“Oh?” Leah almost sat up in her seat, but thought better of it. Rebecca might be wrong.
Rebecca gave a quick nod. “He is standing and moving.”
“Thank goodness.” Her spine might be forever bent at a horrid angle after this encounter. Bracing her palm against the bench, she began to sit up when Rebecca gasped.
“Oh, no. I seem to have been mistaken.”
“What?” But before Leah could ask any more, the door opened, and a smug Owen stood there staring at her. Smiling.
Chapter 4
Owen. The same morning.
Owencouldn’thelpthesmile that lit his face as he stared at Leah Thompson all hunched down in her seat. Only she would attempt to have a carriage dragged through this weather. And judging from her posture, she had been trying to avoid being seen by him.
“Leah Thompson.” Owen didn’t bow. He only held the door open, letting the wind whip into the carriage where Leah and her maid each gave him a disgusted look.
“Owen.” She narrowed an eye as she sat up straight. “Though I suppose I am to call you Mr. Turner now.”
Mr. Turner? Yes, they were older and hadn’t seen each other in several years, but the use of formal names hardly seemed necessary. “Nonsense. Now, if you would like, you can join me on my mount to get back home. I do not believe you are going to make it to your destination in this weather.”
“No, thank you. I shall walk with Mr. Ashley when he has finished unhitching the horses.”
“Then you must allow me to walk along with you.”
She pulled her fingers to her lips before quickly placing them back in her lap, turning innocent eyes to him and blinking abnormally fast. “How shall I ever thank you for such kindness.”
He tried not to grin, but felt the corner of his lip quirk up. “I am sure I can find something, but do not worry yourself over it now. The details can wait.”
Leah’s mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide, but Owen shut the door before she could say anything else.
“Let us get to work unhitching these poor creatures, shall we?” Owen crouched beside the rigging, using numb fingers to try and assist Mr. Ashley in his task. “If only they had saddles, then Miss Thompson could ride one back. Or she could stop being so single-minded and ridemyhorse back.”
Mr. Ashley shook his head, apparently accustomed to his mistress's stubbornness and already bracing himself for it.
When they finished, Owen sauntered over to the carriage, lightly knocking on it. He perched his hands on his hips and planted a large smile on his face as he waited for the door to open.
The door cracked and Leah peered out at him. “What?”
“You and your maid may ride my horse back to Stonehill and Mr. Ashley and I shall walk the other horses back on foot.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, pursing her lips. “Nonsense. I do not need you to rescue me. Nor do I wish to be pushed off the saddle and into the snow. You may take Rebecca with you.”
Leah’s maid did not miss a beat. “I am not riding that horrid creature.”
“What?” Leah turned to the young woman. “What do you mean? Do you not ride?”
The maid tightened her arms across her waist. “No. They are skittish, flea ridden, and have a shifty look to their eyes.”
“A shifty look?” Leah asked incredulously.
“Yes. I never did trust a horse.”
Leah rolled her eyes before looking back to Owen. “Very well. Rebecca and I shallbothwalk.”
Owen laughed before leveling a scolding glance at her. “Come now. You cannot be serious. You would rather walk in this weather than ride? How will I ever face your brother?” He idly kicked a mound of snow as another thought occurred to him. “Or your parents for that matter.”
“I’m sure they will expect nothing less.”
