Page 10 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
She kept staring at the man now. Her friend was still there, even though he was older. She still didn’t want to hurt him. She opened her mouth, in a vain effort to say something to discourage him, but before anything emerged, he reached forward, squeezing her arm gently.
“I will leave you now,” he said slowly. “But I will return, Susannah. I will visit again, very soon.”
He got up, bowing slightly, before walking swiftly to the parlour door. She didn’t turn her head to even wave to him. Confusion and shock were whirling around in her mind so fiercely that she didn’t know what to do.
As soon as the door was closed, she started berating herself. It was as if Gilbert had returned and was scolding her, just the way that he had always done.
What were you thinking, Susannah? How could you have talked so disloyally about your late husband? How could you have let Leonard Green take your hand and talk to you so boldly of love? How could you have let him walk out that door without telling him firmly that his advances were not welcome, and never would be?
On and on, her mind whirred, in an ever-constant circle of accusations. She sobbed, silently, pressing her mouth into her handkerchief. She hadn’t felt this bad, in quite a long time. Perhaps she should go back to her chambers for the day. She could tell Amy that she was feeling sick. It had happened many times before.
But suddenly, the vision of Jasper Stone leapt into her mind. Tall, handsome, dark Jasper Stone. The Master of Horses. Her hand touching his, as they both stroked the colt. The power of it, coursing through her flesh, like lightning.
And slowly, like the sun poking out from behind dark clouds, she started to feel better.
She stood up, putting her handkerchief away. He and his apprentice would be with the colt, by now. They probably would have started work just after breakfast. They might even be on a break, by now.
Within minutes, she was out of the house, striding towards the stables. Her heart started to beat faster by the minute, in anticipation.
She knew she was being foolish. There was no way on Earth she could have any kind of relationship with the horse master. Apart from the fact she was still in mourning, he was a servant. He wasn’t of her class. There were a thousand reasons that nothing could ever happen between them.
But suddenly, she didn’t care. Suddenly, all that she wanted was to bask a little, in that beautiful warm light of his admiration. All that she wanted was to feel like a woman again.
She took a deep breath. It had been so long, she didn’t even remember any more, what it had felt like.
Chapter 5
Jasper watched the colt on the end of the rope, going around in circles, in the training corral. It had taken him half an hour to lasso him, and another twenty minutes to calm the horse enough to trot in this manner.
“How are you going, David?” he called to his apprentice, who was in a stable next door, grooming one of the other horses.
The younger man popped his head over the gate, brush in hand, grinning. “All good here. What do you want me to do next?”
Jasper kept the colt trotting as he spoke. “Just move on to the other horses, one by one. The aim is just to get to know them – to reassure them that you are a friend.” He paused. “They all seem fairly stable … except for the large black one.”
David nodded, ducking behind the stable gate again. It was at that moment that he saw her, walking slowly towards the corral.
His breath stopped for a moment. It seemed strange, but he had forgotten just how beautiful she was, or at least he had thought that perhaps he had exaggerated it. But no, she was indeed exquisite. She wore a plain gown, in pale lavender again, and her brownish red hair was swept up into a severe bun at the back of her head. She was as modestly attired and accessorised as a nun, but somehow, it only seemed to enhance her beauty.
His heart started to hammer wildly in his chest as his eyes drank her in.
You are acting like a schoolboy with a crushhe scolded himself.You are an experienced man and know how to handle women!
She was almost to the gate. He could tell that she wasn’t calm, either. She looked a little flustered, with a high colour on her porcelain pale cheeks. He didn’t dare hope that he might be the reason, but he still remembered how she had reacted the day before when their hands had touched, as they had stroked the horse.
“Good morning,” she called, in her high, sweet voice. “I see that you are already hard at work.”
He grinned. “We’ve been going since just after breakfast,” he replied. “He is coming along well, as you can see.”
She nodded, watching the colt, suddenly absorbed in the horse, as it trotted around the corral.
“Have you thought of a name for him?” he asked, gazing at her.
She smiled slowly. “Yes, I believe that I have,” she replied. “I think that I shall name him Thor … for the god of thunder and lightning, in Norse mythology.”
“Because of the thunder yesterday, when he bolted?”
She nodded. “Yes. It seems appropriate for his wild spirit, does it not?”
