“Oh, Miss Benson, you are in for a surprise.” Grinning, he urged the horse into a trot. “I’m going to help you realize that you do enjoy the company of penniless men over men who have titles.”
In the distance ahead of him, another rider came his way. At first Adrian didn’t recognize him, but soon he noticed the blonde wavy hair and the tall man with broad shoulders. Adrian stopped his horse and waited for his brother.
“What are you doing out riding this morning?” Adrian asked as his brother neared.
“Aunt Beatrice told me she saw you leaving the manor.”
Adrian tightened his grip on the reins. The old biddy had watched for him all evening long, and apparently, was still trying to find a moment with him today. “When is she leaving?”
“Our dear aunt and her son, Walden, just arrived last night. I thought they could stay with us for a fortnight. Why do you ask?”
“A fortnight?” Adrian asked in irritation, rolling his eyes. “We cannot have them visiting that long. Do you know how difficult it’s going to be to have them around if I’m playing your cousin from Whitby?”
Collin arched an eyebrow, accusingly. “And whose fault is that?”
“Regardless of whose fault it is,” Adrian waved his hand dismissively, “she and her son need to leave posthaste.Youneed to make sure they leave today. She won’t be very happy with me if I try to push her to go.”
“That, my dear brother, is not my problem. It’syourssince you are the only one who wants them gone. I don’t have time for your nonsense. I have people to visit today, starting with Miss Lyndsey Benson.”
Adrian sucked in a quick breath. Panic mixed with anger filled him. Collin couldn’t possibly be interested in a woman who could hardly touch him during a dance. “Are you jesting? Why her?”
A soft smile crossed Collin’s face. “She’s different from the other women, and I find her delightful.”
Adrian huffed. “And you were able to get that impression of her during one dance?”
“Actually,” Collin arched an eyebrow, “we danced again later in the evening.” He sighed. “She was more talkative then. And she’s such a dear. She even kept Aunt Beatrice and Walden entertained for a few minutes while I fetched them some punch.”
Adrian inwardly bristled. Because he’d had to hide from their aunt last evening, he wasn’t able to keep his eyes on Lyndsey after their interlude. “Well, I can assure you, Miss Benson is very outspoken. If you recall, I had conversed with her for a little while.”
“Actually, she wasn’t outspoken at all. Perhaps she was that way with you because you irritated her so.”
Muttering under his breath, Adrian clenched his jaw. “No, that’s not it.” He tried to calm the annoyance rising inside him. “But I can tell you that she’s not at all your type.”
“She’s lovely, she’s a delight, and she gets along with our aunt and cousin. Why is that not my type?”
“She... she...”Think, Dorsey!“Because she wouldn’t make a very good countess.”
Collin tapped a finger on his chin. “What makes you say that?”
Adrian scrambled through his mind to come up with something plausible. Telling his brother that the woman was in Adrian’s arms in a dark closet for more than twenty minutes wouldn’t be a good idea. “Did you not see the freckles on her nose?” He shook his head. “She obviously doesn’t approve of bonnets.”
“Freckles? Really, Adrian. Besides, I found they gave her lovely face a glow of enchantment.”
Adrian hated to admit that he found them adorable, as well. And Lyndsey was certainly a beautiful woman with a fun sense of humor and a quirky personality. And she had the most kissable lips...
“Stop trying to convince me otherwise, Adrian. I’m going to visit her this morning, and if I feel the same as I did last night, I’m going to ask her father’s permission to court her.”
Adrian scowled. “If you didn’t want my opinion of the woman, why have you ridden all the way out here to tell me?”
Collin laughed. “I wanted to see your reaction, and now that I know how the woman irritates you, that tells me how much I’m going to enjoy her company.” He nodded. “Good day, brother. I hope you find yourself in better spirits when you get home. After all,youare the one who has to convince Aunt Beatrice to leave.”
Collin turned his horse around and rode back toward the estate. Adrian mumbled curses under his breath. There was no way he could allow his brother to court Lyndsey. Not until he proved his theory. He must find out if she could still be attracted to a man she thought of as penniless before he’d allow his brother to court her.
But now Adrian had to think of a way to keep her from seeing Collin this morning.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. Grinning, he kicked his horse into a run, heading directly toward the Benson farm.
* * * *
