“I think she is excellent. You might want to start with The Bandit’s Bride.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you.” Naturally, it was not as pleasurable as spending the day with Turley. Still, it would give her an opportunity to find a new author.
The rest of the day passed as she had expected it would, but the next morning dawned sunny and crisp. The previous day had given her a great deal of time to think about her problem with Turley. And she had decided that it would be better if she finally addressed his fears about falling in love. If that went well, then she had every intension of experiencing her first kiss.
He arrived in time to break his fast with them and took his usual chair next to hers. “I am grateful that we have sun for at least a little while today.”
Georgie stared at him. “What do you mean for a little while? Why should it change?”
“The wind is light but blowing steadily from the west. On the horizon there are dark clouds. We should have time to get in a few races before it reaches us.”
“In that case, let’s not waste any time.”
As she expected, no groom accompanied them. When they reached the path they used for racing, she was surprised to find it not nearly as muddy as she thought it might be. Thus far, they had won an equal number of races, but Georgie was determined to win the next one. In furtherance of that goal and unbeknownst to Turley, she and Lilly had spent a few hours practicing starting faster.
As Georgie brought Lilly to a stop she could not keep her smile to herself. “Are you ready to race?”
“Of course. We’ll have to call our own start.” He brought his horse beside her.
“You can do it.”
“Would you like a head start?”
“No, thank you.” He was going to have a surprise. “We shall win without taking advantage of you.”
He said something else, but Georgie wasn’t paying attention. Instead she listened for the number to be called. On the count of three, Lilly burst forth just as they had practiced. They reached the curve in the road and almost ran into a coach that had no reason to be there at all.
Quickly reining her horse in, Georgie turned to tell the coachman he was on private land when a pair of meaty hands grabbed her and dragged her off Lilly. “Let me go!”
Drat, of all the times not to carry a riding crop.
“Not likely. His lordship’ll pay us good if we get you before tomorrow,” the blackguard called out. “Open the door.”
Another man went to grab her mare’s reins. She couldn’t let them take Lilly. “Kick!”
The scoundrel didn’t even have time to shout before he was on the ground bleeding from his head.
“Bloody bitch,” the man holding her spat. “If Lord Lytton didn’t want you so bad I’d make you pay for what you done.” He opened the carriage door and shoved her in.
Lytton? Why would he want me? And where is Turley?
He couldn’t be that far behind her.
“We’ll have ta leave ’im here.” The coach dipped as the bounder climbed onto the coachman’s seat. Thank God he didn’t get in with her. “Let’s get out o’ here.”
The carriage started off and Georgie scrambled up and tested the door handle. It was unlocked. Turley would be here soon. Lilly would lead him to her. But the blackguards probably had a gun of some sort, and she didn’t want either him or, more likely, her horse to be shot. The only thing to do was jump.
A crack of thunder sounded as she opened the door. So much for the rain holding off. The ground rushed past. There was nothing for it. She had to get away from them. With any luck they wouldn’t know she was gone until they were a long ways away. Georgie took a breath and jumped, tucking her arms and legs in as Hawksworth had told her. She hit the ground and rolled.
Her horse nudged her. “Thank the Lord you’re here.”
Taking a scant second she moved her legs and arms. Good, nothing was broken. Lilly knelt and Georgie scrambled into her saddle. A cold wind gusted and the rain started to come down in buckets.
Chapter Twenty-Six
When Gavin had asked if Georgie was ready to race she’d given him such a sly look he was sure she had a secret of some sort. What had she been up to?
Lilly had looked as if she was ready to go as well. Granted the mare was fast, but Lochinvar had already proven himself well matched. She wouldn’t win by more than she had before. If she won at all. He’d wager on it.
“Would you like me to give you a head start?” He’d never made the offer before but couldn’t think of anything else to say that might encourage her to give away her plan.
“No, thank you,” Georgie scoffed, giving him an arched look. “We shall win without taking advantage of you.”
“You seem very sure of yourself.”
She patted the mare’s neck, but didn’t respond.
The only thing he wanted to win was her hand in marriage and her person in his bed. That however was not going well. Well, there was only one way to find out what the two of them were planning. “Very well. On the count of three.”
“One, two, three.”
She took off like the hounds of hell were on her heels. He’d never seen a faster start at Newmarket. Fortunately, as he was stupidly staring at her, Gavin didn’t even have to dig into his horse’s sides before they were off chasing the ladies. Unless Lochinvar could make up the time, she would indeed win and by a good length.
A strange sense of foreboding pricked his neck, and Gavin urged his gelding faster. He’d be able to see her until the curve in the road, but that would be too soon. Just then Georgie rounded the bend, and he didn’t like that he no longer had her in sight.
An angry scream rent the air, and shouts followed. When he reached the curve he could see her horse but not her. Had she fallen? No. Lilly pranced and pawed the ground. The horse wouldn’t be so agitated if it was only that. He approached Lilly but the second she saw them she raced away. That was when he saw the coach swipping down the lane faster than was safe.
Bloody hell-hounds!
For less than a second his mind stopped. Then a rage Gavin had never known coursed through his veins. “Go as fast as you can, boy. We need to rescue Georgie.”
The lane narrowed, but the carriage was still rushing away. Thunder cracked as if the storm was upon them, and suddenly the coach door swung open and Georgie stood in it, looked down, and jumped.
Gavin’s heart plummeted to his stomach as she hit the ground. Lilly rushed to her mistress and knelt. He sent a quick prayer that Georgie wasn’t injured. But he couldn’t breathe again until the horse rose with his beloved on her back . . . Beloved?
She galloped past and shouted, “The tower.”
That was the closest place, but if the coach came back, it was the first place they’d see. And they were too far from the main house to reach it before the storm struck. But the numerous Littleton follies were all in good condition and partially stocked. “No, we need to be farther away. The German farmhouse.”
Without stopping, she nodded.
Then the temperature dropped and the heavens opened up.
He caught up to her as she led her horse into the small barn attached to the side of the folly. The best thing about this structure was that the barn was attached to the house. He’d always thought that odd, but he was glad for it now. Slipping off her horse, Georgie began to rub the mare down with hay and found a blanket to throw over the beast. Gavin did the same for Lochinvar. Oats were stored in a barrel, and the water pump was, thankfully, inside.