Frits leaned down and spoke firmly to her stomach. “You must allow your mother to rest.”
Georgie could hold her laughter in no longer, nor could Adeline and Turley as they all went into whoops.
Fanning her face with her hand, Georgie tried to get herself under control. “I am s-s-sure that will have the desired effect.”
Between bouts of laughter, they finally finished eating, and Frits carried Adeline up the stairs.
“We had better be going.” Turley stood and helped Georgie rise. “At some point they will remember that they left us alone.”
“I suppose you are correct. Give me a moment to don my hat and fetch my gloves. I shall meet you in the hall.”
Turley walked with her to the main staircase. “I’ll be here waiting.”
She made herself ascend the stairs calmly as if she had all the composure in the world when her heart was racing, urging her to hurry back to him. Drat it all! She had not wanted that reaction. When she turned into the corridor, she raced to her chambers. “Smith—”
“Here you are, Miss Georgie.” Her maid pinned the small cap with a long feather that curled on her cheek to her hair and handed her the heavier gloves she used for riding. “Have a good time, and be careful.”
Georgie returned to the hall with as much grace as she could. She would not allow herself to betray her feelings for him. That would not do at all. “My lord.” She placed her hand in his palm. “Shall we?”
Turley tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “Do you know we have never ridden together?”
“I am aware of that. There was no reason to bring Lilly to Town. She would have been miserable having to keep to a sedate walk, and my mother would not allow early morning rides.”
“A pity, that.” He angled them toward the stables. “You must have missed riding.”
“More than you know.” Turley probably had not even known she liked to ride. “Lilly is a very special horse. I was there when she was born.”
“You saw the birth?” His head snapped back as if he was aghast as well he should be. Even Georgie did not know any gently born young ladies who attended a horse birth.
“Not that, but I saw her shortly after the event.” She recalled how amazed they all were at the little white filly with matching black socks, ears, and nose. “I knew immediately she would be mine.”
“I look forward to seeing her,” Turley said. “And riding with you.”
Now that she thought of it, she had never seen him ride either. Unlike Frits, he had always taken his carriage. “And I with you.”
When they reached the stable, a large bay stood next to Lilly. Both horses were saddled and Johnson was waiting for them. Georgie felt like giggling. She was not sure she had been this well chaperoned at home.
Chapter Ten
Gavin had been admiring the way the green habit fit over Georgie’s upper curves and regretted that the fashions didn’t allow him to see her other curves as well. When the older groom led out his horse, he stifled the curse rising to his lips. For whatever reason, he’d got it into his head that he and Georgie would be alone this morning. But naturally, Frits would have a groom, and Johnson of all people, accompany them. He’d been the same groom who had accompanied Littleton and Gavin when they were children. The man never missed a thing. Not that Gavin planned on trying anything inappropriate with Georgie. He simply did not like having his every movement watched. He blew out a breath. They might have a chaperone, but he would still be able to help her onto the mare. His hands tingled in anticipation of circling her waist and tossing her up onto the saddle. Gavin moved closer to Georgie’s mare. When she came around the horse, he stepped forward, but before he could act, the mare knelt, enabling her to mount without his assistance.
Hell and damnation!
This ride was not going at all how he’d expected it to, and they had not even started yet.
Gavin’s frustration rose with the mare, but he managed to maintain an outward calm. “I’ve never seen a horse do that before.” Outside of Astley’s Amphitheatre, that was. “Who taught her?”
“I did with help from my brother-in-law.” Georgie straightened her skirt. “Shall we go?”
“Er, yes.” He went back to his horse, Lochinvar, and swung up onto the saddle. “Where do you want to ride?”
With a mere shift in her legs, Georgie coaxed her mare to walking. Gavin had had no idea she was such an experienced rider.
She glanced around as if trying to decide, then shrugged. “You know the area better than I do. I shall follow your lead.”
Knowing women, that was probably the first and only time he’d hear her say that. “Would you like to have a good gallop?”
The smile that lit her face combined the sun and all the stars. If he had known how happy being on a horse made her, he’d have insured she had a chance to ride in Town. “That would be lovely.”
Johnson followed them out of the stable yard. “Mind now, miss, none of your tricks unless you let me know.”
Tricks? What the devil did the groom mean by tricks?
When Gavin slid his eyes to her, she had a guilty look on her face. “I shall be sure you have prior warning.”
The groom grunted, but fell silent as they quickened to a trot.
Still, she must have done something she should not have. “What was he talking about?”
Georgie’s deep blue eyes opened wide. “Nothing very much. Lilly and I practice certain things I have trained her to do. Johnson was just a little uneasy when he saw them the first time.” She pulled a face. “I have promised to warn him when we do them again.”
Things? “Such as?”
“Hawksworth, my brother-in-law, wanted to teach me how to make myself safer when I was riding.” Her evasiveness did not ease Gavin’s mind.
“Perhaps you can show me.” He’d like to see what sorts of contrivances she was talking about.
“Perhaps I shall.” Her lips tilted up slightly, convincing him that she had definitely not told him nearly what he wanted to know. “However, now I would like to gallop.”
He was leading them over a meadow of tall grass that was still resplendent with wildflowers. “There is a path that goes through the wood and thence to the town that has a nice straight piece that is long enough to race without worrying about one’s horse stepping into a rabbit hole.”
The day was rapidly growing warmer and they took their time crossing fields of newly harvested crops until they reached the path. Georgie and her mare rode as if they were one. Gavin had never seen a lady with a better seat and very few men. A stream ran along one side of the road and they stopped to water their horses.
Jumping off Lochinvar, Gavin ran to Georgie before she could make Lilly kneel again. “Allow me to help you.”
Her sharp and wary blue eyes searched his face before she inclined her head. “Very well.”
As soon as she unhooked her leg from the pommel, he clasped his hands around her waist, making sure her foot was not caught in the stirrup. Gavin felt her breath quicken as he slowly lowered her feet to the ground. That was what he’d wanted, to feel her response to him. Georgie might not want him as much as he desired her, but she would if he had anything to say about it. The lacy scarf tucked into the habit’s bodice didn’t hide the rapid pulse in her throat. She tilted her head up to look at him, and he began to lean forward. Their lips were only inches away from each other’s. He could almost feel the softness of her mouth—