Page 36 of The Rake's Daughter
Chapter Five
The following day, Lord Salcott returned with two much more acceptable mounts. They were also hired horses, and while they were nowhere near the quality Izzy and Clarissa would have preferred, at least they were a big improvement on the stodgy mounts of the previous day.
He was accompanied by Lord Randall and a middle-aged groom whom he introduced as Addis. “Addis will accompany you whenever you ride out. Whenever you wish to ride, have a message sent to the stables and he will bring the horses.” He added with a stern look, “He will also accompany you at all times.”
Izzy and Clarissa exchanged glances. Izzy wrinkled her nose. Addis was to be some kind of keeper, then.
Addis held the horses while the two gentlemen tossed Izzy and Clarissa into their saddles and helped them adjust their stirrups.
Lord Salcott swung lithely up onto his own horse. “Now, Hyde Park?”
“Oh, not Hyde Park, Leo, not on such a glorious morning,” Lord Randall said immediately. “Hyde Park will be crowded. Hampstead Heath would be much more the thing, don’t you think? I’m guessing the ladies would rather stretch their mounts than walk or trot genteelly along.”
“Yes indeed,” Izzy said. “I’m dying for a good gallop.”
“Besides,” Clarissa added, “We’ve been to Hyde Park, but never to Hampstead Heath.”
“It’s quite a long way,” Lord Salcott began, but then he relented, and for a reason that made Izzy want to hit him. “Still, we’re most unlikely to come across anyone we know on the heath. Very well, Hampstead Heath it is.”
Was he ashamed to be seen with them? With her? Izzy wondered, but she didn’t brood for long. As they wove through the London streets making for Hampstead Heath, she delighted in the sheer variety of people and sights they came across. Street sellers peddling all kinds of things: ribbons and old clothes, hot pies and muffins. There were orange sellers and dancing dogs. There was even a hurdy-gurdy man with a little monkey in a red jacket.
For two girls who’d spent most of their lives at Studley Park Manor such sights were exotic and exciting, even if they did slow their progress.
Finally the green expanse of Hampstead Heath was spread out before them, and the horses moved restlessly, impatient to be off. Izzy gave a little crow of excitement and pointed to a clump of trees in the distance. “Race you to that copse over there, ’Riss.” She set off immediately, Clarissa right on her heels, and after a startled pause, Lords Salcott and Randall and the groom, Addis, followed.
The fresh country air, free of the stink of the London streets; the breeze against her skin; the power of the horse beneath her; the fragrance of acres of green grass—Izzy reveled in it all.
Hoofbeats pounded behind her. She glanced back,expecting it to be Lord Randall on his glorious gelding, but to her surprise it was Lord Salcott. His expression was thunderous.
He drew level with her. “Slow down!”
“Pooh to that,” she shouted back and urged her horse faster. She wanted to win the race. Besides, with every step her horse’s hooves threw up the fresh scent of the dew-soaked grass and earth. It was intoxicating.
But a rental hack would never be able to outstrip a thoroughbred of the quality of Lord Salcott’s gelding. He passed her and by the time she reached the copse, he’d flung himself off his horse, had tied the reins to a branch and was marching toward her. “What the devil did you think you were do—”
“Wasn’t that simply glorious?” she exclaimed, laughing, too happy to allow his temper to affect her. “Though we should have given you and Lord Randall a handicap. It’s simply not fair to pit your splendid thoroughbreds against our hired hacks.” She turned to see where Clarissa was and saw that she and Lord Randall were cantering along in a leisurely manner, apparently uninterested in the race.
“I instructed Randall to prevent Miss Studley from racing,” Lord Salcott said.
She pulled off her hat and shook out her hair, enjoying the breeze riffling through it. “Clarissa and I race all the time.”
His eyes darkened. His mouth tightened. “Perhaps, but it’s foolishly risky to race across unknown ground on a strange horse, and I am responsible—”
“For her safety, I know.” It probably wouldn’t matter to him if Izzy broke her neck. She told herself she didn’t care. All her life she’d known that Clarissa’s welfare was paramount, and she had no quarrel with that. She loved her sister and wanted only the best for her.
It was just, sometimes, when someone rubbed her nosein the fact that she herself didn’t matter... well, it left a kind of bruise on her spirit.
Not that she cared what he thought of her. And if he tried to wrap Clarissa in cotton wool, he’d soon learn that soft as she might look, Clarissa was no docile doll. She was almost as daring a rider as Izzy.
“Unfair, unfair,” Clarissa called gaily as she and Lord Randall cantered up. “A thoroughbred against a hired mount?”
Izzy laughed. “Exactly what I said.”
“Even so, you put up a very good show, Miss Isobel. You certainly can ride,” Lord Randall said admiringly. “I wonder, have you ever visited Astley’s Amphitheatre?”
“No, never,” Izzy said. “What is Astley’s Amphitheatre?”
“A kind of theater. I am persuaded you’d enjoy watching the lady equestriennes who perform there. Miss Studley told me you even perform tricks yourself on horseback.”
