Her smile grew even greater. Just as the night before, Francis felt that lurch in his stomach at seeing that smile.
That is not a good thing! She is married. Any liking for the lady would be…well, it would be complicated to say the least.
Trying to dispel the power her smiles had over him, he pulled his newspaper toward him on the table and tried to be interested in the latest news stories. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he could see exactly what she helped herself to. She cut tiny slices of plum cake and pound cake, then there was fresh bread and butter too. There were also new peaches and grapes that she added to her plate, until it was rather full. Seeing her smile as she tucked in, he once more tried to focus on the newspaper.
After a few minutes of silence, Francis began to feel the awkwardness of the room. He barely needed to glance Lady Ridlington’s way to see she was feeling a little uncomfortable too, wriggling in her seat. They were two strangers thrust together in an unusual situation; it was hardly surprising they weren’t clear on how to talk to each other.
Francis’ memory slipped back to the dance the night before and how easy it had been to talk with her then. He wanted that back, and there was no reason he couldn’t have it. Just as long as he kept his infatuation with seeing her smile at bay.
“Well, I’m guessing you feel as odd as I do about this situation,” Francis decided the best way to tackle the situation was to confront it. Lady Ridlington looked up from her pound cake with her eyes wide.
“You could say that,” she said with humor. “It is all a little strange to be here.”
“I suppose it is. Is there any way I can make you feel more at ease about it?”
“The pound cake is accomplishing that very well for you. It’s delicious!” she said as she dug her fork back in. He laughed warmly at her words. With that, the awkwardness in the room was gone.
“Well, for now we do not know how long you will be here, so I suggest we treat it as a chance for you to enjoy yourself. Completely. With no inhibitions whatsoever,” he said with cheer, watching as she sat back in her chair, clearly marveling at the idea.
“I thought you said last night you were off to Egypt soon. I wouldn’t wish to outstay my welcome,” she said hurriedly, glancing back to the door to look for any servants that might disturb them.
“Not yet,” he assured her. “And I will not go whilst you are still in need of help, my Lady.” His words came out deeper than he had meant them, but the response was delightful indeed. Her cheeks began to blush warmly, lighting up those pretty features of hers. “So, back to the matter at hand.”
“What matter?” she asked, taking another bite of her cake.
“I will not have you sad here whilst you are my guest. I wish you to be happy, to enjoy yourself! What would you like to do today?” he asked, watching as she reached for the teacup on the table. Her hand shook slightly as she did so, making him frown a little. “I have made you nervous again,” he said, pointing at her hand. She promptly placed her teacup down and hid her hand under the table. “Why did I make you nervous?”
“It’s just…” she paused, clearly thinking through her words. “I don’t very often have a choice in what I do.”
“That is about to change,” he said firmly, gesturing to the table. “For starters, you can stay here and eat as much as you like, but Cook does a fabulous dinner in the evenings, so I warn you not to fill up too much.” His jest made her laugh softly. “As for what you do today, you can do anything at all that you wish to do. Anything! Say the word.”
She paused and looked up to the ceiling, evidently debating her options for a moment. After a minute, she lowered her gaze and picked up her teacup once more.
“Before I married, I used to go riding a lot,” she said softly. “Every day, in fact.”
“Why did you stop?” Francis asked.
“My husband didn’t think it was a suitable hobby for a young lady,” she said, not lifting her gaze to his.
“That’s absurd!” Francis laughed. He could see his response had surprised her as her gaze darted up to his. “He really said such a thing?” She nodded in answer. “When I was travelling, I went through Spain, where they are known for their impressive horse skills. I saw a travelling circus where their horse riders perform acrobatics on the horses.”
“Truly?” she asked, turning more to him in her chair as her lips parted in wonder. “What was that like?”
“Awe-inspiring,” he chose the word carefully. “Frightening too, I spent most of the time terrified that one of the acrobats would have an accident at any moment, then it was all the more thrilling when they pulled off their trick. My point is, every single one of those acrobats was a lady. I have never seen a gentlemen ride as well as they did. I would quite happily argue with your husband on his opinion of horse riding.”
Lady Ridlington smiled as though she were trying to hold back a laugh.
“I used to ride every day when I was younger,” she went on. “If you have a stable here, I would be grateful to borrow a horse, just to ride around the estate. I promise not to go beyond.”
“Of course, you may,” he said. “I’ll come with you.” He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to make the declaration, but it surprised him as much as it clearly surprised Lady Ridlington who sat straighter in her chair.
Why did I say I would come? Perhaps I wish to torture myself with more of Lady Ridlington’s sweet smiles? This should be interesting.
Chapter 8
Phoebe could barely stand still as she waited outside of the stable. Hayward had gone inside to see the stable boy and had bid her to wait outside.
“Can I not come in with you?” she called to him.
