“It’s Grandmama,” she said. “I must consult with her before giving you my answer.” She knew it was a lame excuse, but she needed time to work up the courage to confess to him that she was the Lace Bandit. It had been eating at her conscience since they’d first met. To keep it from him would be a deception. He deserved to know the truth, and she couldn’t bear the thought of beginning their life together with a lie. This moment did not afford the privacy or the time to explain herself. And if she rushed through an explanation now, she feared she would not be able to adequately elucidate her reasons, and Lex might become angry and withdraw his proposal.
“Do you believe she will not be in favor of or accepting of our marriage? If she is not, I promise you I will convince her.” He grinned. “I don’t mean to boast, but I can tell she approves of me. After all, she laughed at all my jests at dinner.”
Winnie giggled at his quip. “I know she likes you. But I need some time to speak with her first.”
“If you like, we can speak to her together,” he said, touching hisforehead to hers.
“No!” she blurted. “It would be better if I approached her alone, in private.”
He leaned back and regarded her with some speculation. “All right, but please let us settle this by Sunday. Because I don’t want to wait another day to publicly claim you as mine.” His voice dropped an octave, and his deep baritone thrummed through her, igniting an ache that was impossible to relieve. “When you are not with me, I’m like a boy deprived of his favorite toy,” he growled. “And I cannot wait to play with you,” he rasped in her ear, making her shiver again.
His lips captured hers once more in a heated kiss, and he pressed his hardness against her softness.
“Feel what you do to me, Edwina,” he said as he nipped at her earlobe.
A whimper escaped her as his hands trailed down and squeezed her derriere, pressing her closer against his aroused staff. She gasped. His fulness stole her breath filling her with racy thoughts of what his breadth would feel like buried deep inside of her. And what a sensual pleasure such a union might bring.
“Mine…” he growled before claiming her lips once more then releasing her far too soon. How she wanted him to keep kissing her and touching her all over.
After a few more moments of fiery kisses and shivery touches, he blew out a breath and pulled away. “We should return to the others before we are missed, my sweet. There is only so much a man can take before he is driven to conquer what he desires.”
“I understand,” she breathed. Had he desired to consummate their union now beneath this tree, he would not meet with any resistance. She needed to formulate her thoughts soon, because she knew without a doubt that not only did she desire him with every fiber of her being, but she had also fallen head over heels in love with him.
The question was, would he love her once he learned the truth?
Chapter Nineteen
Winnie climbed intothe saddle with the help of a groom, aware that Lex’s admiring gaze was pinned on her. Madame Gris had designed a riding habit that broke with convention, with a split skirt that modestly covered Winnie’s legs, allowing her to ride astride. Her grandmother was a traditionalist in dress, but her mother had been ahead of her time fashion-wise. Like her mother, Winnie did not ride sidesaddle; she preferred to ride astride the horse, like her male counterparts.
With Winnie’s input, Madame Gris had created a hunter-green fitted coat that mimicked a man’s military redcoat and was extended with a short skirt to provide a semblance of modesty. The high collar and front were decorated with gold braiding. Her red mane was contained in a net and pinned beneath her top hat, and she knew she presented well atop the magnificent gray gelding Basil had chosen for her to ride.
“You do not ride sidesaddle, Edwina?” asked Arabella.
“No. My mother rode astride, and she and my father taught me the same. She considered the sidesaddle position to be restrictive and uncomfortable. Besides, there is no reason a woman cannot ride aswell as a man.” Winnie smiled. “And I will add, there are undoubtedly many things that a woman is capable of that we refrain from because of social censure. It’s all a bunch of poppycock meant to keep us in our proper place, and I will have none of it, nor will I submit to such abusive notions—excepting, of course, what is the purview of the fairer sex.”
“You are bold, indeed.” Arabella nodded. “I find your point of view to be refreshing and inspiring. I would love to ride astride my mount. Your mother is a sensible woman.”
“To my deepest sorrow, we lost her, my father, and my brother during the cholera epidemic two years ago,” Winnie whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Oh, I am truly sorry.” Arabella’s voice trembled with compassion. “What a terrible loss for you and the dowager baroness.”
“Yes, it was and still is. I doubt I will ever get over losing them.”
Edwina’s expression ofpain was more than Lex could bear, and he interjected to change the subject and bring her back to the wonderful day that lay ahead. It seemed he would go to any end to make her smile. It occurred to him that when she smiled at him, the day was even brighter, as was the future.
“I would never limit a lady’s capabilities, so long as she is safe,” he said. “How you sit that horse tells me any concerns I might harbor are unwarranted. And I am full of admiration.”
Edwina gave him a flirtatious smile. “I’m glad, my lord, that you see things my way.”
She had returned to him from the sadness of loss, and he grinned with satisfaction.
Basil, astride a magnificent black stallion named Dante, addressed the handler of the dogs. “Let them loose, James. I’m anxious to begin.”
“Yes, m’lord. The hounds are as ready as you to start the chase.” James gave the signal, and the dogs were released. They ran ahead barking and yelping, happy to be set free.
“We ride!” cried Basil, and the riders took off briskly. They rode around the lake and followed a tree-lined path to an open cross-country field. Lex followed Edwina, admiring her horsemanship and the ease with which she rode. He’d never dreamed he’d find a woman who enjoyed riding as much as he. It was one more reason to believe they were meant to be together.
Arabella, Tess, Basil, and the others cantered ahead. Charles, feeling a bit under the weather, had bowed out from participating in the hunt and kept company with Elliot, who was happily ensconced in the library. The dogs ran around a low hedge, their snouts skimming the ground as they searched for a scent. They must have found something, because they dashed around the hedge, flying across the field toward a stand of trees. The riding party directed their mounts straight for the hedge, all jumping and clearing the obstacle with ease.
