She nodded.
“Come. I will show my lady princess anything her lovely heart desires.” He grinned and bowed slightly.
She chuckled as giddiness consumed her once again. “It would be unscrupulous to start our wager now, since I’m not adorned in a fancy dress.”
He scratched his head, his gaze roaming over her length. The familiar chills danced over her skin, bringing back her erratic heartbeat. She tried pushing the feelings aside, but the way his mouth lifted in a grin made her heart sing.
“If you wish, we could always go back to the estate and let you change.”
“No. Let us just continue on our way. We shall start the wager tomorrow.”
“That is a grand idea.” He nodded and held out his hand for her to take. “Then let us be on our way.”
He helped her to her horse and set her atop the mare, even though she repeatedly told him she didn’t need his help. She realized just how much she’d missed being treated like a lady. This time, she made certain she didn’t show him so much of her legs when she adjusted on the saddle.
They rode everywhere, or at least it seemed that way. She had never seen so much land without farms or houses occupying the space. Everything was so green. Red, violet, yellow, and pink flowers sprinkled the fields like a rainbow, but her favorite was the summer snowflake, because it would remind her of this wonderful day. She’d adored every second she was out here with Broderick.
Occasionally he stopped, pointed to something, and told her a little history behind the object. It amazed her how educated he was, and it pleased her more than it should.
They came upon acres of wildflowers and stopped to eat. She was grateful the cook had prepared for a big appetite, because there was enough food to fill her belly. After eating, she walked around the field looking at the different types of flowers, some she had never seen before. She thought it rather funny that he knew the names of every flower.
Soon, they rode away from the field and through a few villages. The people waved and greeted them—some even askedif she and Broderick would like to come into their homes for a cup of tea, but he refused for the both of them.
She conversed easily with Broderick, and she liked how being in his presence comforted her. Not once did their topic turn intimate, and she was grateful that her body didn’t react with heated tingles anymore.
It wasn’t until the sun began to disappear behind the horizon when she realized the lateness of the day. “Oh, goodness.” She pulled her horse to a stop. “Do you realize what time it is?”
“Not until now,” he replied.
“How far away are we from your uncle’s estate?”
Broderick chuckled. “Far enough away for me to know we will not be able to get home before dark.”
The mere idea of them alone together in the moonlight made her panic. After all, she was a lady and had been taught the importance of decorum. “Whatever shall we do?”
He remained silent as she surveyed their surroundings. “If I’m not mistaken, I believe there’s another village just west of here that will have an inn for us to lodge in.”
“And what if you are mistaken?”
He chuckled and met her stare. “Then we will sleep underneath the stars.”
Just thinking about being with him alone, out here in their night-filled wonderland, had her smiling. Tilting her head back, she gazed up at the sky to see if that was a possibility, praying that it was. When she didn’t see any stars, she frowned. “What stars? All I see are clouds.”
He too looked up. “Drat! I didn’t think it would rain on us, or I wouldn’t have taken us this far away from home.” His gaze met hers. “See what being with you does to me? I can’t think straight.” He laughed.
Her heart flipped, but knowing Broderick, he was probably just being humorous. “Will we be able to make it to the next village before it starts to rain?”
He watched the clouds for a moment. She glanced up at the sky again. Within seconds, the gray clouds thickened and the sky became darker. Even the air cooled quickly.
“I suppose we will, but just barely, and only if we hurry.”
“Then let’s be off. We have no time to waste.” She kicked her heels into the mare and took off in the direction he had pointed to, praying they would not get caught in the storm. What would they do then? She dared not think of how he’d help her to stay warm.
Chapter Ten
Emmie huddled closerto the horse for warmth as the sheeting rain fell in buckets around her, soaking her clothes. The rain had come earlier than expected, and as she and Broderick searched through the small village for a place to stay, the town seemed too busy closing their shops for the night to help the two weary—and drenched—strangers.
As they passed through the muddy streets, the prospect of finding a place to stay seemed bleak. Desperation fell over Emmie, and she would take anything, even a stable, just to get out of the rain. She glanced at Broderick, and his droopy expression let her know he felt the same hopelessness.
