“I gathered that also.” Milly wondered if in fact the girl doth protest overmuch.
“He mocks me.” She jabbed the shovel into the earth. “He thinks because I am a woman I am therefore weak, and he is strong.”
“He sounds perfectly horrible, and you are right to loathe him.”
“Milly!”
She ran to the gate as a piglet made a run for it, but the creature slipped through.
“Run!” Apple-blossom shrieked.
Milly ran after the little pink animal, which had short legs but was surprisingly agile. It darted left and then right, then around the side of the little pen, and headed for the driveway.
“Hurry, Milly!”
With Apple-blossom on her heels, she ran. The ice caught her unaware. She slid, arms flailing, feet sliding, and then she fell, arms outstretched. She tried to brace against her fall, but instead landed face-first on the cold ground. In seconds the mud and water from the ground were seeping into her clothes.
“Sodding animal!”
“Trouble?”
Oh, no, no, no.Keeping her head down, Milly scrambled to her feet. His hands helped, but she quickly stepped away.
“Lord Ellsworth.” He had kissed her when last they had seen each other. Had he forgotten the moment, dismissing it as nothing, while she had thought of little else?
“It seems you have adapted quite well to the Wimplestow household, Miss Higglesworth. Not only can you conjugate verbs and recite Virgil, there is now the small matter of pig wrangling.”
He stood there in the cold breeze looking handsome and unruffled, clothes immaculate, laughing at her, while inside she was in turmoil. His eyes sparkled with humor, and Milly battled the urge to snarl as they ran over her muddy form.
“In fact, you look like one of the family.”
“I fell, my lord, while chasing a piglet.” Milly tried to unclench her teeth.
“A pig-chasing governess. As I said, you have adapted well, Miss Higglesworth.”
“I’m sure such activities are beneath a man such as yourself, but I must do as I am directed.”
“Actually, I had to rescue a cow from the river once. Took someone days to scrub the stains from my clothes.”
Someone!She inhaled deeply. His words were careless and deliberate. It was as if he was taunting her to get a reaction, but why would he? He had no idea of her true identity, so why speak to her in such a manner?
Can you not see who stands before you?
She had no right to have those thoughts, indeed did not want his recognition, but a small voice inside her head wondered if he had cared for her at all. How could he, when he did not recognize the woman he had supposedly loved, when she stood a foot away?
“I’m sure whoever did the chore worked tirelessly to ensure your clothes were clean.”
“You sound upset that someone had to clean my clothes, Miss Higglesworth, but surely you cannot have expected me to do the job?”
“A mighty earl,” Milly muttered. “What a scandalous thought.”
“You’re quite mouthy for a mere governess, but then I came to that conclusion when you rode before me.”
Milly bobbed a curtsy in preparation for her departure. She did not want to think about that night, or how it felt to ride seated between his thighs. Looking to the right, she saw the piglet rooting around in the dirt.
“Lord Ellsworth, good day to you.”
“Miss Wimplestow.” She heard the deep voice greeting Apple-blossom as she approached the animal, determined to catch it now that he had mocked her, and show this man she did not care about his words. The piglet lifted its head and stared at her. “You will not run, you little heathen.”
