After The Storm (6 page)

She gave him a quick smile and turned her attention
to Lavvy, who looked exceptional in her dark brown velvet riding
habit. “Good morning,” she said, an apology on her face as she
added, “I am sorry, have I kept you waiting?” She pulled on her kid
gloves and said, “Do let us go, as we shouldn’t keep the horses
standing.”

Outside, Jenny went to her bay gelding’s head and
stroked the white star on his nose as she watched the earl give
Lavvy a leg up.

He turned to her and smiled as he took a step closer
and said, “I had a good look at your fellow when we arrived
earlier. A prime animal. How are his manners?”

“Thank you, my lord. He is rather special, and I fear
I have been sadly neglecting him. I trained him for both saddles,
as—” She eyed him sheepishly. “—when no one is about, I ride
astride you see.”

He laughed. “Indeed, I think it measurably safer and
cannot imagine how women manage a sidesaddle. A definite
skill.”

Jenny slipped her horse a carrot and then allowed the
earl to give her a leg up. She hooked her leg over the ladies’
pommel that allowed a woman to sit sidesaddle and adjusted her
skirts while her horse stood quietly for her.

They rode in single file until they reached the
clearing that opened onto a wide path. There Jenny found herself
flanked by Lavvy and the earl.

“Jen,” Lavvy said all at once, “I was most surprised
that Lieutenant McMillan was not present last evening. I had been
under the impression that he would be visiting you this week.”

“Hmm, Mac sent a note around that he was delayed in
Cornwall. His father is ill.”

“Oh, how awful for him. Did you say Cornwall? My
goodness, I would never have thought he came from there.” Lavvy
directed an arched look to Jenny.

Jenny frowned. “I wasn’t aware you were acquainted
with Mac … the lieutenant.”

“Oh, as to that, I am not, at least not really. I was
at soirée a month ago, and the lieutenant was a guest as well.
After we met, I realized he was ‘your’ lieutenant. He was not very
talkative, and though I tried blatantly to flirt with him—for he is
ever so handsome—it did not take.”

Jenny laughed. “How odd it was that you did not meet
him in Brussels. He was constantly with Johnny.” Her smile faded,
but she pushed on. “Indeed, he is an outrageous flirt but steers a
clear path away from marriageable maids. He plays safe he tells me
by only dallying with women who expect nothing from him. What do
you mean about his not appearing to be Cornish?” Jenny didn’t wait
for an answer, as she realized their one-on-one conversation might
appear rude. She turned and gave the earl a smile and said, “Oh, do
excuse us, my lord, we are catching up, and it must be such a bore
for you.”

“Not at all. Please, listening to two female friends
converse without restraint or airs is quite refreshing,” he said
with a genuine smile.

Jenny found his smile could be quite charming, but
she reminded herself he was still the rake that had stolen a kiss
only yesterday morning. She raised a brow and said, “You have a
very pedantic view of females.”

“Do I? Perhaps with good reason?” he purposely
goaded.

She shook her head and turned back to her friend.
“Cornish, why does Mac not seem Cornish to you?”

“Well, as to that, he seems far too refined, gentle.
I have always imagined the Cornish men to be rough and outspoken,”
Lavvy returned absently as she waved it off.

Jenny laughed out loud. “Lavvy, wherever did you get
such a notion?”

“Oh, one hears things when one is in town,” Lavvy
said airily.

“But Miss Ashley does not agree,” the earl said
baitingly. “In fact, could it be that Miss Ashley has been smitten
with this Cornish military man?”

Jenny’s wide, shocked eyes raked him. “Smitten? My
lord, you mistake. Mac and I are very good friends, nothing
more.”

Lavina grimaced at the earl and called Jenny’s
attention back to herself by pointing to the gate. “Do we open it
or jump it, Jen?”

Jenny’s eyes lit up. Some of the old daredevilry
seeped from her heart into her blood, and her response was bright.
“Why, Lavvy—need you ask?”

A moment later, she was up and over and merrily
calling her friend and the earl to follow.

Screaming with what sounded like as much fear as
anticipation, Lavvy rode her horse hard as he tried to stop in
front of the jump, which unseated her a bit. She recovered and took
him over, chastising him all the while.

The earl followed; his seat, Jenny noted, was
perfect, as was the way his big horse tucked and took the high
gate.

He pulled up to her while Lavvy still berated her
naughty gelding and said, “You have lovely, quiet hands, Miss
Ashley, and your horse is a natural jumper.”

“Yes,” Lavvy declared, bringing her horse up to
theirs. “Whisper has wonderful manners, all because of Jenny, but
if we say too much she will blush and tell us to hush.”

Jenny smiled and said softly, “Johnny had a great
deal to do with Whisper’s manners as well, you know.”

“To be sure, I know that, but it was you who taught
him that nasty trick of throwing someone off his back at your
command, Jen.”

“Honestly?” The earl sounded intrigued.

Lavvy nodded. “Indeed, I made the mistake of saying
to her that anyone could ride such a well mannered horse, and
without her leave, I jumped on Whisper’s back. I proceeded to prove
my words by riding off into the sunset as any heroine worth her
salt should do when Jen shouts out, ‘Drop, Whisper, Drop!’ and off
I went, far too close to the sunset for comfort. They stood there,
John and Jenny, whooping with laughter.” She pulled an amiable face
at her friend, and Jenny giggled.

“You were a good sport about it all, Lavvy. You are
always a good sport,” Jenny pronounced as they started walking
their horses down the trail. “And you must admit, you deserved
it.”

Lavvy laughed. “What is that to anything?”

“Oh, I have come to realize that Miss Ashley believes
in giving one his due!” the earl said, tongue in cheek.

The old mill was reached soon afterwards and the box
lunches unwrapped from their saddles and laid with a blanket on the
dry grass. They had roast hens, boiled parsley potatoes, and
freshly baked buns. The earl produced a bottle of port, and as they
had not brought glasses, they took turns drinking from the bottle
and laughing over it.

Later in the day, when Lavina and the earl parted to
go their separate ways, as did she, a sudden reluctance to part
from them swept over Jenny. She had enjoyed herself immensely. How
was that possible?

She sighed and wondered briefly if the earl would
come up to scratch and actually propose to Lavina that evening. The
notion of him proposing to Lavvy irritated her.

Now why was that?
Probably
, she told herself,
because she wished Lavvy would marry for love. Lavina deserved more
than a marriage of convenience. Yet she felt there was more to it
than that.

An image of the earl’s winning and easy smile
flickered in her mind’s eye, and she found her lips curving.
Absurd. However, she had to admit to herself that when he smiled at
her, he seemed so much better than the rake she had met during
their first encounter.

~
Four ~

THE EARL HAD made up his mind, which demanded that he
respectfully pay a short visit to Lavina’s father. This he did,
noting with great relief that Sir Arthur’s mood also seemed to hold
relief. Apparently Lavvy’s father had not wanted such a marriage
for his only daughter.

Sir Arthur confided in the earl, saying, “In truth,
my lord, I have been hopeful that my Lavvy would make a love match.
Not always comfortable—love, that is—but infinitely more fun than a
marriage without it.” He sighed. “Lavvy’s mother, though, she will
not agree.”

The earl inclined his head and within moment was
shrugging back into his riding coat and mounting his horse. For he
had also made up his mind on one other thing. He was headed for
Ashley Grange.

The decision had greeted his conscience with a
clarity he found invigorating, but as he drew closer to the grange,
he released a long and heavy sigh.

The truth was he did not have a choice in the matter.
He couldn’t give up his inheritance, so instead he had to give up
his freedom. At least the little Ashley chit was, in addition to
being the loveliest creature he had ever seen, very enchantingly
intriguing.

His horse in the care of the Ashley stable lad, he
found himself ushered into the study and there took to pacing as he
awaited Jenny’s father.

Damnation
, Jason
, he said to himself,
didn’t Byron just say something to you—what was it? Ah yes,
there, in a moment, we may plunge our years
! How true that may
yet turn out to be. What you are doing will certainly tie you up
for the rest of your life.
He had a moment’s panic and nearly
bolted, but the squire arrived and came towards him, extending his
hand.

Here he was, his decision made, and he still wanted
to head for the hills! He knew after their outing that he could
not, would not offer for Lavina. To be sure, she was a very fine
young woman, but he also knew that, as his wife, she would lead him
a very uncomfortable dance—a dance he was not willing to
participate in. He knew he would never love Lavina, and he was
fairly certain he might not even like her given time. He had to
choose a bride, and when he thought of Jenny in that position, he
felt oddly resigned to the notion. A part of him wanted to run at
the thought of marriage, but another part, thinking of marriage
with Jenny, was almost content.

He was more than attracted to her and suspected a
depth of passion inside her he wanted to explore, but more than
that, he genuinely liked her. He liked everything about her. Only
one thing disturbed him, and that was her many references to this
Mac fellow.

He could see the squire waiting patiently as he
sipped the port he had been given, and he decided to have at it. He
watched the squire as he made his offer and was surprised to see a
grim expression take over his face.

When the squire spoke he astonished the earl by
saying bluntly, “She’ll not have you, my lord, and I am sorry for
it, but there it is.”

“But, why not?” This had never occurred to the earl.
He had never doubted that any woman he offered for would most
certainly accept.

“You two have only just met, and my daughter has been
mourning the loss—” He cut himself off. “Dash it, man! This is the
oddest bit of nonsense. You don’t even know each other.”

“I know her well enough to wish that she will be my
Lady Danfield,” said the earl quietly.

“Look here, my lord, you don’t seem to understand.
Jenny, well, our Jenny has declared she will not enter another
London Season, will not allow any to court her, will not ever love
again, and even after an entire year seems to be of the same
mind.”

“I am aware of the circumstances and find her
feelings quite natural. However, I am not asking Miss Ashley to
love me, merely to marry me.” The earl’s voice was solemn.

“
Preposterous
. Jenny doesn’t need to make a
marriage of convenience, and you are too young to throw away your
years on a woman who doesn’t even know you.” The squire shook his
head. “Please forgive my frankness, but I cannot have it on my
conscience.”

“There is nothing for you to worry about. Allow your
daughter the opportunity to make this decision for herself.”

The squire’s eyes narrowed. “I am not certain that I
want her disturbed in this regard.”

The earl looked straight into the squire’s eyes. “I
am about to turn twenty-nine. I am used to thinking and doing for
myself. My decision was not an easy one. Are you objecting to me
personally? Perhaps that is it? Have you taken me in dislike?”

The squire waved this away. “I have heard about your
reputation with the ladies, my lord, but that is not what concerns
me. Young single men do what young single men do. I do like you,”
he said on a heavy sigh. “No, my lord. What I am trying to tell you
is that even if I were to countenance such a scheme, Jenny would
not.”

“Then, Squire, if you do not object to me, allow me
to approach Jenny so that she may consider my proposal.”

“Very well. You have been duly warned,” the squire
said and shook his head. “I only hope Jenny will not be thrown into
the dismals when she has to refuse you. Jenny always likes to
accommodate.” The squire threw down the rest of his port and went
to the bellrope. A moment later, a lackey appeared and was sent to
fetch his daughter.

* * *

As it was, Jenny had gone out for a walk, and for the
first time, her thoughts were not consumed with memories of her
days with Johnny. Instead, she thought back on her morning ride
with the earl and Lavvy.

She blushed when she recalled the manner in which he
flirted with her and how attractive she had thought him. How could
she? Well, he was, and she wasn’t blind.
There is nothing to
feel guilty about in that
, she told herself.

When she entered the house, a lackey came forward and
advised her that her father wished to speak with her in the
study.

She opened the study doors and stopped short to find
the earl with her father. For no apparent reason, she felt a heat
burn the insides of her cheeks. She looked at her parent and said,
“Papa, you wish to speak with me?”

“Yes, dear, but we have a guest,” her father said as
he motioned toward the earl, who moved forward and took up her
hand.

Bending over her fingers, he said softly, “Your
cheeks look as though you have been out walking in the fresh air—a
very becoming blush.”

She ignored the compliment and said lightly, “My
lord, how nice to see you.” She turned inquiring eyes to her
father, uncertain what she should do, stay or go?