“I hear the fields on the south side of the property are rather good for morning rides, but do hurry. I would hate for you to miss the best light.” She winked, then turned away.
Evan slipped from the room. In a dash, he’d mounted and now galloped toward the south fields. Lady Birchwood had been rather helpful, indeed. Though she had not given him any secrets, she had given him Lady Ann’s direction.
He would find her, and when he did, he would have another opportunity to sway her opinion of him. He looked across the rolling green hills and golden barley fields, searching for her as he rode. If memory served him, there was a river nearby. It bordered the fields and curved around the hills.
He turned his mount and rode south along the barley’s edge. Judging by the worn path, he was not the only rider to do so. His mount kicked up dust as he galloped along, and the wind blew through his hair. Then his breath caught.
There she was. Lady Ann, washed in sunlight and bouncing in her saddle less than a furlong ahead. He pushed his mount faster as he took in the sight of her. She held her head high, the feathers in her hat swayed in the breeze as golden curls threaded with pale-blond bounced around her shoulders. Her bottom lifted and sank with the horse’s movements, and his groin tightened at the sight.
Bloody hell, she was stunning washed in the sun’s glow and bouncing in her saddle. Closing in on her, he called out, “Lady Ann.”
She glanced over her shoulder, then turned back and kicked her mount into a full run.
“Minx,” he said under his breath as he raced to catch up to her. “Lady Ann. Wait.”
“Go away,” she called back to him as she raced neck or nothing toward the river.
Evan wasn’t sure what to make of her antics, but he knew he could not stand for it. He was a duke, after all. A handsome one, by all accounts. The type of man who women through themselves at, not the type they ran from.
He urged his horse faster, then catching up to her, he reached out and snatched her reins. “Lady Ann.”
“How dare you!” She grabbed for the reins, her emerald eyes seething with outrage.
“You were racing break neck toward the river. I could not allow you to harm this fine horse.” He ignored the anger in her gaze and patted her mount’s shoulder.
“I will have you know that neither my horse nor my person were in any danger.” She tugged on her reins, but he held fast to them.
“Perhaps not, but what sort of gentleman would I be to stand back and watch when I believed danger to lie ahead?”
She released a deep breath; the air swooshing from her as her shoulders relaxed. “Very well, Your Grace. Thank you for your chivalry. However, I am no longer in need of it.” She smiled sweetly, but her eyes still radiated contempt. “Please return my reins so I can be on my way.”
“Surely you can spare a few minutes of your time for the man who just saved you.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You did no such thing.”
“Very well, then allow your beast a respite. The horse needs a few minutes to recover after being ridden so hard,” he said, as he slid from his mount, her reins still gripped in his hand. “Promenade with me along the river while the horses enjoy a rest.”
She glanced around, then turned her attention to her horse. “Very well. Only because I can see my horse is tired.”
He reached out to assist her down. The moment his hands touched her waist, she twisted and grabbed at the reins. The motion sent them both teetering, and she fell forward, her body crashing into his, then pressing him against a nearby tree.
Her horse bolted, and his mount followed.
“Gypsy, no! Gypsy, come back!” Lady Ann yelled to her horse, but it did no good.
Evan grinned and shook his head. This was bloody perfect. Their mounts were gone and the two of them were alone. Best of all, their predicament was her fault.
“This is all your fault,” she seethed, stepping out of his embrace.
“My fault? Are you mad?” Annoyance replaced his humor. “It was you who did that twisty thing and tried to take the reins.”
“I would not have needed to if you would have simply handed them over.” She gathered the skirt of her riding habit in one hand and pivoted away from him.
He went after her, annoyance turning to anger. “I never would have had them in the first place if you would have done the decent thing and stopped when I called out to you.”
She spun back to face him and dropped her skirt. “You are the most infuriating man I have ever encountered.”
He advanced on her, closing the distance as he seethed, “I have done nothing save for try to become better acquainted with you and you meet me with insolence and disrespect at every turn. You are self absorbed and judgmental—”
