Page 41 of An Earl Unmasked
His brow relaxed as he grinned back at her. “I believe I shall join the hunt after all.”
“Grand.” Drake skillfully maneuvered his mount back around. “Diana, where is your sister today?”
“Why she’s right in front of you.”
Drake pinned her with a serious stare. “You know I was referring to Minerva.”
“Ah…so you can utter her name without utter disdain. Good to know.” Diana urged her mare forward, leaving the two men behind her. “Isadora, shall we ride together?”
Isadora looked back at the men. With pure mischief in her eyes, her sister turned back to face her and said, “Try to keep up with me.”
All her siblings were skilled in the saddle, but Isadora was most competitive out of the lot and rode with no mercy. Diana nudged her mare forward to the sounds of the horns blasting and dogs barking.
The hunt was on.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Diana’s bold defenseof Minerva left Randal grinning and his heart bursting with pride. She was a remarkable woman, fierce, intelligent, loyal, all qualities he admired most. Gathering his wits, he urged his mount to join the fray. He stopped next to Drake. “Have you spoken to Lady Minerva since our game of chess?”
Drake straightened in the saddle. “No. Have you?”
“I’ve not left Chestwick Hall until today.” Randal brought his mount to a halt. “Why would you ask if I’ve spoken to Lady Minerva?”
Drake circled back to face Randal. The man wouldn’t meet Randal’s gaze, but he did answer. “Because you are courting Minerva.”
“Courting!” Randal’s hand clenched, causing his mount to prance sidewards. “What gave you that impression?”
Still avoiding eye contact, Drake stroked the neck of his horse. “During the match…there were moments…opportunities in which you placed yourself in position to win… I gathered you ended the game in a stalemate in order to court her properly.”
“Ha! You think it wasIwho managed to formulate a way to end the game under Mansville’s scrutiny.” Randal shook his head and urged his horse forward. “You really are clueless.”
He replayed the last ten moves of the game in his mind. He had positioned his knight as a sacrifice, but it was Minerva who initiated the rapid play to disguise her signals. Randal merely followed Minerva’s lead. If no one else detected the sleight of hand movements, it was possible Diana had misconstrued his actions.
Drake caught up, and they rode side by side in silence for a few yards.
Noting the worry lines across Drake’s brow, Randal said, “Not that you care or have a vested interest, but I will have you know that I have no intention of courting or marrying Lady Minerva Malbury. The woman deserves a man who can love. Love her for not only her beauty but for that extraordinary mind of hers.”
“I would wish that be the case for all of Kent’s sisters.”
Drake’s use of the word sister reinforced the theory that the man viewed the Malbury ladies as such. Were all men in love such fools?
His host chuckled, and Randal followed the direction of Drake’s gaze. Slightly to the right in front of them, the Malbury ladies skillfully jumped a fallen log and maneuvered through the trees. Both were extremely skilled, but his interest still remained on Diana. Unable to resist the woman’s allure, Randal urged his steed forward to catch up to the women.
Drake called out, “They will lead you in the wrong direction.”
“Don’t all women?”
Drake laughed and replied, “I wish you luck!”
Randal left his host behind and urged his mount into a full gallop. An odd prickling at the back of his neck caused Randal to glance back over his shoulder. With no one about, Drake’s easy manner had been shed, and the man rode with determination in the direction of Malbury Manor. Drake may act indifferent, but the man was unquestionably in love with Minerva Malbury.
Refocusing on catching up to the women, he kicked his heels, and his mount obediently increased speed until they were flying through the open field, skirting along the tree line. He caught sight of Diana’s hair and marveled at how pleased he was just to be merely close enough to see her. The tension that had grown between his shoulder blades seemed to ease as he closed the distance between them.
Isadora parted from her sister, heading in the general direction Drake had set off for. Diana remained seated in the middle of a paddock, looking up at the sky.
As he approached, Diana turned and said, “Why are you following me?”
Because you have infiltrated your way into my every thoughtwas on the tip of his tongue. Rather than admit the truth, he replied, “I merely wanted to ensure you and Lady Isadora came to no harm.”
