“I thought ... that is,” she trailed off.
“Thought what?” He helped himself to a piece of toast.
“That you had changed your mind.”
“Not at all. Why would I? I am looking forward to it. I hoped you would be, too.”
“I see,” she said. “But we shall need a chaperone if we leave the stable yard.”
“We shall take a groom with us or a stableboy. That should suffice.”
She nodded. Happy to know they were going to spend time together, he smiled. “We shall have fun.” Cramming the last morsel of toast into his mouth, he snagged another piece and rose to his feet.
“I’ll meet you in the stable in ten minutes.” With that challenge, he left, wondering if she would show up.
In a quarter of an hour, Lady Delia arrived, and his pulse raced. A pale-jade bodice hugged her curves. She held the flowing skirts in a deeper shade of green confidently over herarm. A cream-colored hat with green ribbons completed the image.
At his questioning look, she said, “I told Lady Osbourne of our intent, and she lent me this.”
“It suits you.” He’d selected the same horses and already gone over every strap and buckle for safety.
“How came you not to have learned to ride?”
“I never showed an interest. Quite the opposite.” She shrugged. “As I grew to be what my father called ‘a little peculiar,’ I believe my parents didn’t think the skill of riding would help.”
“Help what?”
She sighed. “Help secure me a husband. After all, there aren’t many horses in a ballroom. If a man doesn’t come calling after a dance, he’s unlikely to invite me to go riding.”
“Short-sighted of your parents, in my opinion,” Rupert said, patting his horse’s neck. “You might as well ride and have a gentleman notice you on horseback. He could as easily ask for an introduction at Hyde Park as in a ballroom.” He sent her an encouraging smile. “I would have if I had ever seen you.”
She gave a charmingly disbelieving snort, then clamped her gloved hand over her face.
“My apologies,” she muttered.
He spoke the truth. Having never seen her before, except for the fateful instance when she scared the adder into his path, if he had, he hoped he would have looked past her reticence.
Rupert helped her into the saddle, eased her short boot into the slipper-stirrup as before, and reminded her how to use the reins. With gentle movements, she turned Blossom’s head right and left. Then he mounted his horse, and they set out around the stable yard.
“Slow and steady,” he said.
Some of the other guests were enjoying the fine weather, including Lord Crenshaw, Lady Anna, and Lord Devenport. Walking with them was Lady Lillian, who hadn’t been remotely tempting during their brief garden walk. He saw her more clearly in the country than he had in Town with its glittering, glamourous distractions. And what he saw, he no longer liked.
The fair-haired lady, lacking a fair tongue, made sure to gawk at them, before bringing attention to Rupert and Lady Delia.
“Lord Perish hasn’t heard the saying about trying to teach an old dog new tricks,” Lady Lillian said loudly, tittering at her own jest.
“Ignore them,” Rupert told Lady Delia. “You’re doing well. Shall we go for a ride?”
“Oh dear.”
“Nothing too long,” he promised, “but you will master the gaits.”
“What if Blossom stumbles, and I go head over heels from this height?”
“Do not worry, my lady. Blossom has four legs, and she has been walking with them all her life.”
“You’re teasing me.” Her brown eyes sparkled, and he thought her the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
