“Forgive me for frightening you,” she said in a hushed tone. “I shall never let that happen again.”
Trey knew she wasn’t talking to him, and he found it strange to think she cared enough about the animal to treat the mare so kindly. Most women he knew never acted in such a way toward an animal.
He cleared his throat, and she stiffened. “Would you allow me to assist you?” He motioned to the horse.
She glanced at him long enough to give him a curt nod, and then presented her back to him as she prepared to mount. It surprised him when she allowed his hands to guide her up on the animal, but her rigid body proved her reluctance.
Once she was on the saddle, she glared down at him. “So, my lord, what do you plan to do with me?”
Trey smiled. “I’ll return you to your home, where you shall kindly gather your things so we might leave for my mother’s estate.”
“But you are not supposed to come get me until tomorrow.”
“I’m here, so I might as well make the best out of it. Besides, if I leave you alone now, you will only try and run again.”
She shot him another evil look. “What about the search party?”
Hawthorne chuckled as he mounted his own horse. “Actually, Miss Faraday, the riders weren’t searching for you at all.”
Swinging her head toward Nic, she gasped. “No?”
“They were looking for a missing lad who had wandered from their hunting party.”
She groaned and buried her face in her hands.
Trey shook his head, grinning wider. “Just our luck, isn’t it, Hawthorne?”
“No, old sport.” Hawthorne smiled. “Justyourluck.”
Trey stepped to his horse and mounted. He glanced over his shoulder at the young woman who now sat ramrod straight with her chin held high. Stubborn to a fault. “My dear Miss Faraday, are you ready?”
She arched a brow. “I suppose I’m ready, although I doubt you have forgotten my thoughts on the subject. I feel you are leading me directly into Satan’s lair.”
“Splendid. Let’s be off, then.”
Miss Faraday threw daggers at him with her glare. Trey tried not to laugh. True, he knew how she felt, but she was now his mother’s responsibility.
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Correction—Miss Faraday was soon to behisresponsibility!
Trey grumbled under his breath. He’d promised his ailing mother he’d help with her ward.
Kicking the horse into a trot, he tightened the reins in his fists. He needed to get out of this mess as soon as possible. He loathed calculating women, and from what he’d observed thus far about Miss Faraday, he suspected she was one of these women.
As she rode ahead of them, Trey recalled bits and pieces of their conversation. She’d mentioned meeting her fiancé before she swooned. Yet no other man came to her aid. If she were truly engaged, why hadn’t it been mentioned in her father’s will? And, pray tell, why wasn’t she already entrusted to her future husband? It must have been a lie. If she’d been betrothed, her parents would have known, therefore, she would have never been given to his mother as a ward. Miss Faraday held secrets, and he didn’t want any part of it. Then again, he needed to protect his mother from entering into another scandal.
“Worthington?”
Trey turned to Hawthorne riding beside him. “Yes?”
“What are you going to do about her?”
He shrugged. “I wish I knew. She’s too old for the plans I had.”
“Which were?”
“Finding her a governess, of course.”
Hawthorne chuckled. “So there’s only one thing you can do.”
