Page 47 of Taming Ivy
“I beg to differ.” Ivy calmly met his glare. “I find this all vastly amusing.”
With another grunt, Sebastian refocused his attention, feinting and parrying the tenacious insect like a buccaneer battling another pirate on the high seas. Two additional bumblebees appeared, the devil take them. The blasted winged demons appeared capable of calling in reinforcements, and banding together; they attacked with the fierceness of an uncivilized army. Were it not for the alarm in Ivy’s eyes, Sebastian suspected she possessed magical powers in the world of bees, the ability to summon hordes of the insects to do her bidding.
Standing to fight the damned things, his movements became further exaggerated by the precarious position. Carriages along the park’s gravel drive slowed. People on horseback stopped to watch the Earl of Ravenswood fight a battle against nearly invisible foes. To his great annoyance, Sebastian overheard many less than complimentary comments while the carriage rolled along at a sedate pace. Others could not be blamed for their curiosity. The scene bore all the exciting thrill of a bizarre, mobile play as it rolled by at a sedate pace.
“What the blazes is he doing?” One lord on a bay gelding inquired of a Marquis taking the air with his new wife in their new phaeton. The three watched as the distinctive dark blue carriage trundled past, the earl standing at full height, swinging the frilly parasol. Occasionally, he ducked his upper body from side to side, scowling and cursing.
“He appears quite possessed,” the marquis commented.
“Lady Kinley does not seem unduly distressed.” His new wife assessed the situation. “I do believe she is laughing.”
To be fair, it began as a giggle, smothered behind Ivy’s hand. As the battle against the bees became increasingly agitated, her giggles blossomed into choked gasps until she struggled to catch her breath. By the time Sebastian bellowed, “For God’s sake, man! Can’t the damn horses move any damned faster?” to poor, hapless Bowden, who doggedly continued along at the dignified pace a member of the realm needed to maintain in the middle of Hyde Park at two o’clock in the afternoon with the rest of Polite Society, Ivy was roaring with unrestrained peals of laughter.
Bowden responded to the harsh command with a click of his tongue and a snap of the whip. The horses leapt forward, eager to be away from whatever made the entire carriage shake and roll like a demon possessed vehicle from hell.
Sebastian lost his balance as the carriage lurched forward. Had they not rounded a curve on the gravel drive, he might have succeeded in regaining his stance or even landed backward onto the leather seat. He may have slid to the floor. Instead, he teetered, on the verge of tumbling over as Ivy let out a muffled scream. Snorting in alarm, the horses surged again as she managed to grasp a handful of his coat.
Sebastian did not remain in the carriage.
With instinctive reflexes, he tucked into a loose ball. A less than perfect rolling motion was executed upon hitting the ground, and he tumbled off the gravel path as the carriage rattled on without one of its passengers.
Puffed white clouds drifted across the deep blue expanse, the silhouettes of two birds darting to and fro far above him. Staring up at the sky, Sebastian struggled to breathe. Was it safe to unfurl his body? It didn’t feel like it. Hopefully this shortness of breath was simply the result of having the wind knocked from him and not from any broken ribs.
Shouts echoed in the distance, various gentlemen inquiring to his welfare. If he did not get to his feet soon, he’d find himself surrounded by those curious to learn what forces demolished the fearsome Earl of Ravenswood. He possessed a ready answer for that. Ivy Kinley. Should anyone be stupid enough to question him, it was Ivy Kinley who had laid him low.
Sebastian rose stiffly, brushing his legs off.Damn.His coat ripped after all. While Ivy’s cry sounded desperate when she grabbed for him, he now questioned its sincerity. She probably enjoyed watching him tumble from the carriage. Maybe she nudged him a little on his way over.
Waving away two lords approaching on horseback, Sebastian began the walk to where the carriage waited for him. Those fifty or so yards seemed more like fifty miles. Every living creature in Hyde Park surely watched his progress as he limped along, raking a hand through dust-powdered hair to shake out a few small pebbles caught in the waves. Spying the parasol in the gravel, he retrieved it, although it was a twisted mess of lace, boning and unfortunate silk blooms. He found a perverse pleasure in its destruction.I must have landed on it.
Ivy silently watched his approach from the backside of the carriage, eyes wide as he slapped the parasol with angry thumps against his leg, a delicate substitute for a riding crop.
Seeing the dangerous glitter in Sebastian’s eyes, she wisely uttered not a word, a slight twitch of her upper lip the only indication of her amusement. Bowden stared straight ahead, respectfully resisting any urge to turn and view his employer’s scuffed state. Even the horses knew better than to fidget or stamp with impatience as Sebastian placed both forearms on the carriage doorframe. Leaning heavily against it, his eyes closed for a brief moment. His sorely tried temper needed taming before he could contemplate speaking to her, much less sit in the same vehicle with her.
With a muttered curse, he flung the parasol with such force it bounced off the cream-colored leather seat to land at Ivy’s feet. Biting her lip, she picked it up.
“I tried to save you.” Her voice lilted with barely suppressed satisfaction as she examined the once pretty accessory. “I did not think you would go over the edge.”
“An unfortunate hazard, it seems.” Lifting his head, Sebastian watched a brightly colored butterfly flit up and over the carriage. It hovered about Ivy for second or two before continuing on its way.
“Oh? Do you fall from carriages on a regular basis?”
“I consistently find myself on the verge of some manner of edge around you. The edge of insanity, the edge of my temper.” He nearly ground his teeth to powder. “The edge of lust.”
Ivy swallowed hard. “I’m at a loss on how to remedy your problem.”
“I have several ideas. None you would like.”
Her head tilted in consideration. “How do you know that?”
“Trust me. Especially as you have no idea which emotion I may indulge.”
She met his scowl with a slow grin of acid sweetness. “I’ll require a new parasol to deal with your ill humors, my lord. Another rap on the head would be to your benefit, I think.”
A choked, strangled sound bubbled from Sebastian's throat. Ivy tightened her grip on the parasol. Would she need it to defend herself? Should the earl turn violent, would Bowden rouse the horses to carry her away if need be? She should mind her tongue when he was so angry...
A chuckle escaped him, followed by bellowing laughter.
Despite the frustration with the inability to tame the earl and her heartache with the decision she would never see him again, Ivy’s soul melted in a puddle of longing. Sebastian laughed, as she’d never heard before. Oh, he had chuckled in the time since she met him, grinning as they shared amusements, and she witnessed him enjoy humorous moments with Lord Bentley and other friends. This was different. This was genuine and real, twisting her heart in a way pretty words and passionate kisses would never achieve. She stared at him as he flung himself into the seat beside her, gaping while he swiped tears of merriment from his cheeks.
