Archie went suddenly serious. “And be on the lookout for The Nod.”
“The Nod?”
“If she gives me The Nod tomorrow night, you’re in.”
Again, Nestor’s gaze settled on Valentina, and his eyes narrowed. Archie understood what had caught Nestor’s attention. Valentina was having a devil of a time settling the kitten, and every time she moved she overcorrected. In the last thirty seconds, the woman had nearly unhorsed herself twice.
“Why is the contessa such a poor horsewoman?” asked Nestor, an understatement of the obvious. “I’ve never seen a lady sit a horse at such an awkward angle.”
“I’ve learned to never question the Italian way,” said Archie. “Besides, she has a bad bottom.”
A choking sound erupted from Valentina. Archie didn’t dare look. “Some sort of woman issue,” he finished on a shrug. It was all that ever needed to be said to relieve a man of his curiosity regarding the opposite sex.Woman issue.
“Oh!” Valentina exclaimed. She looked poised to say more when Delilah cut in and began firing Italian at her.
Archie glanced over in time to watch the kitten’s tail disappear beneath Miss Muffet’s mane. The kitten had escaped. It was definitely time to conclude this meeting, for Archie sensed havoc careening their way. He had a nose for it.
Then all hell broke loose. The horse sprang forward on a lurch and set off across the grass, racing away with Valentina hanging on for dear life. The kitten’s razor-sharp claws must have dug beneath Miss Muffet’s fur and found skin.
Oh, Lord.
“It’s a race!” Archie called over his shoulder as he gave chase.
Of course, it wasn’t a race, but Valentina needed saving as Miss Muffet was making straight for the Serpentine. Surely, she would stop before?—
And Miss Muffet did stop before reaching the water.
By about a foot.
Momentum lifted Valentina off her sidesaddleand into the air, causing her to launch over Miss Muffet’s head and land directly on her tuffet, before sinking. Archie’s horse was still in motion as he dismounted and jumped into the river after her. The water, however, wasn’t very deep, and Valentina was standing by the time he reached her.
“Are you harmed?” he asked, only resisting taking her in his arms to check for himself.
She’d transformed into a sopping wet, sputtering mess of a woman, clumps of hair and pond muck streaming down her face, her hands held away from her body. He met disbelief and perplexity in wide, unblinking eyes.
On the riverbank, Miss Muffet whinnied, and between her ears poked a furry, little gray face, milky blue eyes glaring down at them. “Meow.”
A long beat of time stretched before Archie and Valentina burst into laughter at the exact same instant.
Nestor reined in his horse well away from the riverbank, watching them as if they’d lost what few wits they’d possessed in the first place.
“Join us?” asked Archie. “It’s an Italian custom when deals are being made.”
Nestor’s eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “To jump into a river?”
“Julius Caesar refused and look where that got him,” said Archie.
Nestor gave his head a slow shake. “I’ll see you at the Duke and Duchess of Ripon’s musicale tomorrow, Archer.”
And with that, Nestor was gone.
Good riddance.
Archie glanced over to find Valentina scowling at him. “What have I done wrong?” No use beating around the bush.
“Julius Caesar was Italian,” she stated. She would look quite formidable if it weren’t for the long, thin blade of pond grass hanging from her chin, giving her, quite frankly, the appearance of a billy goat.
“And?”
