Page 59 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“Now?”
“Why, yes! It’s stuffy in here and a bit of activity could get us up a bit. Come on. Let’s not sit around.”
The Earl stood up without waiting for an affirmative response from Alison, and she looked up at him, aghast. She neither wanted to be told what to do by him, and nor did she want to go horse riding with him.
Luke would have returned to work after burying Jack that morning, and Alison knew he would already be feeling sad. For him to see Alison flaunting her betrothal in front of him would be nothing short of cruel, but she could see no way out of this situation she had seemingly got herself into.
“But… I am not dressed for riding,” she said.
“No bother. Come on, why are you still seated? We’re going now. It was your idea, after all.”
She jumped from her chair, her heart pounding.
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I didn’t suggest we go now. I simply explained how much I love to—”
“Same thing. Now, stop your dillydallying. The sun is perfect for a ride, right now, and I could do with stretching my legs. Anyone would think you don’t want to ride with your future husband.”
He flashed her a grin—an attempt at showing his humor, she supposed, but it failed to hit the spot.
“All right,” she said. She could hear the quiver of unease in her own voice, and she prayed the Earl had not heard it, too.
She glanced quickly at the maid in the corner, nodding at her to follow them and act as chaperone.
He marched from the room and she scampered behind him, trying to keep up with his long, confident strides. He held his head always in the air—all the better for looking down at the servants, Alison assumed—and again, he walked around as though he owned the place.
Until they reached the stables, Alison had been at least six feet behind him, always trying to catch up but never quite making it. She suspected that would be what her marriage to him would be like—her, always on the back foot and always left behind.
“Ah, here we are,” the Earl said, striding into the stables. All the servants stopped and looked at him, the normal jolly cheer suddenly chill. Alison had the strangest notion that even the horses turned to look at him, surprised.
Alison spotted Luke at the farthest end, stock still and staring at them open mouthed. She winced and shot him an apologetic look, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“You, there!” the Earl cried, pointing directly to Luke. Alison cringed even more. “I met you the other day. At the garden party. You’ll do. Find us a horse. We wish to ride.”
“Surely you meanhorses, My Lord?” Alison asked, her voice croaking with surprise.
She could hear Luke moving to get a horse ready in the background, and she wished more than anything that she could turn to him and throw her arms around him.
“Why, sharing a horse would be perfectly delightful, don’t you think?” He winked at her and she shivered.
“No,” she snapped through clenched teeth. “I do not think it would be delightful. It would be both inappropriate and unwelcome.”
“We are to be married soon, My Lady,” the Earl said, still grinning. “A little—”
“But we arenotmarriedyet,” she said.
He sighed with exaggeration, as though she had offended him in the worst way.
“All right,” he said, “as the lady wishes it. We’ll take two horses, and be quick about it, boy.”
Alison caught Luke’s eye again, and she could see him seething, his nostrils flared.
“I’m sorry,” she mouthed, and Luke shrugged. But when Alison returned her gaze to the Earl, she saw Lord Belmont openly gawping at her.
She knew, in that instant, that he had seen everything—the looks they gave each other, the words she mouthed. He glared at her, lips pinched, for a long moment, and then he spun around and spat at Luke.
“What’s the matter with you, boy? Why are you moving so damn slowly? My future wife and I wish to go for a ride, not to fraternize with the stable boys.”
“Yes, My Lord,” Luke muttered, eyes to the ground, as he walked the first of the two horses out of the stables and handed the reins silently to Alison.
