Page 35 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
David Bragg stared at her, his eyes wide. “Are you quite well, Mrs Drake?”
Susannah pulled herself together with difficulty. It would not do, to collapse now, to become overwhelmed with anxiety for Jasper Stone. He was out there, in the dark, pursuing Blitzen, but he was also a highly accomplished horseman. He knew what he was doing, and he was familiar with the horse. She just had to trust that he could accomplish his task.
She took a deep breath. “Yes, I am well. Let us lead these horses back into the stables and let them rest.”
After they had secured the horses, she turned to the apprentice, staring at him gravely.
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
David sighed. “I do not rightly know, madam. I was asleep when the alarm was raised.” He took a deep breath. “It was Jasper, who heard the horses running into the hills. By the time I was awake, they were already long gone.”
Susannah nodded. Of course, it was Jasper. He had told her he was a light sleeper, and she knew that he often walked past these stables when he was restless. That was how he had discovered her in them, only two nights ago.
“I am so sorry, madam,” said David, almost in tears. “I wish that I could have done something to prevent this …”
She shook her head. “It is not your fault, David. Not at all.” She paused. “I am just so very grateful that you and Mr Stone were alert enough to notice. It could have been morning, before anyone was aware of what had happened here, and then all of the horses would have vanished into the hills, probably never to be retrieved.”
He nodded wearily. Susannah felt a sharp pang of pity for him. He looked so woebegone, and so very tired as if he might fall asleep on his feet. He turned away, yawning discreetly, before turning back and facing her.
“I must head out again,” he said quietly. “There are other horses still missing, including the colt. I must retrieve them …”
“You need strong tea,” interjected Amy, frowning with concern. “If you are going to go back out there, you will need sustenance before you go.” She paused. “Follow me to the kitchen, and I shall make a pot.”
David gazed at her gratefully, his eyes alight. “You are sure?”
“Of course I am sure,” she said quickly. “Well, let us not dally …”
Susannah watched them as they walked away, towards the kitchen, their heads together. She was certain that Amy liked the young apprentice, and it wasveryobvious that David liked her, judging by the look of admiration on his face as he beheld her.
She walked out of the stables, back to the edge of the clearing, staring out into the blackness. She shivered. Where was he? Was he safe?
***
Jasper climbed the hill, feeling the cold breeze whip his hair around his face, shivering. He had only had time to grab a thin jacket before he had fled into the hills in pursuit of the horses. It was cold up here, at night, far colder than he could have imagined.
He stumbled over a rock, cursing underneath his breath. He had brought a small lantern, but it was already dimming, and it was just so dark he could barely see two paces in front of him. He was also unfamiliar with the terrain, which was a hindrance.
But he pushed all of that firmly out of his head. He had a job to do, and he just had to get on with it. Already, he had sent David back, with three of the horses. Now, he was in pursuit of Blitzen. The large, nervous black horse that had once belonged to Gilbert Drake.
He stilled, listening. Was that the sound of a horse in the near distance?
Doggedly, he pushed on, climbing higher. There was no way that he could fail at this. There was simply no way that he could return to The Willows without retrieving all of them, but especially not this horse. He knew how much it meant to Susannah, probably more than all of the other horses combined, including the expensive new colt.
His mind drifted for a moment, as he climbed higher, stumbling over rocks. Susannah. She had not come to the stables that day. He had waited for her, his heart in his mouth, all morning before the housekeeper had eventually emerged, telling him that Mrs Drake was feeling unwell and would not be leaving the house today.
His heart had sunk. Had she had a change of heart and was regretting what had happened between them the day before?
He had hoped and prayed that she wouldn’t. That she would not be ashamed of how she had felt when he had pleasured her in the woods. When she had left him, the day before, she had seemed fine. No, she had been more than fine – she had been positively radiant, glowing with an inner fire. A woman who had been truly fulfilled and was delirious in its aftermath.
He knew that she was still ambivalent in her feelings over her dead husband, even though the man had been a callous rake to her. Was she feeling guilty that she was experiencing pleasure with another man when he was cold in the grave?
He had almost gone to the house to see her after the working day was over. The yearning to be near her was so strong it was almost overwhelming. He needed to see her; the desire was thickening in his veins again.
As he had been walking towards the house, he had been assailed with a vision of walking into her bedroom, bending over her, and pleasuring her once again, just for the joy of hearing those soft moans that she emitted when her release was upon her.
But he had resisted the impulse, turning back, going to his own room. Susannah had to come to him now. She had to deal with whatever was conflicting her; he knew that. It was something that she had to work through alone.
He reached the top of the crevice, listening again, panting hard. The large black horse had run the fastest out of all of them, high into these hills as if the Devil himself were on its tail. That was why he had stayed behind, letting David lead the others back. It wasn’t something he felt comfortable with, letting his apprentice try to get this one. He knew how skittish it could be.
