Lord Huntington hadn’t said a word up to this point, but now he stepped forward, and the shaft of sunlight fell over his face.
A soft gasp escaped Iris’s throat.
“A word, Wrexley?”
It was a low growl, dark and furious, and a shiver darted up Iris’s spine. Lady Honora shrank back, away from him, her eyes wide.
His lips were white at the corners, and his eyes had gone black with suppressed fury. His powerful body shook with barely leashed rage as he approached Lord Wrexley, and Iris froze, her heart thundering in her chest as she stared at him.
He was beautiful—and terrifying.
She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
* * * *
Finn jerked his head at Wrexley to follow him, then strode toward the stable door, where the ladies couldn’t overhear them.
“What’s the matter now, Huntington?” Wrexley sauntered after him, a mocking smile on his lips. “Christ, you haven’t changed at all since school. Still fuming over one thing or another, aren’t you? It must exhaust you to sustain that outrage day after day. Well, what is it?”
“What the devil do you think you’re doing, suggesting that horse for Miss Somerset? He’s not a safe mount for her, and you bloody well know it. Do you want to see her hurt, or worse?”
The light flooding through the stable door stabbed at Finn’s eyes, and for a moment a horrifying image of Iris Somerset trampled under those enormous black hooves flashed through his mind.
“Why would I wish for that, Huntington? I think I’ve made it clear how taken I am with Miss Somerset. The lady likes a challenging mount.”
Finn flexed his fingers to keep them from clenching into fists. He wanted to wrap his hands around Wrexley’s throat until he’d squeezed that smirk right off the scoundrel’s face, but he held back, his pulse throbbing with impotent fury.
“Challenging? That horse is more than challenging, Wrexley. With the wrong rider on his back, he’s deadly.”
Wrexley glanced behind him, and Finn followed his gaze.
Lady Honora had ahold of Miss Somerset’s arm as if to pull her away from the stall, and her face was pale with fear. Miss Somerset, however, had inched closer, and even from this distance Finn could hear her murmuring to the horse in a low, soothing voice.
Wrexley turned back to Finn with a shrug. “She seems happy enough with him, and you heard my cousin. She assured us Miss Somerset can manage any horse in the stables. I can’t see what reasonyouhave to object.”
Finn was taller than Wrexley, so when he stepped closer, his chin was right in Wrexley’s face, and the other man was forced to back up. “I object to your putting Miss Somerset in danger. That horse is aggressive and much too big for her. If he chooses to bolt—and you only have to look at him to see he will—she won’t have the strength to stop him, no matter how skilled she is in the saddle. Tell her you’ve made a mistake, and suggest a different horse.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that, Huntington. Look at her. She’s besotted with the animal, and I wouldn’t dream of disappointing a lady.”
“You’re all gallantry, aren’t you, Wrexley? But gallantry will be of little use to Miss Somerset when that horse breaks every bone in her body.”
“What a happy thought. One can always count on you to dampen the spirits. But I think you underestimate the lady. Tell me, Huntington. Is that why she jilted you?”
Finn didn’t so much as twitch a muscle at Wrexley’s jab. It took every bit of his control to keep his expression blank, but Wrexley saw something there that made his lips twist with a satisfied smirk. “Unfortunate, but your loss will be my gain. I expect Miss Somerset and I will be betrothed before the end of the house party. When the happy event occurs, I hope you’ll be the first to congratulate me, Huntington.”
Finn’s jaw went rigid. It was just as he’d thought. Wrexley intended to take advantage of Miss Somerset’s precarious situation with a whirlwind courtship. He’d already begun to ingratiate himself with her, and like most scoundrels, Wrexley was adept at feigning sincerity. He wasn’t making an empty threat—there was a good chance he really could have the entire business settled before the end of the house party.
Finn’s chest tightened with something that felt suspiciously like panic.
“As far as the horse is concerned,” Wrexley went on, “you’ll recall, Huntington, you’re no longer betrothed to Miss Somerset. She may do as she pleases, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“I think you’re far more concerned Miss Somerset do whatyouplease.” Finn’s voice was soft, menacing. “A naïve young lady with a substantial fortune, a recently broken engagement, and at a house party, no less, with all the freedom it affords. You’re not one to let such an opportunity slip away, are you, Wrexley? She must be irresistible to you.”
“Oh, she is. But then, I’ve always admired her. That’s the difference between us, Huntington. You’re the kind of man who doesn’t value a jewel until you no longer hold it in your hand.” Wrexley shook his head as if in regret, but his eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “I think you see your mistake now though, don’t you? Pity it’s too late.”
Finn swallowed, but the bitter, acid taste of regret lingered in his mouth. There was nothing more galling than being taunted by a man with so little discernment as Wrexley, unless it was knowing he was right.
“But even considering Miss Somerset’s many attractions, I don’t deny I’m delighted to have the additional pleasure of taking her away fromyou. It maddens you, and that makes her infinitely more enticing to me. It’s almost poetic, isn’t it, how fate has offered me another chance to steal the heiress you’d chosen as your own?”
