She cut off the thought because her gaze had shifted up the path and there she saw a man coming toward them on a horse. She flinched briefly as images of a dark and rainy night flooded her mind. But she pushed them away and saw that the man on the animal was one she instantly recognized from his posture and gait, even if she shouldn’t.
“Blackvale,” she breathed, and drank in the sight of him. He did know how to sit a horse, in his full riding gear and top hat, with his hessians gleaming in the afternoon sun that peeked out from around the clouds to taunt her.
Fanny followed her stare and her eyes widened. “Oh dear. And he’s coming this way.”
“We shall be polite,” Valaria insisted, and wished her heart weren’t beating so drattedly loud. God, could Fanny hear it? Would Callum be able to?
Fanny stepped back as Callum brought his horse to a halt next to them and swung down. His gaze was intense on Valaria’s face as he stammered, “Your—your Grace.”
“Your Grace,” she repeated with a slight incline of her head. “I did not expect to see you in the park.”
He glanced at her maid and then moved a fraction closer. He dropped his voice. “I hope you know I also was not planning to see you here, Valaria. I was not trying to intrude upon the privacy you requested.”
There was something truly troubled in both his tone and the way he would not meet her gaze with his own. She found herself wondering what had changed in him, and wishing he were back to that playful…if slightly pushy…man who had kissed her.
“I did not believe you were,” she reassured him gently. “After all, Hyde Park is a popular place. You cannot be expected to alter your entire life so that you don’t cross paths with me.”
He nodded and some of the worry left his face. “And yet I would not trouble you further. I’ll leave you and your companion to the park.”
He turned as if to go back to his horse and she knew if she left it be that he would go. But she didn’t want that exactly. After all, she had been unable to get him out of her mind, no matter what she did to try to make it so. He was just there and what had happened between them had happened. But if she faced it, faced him, then perhaps the pulsing connection would fade. Become more commonplace.
“Your Grace, when you departed my home last week, you said that if we saw each other you hoped we could still meet as friends.,” she called out. “There is no reason for us not to do so. Why don’t you walk with me a moment?”
She saw Fanny’s wild stare in her direction and knew her maid would have something to say about this later. But for now she ignored it.
“I…” he began, and glanced toward his horse. “Of course. I would be pleased to join you.”
She wasn’t certain whether to be relieved by his agreement or hate herself for putting them in this situation when she knew she should stay far away from this man. But then again, he would suspect less of her behavior if she were casually polite, wouldn’t he?
He walked beside her, one hand tangled in the lead for his horse and they were in what could only be described as an awkward silence for a bit of time. Awkward enough that Valaria could not take it anymore.
“I am glad the weather broke at last,” she said, hating herself for being so inane. And yet that was exactly what she must be to break this spell.
He looked around. “Yes. I will take any sunshine I can get during a London spring. Your…your new home bears up well in the bad weather?”
She drew back a little at the true concern in his voice. “Er, yes. It seems the place was well-maintained by its previous resident. We have been warm and snug inside. To the point that I thought I might run mad from the quiet and came out the moment even a hint of sunshine made itself known.”
He smiled a little and some of the tension left his face. “I’ve also never enjoyed being trapped inside four walls. Give me a breeze in my face and blue sky above me. Oh, I see mud there on the path, let me help you.”
She glanced ahead to where he indicated and found that there was a large mud puddle in the pathway. He held out a hand and she stared at it. He was wearing gloves, of course, because he had been riding, but this would be the first time he’d touched her since they kissed.
But there was no way to avoid his offer without treading through a nasty puddle so she placed her hand in his and tried to ignore the electric reaction that seemed to jolt through her entire body.
If he felt it, he gave no indication, only maneuvered her around the outer edges of the puddle. But the larger center was going to be more difficult. The hill above the path was slick with water and below was the little cliff into the Serpentine.
“Hmmm, perhaps we should just go back,” she suggested.
“Or…” he said, and placed his boot in the center of the puddle. The water went over the sole and muddy sludge tarnished the fine leather.
“What are you doing?” she gasped. “Your boots.”
“Can be cleaned,” he said. “Now I would suggest you hike up your skirt a little and then step on my boot to clear the puddle on the other side.”
She stared at him. “Use you as a pathway?”
“Please,” he said, and shifted, his face twisting rather comically. “And quickly, if you don’t mind. I can feel the cold of the water and the wet will be next, no matter how fine the boots are.”
“Oh dear,” she muttered, and did as she’d been told, lifting her skirts to mid-calf and then stepping lightly on his foot to clear the puddle. She turned back and was surprised to find him offering the same kindness to Fanny.
Silas would have let her ruin her skirt and then screamed at her for it later. And he certainly wouldn’t have given a damn about the safety of her maid.
Once they were both clear of the puddle, Callum returned to her side. He placed his wet foot on the edge of the grass and wiped some of the mud and muck from the leather.
“I shall pay for whatever cleaning or repair that requires,” she said.
He glanced over at her, one eyebrow arched. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m fine and my boots will be fine. They’re just things, Valaria.” He shut his eyes. “Your Grace. I apologize for the over familiarity.”
She drew in a long breath. “I suppose, when we are alone, you calling me by my first name is not so very distasteful…Callum.”
She saw how much her saying his given name moved him. Saw it flicker over his face even as he tried to hide it. It was such a strange thing to see and recognize his desire.
Stranger still, she didn’t recoil at the expression when she always had with Silas. Callum’s expression only made her think of his kiss and that was not an unpleasant memory even if she’d tried to suppress it to no avail. It seemed her idea that she could make him meaningless to her was foolhardy.
She cleared her throat. “You said you run mad inside. Do you have regular pursuits that take you out of doors?”
He nodded. “Oh yes. The usual for gentlemen. I hunt and fish on my property in Blackvale during the summer and autumn. I enjoy snowshoeing when the weather turns foul enough. I like a good festival, Blackvale Village has the most remarkable apple festival. You really ought to see it some year.”
Valaria caught her breath at how easy he was with her. Desire or not, he wasn’t forcing it or himself on her. He chatted with her in nothing more than a friendly manner. It was very disarming. And charming. The man was charming.