“You are right,” he agreed, his disgust now complete. There was no broken skin, but the man was in too much pain for there to not be a break. He helped him up.
Lady Orpington leaned out of the coach window. “Have Evers come here,” she said, referring to the footman. “You shall ride with us until we can find help.”
“Thank you, my lady,” the servant said, and Gwendolyn helped him to the door.
“Now I can set the step for you,” she told him. She turned to fetch the small stool from its place on the coach.
“No cause, Miss Lanscarr. I can step in.” And he did even though Magpie growled her disdain.
Beck shifted his focus to the riders. They had joined their champion on the other side of the road. Beck began walking toward the chestnut’s rider, who had lost his hat during the jump. He was a blond-headed man with laughing blue eyes. He apparently had thought that this was all just good fun. He began riding toward Beck, a huge smile on his face.
His friends, a group of three men, followed. They were in good humor, and Beck realized why once he was close enough to catch the whiff of brandy fumes all around them. So it didn’t bother him to reach up for the blond rider and jerk him off his horse with one hand.
The rider tumbled to the dirt.
“That is Ellisfield,” one of the trio shouted in outrage.
Beck didn’t care if it was the King of England. “Beg my pardon,” he responded and grabbed Ellisfield by his jacket to yank the befuddled man up to his feet.
Behind him, Lady Orpington leaned out of the open coach door. “Nicholas.That is the son of our host. Stop it.”
Beck did not acknowledge her words. His plan was to put his fist in Ellisfield’s face. See if the man would like to jump after that.
The trio of riders just stared dumbfounded without lifting a finger to stop Beck.
And yet someone tugged on the arm he had pulled back. It was Gwendolyn. “I think you have made your point, Mr. Curran.”
He frowned. “I’m only beginning.”
“I see that,” she said, looking up at him. “But you are very direct, and perhaps we should let the matter stand since everyone is somewhat all right?”
The wisdom of her calm words broke the tension inside him. Sanity returned.
He looked at Ellisfield. He still had his hand clamped around the lapel of the man’s riding jacket—but his lordship wasn’t looking at Beck. No, he was staring at Gwendolyn as if he had never seen a more beautiful woman.
She wasn’t wearing a bonnet because she hadn’t bothered with niceties when she’d leftthe coach to help the footman. Her cheeks were flushed, while several dark strands of her thick hair had come loose from their pins and curled around her shoulders. As disheveled as she was, she looked delectable. Enough so that Ellisfield and his companions had gone speechless.
Now Beck truly did want to give the man a thrashing so he’d keep his eyes to himself. Except, as Lady Orpington had pointed out, Middlebury might not appreciate Beck teaching his son manners. He released his hold. “I’m done,” he said to Gwendolyn.
“Thank you,” she said with a radiant smile that made him feel ridiculously pleased with himself, until he realized that Ellisfield and his friends were all as enchanted as he was.
“Please return to the coach,” Beck said.
Gwendolyn looked at him, then at the others, and shook her head. “Very well.” He watched her retreat to the vehicle.
The trio of friends began to make angry noises at Beck, but Ellisfield held up a hand as if warning them to be quiet.
He turned to Beck, his expression remarkably sober, even though it was obvious he had been drinking a great deal. However, he appeared to realize just how foolish he’d been. “Accept my apology?”
Beck wasn’t going to let this be easy. “For what? For being reckless and dangerously stupid? And it was Miss Lanscarr’s life, along with Lady Orpington’s and her companion’s, that youendangered. Not to mention breaking a footman’s arm. They are the ones due an apology.”
Too late, Beck realized exactly how poorly he was handling this.
But Ellisfield didn’t take offense. He was almost as tall as Beck and perhaps a few years older. He had the golden, blue-eyed, masculine looks women seemed to admire. He gave a bark of laughter. “You are right.” He now trotted his handsome self after Gwendolyn, who had not yet reached the coach. He caught up with her, moved in front of her, blocking her path. He bowed. “Please accept my apology for being ‘reckless and dangerously stupid.’”
Beck suspected he’d quoted him as a jibe. However, before Gwendolyn could respond, Lady Orpington, who had climbed out of the coach and walked over to them with Magpie in her arms, trilled happily, “My lord, this is my card partner, Miss Lanscarr.”
The dog growled at Ellisfield as he growled at everyone, but Beck felt it was fitting in this circumstance. He hoped Magpie chewed on Ellisfield’s boot as well.
