Page 32 of Tempting a Lonely Lord
“Goodness! I nearly forgot—William will be here any moment,” Bella exclaimed, seizing the opportunity to escape and avoid further conversation with her grandmothers. “We’re going riding, and I thought it best to have a footman follow at a distance.”
“Which horse will you be riding, my dear?” Grandmama asked.
“I thought I’d take Winterborne. I haven’t ridden him in some time, and I’d like to make amends for my neglect,” Bella replied.
“You’ve been in mourning. While a horse may not comprehend such things, any reasonable person would,” Grandmère said gently.
“But my absence has affected Winterborne. I truly believe he feels and understands it,” Bella insisted. “He was important to my father, Grandmère. I know it may sound strange, but I believe Father saw him as more than just a horse—he was a friend.”
“Just be careful, my darling,” Grandmama said warmly. “I believe your father would approve—and remember, you are an excellent horsewoman. You’ve been riding since you were barely out of leading strings.”
The door swung open, and Garrett stepped in. Bella had noticed it before—an odd, simmering tension between him and Lacey that hadn’t always been there. Once, she had adored him, wagging her tail and trotting eagerly to his side for a scratch. But now? Lacey barely deigned to acknowledge his existence.
As he entered, she lifted her head just enough to deliver a slow, deliberate glance—one of supreme canine disdain—before sighing with all the weight of the world and flopping back down, as if even looking at him were an exhausting inconvenience.
Bella narrowed her eyes. What on earth had happened between them? Had Garrett refused her a particularly good treat? Criticized her nap schedule? Whatever it was, Lacey clearly hadn’t forgiven him, and judging by the butler’s resigned expression, he knew it.
“My ladies,” he said, approaching the table. “Lady Bella, a missive arrived for you.” He extended an arm with a salver. “The footman is waiting for a reply.”
“Thank you,” Bella said, accepting the note and quickly opening it. A few seconds later, she said, “It’s from William. He said he would be here at noon for our ride.” That was in two hours. She looked at Garrett. “Please tell the footman I’ll be ready. Thank you, Garrett. Oh. There is one more thing. Can you have a footman meet me at the stables? I’ll be riding Winterborne, and the viscount is accompanying me.”
“Very good, my lady,” the butler said, inclining his head and turning to leave, giving one more mysterious look at Lacey.
~*~
“I’m glad today worked out for our ride,” William said, lifting himself into the saddle of his gelding after he’d helped Bella onto Winterborne. This was probably going to be one of the toughest conversations he’d ever had—and having it with someone he cared about made it that much harder.
“Are we ready, sweet boy?” Bella said, leaning over the horse and petting him on his neck.
Winterborne whinnied, threw back his head, and nodded.
William laughed. “I suppose that’s a yes.”
“I think it is. Good boy,” Bella said. Lacey barked as she ran alongside, and Bella stopped and slid down from the horse. Stooping down, she cradled Lacey’s head and kissed it. “Lacey, not this time, girl. Keep an eye on everything at home. And please don’t argue with Garrett—or maybe stay out of each other’s way.”
The dog yipped as if in agreement. William bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.
Bella shook her head. “Go home, sweetheart. I’ll see you later, and we can go for a walk.” Once again, William helped her mount the horse before mounting his. As Winterborne began to trot, she glanced back at Lacey.
William saw the proud little dog heading back toward the barn with her head held high and couldn’t help but be amused. “Let’s take a slow start. I have a few things I need to talk with you about.” He noticed the apprehension on Bella’s face.
“I’m here and your captive audience,” she said, with a faint smile.
Her hands trembled slightly, and William attributed it to anxiety from the long period she had gone without riding Winterborne. “It’ll get better once we get started,” he said softly. Although he knew discussing the death of her father would make things worse.
They rode in silence for several minutes, along the drive that took them to the main road that ran by both properties, before he finally said something. “I found your father’s tack and saddle. It was left in the rear of the barn and had fallen behind a bale of hay. It was probably missed—and eventually forgotten about. It’s just my opinion, but that’s probably why it was still there.”
Tears formed in her eyes. “Thank you for finding my father’s saddle. I thought it was lost forever. When Winterborne was brought back, I looked for it, but it was gone. I suppose with all that had happened, I forgot about it.”
“There’s more,” William said, hating what he was about to tell her. But she needed to know it wasn’t the horse’s fault. “There were sharp pieces of glass driven into the bottom of the saddle. The shards were so minute that no one would have noticed them. It’s not a certainty, but there’s a chance they were placed there on purpose. As the glass jutted through the blanket, it would have caused the horse pain.Real pain.”
“Oh God! Poor Winterborne. And my poor father. As they rode, it would have driven the glass into Winterborne’s back.” She blew out a breath. “Do you mind if we stop for a few minutes? I just need some time to think about this.”
The footman who had been trailing them secured his horse and approached them. “Is there a problem, my lady? My lord?”
Wiping her eyes, she looked at the footman. “I’m sorry. This is the first time I’ve ridden Winterborne. I just needed a moment, Albert.”
He nodded. “Very well, my lady. I’ll get back to my horse.”
