Page 56 of Suddenly a Bride
And besides, why would she need to talk to a cousin she barely knew?
“We shan’t spend the night,” he said. “We can make it there and back between dawn and dusk. You might have only an hour to wander the town.”
She smiled and lifted a spoonful of porridge. “That’s fine. What are you going to do with Harold?”
“Send him on his way. I harbor no good will toward him.”
When he rose to his feet, Gwyneth put a hand on his arm. “Edmund, I meant to ask you who I should see if I’ve discovered some”—she lowered her eyes and blushed—”linens missing after the laundry was done.”
For a moment, his mind pictured the linens she was implying, and he wondered how intimate they were. His voice was husky when he spoke. “The laundry maids, of course.”
“They hung them on racks to dry in the laundry and haven’t seen them since.”
“Mrs. Haskell?”
“She’s as baffled as I am.”
“Question the rest of the servants, I guess.”
“I shall do that,” she murmured, looking almost worried. The she brightened. “When do we leave?”
“In the morning. Langston can spend another night in jail.”
Chapter 13
Gwyneth dressed in the morning still unable to believe she’d persuaded Edmund to take her with him. Her heart felt light, and she tried to think up other ways to maneuver him into kissing her. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she had another reason besides happiness to want a good marriage.
After breaking her fast, she took a basket of food for the journey out into the courtyard, only to see two saddled horses outside the stables. Edmund was adjusting the girth on The General.
Her steps slowed as she eyed the much smaller brown horse with a lovely white star on its forehead. Although she was nervous at the thought of riding solo, she was even more disappointed not to be riding in her husband’s lap. Such closeness could only further their intimacy—which Edmund had seemed to realize. She gave a heavy sigh.
He must have caught her response, because he held up a hand. “You have to attempt this sometime. This is not an easy country to walk in.”
“Can I not ride with you?” she asked.
“But then what will you have accomplished?”
Another kiss?
He walked around to the other horse. “You’ve ridden the General at a hard gallop. Trotting this little pony will seem easy.”
“ ’Tis not a little pony.” She stiffened as the horse nudged her arm.
“She wants you to pet her.”
Gwyneth awkwardly rubbed the animal’s nose.
“She’s a very gentle old girl,” Edmund continued. “She has birthed many a prize horse, and she does not startle easily. We’ll take our time.”
“ ’Tis a shame that Lydia’s not here.”
“Who?”
“My youngest sister. She’s quite fond of animals, and they used to follow her home. I am certain she’d find some way to make me feel at ease.”
“I can make you feel at ease.” He finally noticed the basket and frowned. “Gwyneth, we shall be in Richmond before noon.”
“I’d rather be prepared,” she said quickly. “And I remembered to bring food you could put in a saddle bag.”
