She didn’t know who was more startled by her ferocity, herself, or him.
The ruffian held up his gloved hands as if to show he had no tricks to play.
Elise felt tears scratch the backs of her eyeballs. “I don’t need your help.” This time, she sounded more composed, but as unyielding.
He shrugged and glanced down at the dog. They seemed to exchange a look, and then Mr. Ruffian did something that truly startled her. He turned and began walking away. He didn’t hurry, but he wasn’t lingering either.
Good. She wanted him gone.
Elise reached down to untangle her cloak from the branches. She stepped on one to hold it down while pulling another to release the cloak. The challenge was that she dealt with several branches, seemingly laced together. She tugged on what she considered the stem of one. It didn’tgive as readily as she had hoped. After several minutes of battling the branches, she was in a worse position than when she’d started.
She shot a look in the direction Mr. Ruffian had gone. His tall body in its buff oilskin coat was no longer to be seen through the trees.
“The dog didn’t even wait for me,” she muttered, before taking a deep breath, releasing it, and attempting a different tactic—
“If you don’t untangle yourself soon, we may miss the Mail when it comes rolling by.”
His voice from behind her startled Elise. She straightened like a shot.
Her nemesis leaned against the trunk of a large tree. The dog was with him but not paying attention to her. Instead, he had plopped down on the ground and started scratching behind his ear with a diligence that was admirable.
“What—?” she started, confused. “I saw you leave.”
He considered her gravely a moment and then stated the obvious. “I walked in a circle, so I wasn’t over there, because I was here. Do you need help?”
Such a reasonable offer.
Elise wished she could stuff it in his mouth. “I’m fine,” she informed him and tried to step out, only to lose her balance. Her hands went out to break her fall, but she was too late. Her chin hit the muddy ground, and she could feel it cake on her face.
The incident infuriated her because it had happened in front ofhim. Elise rolled onto her back and then began kicking her feet like a child having a tantrum, trying to free herself of the annoying branches. She accompanied her actions with a growl of frustration as if she was some bear given to outrage.
The dog stopped scratching and leaped to his feet.
Mr. Ruffian watched unperturbed, and that made her all the angrier. She gave another kick, and one foot freed itself. The action also sent her skirts all the way up to her knees.
Elise didn’t care if her stockings were showing. She needed to be free, and she wanted to do it herself. She put her hands on the ground behind her and tried to scoot out of the branches, most of which were held in place by her body weight. At last, she escaped the puzzle of branches, but in the most undignified way possible.
However, she felt exhilarated. She’d never before given in so openly to her temper. She’d always had to keep it at a genteel and respectable level. Gentlewomen weren’t supposed to be angry.
Mr. Ruffian offered a gloved hand. “Excellent work. Now, shall we head to the road?” He didn’t stare at her legs, exposed almost to the top of her stocking ties. Or her hair, which had come loose from the braid she’d made. She’d had nothing touse to tie it off, so it was really just the hint of a braid. Instead, he behaved as if her looks were of no consequence.
Who was this foreign creature disguised as a man?
He sighed, the sound that of Atlas with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Elise, we must go.”
She took his gloved hand, and he lifted her up in the air to set her on her feet as if she weighed nothing, which was not true. Elise wasn’t one of those debutantes who were waiflike or even willowy. He pulled a kerchief out of the pocket of his greatcoat and offered it to her.
“Mud,” he said, pointing to his own chin and nose to show her where.
She wiped her face. The mud smudged.
“Not a problem,” he said. “There will be water along the way.” They came to a brook. She dampened the cloth and washed her face.
Then he offered her the last of the salted beef. She gratefully accepted the gift and was almost finished with it before she thought to ask, “Did you eat?”
“The dog and I did,” he responded.
Now with him guiding her, they quickly found the road. Guiltily, she realized shehadbeen walking the wrong way. Mr. Ruffian didn’t mention her mistake. She appreciated his restraint.
