Page 10 of Papa's Captive
Chapter 6
Inside the clearing, a horse stood tied to a tree.
Rosie, still ensconced in Lord Caldwell’s embrace and not at all eager to leave it, glanced up at her fiance. “What a beautiful horse, but I do not understand. Is this your surprise for me? A horse?”
Certainly it was a grand gesture, but Rosie did not ride and had never indicated to Lord Caldwell an ability or interest in equestrian activities. Frankly, a kaleidoscope would have been more to her liking, though of course she kept that thought to herself.
Lord Caldwell set Rosie on the ground next to the animal. “This is Papa’s Girl, a recently retired racehorse which I purchased yesterday from her rather disgruntled owner.”
“Papa’s Girl?” Rosie asked.
“Yes, it made me think of you, since you are going to be Papa’s girl, is that not correct?”
Rosie lowered her eyes and then raised them to meet his gaze. “Yes, P-papa,” she said, a heated flush flowing over her body.
Lord Caldwell pulled her close for a quick kiss. “I have longed to hear you call me Papa,” he said. “I promise to be the best Papa any girl could ever have. It will be my honor to protect and care for you.”
“Thank you, Papa,” the term flowed more easily off of Rosie’s tongue and heightened the newfound intimacy between them. “And I will do my very best to be an obedient and loving little girl.”
Lord Caldwell planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “I know you will. We have so much to discuss, my sweet Rosie, but there are other matters to attend to first.”
Rosie tentatively reached her hand out and touched the horse’s shoulder. The horse turned its majestic head and nudged her. “She likes you,” Lord Caldwell said. “I knew she was a smart horse.”
Rosie stroked the soft flanks. “Is her name really Papa’s Girl?” she asked with a blush.
“Yes, in fact I bet a large sum on her for that reason alone. And she had all the makings of a winner, but put on the brakes at the last minute. That also reminded me of you, my hesitant fiancee.”
“I am sorry, Lord Caldwell...um, Papa,” she said, remembering her vow to herself just a few moments earlier when she had sworn she would share her feelings with Lord Caldwell if only she were given the chance to do so. “My hesitation is not because I do not care about you a great deal, because…” she took a moment to collect herself before boldly looking into his face, “I do care about you very much. I-I l-love you.”
There, she had said it.
A heart stopping moment of silence followed and then Lord Caldwell lifted her in his arms and swung her in a circle before setting her down and kissing her thoroughly. “You have made me the happiest man in the entire British Empire,” he said when the kiss ended.
On the other side of the bushes, they could hear a commotion headed their way. “What shall we do?” Rosie asked in a hushed whisper. She wasn’t ready to be caught. Not yet. She wanted more time alone with her soon-to-be papa.
“Why, we shall run away together, of course.” Lord Caldwell untied the horse and allowed the reins to drop.
Before his words registered in her brain, Papa had set Rosie upon the horse’s back in a ladylike side-saddle position before he mounted the horse behind her, settling himself in the saddle and adjusting Rosie against his chest before taking up the reins and commanding the horse to take off at a gentle pace.
“What do you think, my dear? Is this not a lovely way to travel?”
“Lord Caldwell,” she said, “ ‘Tis scandalous for us to be seen like this.”
“But you do not dislike it, do you?”
“No,” she admitted, “not at all.”
Lord Caldwell steered the horse down a narrow path through the woods running parallel to the Talcott House garden where they could hear Garland and several others calling Rosie’s name. Miss Wickersham’s shrill voice carried through the forest as though she was standing next to them. “Rosie, show yourself at once. This is most unacceptable behavior. If you know what is good for you, you will make yourself known immediately.”
A pit of fear formed in Rosie’s stomach. Miss Wickersham did not make idle threats.
Then Garland called out, “There, I see them. They are on a horse.”
Branches rustled as the search party hurried to the edge of the garden to take in the sight.
“Rosie!” Miss Wickersham shouted, poking her head through the shrubbery, “this is most unbecoming. I am thoroughly ashamed of you.”
“We must stop,” Rosie whispered, much as she hated the idea of leaving her place next to Lord Caldwell’s heart. Surely he’d been joking about them running away together, though excitement skittered through her at the idea of rushing off on the back of a horse, far away from Talcott House and the consequences that awaited her for her recklessness today.
