No matter how awe-inspiring his physique—and the hard planes of Kit’s torso were a wonder—she must never forget Michael. She’d run away because of her devotion to him. This whole escapade with the crash and being stranded and seeing a remarkable naked man had been because of Michael—
A sharp pain brutally reminded Elise of the blisters. Their number was growing. She’d been so wrapped up in turmoil over Kit’s naked defection that she hadn’t felt them until now.
For a second, she thought about stopping, untying her still damp walking shoes, which was a challenge, and adjusting the cloth bindings. If she did, Kit might catch up with her.
He couldn’t be far behind her now.
Elise glanced back.
No one was there, and that made her angrier.
Granted he didn’t owe her anything. They were two strangers thrown together by circumstance.
But the fact was, everyone in her life had let her down—her sisters, her aunt Tweedie, Michael... why not Kit and Tamsyn, too? And she told herself they didn’t matter. None of them mattered. She would go on. She would reach Wiltham.
Determination spurred her forward. All she had to do was show up at the next posting inn.
Ruggedly limping along, she acknowledged that Tamsyn’s defection hurt most. The dog had been so protective of her that Elise had believed they had a bond.
“And, once again, you are wrong.” Elise spoke the words aloud. She told herself that it was best Tamsyn had chosen Kit. What if the next coach didn’t let Elise keep the dog with her? She’d hate to leave the animal behind. Let Kit worry about her.
The problem, she decided, was that although Fate had thrown them together, Kit was not a good traveling companion. He was too—
Her mind struggled for a word and decided onmanly. He was too manly. Any sensible person would realize that he would be naked around her sooner or later. Was that not the nature of men?
Cataloging the many sins of the opposite sex bolstered her resolve to see this trip through, although Elise wished Lady Whitby was walking with her. The two of them could shred this topic to pieces. Society was unfair to females. Men refused to allow women to have any say when it came to government even when the laws they made affected them.
And all the unfairness in her mind was punctuated by blistered feet that screamed for relief—
The sound of slowly rolling wheels caught her attention. Elise turned to look as she walked. She pulled up her hood.
Two lean oxen pulled a cart carrying a cutting of hay.
The driver walking beside the team was an older man, a grandfatherly one. Because of her blisters, the oxen team, as slow as it was, had no trouble catching up with her.
As the driver came closer, Elise smiled. He was very much of the same age as her father would have been if he was alive. Beneath a straw wide-brimmed hat, the portly man had a shaft of snowy white hair and a round nose.His eyes were kind, the sort a person could trust.
He halted his oxen as they reached her. “I say, girl, what are you doing out here on the road by yourself?” Then his voice turned concerned. “You’re hurt. I saw you limping.”
She was silent.
He shook his head. “Comely lass like you out here all alone. It isn’t safe.”
“It isn’t,” she agreed, finding her voice in appreciation of his acknowledgment of the fact.
He pulled the pipe he’d been chewing on from his mouth. “If you need a ride, lass, you can sit in the back of the wagon. How far are you going?”
She glanced at the sweet-smelling freshly mown hay. His offer was tempting. Still, a woman must be cautious. “I’m traveling to the next posting inn. Tell me, do you know how much farther up the road it is?”
“Couple hours’ walk. I won’t be going all the way there. However, I can take you some half that way.”
“That would be lovely,” Elise had to admit. She hesitated, studied him a moment. He seemed a good sort... and her feet begged for relief. Her father’s eyes had been blue, with just the same friendly twinkle. That small resemblance, and her aching feet, settled the matter. “I would like to take you up on your kind offer.”
As she’d spoken, her hood had fallen back. The driver’s eyes widened. “You are a beauty.”
Elise felt herself blush. She pulled the hood up again. “Thank you.”
“What are you doing out here by yourself? Don’t you have family?”
