Page 2 of Lord of Mischief
“Ha!Come on!”he urged his horse.
His horse lengthened its stride.Freddie gripped on tightly.It would be a disaster if he was to fall.
Slowly but surely, the gap between them and the lead horse closed.Freddie dug his heels in one last time and his horse kicked into another burst of speed.
At the end of Oxford Street, they drew level.Freddie chanced a look at his opponent and his heart leapt.
Lord Godwin Mewburton was wielding his whip like a madman.From his mouth came a never-ending stream of abuse, all directed at his horse.
Unsurprisingly, the abuse did not have the desired effect.Freddie’s mount edged forward into the lead.
By the time they reached the turn into the top of Tyburn Lane, Freddie’s horse was half a body length in front.Lord Godwin had gone too hard too early and was now paying the price for his uncalculated move.
Tyburn Lane was dark with only houses on one side and Hyde Park on the other.The gaslights on the side of the street added little to light the way.Freddie squinted in the dark and prayed his horse had better eyesight than he did.
He lifted his head and caught sight of a series of lit torches near Hyde Park Corner.The finish line was in sight.Throngs of people crowded the finish line.They cheered and waved, urging the riders on.
Freddie grinned as his horse entered the start of Park Lane.He was in the lead.The cheers were for him.He was going to win.
The second rider crossed the finish line less than a minute after the winner, but Eve barely noticed.Her attention was already captured and held fast by the dark-haired victor who leapt off the back of his stead as soon as they crossed the finish line and was now accepting the congratulations of dozens of well-wishers who were singing his name.Freddie!Freddie!
The grin on his face had her smiling.
Francis took hold of Eve’s arm.“I thought I had lost you in the crowd.Did you see the finish?”
Eve nodded, but her gaze remained firmly fixed on the winner.The very sight of him took her breath away.He had dark, wind-ruffled hair, which was the perfect level of sexy wildness.He was tall and perfectly built.Her only disappointment was that in the dark she could not make out the color of his eyes.
“Who is he?”she asked, enthralled.
Francis huffed in disgust.“Freddie Rosemount.Second son of Viscount Rosemount, he was at Eton the same time as me.Just come down from a first-class degree at Oxford and looks like he is planning to tear up the town.And from your lovesick look, break a few hearts in the process,” replied Francis.
“Oh, please.I am just excited to see a dashing young man on horseback.You cannot blame a girl for dreaming of knights and their mighty chargers.”She brushed her brother’s words away as yet another of his good-natured teases, but at the same time, she knew Freddie Rosemount had already captured her imagination.She mentally checked her ‘must have’ list for a potential husband.
Viscount Rosemount was one of the richest men in the country so Freddie had the issue of wealth covered.He had a university degree, so he was no dunce.He was devilishly handsome and had an obvious wild streak.
Tick.Tick.Tick.Tick.He met all the criteria on her list.
Now she had to discover whether a passionate heart beat beneath that broad chest.She was determined to marry before the year was out, but a dull, safe husband was the last thing she desired.
With her heated blood pumping strongly through her veins, she no longer felt the bitter chill of the night air.
Eve placed a hand over her heart and made a silent vow.She would do whatever it took to meet this handsome devil.If he was half as interesting as the way he rode, his name would be added to her list of potential husbands.The list in its current state was both short and disappointing.
Eve tightly fisted her hand.She was not going to see out the year as an old maid.She was determined to find love.She would do everything within her power to beat her sister Caroline to the altar.The next family wedding was going to be hers.
Hello, Freddie. You might just be the man I am looking for.
