*~~*~~*
The return journey toward Seton Hall seemed to drag.
Grace was no longer in a hurry since she couldn’t imagine where Perry was or why he had headed out in a vivacious frame of mind.
Perhaps he had a party to attend or some errands to run. He’d said nothing about such things to her, but then again, why would he?
Faced with the conclusion that she’d been a silly chit to imagine anything other than a brief affair, her spirits sank and she wrapped her muffler even more tightly around her face so that nobody would notice a tear or two making its way over her chilled skin.
Her life stretched in front of her in unvarying grey, a drift of uninterrupted monotony, extending over the years ahead. Perhaps she would enjoy being an aunt; baby Margaret was a treasure to be sure. But the babe had two loving parents, who were not ones to desert their child for weeks on end, unlike other fashionable couples.
A little flare of anger grew deep in her heart. It was all Perry’s fault.
If he hadn’t shown her that she could still respond to a man, give herself to a man and enjoy every single damned minute of it—she wouldn’t now be contemplating the miseries of future tedium and predictability.
And if he was regretting their dalliance, well, rushing out of his house in a noticeably bright frame of mind certainly concealed any sign of it.
There was no way around the whole matter.
Her Christmas idyll had ended.
She elected to take the well-travelled road back toward Seton Hall, even though dusk was rapidly drawing in. A sharp eye would be needed against others journeying this way, especially those who thought galloping was safe, in spite of the darkening skies and slush covered ground.
Several times she eased Snowball to one side so that carriages could pass; and afterward muttered a few decidedly unfeminine expressions at the drivers who bore no interest in those they splashed along their way.
Before long, the road quieted and the sky cleared to reveal a sunset of colours that turned everything crimson and purple.
It was quite magnificent, and she paused, just taking in the dramatic art of nature.
At that very moment, ahead where the road curved into dusk, a single rider appeared, trotting toward her from the opposite direction.
The sound of his horse alerted her, and she quickly looked ahead.
And blinked.
Then sucked in a breath…no, it couldn’t be.
But itwas.
Perry saw her at almost the same instant and had almost the same response. He too sucked in a breath of air, but then spurred his horse onward, hurrying to her side, positive it was who he thought it was.
“Grace?” he shouted, making her horse whinny. “Grace, is that you?”
“Oh my God.Perry?” It was a squeak, but Perry could hear a little thread of excitement in it.
“Don’t bloody move, woman.” He skidded his mount to a stop beside her, and stared, drinking in the sight of her astonishment, her dear face looking at him as if he was some kind of apparition.
“It’s you,” she breathed.
“Yes, it’s me.” He slid from his saddle and went to her side, holding up his arms and smiling at her. “Grace. Come to me, love.”
She kicked free of the stirrup and dropped into his arms. “I’ve been looking for you,” she said. “But I couldn’t find you. I thought…” Her face crumpled and he felt the massive sob rise within her. “I thought you’d gone. That we really were finished. Done. Over.”
“Wrong, Grace. So wrong.”
He lowered his face to hers and kissed her there and then, ignoring the hoots and cheers from a passing carriage, and the somewhat angry yells of two young bloods who had been racing each other but were forced to slow their pace thanks to the couple obstructing their way.
“Perry. Oh Perry…” She clung to him. “God, we’re in the middle of the road. Put medown…”
