“If it’s in good condition. You did tell me that Daniel lives permanently in London, rather than at his father’s country estate, so this one is close enough for me to visit regularly, if I’m going to be living in town with him.”
His hand was lazily moving up and down her back, but his fingers were getting a little too close to the back of her neck. She tried to ignore the shivers that ran through her. She tried to ignore the urge to caress him back. What had happened to her resolve to distract him?
He continued the conversation as if he weren’t casually inciting her passions. “I have a feeling you won’t want to spend the entire year with that particular husband, in fact, you’ll more likely want to escape his presence as often as you can. So a breeding farm near London might not be ideal for you. Besides, the owner won’t sell to a woman. I suppose I could buy it for you?”
“Thank you for the generous offer, but that won’t be necessary. He’ll sell to me when I tell him the stable is for my father, a surprise gift, so it will need to be put in his name. I already intended to do that, so the Rathbans can never touch it. I expect to get it for a good price, too, once I tell him I don’t want his livestock, just the buildings. I’ll be filling it with shire mares.”
“All for your Snow King?”
It required a strong effort of will to focus on their conversation and not on his hand, which was slowly lifting her skirt. She slapped his hand away before she said, “Indeed, until he has sons to further his line. Now do let me up before anyone sees us like this.”
“You’re forgetting your lessons. Daniel won’t care who might notice.”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “This isn’t that private. We could be interrupted at any moment by one of the Scots. Are you trying to compromise me?”
His hand was back on her skirt, and then under it. “Would it work?”
“The lessons . . .” She gasped as his hand crept up the inside of her leg. “Were finished.”
“Practice makes perfect—drawers today? How utterly disappointing.”
She gave in. “Do shut up and kiss me.”
A good while later she heard, “Lass, we’re being—”
She didn’t catch the rest because Monty immediately dumped her on the floor. It was such a rude awakening she burst out laughing and didn’t stop when she glanced back to see Monty’s astonished expression.
“Sorry!” he said. Was he blushing? He helped her to the seat opposite his. “Bloody instant reflexes are my bane,” he tried to explain.
“I’m sure they are lifesaving—or should I say, compromise-saving?”
“Men don’t get compromised the way you mean—yes, I know, it’s quite unfair. Shall I deal with your Scot?”
“You might as well. He’ll know you’re here when we arrive at the stable, unless you intend to hide in the coach?”
He stuck his head out the window to ask Donnan, “Being what? Followed?”
“Aye, as it happens. They’ve had time and room tae go around us but dinna do so. And I’m thinking ye’ll be riding my horse for the rest o’ the trip.”
Vanessa cringed at Donnan’s disapproving tone, but Monty ignored it, saying, “I doubt they’re foreigners, but it would be wise to find out. Ask them directions or something and make sure you hear each one of them speak decent English without an accent.”
Donnan nodded, but warned, “Ye need tae stop visiting yer troubles on the lass, ye kin?”
“I don’t think he likes you,” Vanessa said when Donnan turned about to ride behind them.
“He’s never hidden that fact.”
“D’you really think this is Charley’s trouble showing up again? When he’s not even with us?”
“I do. They’ve obviously connected me to him and they keep showing up in too many places. I’m beginning to think they sent a bloody army after the boy, not just a handful of hounds.”
Donnan returned and called for the coach to stop. Vanessa felt a moment of fear when Monty opened the door to find out why. “D’you at least have a pistol?”
“One,” he said, and grinned at her. “I suppose I’ll need to make good use of it.”
But after he stepped outside, and before he even looked behind the coach, he was ambushed by a castigating remark. “You’re like a runaway dog, Montgomery. Don’t ever make me chase you down like this again.”
“Good to see you, too, Father.”
