“I’ll see you later, Chichester,” he said, directing his horse to the side. Throwing his leg over the saddle, he dropped lightly to the ground just as Lady Charlton and her goddaughter came level with him. As he greeted them, he heard a voice behind him saying, “Oh, I say. Fast work, Tarrant.”
Chichester, curse him, had followed and also dismounted. He stood there grinning expectantly at the ladies. James, having no choice, introduced him, but once he saw which lady Chichester was beaming at, he said, “It’s very crowded here. Lieutenant Chichester, why don’t you walk ahead with Miss Bamber, and I will escort Lady Charlton.”
Chichester and the girl happily agreed. Lady Charlton, however, hesitated. Her creamy complexion grew rosy under his gaze, her sea blue eyes were pools of doubt. Was she simply shy or was there something about him that disturbed her? She certainly disturbed him. Not since he was a young man had he been so instantly and powerfully drawn to a woman.
He presented his arm, and she gave his horse a nervous glance. “Don’t you need to mind your horse?”
James smiled to himself. Her apparent reluctance to further their acquaintance did not extend to snubbing him in public.
“He’s used to being led.” He nodded ahead to where Chichester and Miss Bamber were walking and chatting while Chichester’s mount ambled placidly along behind.
She glanced at his arm and with a sigh accepted it. They strolled along, his horse following behind. She glanced back several times.
“You’re not fond of horses?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It’s not that. I’ve never had much to do with them.” She glanced back again. “They’re very big, aren’t they?”
Yes,” he agreed solemnly. “Being rather tall, I need a taller horse. So you’ve never ridden?”
“No.”
“I’m surprised. Most ladies I know who were brought up in the country ride to some extent.”
“My father was a country vicar. Both he and my mother were brought up to ride and hunt, but Papa gave it up when he took orders—he didn’t approve of it anymore—and Mama never rode again after she got married. Besides, the only horse we could afford was the one that pulled Papa’s gig, and that was necessary for his parish visits. Papa took his vows very seriously, and every spare penny went to the poor of the parish. Or to ‘the unconverted.’ ”
“ ‘The unconverted’?”
“They were Papa’s passion in life—he believed their souls were endangered unless they converted to Christianity. He and Mama sailed for the Far East shortly after my wedding.”
“And are your parents still abroad?”
“In a manner of speaking,” she said after a moment. “They died within months of arriving.”
“I’m sorry.” James hoped they weren’t eaten by headhunters or boiled in a pot or another of the grisly fates so often encountered by missionaries attempting to force their foreign ways on perfectly contented native peoples, but there was no way he could ask such a thing. Especially when he was trying to charm a most reluctant lady.
She glanced at him and seemed to read his mind. “A tropical fever carried them both off.”
“I see,” he said, slightly relieved. “That must have been very difficult for you.” Newly married, orphaned and with only her husband to support her. He couldn’t imagine Thaddeus Paton supporting anyone except himself.
They strolled on in silence. Ahead of them, Chichester and Miss Bamber were chatting and laughing, clearly getting on well.
“Your Lieutenant Chichester,” she said. “What’s his background?”
“Not my Lieutenant Chichester,” he stressed lightly. “Merely a chance-met acquaintance from my army days. But to answer your question, he’s well-enough born, but a second son. He’ll inherit no money or land and is destined to be a career soldier, though between you and me, he’s not the kind of lad destined for greatness.” He glanced at her and added in a lowered voice, “Unless your goddaughter is an heiress, I wouldn’t encourage that connection. He’s a gazetted flirt. When Chichester weds, which I expect won’t be for a good few years, he’ll undoubtedly marry for money.”
She gave a slow nod, then turned to him with a smile that took his breath away. “Yes, that’s exactly what I needed to know. Thank you.”
He couldn’t think of a thing to say. All he could think of was how lovely she was when she smiled. And how he wanted to make her smile more often.
She added, “I don’t want Lucy to make the kind of mistake that—to make a mistake in her choice of husband.”
The kind of mistake that she had made, he wondered?
“It’s rather daunting,” she continued, “being responsible for a young girl’s future happiness.”
“I’m sure she’s in the best of all possible hands,” he said. It was a commonplace response, a mere polite nothing, but for some reason the light in her eyes died, and she looked away, as if troubled. What had he said?
A slight breeze sprang up, stirring the leaves and the ladies’ dresses. “We’d better go,” Lady Charlton said abruptly. “We have an engagement to prepare for this evening.” She called to Miss Bamber, bid James and Chichester goodbye and vanished into the fashionable throng, leaving James gazing after her.
“Are we in a hurry?” Lucy asked breathlessly as they wove swiftly through the crowd, nodding to acquaintances and calling out brief greetings but nothing more—which was quite uncivil. “Is there an appointment I’ve forgotten?”
Alice hurried on without answering. She had no reason for their flight—no reason she could acknowledge, that is, except to herself.
Panic, that was it.
Lord Tarrant had smiled down at her with such a look in his eyes. Intense and yet warm and approving and . . .
It had set off such flutters inside her.
She’d had no idea what to do.
And so she’d run.
Which was utterly pathetic!
But what else was she to do? She couldn’t encourage him.
“It’s going to rain,” she told Lucy.
Lucy glanced at the clear blue sky. “I see. A bit like my pallor the other night, then. Only in your case, it was brought on by a certain tall former colonel.”
“Nonsense,” Alice muttered and hurried on. Lucy was uncomfortably perceptive at times. “What did you think of Lieutenant Chichester?”
Lucy snorted. “A silly rattle and too full of himself, but entertaining enough for a walk in the park.”