“She’ll manage. There are enough trees around to give her shelter for a few hours. Perhaps even the little bush shelter Brent and I carved from a rhododendron. I had forgotten about that…” He chuckled. “I will see if it’s still there.”
“But you are more concerned about us spending the night?”
“It’s on my mind. I would not put you in any kind of a difficult situation, Prudence.” He gently nudged the horse toward their destination. “I want to spend this night with you. To see if what we have goes deeper than an afternoon of pleasure. It would be foolish of me to pretend otherwise. But I will admit I am worried that you’ll bear the brunt of condemnation should word of our…activities become public knowledge.”
She leaned against him briefly. “Don’t concern yourself, Reid. I care not for public knowledge, condemnation, gossip or scandal. I am of age, a widow and provided that we are discreet, I see no problems at all. You and I will have left the Church Hall at a late hour. We parted ways and you found yourself stranded in the snow and sought shelter in a cave you recalled from childhood. I will have arrived very late at the Inn and reached my room without anyone noticing. Brent will vouch for me.”
“It’s feasible, I suppose.” He thought about what she had said. “But Brent? He will stand for you?”
“Yes, indeed.”
They arrived at the hideaway, and dismounted.
“Reid, who do you think told me about this place?” She waved her hand at the concealed cave. “It was Brent. He told me about how you’d played here, and all about your youthful adventures. He thinks the world of you, you know.”
“He’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’m glad he’s here.” He paused. “I’m glad he brought you.”
She smiled at him. “Settle the horse. I’ll go in and start the fire.”
Reid nodded. She was magic made flesh, standing in near darkness, a silhouette against the snowy meadow behind her.
Then she was gone and he turned to see if the little shelter he and Brent had built for one of Brent’s dogs that followed them everywhere still stood.
It was no longer a little shelter. It was now a reasonably sized hole in a massive shrub, covered in snow. The rhododendron leaves were crinkled and brown, but they were still there, reminding Reid that this was yet another evergreen that refused to give up its foliage.
The horse seemed to understand the point, since she willingly walked beneath the arched branches and let Reid tether her bridle loosely. He unrolled the blanket and looped it over her, knowing the saddle should come off, but guessing that it would help to keep her warm.
She contentedly lipped at some grass around her feet, and snorted as he patted her rump and told her to behave herself.
And with that duty completed, Reid turned to the cave and saw a faint glow coming from beneath the oilskins that covered a few of the gaps in the wooden door.
She was there, waiting for him.
He took a breath and walked inside.
*~~*~~*
The wood caught quickly and the light from the flames filled the small space, turning it into a golden world with just two inhabitants.
Warmth grew and Prudence reached up to release her hair from the pins that had held it coiled so properly. It was a reflection of her own personality, she realized, as it fell free and soft around her. Neither she nor her hair liked being confined.
“I like that.”
He’d entered as she pulled out the last pin. “So do I. Too many pins give me a headache.” She turned and saw him in the firelight, looking at her, his eyes betraying his desire.
Something rose within her, a need perhaps, or a simple want that matched his. “Come to me, Reid. I’m here. And I want to feel your skin against mine…”
“It’s madness.” He neared her, tossing his cloak onto the furs. “Utter madness.”
“What is?” She watched him reach for her hair and run his fingers through the loosened curls.
“Us. This. Scarcely more than a day and I’m overwhelmed with the urge to hold you every time I see you. Every time I think of you I lose my breath.”
“That’s good.” She smiled a little, extending her hands to the buttons of his green jacket. “Very good. I confess to being in a similar state. For example,” she slipped button after button free, pushing the jacket aside to reach his waistcoat. “I find myself quite clumsy here. It is taking far too long to rid you of this—this wardrobe you’re wearing.”
He chuckled at that. “Remember I have a title now.”
“Indeed, my Lord Mistletoe.”
