“Technically, this is a lawn, not a field, as we are now on the tended section of Lady Osbourne’s land.”
He looked down for a second.
“I see.” Then out of the blue, Lord Perish surprised her, “Do you ride?”
Irrationally, Delia didn’t wish to disappoint him. Or maybe she didn’t want to appear contemptible in his attractive green eyes, what with his interest in horses and her own woeful lack of equine hooves or experience therein. Thus, inexplicably, the wrong answer came out of her mouth.
“Yes.”
Riding was a skill every cultured lady should have acquired, along with needlepoint and playing the pianoforte. However, none of those had come easily to her. Frankly, horses were simply frightening unless attached to the front of a carriage.
So why had she said yes?
He nodded thoughtfully, giving her his first smile of the day, showing a dimple.
That was why.
Delia wanted at least one person at this party to think of her as something beyondthe plant lady. It wasn’t as if he would ever discover—
“Would you like to ride with me this afternoon? We would have to bring your cousin, of course.”
Thank goodness, she had a perfectly reasonable excuse. “My cousin doesn’t ride.” Actually, Frances was a competent horsewoman, but that lie wouldn’t matter one bit.
“We can find another chaperone,” he said persistently. “I noticed Lady Osbourne has a number of gentle mares in her stable, all looking as if they would appreciate some exercise.”
“Did you? Notice all that? How astute of you. I would love to exercise a horse, riding it, I mean. How else would I exercise it?” She laughed nervously.
Feeling ill at the thought of being high off the ground on a wayward beast, Delia considered more excuses. They had reached the place where their paths diverged, his to the stable and hers to the main house. On the far lawn, she could see guests playing pall-mall, which she’d forgotten about. Lady Osbourne’s packed itinerary came to mind.
“Unfortunately, today is all scheduled from this moment onward. After the pall-mall, to which we are both dreadfully late, there is a light lunch. Then we are taking carriages into Bath to promenade the city. Lady Osbourne has a residence there.”
He blew out his cheeks. “All of us? Like a herd of sheep?”
She nearly laughed at his disgruntled question. “Did you not read the scheduled events, my lord?”
“I believe I mentioned I wasn’t supposed to be here.”
Ah, yes, the lost wager!No wonder he seemed out of sorts at every turn.
“Poor Lord Hawthorne, missing out on this glorious house party,” she teased.
Catching her sarcasm, he returned a grin that made her heartbeat speed up.He was a rum-duke indeed, when he wanted to be.
“Since youarehere, my lord, partaking of Lady Osbourne’s hospitality, I believe it only polite that you contribute your presence to the afternoon’s outing.”
“Only fair?” he asked. “You mean because you have to, I should suffer, too?”
“Exactly. There will be no riding at the expense of a promenade in Bath before dinner.”
“Very well. You have convinced me. But I will examine that schedule and find a free hour for us to ride.”
Delia’s stomach twinged. She would have to hide every time she saw him.
“You will also need to find a chaperone,” she reminded him.
“Easy as falling out of a tree. Besides, we don’t need a chaperone if I find other guests who wish to ride with us.”
While she was pondering the idea that her shameful incompetence at riding was going to be put on display for other guests, Lord Perish took his leave.
