress, and she would keep it.
Eleanor herself owned a beautiful riding habit, one almost every other lady envied. Unfortunately, Laura did not find it practical. She tried to ride almost daily and could not imagine wearing a stylishly immobile riding habit. Her vigorous rides were a time when she could clear her mind and enjoy life free from any worries, after working out her problems on horseback. This morning’s ride would be no different and would involve intense reflection on her newest problem—her confrontation with Lord Farris.
Laura scowled as chagrin overtook her. She had responded most disappointingly to the gentleman’s rakish behavior. The excitement from his mere presence alone had left her enthralled. Then she had practically begged him to kiss her. She could only imagine what would have transpired if he had given in to their mutual attraction and her silent plea.
Her cheeks heated at the thought. To think a gentleman such as Lord Farris had found her attractive. He had even admitted his attraction for her, not that Laura cared. He was still a rake, and rakes were unacceptable. Now, if only her body actually agreed with that notion.
A groom prepared a spirited little mare and helped Laura mount. She was an expert rider and had spent her childhood with a carefully selected mare at her disposal. Even though she had spent her youth with Eleanor’s family, her father had always ensured she had a horse at her disposal. As the daughter of an earl who loved horses, Laura had begun her infatuation with riding early.
“Let us get started then,” Laura soothingly whispered to the mare. “How about we head over to that copse of trees over there?” She loosened her hold on the reins and allowed the mare to pick its pace. The mare broke into a smooth canter that sent a tingle of exhilaration down Laura’s spine. The icy wind on her face and through her hair reminded her what freedom was. Nothing could ruin this magical moment, nothing.
“Whoa, there!” A commanding voice pealed out next to her as a hand shot out and grabbed her horse’s bridle. Much to Laura’s dismay, it was Lord Farris, and he was slowing her horse to a stop.
“What do you think you are doing?” Laura demanded.
Lord Farris quirked a stern eyebrow at Laura, while firmly holding her horse’s bridle. “Obviously, I am rescuing you.” His tone suggested he was exasperated with her, although Laura could not comprehend why. He was the high-handed one here. “I saw your horse take off on you. I cannot imagine what possessed the groom to give you that mare. She is much too high-spirited for a lady such as yourself.”
Laura could not believe her ears. Apparently, women were incapable of riding horses in Lord Farris’s world. Disdain dripped from Laura’s voice as she said, “My mare did not run away on me. I happen to excel at riding and had everything under control until you appeared to ruin my ride.”
“I find it hard to believe you had everything under control, madam. I saw the mare take off and witnessed you shaking. Either your horse was out of control, or you were in need of medical attention. Whatever the case, I am now at your service.” Lord Farris gave a smart little bow, somehow very elegantly from atop his horse.
He would bow perfectly from atop his horse, and even more infuriating, he looked perfectly put together. The wind was quite gusty, yet his hair remained completely unaffected.
He seemed so very in control of everything around him, and Laura wanted to change that. “I was enjoying myself immensely on my very controlled ride. That shaking you saw was simply a shiver of excitement. While I appreciate the effort on your part, in the future I ask that you leave me alone.”
She was thoroughly fed up with the encounter, and Laura jerked the reins which caused Lord Farris to lose his hold on the bridle. His handsome demeanor remained stoic despite her set-down, which was no surprise to her as she was coming to realize the man had no heart. No one should be as handsome as this infuriating man. If only his personality matched his looks.
Lord Farris smiled patronizingly at her. “A mere thank you would suffice. No one will fault you for getting caught on a runaway mount.”
With a cry of indignation, Laura breathed in a calming breath before realizing her argument was futile. He was not going to listen to a word she said. She gritted her teeth and said, “I suppose I can thank you, my lord.”
He nodded and smiled charmingly. “In that case, I will accept my duty and accompany you for the rest of your ride. Just to ensure your horse does not run again.”
Laura gripped the reins until her knuckles turned white in an attempt to remain calm. The typical gentleman would have no trouble believing her when she said she had everything under control. Why did this oaf have such a difficult time grasping the idea that she was capable? Continuing to ride with such a gentleman was not something Laura desired, and she tried to dissuade him with rational argument.
“I really do not think it wise to ride with you, my lord. We have no chaperone.”
He appeared to
consider her quietly for a moment, and then said plainly, “I cannot imagine anyone would care.”
“What do you mean?” Laura asked, confused, and then rushed on to say, “Never mind. I shall be riding toward those trees, and you can ride anywhere else.”
“You mean you do not yearn for my company?” he asked, appearing unfazed by her dismissal.
“I think not. As I mentioned previously, we do not have a chaperone, and I will not be missing my ride.”
Lord Farris exhaled slowly and then swept his hand out before him. “By all means, my dear, please get on with your ride then.”
The horse seemed to sense Laura’s desire to get as much space as possible between herself and Lord Farris and broke into a canter. She truly had the worst of luck, running into Lord Farris in the library and then out here on her ride. He may have thought he was doing her a favor, but that did not excuse his refusal to leave her now.
The tree line materialized before her, and Laura slowed her mare to a walk. The vast array of colors around her painted a picture of an idyllic fall day, and she almost failed to notice the sound of another horse beside her. She had not wanted to look back in fear that Lord Farris had not heeded her directive to leave but was not surprised to see he was still with her. Lord Farris could have his pick of willing women. Why force his attentions upon her in such a manner?
She continued to look out ahead of her as she said bluntly, “You know, if someone catches us together, it is your fault and not mine.”
The sound of a dove met Laura’s ears, and she sighed. Her morning ride could have been so perfect, but instead, she was with him. Her gaze drifted to his location, and she was surprised he had dismounted and now stood amongst the foliage. His darkly good looks were only heightened by the autumnal colors.
“Would you care to join me for a stroll?” he asked pleasantly.
Remaining seated firmly on her mount, Laura looked at him dubiously. “Are you feeling all right, my lord? No other explanation could exist for why you would think I want to walk rather than ride.”
“Why don’t you dismount and find out?” he asked cryptically as he leaned against a tree.
Laura remained seated on her horse and considered his actions. His behavior was unusual, but it might be due to having a fever. Either that, or this was just how rakes acted. If that was the case, why did so many women fall for them? He must be under the weather.
She dismounted and crossed over to his location as the scent of the dank, decaying earth greeted her. He smiled at her approach, and she brought a hand to his forehead. His temperature felt normal, although she was beginning to think she might be the fevered one. His presence made her temperature rise, which was completely different from the sensations she felt around other gentlemen.
“You appear well, my lord,” she finally said.
His sudden grin caught her off-guard, and she could tell he was definitely laughing at her. Her eyes narrowed, and she asked with barely restrained anger, “I take it you are not worried about your health, my lord?”
“You mean you were serious about that?”
“Of course. You invited me down to ascertain whether you had a fever or not.” Oh, how she hated rakes. Granted, some of her anger was toward herself. She should not enjoy his presence as much as she did. And she really, really did. In fact, the hand that had caressed his forehead even now tingled.
His grin broadened, and he laughed loudly. Somehow, Laura got the impression he did not laugh often. “You are a breath of fresh air, darling. Now that I have you down here, we may as well walk a little.”
No stump or rock large enough to help her mount was within sight, and she doubted he would help her back on to her horse. He evidently did not need her answer, either, as he pried the reins from her hand and tied the horses to a tree. He extended his arm as though they were in the loftiest of London ballrooms and asked, “Shall we?”
She stonily accepted his proffered arm, although what she had really wanted to do was march angrily away from him. A well-bred lady did not act so rudely, however, which was why she found herself strolling with Lord Farris in the forest.
“We could not have chosen a lovelier day for our outing, could we?” Lord Farris asked pleasantly as he led her beside a gully.
Laura bristled at his absurd question. No part of her had wanted to take this walk, especially with him. She eyed him suspiciously. He looked completely sane, but these things could be deceptive.
“You can relax, you know.”
“What?” she asked sharply.
He stopped their leisurely stroll and turned her to face him. “You have been acting like a shrew for the entirety of our outing, even though I assured you last night I am too much of a gentleman to take advantage of you.”
A sudden wind tore through the trees, which made Laura shudder from its chill. This day was slowly going from bad to worse, and once again, he had referred to their outing as if it was some planned rendezvous.
“Oh, do stop it already.”
“Excuse me?” he asked darkly.
“I do not know what is the matter with you, but you hold some peculiar beliefs about today’s events.”
Suddenly, his brooding mien turned into a humorous one. He grinned and said mischievously, “See, the shrew has returned.”
Unable to stop herself, Laura stomped her foot. Hard. “I am most certainly not a shrew. You just happen to vex me at every turn.”
“Name one thing I have done to vex you.”
She scowled. His adorable grin was still plastered to his face, but no one called her a shrew and got away with it. “You assumed I could not ride my horse properly. You did not listen when I told you I wished to ride alone. You made me go on this walk with you. And finally, last night, you made me forget my water in the library, and I was extremely thirsty.”
The charming grin on his face transformed to a predatory one as his eyes narrowed on her face. “Now, what could I have possibly done to make you forget your water?”
Laura’s pulse quickened, but instead of backing down, she placed her hands on her diminutive waist. “For being a self-proclaimed gentleman, you certainly point out a lot of things in a most ungentlemanly manner.”
“Are you questioning my honor?” His face had transformed to a granite mask, and he looked far from amused.
“Every second that I am forced into this walk with you proves my very point, my lord.”
“Allow me to remedy my error then.” He bowed mockingly, and then grabbed her arm to guide her to the horses. His hand was like steel as he escorted her, although he still showed consideration toward her by leading her around potential dangers rather than through them.
Laura’s shock at his boorish behavior kept her from voicing her anger, even when he picked her up roughly and dumped her on the back of her mare. Her skirts were in a tangled heap, but she ignored them and sat her sidesaddle proudly.
He untied the reins, and Laura stuck her nose in the air haughtily as she regained control of her mount. “I should thank you to not grace me with your presence in the future.” And then she could, hopefully, stay amongst people where sanity prevailed.
“I would be delighted to oblige you.”
Laura rode as swiftly as her mare could carry her, but Lord Farris still managed to keep up on his stallion. Her nerves were strung taut, and she did not know how she would relieve the tension. Normally, she went riding to lessen stress, but that was impossible with Lord Farris at her side. Her return ride seemed to take much longer than when she had first begun, but eventually she could see the manor. The stables appeared, along with Eleanor and her male companion.
“Oh, there you are!” cried Eleanor in her sugary sing-song voice as they entered the courtyard. “I have been looking all over for you. Luckily, Lord Collins has aided me in my search, or I would have quite given up by now.” Eleanor looked very pleased to be hanging off the arm of a belted earl. She was perfectly pieced together in a light green day dress that complement
ed her complexion. Unfortunately for Laura, Eleanor’s dress only showcased how outdated her own riding habit was.
Lord Collins grinned at his friend and said, “Ah, Gavin. Let me introduce you to Miss Ashford. Miss Ashford, this is Lord Farris.”
Eleanor curtsied prettily and said, “Well, of course I was able to guess who you are, my lord. Your many charms are well known.” Eleanor then turned to Laura, arched a perfect eyebrow, and asked, “Tell me, however did you happen across Lord Farris? I had not realized you ever talked to gentlemen, much less went on clandestine rides with them.” She turned back to Lord Farris and snidely informed him, “My cousin is terribly shy. More of a wallflower really, so unfortunately, she is not very popular.” She added melodramatically on a sigh, “Sad, she is such a sweet girl and should have done so well.”
Laura sat atop her horse and gritted her teeth. Her strongest wish at the moment was for Eleanor to simply stop talking. Eleanor’s rude antics were not unexpected, but they still hurt, and there was nothing Laura could do at this point. If she gave a rebuttal, Laura would look catty, so it was best to simply shut her mouth.
Laura was not surprised Eleanor had already snared a gentleman, especially one of Lord Collins’s caliber. He and Lord Farris were exactly the same, if rumors were to be believed, and Laura and Eleanor would be much wiser to avoid both of them.
Lord Farris stepped to Laura’s side and helped her dismount. He turned back to Lord Collins and Miss Ashford and said kindly, “Miss Ashford, it really is nice of you to bring your cousin to the house party. Sometimes it is important to give small acts of charity to one’s family. Country air is an uplifting boost to one’s constitution, you know.”
The sweet giggle that issued from Eleanor’s mouth betrayed none of the venom that would soon follow. “Oh, what did I tell you! I warned you about that riding habit, but you never listen to me. He thinks you are my poor relation! I guess one cannot expect a little country mouse to truly blossom after only one season.”