Page 52 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

‘It was the sensible thing to do.’

She looked at his hands where they held the reins; he had looped them between his fingers on one hand and held the whip in the other exactly the way she had been taught. She noticed that his touch on the reins was very light, and the horses responded to any small movement. Clearly, they were well trained. She could do this. She would not make a fool of herself, not after she had convinced him to buy that carriage.

It was not a long drive to the park and after they passed through the gates he brought the horses to an easy halt. The groom went to the horses’ heads while Graydon tied off the reins. He really did make it all look so easy.

Now it was her turn. Her heart picked up speed as he got down and came round to her side.

‘Slide over,’ he said with a smile. ‘Relax, my dear. Don’t worry; Stuart has them. I promise you, I won’t let anything happen.’

His smile lifted her spirits and eased her heart. She had been so worried about what he thought about her after last night, she realised; she’d been rigid with fear.

She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. She could do this. She’d driven their little pony cart many, many times, before the pony had had to be put out to pasture and Father had decided they could not afford another.

Once Graydon was settled beside her, she untied the reins and held them the way she had been taught. He watched closely and nodded his approval. There was nothing ahead of her and nothing coming up behind. She signalled to Stuart. The groom stepped back.

‘Walk on,’ she said, and the team moved off at a slow walk.

They were beautifully responsive. After the first few seconds of tension as she felt them beneath her hands, she relaxed and began to put them through their paces. Not once by word or deed did Graydon indicate he was concerned. When they reached the end of the path, she turned them round with only the touch of her whip and the gentle persuasion of her leads.

‘Very nicely done,’ he said.

‘Her ladyship drives to an inch,’ Stuart said from behind them.

She could not help her smile. ‘Thank you.’ She trotted the team back the way she had come.

A lady walking with a maid on the grass off to their right raised a hand in greeting. Florence brought the horses to a halt, realising too late that the woman smiling at Graydon in a most particularly friendly way was Lady Standish.

Graydon muttered something under his breath that she did not quite hear, but when she looked at him he shook his head ruefully. ‘We can’t pretend we haven’t seen her.’

Did he mean that? Or was he making an excuse?

His smile when he looked at Lady Standish belied his words, but then they were old friends.

Her stomach dipped. The lady was exceedingly beautiful.

She pinned a smile to her lips.

Why the devil was Eloise walking at this early hour? Graydon could not recall that she was prone to early rising. But then it had been a long time since he had been in her company. She was married with a child. No doubt things had changed.

He bowed as she arrived at Florence’s side of the carriage. ‘Good morning, Lady Standish.’

‘Good morning, Graydon. I see you maintain your habit of early visits to the park, though if I remember correctly you were wont to ride.’

Florence’s hand tightened on the reins and the horses walked back a step or two. A second later and she had them under control. Stuart jumped down and went to their heads. Good man, Stuart.

‘Lady Standish, may I introduce you to my wife. Florence, my dear, Lady Standish is an acquaintance of long standing.’

Florence inclined her head. ‘Lady Standish, good day.’

‘Please,’ Eloise said in warm tones with a glance from under her lashes at Graydon, ‘Do we have to be so formal? Graydon and I are such old friends and he always called me Eloise.’ She gave a light laugh.

His wife’s smile tightened a fraction. ‘Florence.’ She sounded rather stiff.

Eloise smiled brightly. ‘I hear this is your first time in London, Florence. I have many acquaintances in Town; I would be happy to introduce you to some of the ladies of our generation.’ Her smile had a sharp edge to it. ‘I understand Graydon’s mother has taken you under her wing.’

It seemed that Eloise knew a great deal about their household arrangements. Well, he had wanted to get her attention, and it seemed he had.

‘We only arrived a few days ago,’ he said. ‘There hasn’t been much opportunity to meet people.’