Without another word, Ambrose swung his horse around and kicked it into motion, galloping back the way they had come. Richard hurried after him, calling out, but Ambrose didn't slow.
All he could think about was one thing only.
She better not be hurt.
CHAPTER 15
Perhaps staying at home would have been better than this.
Daphne found herself riding alone through the forest. She had fallen behind a bit, but she could still see the other men in the distance.
Out of all the hunts she had engaged in her life, this one was the most uneventful. Not only did they fail to catch anything, she had barely been able to assist with tracking.
Richard, who had spoken so enthusiastically about accompanying her, had spent most of the morning riding ahead with the other men, barely glancing her way. Daphne sighed, tightening her grip on the reins.
Was it wrong for me to expect... more?Certainly, she thought that they would get a chance to spend some more time together than they had managed to. But instead, Richard had been more interested in swapping hunting stories and banter with the menthan paying any attention to her. He had left her behind more times than she cared to count, only slowing when absolutely necessary.
It makes no sense.He had sounded so eager when he was talking to Ambrose, assuring him that he would stay by her side. But his actions didn't match his words. It was strange, and it left her feeling more isolated than ever.
She cast a glance ahead, noticing how far behind she had fallen. The others were barely in sight now, just shadows among the trees, and her horse seemed to sense her discontent, slowing even further.
Maybe I should have just stayed behind with Violet and Isadora. At least then, I wouldn't feel so?—
Her thoughts were abruptly cut off as the world suddenly tilted. In a swift, unexpected movement, her horse reared slightly, its hooves slipping on the uneven ground. Daphne's grip on the reins faltered, and before she could steady herself, she felt her body lurch sideways. She landed on the ground a hard thud, a small scream escaping her lips.
For a moment, all she could hear was the pounding in her ears and the frantic snorting of her horse. Her horse, now jittery and stamping nervously, moved a few paces away, its reins dragging along the ground. Daphne groaned softly, pushing herself up onto her elbows.
"Is anyone here?" she called out but there was no response. "Wonderful. Just...wonderful."
Now, not only had she been left behind, but she had fallen, and no one even noticed.
Taking a deep breath, Daphne slowly got to her feet, brushing the dirt from her riding skirt.
"Easy, boy," she whispered as she approached her horse, running a hand along the horse's neck. "We're all right. Just a little fall."
Daphne tugged lightly at the reins, trying to coax him forward. But the horse stood firm, stomping his hooves and shaking his head. He wasn't going anywhere.
Panic began to flicker in the pit of her stomach. The sky was already beginning to dim. Nightfall wasn't far off, and the realization that she was alone in the forest with an uncooperative horse sent a chill down her spine.
"Please, we need to move," she urged, tugging the reins a little harder this time, but the horse still refused. He merely snorted, stamping the ground in defiance.
She did not have much time. Richard and the others were likely far ahead by now, completely unaware that she'd fallen behind.
"I should have just stayed back," she muttered to herself, her gaze nervously darting around the area. She was in the middle of a thick forest cover, and would only get lost if she tried to tread by foot.
This hunt had just taken a turn from being an uneventful one to theworstone of her entire life.
And then, her heart leapt into her throat as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, her breath catching in the stillness of the forest.
"Who is it?" the words came out as a whisper as she hid behind her mare.
"Lady Daphne!"
Relief flooded over her. "You found me."
She had never thought she would be happy to seeAmbrose.
Ambrose's expression was hard to read at first, his eyes scanning her from head to toe as if assessing her condition. But then his brows furrowed, and the scolding began. "What in heaven's name were you thinking? Do you have any idea how foolish it was to wander off on your own?"
