Page 10 of A Lady's Dangerous Secret
A throat clearing broke his ogling, and Lady Charlotte lifted her chin in a defiant manner. “Good morning, Captain Silverstone,” she greeted curtly.
Ah, she still did not know his name. He could continue to use this information as leverage. “I see you have been enjoying some morning activity.”
“Yes, I prefer to ride early so that Mirabel can get proper exercise. She’s used to being in the country.”
“And that requires gentlemen’s clothes?”
Her head tilted forward slightly. She seemed to look down her nose at him while she sat regally on her horse, as if she were in a Mayfair drawing room. “In fact, it is necessary.” She released the reins with one hand and flipped her wrist nonchalantly. “The way to properly ride a horse is astride, and I can’t be seen straddling my steed in London.”
James let out a choking sound. She must be an innocent to say such a phrase in a casual manner, proving she was truly oblivious to its meaning. He shifted uncomfortably in his saddle.
“You left last night before we could finish our game,” she chided.
He felt like a guilty school child, or at least what he assumed one would feel like, and succinctly replied, “I apologize for the abrupt departure, but I had to leave.” James was a naval officer. He never apologized. He killed and moved on. Yet there he was, apologizing, of all things, for leaving a fancy party.
“Why?”
Just that simple three letter word, and she had his complete attention. Her eyes stared into his own as she awaited an answer. He had just met this woman, and he would not—no, hecouldnot answer. He had been hiding from himself too long to suddenly change course. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Maybe it should be.”
“No. I appreciate your concern, but trust me, it’s better to leave it alone,” James responded more forcefully than he had intended.
Lady Charlotte raised her eyebrows. She studied him as if he were a puzzle to solve. “Very well then. In any case, you owe me the answers to a few questions.”
“That was last night’s game. You can’t carry it over to a new day.”
“I beg to differ. We didn’t discuss this particular rule, so it’s assumed that the game will continue until it’s completed,” she countered.
“Since it was not discussed, the game was interrupted and is now void.”
“You make a good point, but you agreed to answer seven questions. If you don’t answer the remaining ones, you will be going back on your word.”
So Lady Charlotte was trying to badger him into revealing more about himself. He had to admit he enjoyed the banter.
“I would hate to question your honor, sir. I am benevolent though, so I’ll propose a new wager.”
He felt like a mouse being batted back and forth between the paws of a mischievous cat. “Benevolent? You must be addled.”
“Addled? Is that what you call women with a brain? If so, I suppose I am.”
James bit back a caustic retort. She did have a point, but he was loath to admit it. “What is your alternate wager?”
“Well, we are both on horses, so we could race.”
James took in her measure. She sat comfortably on her horse, as if it were an extension of her body, and rode elegantly. He pursed his lips. He, Captain Hughes of His Majesty’s Royal Navy, refused to keep being outmaneuvered by a slip of a young woman who wore men’s breeches and rode astride in the middle of Hyde Park. Damn her for getting under his skin, and damn her for noticing his poor horsemanship.
“You are skilled in manipulating a situation,Lady Charlotte.”
“Captain Silverstone, a situation is what you make of it. You can let the situation control you, or you can control the situation. I prefer the latter, and I’m simply moving our situation in a desired direction. If I didn’t, we would be here all day arguing. I’ll even propose a compromise, since you seem upset. I’ll tell you why I know how to manipulate a situation, as you call it, if you answer my question.”
James assessed the absurdity of this entire encounter with the brazen and witty Lady Charlotte. As much as he hated to admit it, he did want to know something, anything, about this enigmatic woman of theton.
“All right, I accept your deal. You go first.”
“I don’t know if I trust your word. You clearly didn’t keep it last night. How do I know once I share something about myself that you will honor your commitment?”
“We played a ballroom game last night, a mere frippery. Men die if I do not keep my word. Do not question my honor.”
