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She took ue “I suppose that is my business and theirs”

He laughed “It certainly would have been theirs had you fallen back there and been injured, fledgling”

“Well, they are off to a cockfight, and I a about unattended”

He shtly, “In addition to the fact you could take a tu for a lady to ride astride and without the protection of at least her groom”

She put up her chin, “I a area Who would accostastride, I prefer it Riding in a lady’s saddle is not always an easy or coeous Taking a tu…”

He raised a brow quizzically, “As to ould accost you—any man with eyes in his head, sunbeam”

“But any man with a brain in his head wouldn’t dare There are consequences they would have to incur, and I am no easy prey”

He inclined his head, and she could see he had decided to change the subject “Ah,” he said, looking into the distance, “Grantham looks quite lovely from this hill”

She eyed her home and smiled, “Yes, yes it does…”

“And with it in sight, I am afraid I e” He tipped his beaver hat “Perhaps I may see you in London”

“Perhaps” She noted black waves of hair fell across his forehead ly She immediately banished the notion He was a hell-bent rake He was Hotspur, and she was not going to be just another one of his conquests

She watched as he left her and e road only a short distance off He turned to wave at her, and she felt a ratification, which she i In all probability, she would not see hioodbye, and his kiss was so she would remember forever, for she was fairly certain she would never receive another kiss quite like it from anyone else

Chapter Three

Stars glittered in a dark velvet sky A , shapeless clouds It was a windless night but nipped at the skin inter’s left over chill, and Nigel shuddered against the cold and the excitement

The country road hadvisibility for hi gave no sign of lifting as itsubstance as it made its way