Page 72 of The Time Of Queens

“Oh, I know.”

He raised a brow in question, a knowing smirk playing at his lips.

“I mean to say, that I have gathered that by now,” I added quickly as we continued to walk down the length of the house, soon getting to the conservatory.

“But of course, after all, you have only known my brother such a short time,” he said, looking down at me in a curious way, one I was forced to ignore. Because what could I say to that? Nothing much, is what, hence why I didn’t say anything else for fear of what I might reveal.

We walked in comfortable silence until we reached the stables yard, and the sight of Draven outside in his riding gear was yet another sight to behold. He wore grey leather breeches, black knee-high riding boots with a low heel, and a tailored white shirt underneath his black riding coat. One I now knew, thanks to Pip, was called a redingote. Other parts of his outfit were the black waistcoat underneath his thick jacket, along with the black leather gloves, neckcloth, and a black top hat. Which, all combined, made him utterly droolworthy and the epitome of some dashing hero from a period romance novel. To the point that just the sight of him had me stopping dead and forgetting how to breathe.

“Ah there is my little maid,” Draven said the second he saw me. He was standing next to his colossal horse, reminding me of a similar sight back in Persia. It was when I had left in search of Ari and had to convince her to return. Something we both ended up doing on horseback after the Draven brothers had, in their panic, galloped out across desert sands, intent on chasing us down.

I would have commented to this nickname he had christened me, but with Vincent here, I decided against it. I still wasn’tconvinced at his intensions and didn’t trust why he was suddenly being so nice to me. Had Draven said something to him? Forced him to apologise and be kind to me?

He had seemed genuine enough but, right now, I was not willing to trust either of them. Because I just couldn’t shake the feeling as if something else was going on here.

“Come here, Keira,” he said, calling me by my first name and just before I took a step, I heard Vincent whisper down at me,

“Good luck on your ride.”Then before I could question him further, he was walking away. So, I asked Draven instead,

“What did he mean, good luck on your ride?”

“Well, I do owe you a lesson, if memory serves me,” was Draven’s smooth response.

“Oh, that’s alright… besides, I have work to do,” I told him, before turning around ready to make my quick escape.

However, in true Draven fashion…I didn’t get far.Not when he was bold enough to band an arm around my waist from behind before leaning down to whisper in my ear,

“Not so fast, little one… do not show fear now.”

I swallowed hard, as his voice as always did strange things to me. Especially when he spoke all low and gentle like that. It always had. A fact my husband often exploited and used often to his advantage.

“I…”

“I speak of my horse, for not to worry, I have your secret in the palm of my hand…”

I quickly tensed in his hold at what that could mean, internally panicking for seconds too long. A panic that only left me when I looked down to see him opening his palm in front of me so as to show me the handful of sugar cubes there. A sight that had me instantly relax in his hold.

I also chuckled, something he seemed pleased about as he lowered his arm and took my hand in his. Then once he hada firm grasp on me, he pulled me around so he could walk me back towards his horse. One that a stable hand had just finished saddling up ready for him.

“Thank you, John, that will be all,” Draven said, dismissing the man.

“Enjoy your ride, my Lord,” he replied with a bow of his head before leaving and, in response, I didn’t miss the way Draven replied under his breath.

“Oh, I most certainly will.”

I couldn’t help shiver at that, wondering exactly what it was he had in store for me. Which was why I knew I still needed to try and get out of this.

“I am not fit for riding and besides, I only see one horse,” I told him, now looking around for the tame dappled mare but not finding her.

Of course, Draven had taken me riding before, but we both agreed I wasn’t good at it and too much of a liability. Especially after my foot got stuck in the stirrup when getting off and I ended up hanging in a very awkward position before I hopped around like a crazy person. Draven had laughed for a week after he had first come to save me. Which was why I had answered his laughing fit by saying, “never again… ever!” Then I had stomped off, only to have Draven come and catch me. He had swept me into his arms and tried to kiss me enough to forget my embarrassment.

And that had been the extent of my short-lived horse-riding experience. Hence why I wasn’t exactly all fired up to get back on one. There was no way I was riding with Draven, as that was far too close for comfort seeing as it was the opposite of what I was trying to achieve here.

“You can ride without a habit, for I brought you a cloak to wear,” he said, walking towards a bench seat that I could nowsee the material hung over… It looked suspiciously like one I had stolen from him that first night.

“Erm…”

“This belongs to my sister. In fact, I used to have one just like it, but alas, it was stolen not that long ago,” he told me, as if reading my mind, and the whole exchange started to unnerve me.

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