by Boom, Naomi
Just as he had suspected. “Did she say where in Hyde Park, or at what time?”
“Well, no, my lord.”
Oh boy, that meant he would have to go early and hope to bump in to her. He could ride near the entrance, but morning was not exactly a short period of time. “Very good, thank you for your services.” Tomorrow morning could be most promising.
****
Laura rose as she did every morning, dressed in her worn riding habit, and ventured downstairs to begin her ride. Her groom was waiting for her as usual, and she was shortly entering the park. The air was colder than Laura preferred. She could see her breath clearly, which meant she would have to ride that much harder to keep warm. She found herself once again taking the Serpentine route she had used yesterday. The view had been so lovely the previous morning that she wanted to appreciate it again.
As she rode, she thought she heard a voice call her name. “Not again,” she muttered. She did not welcome interruptions to her riding ritual. She turned in her saddle and could have sworn she saw Lord Farris riding behind her. As he drew closer, she had to rule out the notion that her eyes were playing tricks on her, because it was indeed Lord Farris. He smiled as he approached, which meant she could not continue riding as if she had not heard him. How frustrating.
“Good morning, Laura,” he stated as he reached her side. “What a pleasure it is to happen upon you this lovely morning.”
Laura scowled at him. “Yes, my lord, my day is now complete.” He was only being polite by greeting her, so she attempted a smile. “I hope you have a good ride.” With a polite nod, she continued on her route but was surprised to see him keep pace with her. She raised an eyebrow in inquiry, and disdainfully asked, “Are you just returning home for the evening?”
“My, aren’t we prickly this morning?” His eyes swept over her attire, and rather than the frown of disapproval at her old riding habit that she expected, he looked almost appreciative. “I hate to disappoint you, but I recently had a change of heart about staying out all night.” He paused as he steered his mount away from a hole in the ground, and then continued, “I have decided I should start a new exercise regimen, which includes riding in the morning. Tell me, do you ride every morning also?”
He could not possibly intend to ride at the same time and place she did, did he? That would be disastrous, although she supposed she could be prevailed upon to share, but not happily. “I hear there are many trails in the park that you could consider using for your solo enjoyment.” Hopefully he would catch the obvious hint.
Lord Farris smiled wryly. “My dear, why would I ride alone, when riding with you is infinitely more pleasurable?”
“I am sure there are plenty others you could find to share your ride. In fact, I believe Lady Robbins also rides at this time. Maybe she would enjoy a riding partner.”
“I think not. You are, by far, my first choice.”
“But that was not always the case, was it?” she asked softly, enjoying the flash of surprise in his eyes.
He recovered quickly. “That appears to bother you. Why is that?”
Laura glared at him. “It does not bother me. You are hardly the sort to only ride with one lady, without exception. The fool is the one who would think you capable of commitment.”
“Something tells me we are not speaking of riding horses anymore.”
“Of course we are.” She turned to ignore him. She would just keeping riding and hope he would not follow.
“Are you not curious to know why I am riding with a package?”
Odious man. She lifted an eyebrow and stopped her mare as Lord Farris also stopped his stallion. She could care less about his package. “Tell me, my lord, who asked you to accompany me this time? Perchance Lord Collins asked again, as he did at the house party?”
His eyes narrowed. “Who told you that? Never mind, I am sure I know.” He paused for a moment and said softly, “That request made no difference to me. I would have still chosen to escort you over any other member of the house party.”
“Because you had so many options?” Laura retorted acrimoniously.
Lord Farris appeared to consider his words carefully and then said, “Maybe at first I partnered with you due to necessity, but as I got to know you, I would have chosen you over any other lady in my acquaintance.” He held up his parcel and smiled engagingly. “What if I told you this is a present for you?”
“Then I would tell you to keep it, as I am not interested in presents from you,” Laura retorted haughtily.
“In that case, I will simply send it to your home. I am sure the gossips and Lord Dunbar in particular will be interested to see you are receiving gifts from other gentlemen.”
Odious, infernal man. She could not allow him to send her a gift, and he knew it. She looked at his wickedly charming smile and yielded. “Fine.” She submitted as she walked her mount closer to accept the gift. Lord Farris handed her the present and allowed his hand to linger excessively during the exchange. She shifted uncomfortably from the touch, then snatched the gift, and her hand, away. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome, now open it,” he ordered.
Slowly peeling away the wrapping, Laura was thrilled to see the volume of poems she had admired so much at the bookstore. She looked worriedly at him. “This is too much. I cannot possibly accept this gift.”
“Of course you can, you nonsensical woman. You have no other choice.”
Laura paused for a moment, lost in thought, then finally a bright and engaging smile overtook her face. “Thank you then. I will cherish this always.”
Her smile vanished as she swiftly turned her mare and began to ride. She had lost herself in the kindness of his act. Clearly, he had purchased the book after she had left the bookstore. That was just the sort of action that would make her love him all the more. She turned to see that he was keeping pace with her on his beautiful, black stallion.
The couple rode silently for some time, until they changed direction to return from whence they came. Lord Farris called out as they slowed to turn, “I say we call a truce and agree to be friends.”
She gave no indication she had heard Lord Farris’s suggestion but continued riding, which gave her time to mull over his proposition. If she did not accept his offer, she would seem very unladylike; however, accepting his offer would probably result in more time spent with him.
She knew it was likely she would have to see him on occasion. Eleanor would soon marry his best friend, and Laura would see him whenever she saw Eleanor. Having made her decision, Laura continued to ride until they reached the entrance.
“I accept your offer, my lord. We may be friends,” Laura stated graciously.
“Same time tomorrow, then?”
“I suppose, my lord. Please do not feel obligated if you change your mind,” she offered hopefully.
****
The couple parted ways, with Laura heading home, and Gavin riding to Lord Collins’s house. He was cold, hungry, and he had a strong inclination to utilize his friend in his wooing endeavors. The morning had gone unusually well, but he had spent a good hour riding back and forth in Hyde Park until Laura had appeared.
His chill had been momentarily warded off when he had spotted Laura. Not only was she wearing her old riding habit, but she appeared to be completely without artifice in the brisk morning air. No matter how lovely she looked in a fancy ball gown, the Laura he saw this morning would always be his Laura.
Gavin knocked on Lord Collins’s front door and did not bother waiting for a response before opening the door. He immediately went to the dining room and entered as Lord Collins looked up from his newspaper in surprise. Gavin had always used to breakfast with him, but had not in the past two months.
Lord Collins acted as if nothing was amiss and Gavin’s arrival was expected. “Good morning. Are you hungry?”
The food looked divine, and Gavin loaded up a plate with some tasty morsels. He sat and dropped a bombshell. “I am going to marry La
dy Laura.”
Lord Collins was suddenly overtaken by a coughing fit. He eventually cleared his airway and laughed. “I knew this would happen. I was just waiting for you to come to the same conclusion.” He eyed Gavin, and asked curiously, “Does the lady in question know of your intent?”
“She does not.” He grimaced. “In fact, just this morning she agreed to be friends.” What a distasteful word.
Lord Collins proclaimed with a smile, “How wonderful! The man who never has problems with women cannot seem to ensnare the one he wants most.”
Gavin could not see the humor in the situation. “Yes, well, I would not have so much difficulty if you had not told Miss Ashford of your request at the Songfeld house party.”
This revelation wiped all traces of humor from Lord Collins’s face. “You mean she told Lady Laura? Why would she do that? I specifically asked her not to mention it to anyone.”
Maybe because she is not such a nice woman. His friend would hopefully figure that out soon enough. “I do not understand it either. There would be no benefit for Lady Laura to know.” Gavin took a bite of food and silently allowed Lord Collins to form his own opinion on that bit of information. “Either way, you will have to make up for it by helping me.”
Lord Collins raised his eyebrow, which indicated Gavin should continue.
“You obviously go everywhere that Miss Ashford goes, and now I will also.” Determining Laura’s whereabouts would be easy.
“That is a tremendous sacrifice for me,” Lord Collins said sarcastically. “I could not be happier to have you accompany me, so I am not plagued by females constantly.”
The matter settled, Gavin and Lord Collins continued to eat their breakfast. They had some catching up to do, but they easily fell back to their old rhythms as was typically the case for most great friendships. At breakfast’s conclusion, Gavin asked, “So what is on the agenda tonight?” He could not miss a single chance to win Laura.
“Well, Miss Ashford told me they are to attend the theater tonight as Lord Dunbar’s guests. I had no plans to attend, but if you wish I am more than willing.”
Gavin did not like the idea of Laura with Lord Dunbar, seated next to him for an entire evening. “Do you have a box?” he asked practically.
“No. However, your sister has informed me that you do,” Lord Collins replied drily.
What? That secured Gavin’s attention. “I had not realized that. How thoughtful of Mother to have such foresight.” He would have liked to have been notified of the decision. He suspected the bill had been snuck in with the charges in relation to the ball.
“Indeed.” Lord Collins chuckled. “I wonder if we will be escorting your mother and sister tonight?”
Of course they would. Gavin knew if he attended without them he would never hear the end of it. “Send a note over,” he grudgingly said.
Lord Collins nodded. “Right away.”
Chapter 12
Laura enjoyed any genre of play, but comedies were by far her favorite, which was what they were to see tonight. Lord Dunbar had greeted the ladies as they arrived at his box with delight, although he had saved the warmest welcome for Laura. She was accompanied by Eleanor and Lady Ashford, although Eleanor had been practically dragged screaming to the theater. Eleanor had thought it a complete waste of time, as Lord Collins would not be in attendance, but her mother had given her no choice.
Lord Dunbar had kindly seated Laura in the most visibly advantageous spot and subsequently sat next to her. He smelled nice, and Laura assumed it was some sort of tobacco product. “What is the scent you are wearing?” she inquired softly.
“I am not wearing any scent. I imagine you are smelling the cigar I recently smoked.” His eyes drifted to her décolletage. “Do you like it?”
“Yes, I was just thinking how appealing you smell. It is a soothing scent.” She had done a marvelous job at continuing to converse, despite the fact that his eyes had remained firmly planted on her chest.
“In that case, I shall ensure I smoke that cigar should I smoke around you.”
Laura had no idea how she was to determine if he was interested in Lady Robbins. Every time she thought of marriage to Lord Dunbar, she pictured the lady’s face, and then guilt ate at her stomach. That was not exactly the feeling she wanted on her wedding day.
Suddenly, Eleanor’s voice rang out behind her. “Lord Collins is here.” She sounded excited until Eleanor noticed who he was with, then her tone turned scornful. “He is seated next to Miss Farris. That scheming jade has got to be stopped.”
Laura’s gaze searched the crowd, as she unwittingly held her breath. In a box not far from her father’s sat Lord Farris. He was attentively listening to someone she could only assume was his mother. Why was he here? As she enjoyed her unobserved moment to scrutinize him, his gaze locked with hers, and Laura swore quietly. “Bloody hell.” Her cheeks colored, and she quickly looked away, but not before Lord Farris’s face was transformed by a lazy smile, which suggested he knew exactly the effect he had on her.
Lord Dunbar’s question was a welcoming distraction. “Is everything all right?” He looked charmingly concerned. “Ladies are not supposed to know such language, but I am sure you had a worthy reason to use it.”
Laura smiled up at him and lied. “I certainly thought so, my lord. I seem to have bit the inside of my cheek.” She realized her falsehood was a poor one. People generally did not bite their cheeks while sitting quietly and especially when not chewing anything.
“That is most unfortunate. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Laura placed a hand on her cheek, as if in pain, and said weakly, “No, my lord, I think it best we just sit in silence and observe the play,” which would fortunately begin momentarily.
Lord Dunbar patted her hand and agreed, although his hand lingered for several moments longer than Laura thought necessary. After several more minutes of waiting, the first act began, and Laura tried to focus. Unfortunately, she found her gaze wandering to Lord Farris more often than it ought. Frustratingly, he was unceasingly prepared for her glances with a smile. Why was he at the theater if he was not going to actually watch the play? She was so focused on her thoughts she did not realize they had reached the interim. She snuck one more peek at Lord Farris and realized he had disappeared.
Laura excused herself to use the retiring room but had not managed to depart before Eleanor volunteered to accompany her. As they exited the box, Eleanor remarked, “Did you see how Miss Farris was hanging on to Lord Collins? It was shameful, and I will not just stand by and watch her steal him away.”
Laura had been occupied and failed to observe anyone hanging shamefully off anyone else. She suggested, “Maybe we will run across him, and you can apprise Lord Collins of his shameful actions.”
Eleanor looked as if she wanted to attack the next person who eyed her crossly. “Did you not hear me? She is hanging on him. Lord Collins is not at fault, but I did, in fact, accompany you to hopefully warn him of the scheming harpy.”
Laura had not realized the extent of Eleanor’s dislike for Miss Farris. Just how serious was the information Eleanor had on Miss Farris? Laura was unsure if she should intervene or simply let nature take its course, but if she did nothing she would hate herself when Miss Farris suffered. The whole matter was terribly disconcerting. Maybe she should warn Lord Farris.
The two ladies parted ways until Laura concluded her business and set out to find Eleanor. “Figures,” she exclaimed after she searched and could not find her cousin. She began to navigate her way back to her seat. Suddenly, a hand was on her elbow, forcing her to stop.
Awareness from his touch coursed through her, and she knew without looking that Lord Farris had accosted her. “My lord,” she asked as she glanced into his eyes. “May I help you?”
“Not really,” he said, still holding her elbow as he guided her toward a quieter location between two ivory columns. “Lord Collins and Miss Ashford are discussing some matter of the utmos
t importance, and I decided I should act as your escort.”
“Of course you did.” She glanced at the strong hand holding her and attempted to nonverbally remind him of propriety, which he frustratingly ignored. She was not too concerned, though. They were in full view of several passing theater patrons.
She paused as she remembered Eleanor. Should she warn Lord Farris of Eleanor’s intentions toward his sister, or brush it aside as an unlikely occurrence? Laura knew herself. If she did not tell him, she would feel responsible, but she also did not want to betray Eleanor.
Finally her conscience won out, and she spoke very seriously to Lord Farris. “I have something important to tell you, but you must promise you will never betray that I am the one who told you.”
He nodded.
“I am not positive anything will actually happen, but I worry that Miss Ashford views your sister as a threat to her relationship with Lord Collins. She claims to have bribed one of your servants into betraying a secret that will ruin your sister’s reputation.” Laura cringed, it sounded much worse when said aloud.
He stilled. “Thank you, Laura,” he said distractedly. “Your cousin is not too bright. Revealing this secret will not cause Lord Collins to abandon Alexa. Rather he will cling to her more in order to help.”
Laura nodded. “I will try to talk some sense into her, but I felt you should be warned.”
“You have my sincerest gratitude.”
“Why do you not thank me and return me to Lord Dunbar, then?” She smiled impishly.
“All in due time, Laura,” he murmured seductively as his hand moved from her elbow to her gloved hand. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it sweetly, all while his eyes remained glued to hers. She could not tear her gaze from his, until he smirked at her. He was fully aware of the effect he had on her.