Page 29 of A Wicked Earl's Widow
“What does this have to do with my daughter?” Landonshire was ready to floor the weasel. He didn’t have time for long tales.
“The young woman was blonde with a dark-haired little girl.”
“How old was the child?”
“Two, maybe.”
Landonshire grinned and rubbed his hands together. His winning horse was approaching the finish line. “And where did this young lady of quality go after that?”
“A local lord, Viscount Pendleton, brought the bully ruffian into the blacksmith and escorted the coach out of town. So I did some investigatin’ and found there’d been some new guests at this gentleman’s estate, Pendle Place.” The man smiled, his gums glistening in the firelight.
“Go on.”
“Lord Pendleton lives there with his mother and sister. But he’s playin’ the host to a young woman, pretty thing with white-blonde hair and purple-like eyes. The little girl is as dark as her mama is light. An older woman, round and slow-movin’, watches over the youngster. The viscount is gone most of the day, so thought it’d be easy enough to snatch the little one. But she’s got a dog watching over her, a scent hound. As soon as I got too close, he smelled me and started howling.”
“Well done. If I need you again, I know where to find you.” If he couldn’t get the babe, he’d snatch Eliza. A week of “persuasion” would get her to say “I do” in front of a preacher. He would have enjoyed taunting the whore with the child. Ah well… Landonshire pulled his collar up and his hat down, turning his back on the man without another word. He headed out the door into the rain with a whistle on his lips.
Chapter Thirteen
Mid-May
Pendle Place
Eliza tipped her head back, enjoying the wind in her face and the smooth rhythm of the horse’s canter. The sun peeked from behind huge, fluffy clouds that changed their shape as the wind pushed them along. Beside her, Nate rode his big bay gelding. The horse easily passed her smaller mare. Hannah had suggested a picnic on the river’s bank. She rode behind them with a groom and the supplies for their outing.
Nate pulled up his horse and Eliza followed suit. He wore a deep blue riding coat that stretched across his broad shoulders. The tan breeches fit like one of her evening gloves, and she’d had to drag her eyes away from the sight of his muscular thighs gripping the saddle. Countless days riding the property with Maxwell had streaked his light brown hair with gold and bronzed his skin. He’d be “sinfully handsome” in one of her romantic novels.
“Have you heard from Grace or your relatives in Scotland?” he asked, reaching down to give his horse’s neck a pat.
Eliza tore her eyes from his capable hands, remembering touch of his long fingers against her skin, his thumb stroking her bottom lip. “No, not yet. They may ignore my request since we’ve never met, and my mother hasn’t contacted them since she left. I’m counting on the relationship my aunt had with her family. It’s presumptuous, at best, but I could think of no other way.”
Leaving Pendle Place would break her heart. It had become a second home to Althea. They had both grown fond of Nathaniel and his family. And then there was Cyrano. How did you separate a girl and her faithful hound? They’d both be inconsolable for a time.Oh Carson, am I making the right decision?
“Good. The longer it takes, the more time I have with you.”
He smiled. Her breath caught.
Those soft brown eyes, reflecting the gold of his hair, locked onto hers and held her gaze. They’d grown close over the last weeks. He made her feel special. She was not accustomed to a man asking her opinion, caring about what she read or enjoyed. It was a heady emotion, to feel significant, to feel as if one actuallymattered.
The longer I stay the harder it will be to forget.
“You’re flirting with me again,” she said, hoping to curtail the wings in her belly.
“I won’t stop. I warned you, didn’t I?”
She laughed, a light genuine sound that had evolved over the last few weeks. Eliza barely recognized the sound as her own. The constant weight on her shoulders had lifted, though the nightmare of her mother still haunted her. “Yes, warned and duly noted. Hannah,” she called over her shoulder, “did you have a place picked out or shall we look for a spot?”
“Keep going. It’s just around the next bend near the woods. A place to enjoy the sun and shade for those of us avoiding freckles,” she answered.
“I know the location. There’s a nice grassy area with some flat rocks to spread out the food. Easy access to water the horses and several shade trees.” Nate gathered his reins. “Shall we?” One eyebrow arched in question.
She grinned and instead of answering, smacked her horse with the crop and lunged ahead of him. He caught her easily but it didn’t matter. Today, her heart was light and the day was perfect. By the time Hannah caught up with them, they had dismounted and spread a blanket on the ground.
Jagged rocks thrust out of the rushing clear water, an occasional fish emerging, its tail flapping before splashing under the fast-moving current. They walked the horses to the water’s edge to drink then hobbled them under a tree to nibble at grass.
“Your mother has improved over the past few days. The color has returned to her cheeks,” Eliza remarked as Hannah passed them each a cold beef pasty. “It’s almost as if a burden has been lifted.”
Nate coughed then sputtered. His sister pounded on his back while he caught his breath and reached for the flagon of lemonade. Wiping at his eyes, he shook his head. “I’m fine. Just a crumb stuck in my throat.”
