His Reluctant Lady (7 page)

“
I love horses,” Lord
Clement replied, his countenance brightening considerably. “There’s
a sense of freedom in riding them, don’t you agree?” he asked
Sophie.

“
I don’t know if I ride them
as often as my sister does.”

Agatha’s smile grew tight and she
forced herself to relax. It wouldn’t do good to show any unease.
Granted, her sister hadn’t ridden a horse in a couple years, but
she did often in childhood. She let out what she hoped was a
carefree laugh. “My sister is teasing you, my lord. She is a
natural rider. Graceful, even. And horses are wonderful
animals.”

“
Yes, they are,” Lord
Clement agreed. “I have a couple horses. Perhaps we can all go for
a ride in Hyde Park.”

“
What a splendid offer!”
Agatha sent her sister a pointed look.

“
Oh, yes, of course,” her
sister quickly added.

“
Will you be coming along?”
Agatha asked Lord and Lady Roderick, thinking if they joined them,
then she’d have someone to talk to while Lord Clement and her
sister talked.

Lady Roderick shifted and bit her lower
lip but nodded. “I suppose one horse ride would be all
right.”

“
My wife isn’t as familiar
with horses as the rest of us,” Lord Roderick said and smiled at
her. “But I’ll be by her side to make sure no harm comes to
her.”

After they agreed to meet in a couple
days, they decided to return to the ball. Agatha couldn’t be more
pleased with the way the conversation ended. Lord Clement was the
perfect gentleman for her sister. And she was sure that, in time,
her sister would realize it, too.

Chapter Six

It took an agonizing fifteen minutes,
but Lord Roderick finally left Claire’s side. Ignoring the other
people in the ballroom, Christopher quickly approached her before
he lost his chance to talk to her.

He bowed and extended his hand. “May I
have a dance with you, my lady?”

She nodded and joined him with the
other couples who waited for the music to start. When it did, she
asked, “Did you see me talking to Lady Richfield?”

“
I did. I also noticed you
two went on the veranda with my guardian.”

“
Yes, we did. It turns out
Lady Richfield is eager to see her sister married to a titled
gentleman. Lord Clement is just as eager to find a wife. If you
wish to spend more time with the lady, then I suggest you help her
secure her sister’s future.”

His smile widened. “Why, you are
brilliant! And my guardian will be agreeable on this
matter.”

“
I should say so. He already
extended an invite for Lady Richfield, her sister, my husband, and
I to go for a horseback ride at Hyde Park.”

“
Did he say
when?”

“
In a couple days. I expect
the details will be worked out through correspondence.”

“
Or through me,” he
thoughtfully said as a plan formed in his mind. “Lady Richfield
will be there. You’re certain of that?”

“
She’ll need to
chaperone.”

“
But you and Lord Roderick
don’t have to be there.”

“
Lady Richfield requested we
join them.”

“
Don’t you hate horses, my
lady?”

“
They’re not my favorite
animal.”

“
Then why should you ride
one?” he asked. “It sounds like needless torture to me.”

“
I think she wishes to give
her sister and your guardian time to talk, and she can do that
better if she has someone to talk to.”

“
I’ll tell you what,” he
began, catching sight of Lady Richfield as she and her sister
conversed with a gentleman. Lady Richfield happened to glance in
his direction and he offered her a charming smile. She paused for a
moment then turned her attention back to the gentleman. Though she
chose to ignore him, he saw the slight flush in her cheeks. There
was no denying the attraction between them. Looking back at Claire,
he continued, “I’ll go with my guardian on this horse ride. I love
horses. It’ll be good exercise and a pleasant ride through the park
is just what I need after spending so much time this past winter
cooped up indoors.”

“
Why don’t you just come out
and say this will be the perfect chance for you to talk to the fair
and beautiful Lady Richfield?” she insisted, her teasing tone
giving her amusement away.

“
Well, then it won’t seem
like an act of mercy, will it?”

“
You helped my sister avoid
marriage to a terrible gentleman,” she replied. “You didn’t gain
anything from it. That was your act of mercy. Now I will find a
reason to be detained on the day this horse riding venture occurs.
It’s only fair I return the favor.”

“
You’re a splendid lady.
Does Lord Roderick know how fortunate he is to be married to
you?”

“
Yes, he does.”

“
Good. Otherwise, I’d have
to send him out to the stables to muck out some stalls.”

She giggled and shook her head. “That
won’t be necessary.”

The dance came to an end and he bowed
as she curtsied. “It’s always a pleasure talking to
you.”

Seeing that Lady Richfield hadn’t moved
from her spot, he made his way over to her and lightly touched her
arm, ensuring that no one else noticed. She inclined her head in
his direction but maintained eye contact with the gentleman talking
to her and her sister.

“
Oh yes,” Lord Thomas said,
“I’ve been on an elephant and a camel.”

“
But isn’t that dangerous?”
her sister asked, her eyes wide and excitement in her
voice.

“
Of course it is, but I
don’t see the point in playing it safe all the time. A person has
to enjoy life to truly live it,” he replied.

“
I suspect you’re not the
only person who shares that philosophy,” Lady Richfield said,
glancing at Christopher.

Christopher’s eyebrows rose. “I can’t
say I’ve ridden an elephant or a camel, but I don’t mind a
challenge when it presents itself.”

“
Hear, hear!” Lord Thomas
nodded in approval. “Though you ought to try riding them sometime.
They’re magnificent creatures.”

“
It sounds like it,” her
sister said. “And impressive.”

“
And dangerous,” Lady
Richfield muttered under her breath.

“
Care to dance?” Lord Thomas
asked her sister.

Despite the slight shake of Agatha’s
head, her sister accepted and hurried off to dance with
him.

Before Lady Richfield could step away
from him, Christopher extended his arm and said in a tone loud
enough for those around them to overhear, “Thank you for accepting
my invitation to dance, my lady.”

She opened her mouth to speak but
glanced at those who looked in their direction. With a sigh, she
placed her hand on his arm and let him escort her to the dancing
area. “You have a way of working things to your advantage,” she
said, frowning at him.

“
You wouldn’t have danced
with me otherwise.”

“
There are many things I’d
say about you, Mister Robinson, but being dull isn’t one of
them.”

“
I appreciate the
compliment.”

She released a loud sigh. “Is there
something you want from me?”

“
Yes. I want you to marry
me.”

“
I fail to understand you. I
insulted you in front of your friends at Lord Edon’s dinner party.
Do you really enjoy such treatment?”

“
It’s no secret that your
first marriage left a lot to be desired.”

“
Lord Richfield died within
twenty-four hours of marrying me. He did me a favor.”

“
Some ladies don’t want
their husbands dead,” he teased.

“
So you want to marry me so
you can be miserable? Is that the point to all of this?”

“
No. I want to marry you
because you’re the most exciting lady I’ve ever met. You have great
passion. Imagine if you were to turn that passion in my favor? I
sense the heat of your kisses would set the room on
fire.”

“
You are much too
bold.”

“
I’m not bold
enough.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “If you wish to
be a rake, you’re free to do so, but you’ll be a gentleman when
you’re with me.”

Lowering his voice, he said,
“But you don’t need a gentleman. You don’t even
want
a gentleman. You want to be
pursued. You need to be won.”

“
Are you comparing me to
some animal you need to hunt?”

He laughed and turned with her.
“Hardly. I don’t desire to make love to an animal.”

“
I’m surprised, considering
the fact that you’re acting like one.”

“
And which one would that
be?”

“
A wolf.”

“
A wolf? Not a bad choice.
Quick, smart, territorial. They mate for life, you know?” When she
groaned, he grinned. “I love your quick wit. I also love your
beauty. You’ll make a marvelous wife once you decide to love your
husband.”

She shook her head. “I will never
remarry.”

“
Why don’t we go outside?”
he said in a soft voice. “Take a nice stroll, maybe even share a
kiss?”

“
You may add ‘intelligent’
to the list of things you claim to admire about me, Mister
Robinson. You think I don’t know what a scandal that would
be?”

“
You can’t blame a gentleman
for trying. We’ll be married either way, but if you insist on
prolonging my torture, then so be it.”

“
I know I’m going to be
sorry I asked, but ‘torture’?”

“
My heart won’t be complete
until I make you my bride.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was right. I’m
sorry I asked.” The music came to an end and she curtsied. “It’s a
pleasure to end this dance.”

“
Maybe next time we dance,
it’ll be between the sheets,” he whispered, knowing it would bother
her to no end that he said it.

And he was right. Her jaw dropped then
she narrowed her eyes at him. What a lady of passion! He had a
feeling that once she fell in love with him, she’d make his life
very much worth living.

***

The next morning, Christopher bounded
down the stairs in his guardian’s townhouse. It would be nice to
get out of here and move into Lady Richfield’s
residence.

“
What are you so happy
about?” Perry asked as Christopher leapt off the final step and
planted his feet on the floor.

Christopher grinned at his guardian.
“Love, my dear cousin, love. It’s everywhere around us, isn’t it?
Soon you will exchange vows with your bride, and I’ll exchange them
with mine.”

“
I think you’re taking
things for granted. Besides, I wasn’t aware that you were
interested in a young lady.”

“
The lady I’m going to marry
is two years older than me, but it’s such a small gap in our ages
that no one can protest our union.”

“
Who is this lady?” Perry
asked, his eyebrow raised in interest.

“
Lady Richfield.”

“
Lady Richfield?”

Noting the amusement in his tone,
Christopher frowned. “You don’t think we’ll make a suitable
match?”

“
I’m acquainted with her,
and she has more sense than to marry a young man who takes little
responsibility for his life.”

He gasped and pointed to himself. “You
think I don’t take responsibility for my life? Need I remind you of
the torment your friend, Lord Pain, put me through? I haven’t
consumed too much wine or gotten into any brawls since. I’ve
behaved admirably.”

“
So one would think, but I
sense you engage in mischief from time to time. However,” Perry
leaned on his cane and headed down the hallway with Christopher, “I
think marriage is exactly what you need. It’ll be a stabilizing
influence in your life. But if you think my friend
Nate
is hard on you, I
don’t think you can handle Lady Richfield. Compared to her, Nate is
a harmless puppy.”

Christopher chuckled. “Her
bark is worse than her bite. But with
Lord
Pain
, his bite is as bad as his
bark.”

“
I’d argue with you on that,
but I suppose it doesn’t matter. If you manage to get her to agree
to marry you, I give you my consent to marry her.”

Good. At least he had his guardian’s
approval for the match. “And considering you’ll marry her younger
sister, I suppose that will make us brothers-in-law in addition to
being cousins.”

“
Nothing is definite
yet.”

“
But aren’t you taking her
sister for a horseback ride at Hyde Park?”

“
Yes.”

“
Well, that’s a start! And
fortunately for you, I’ll be able to keep Lady Richfield company
while you entertain her sister.”

Perry stopped and turned to him. “I
invited Nate and Claire to come along so Lady Richfield had someone
to talk to.”