Page 58 of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
Millie wasn’t so sure, but she appreciated Billy’s concern. ‘Don’t you worry, Billy. I don’t mind a headstrong lady. In fact, I bet we have quite a lot in common.’
Billy didn’t look convinced, but he helped Millie brush down the horse, clean out her hooves, and saddle her. Medusa only tried to nip Billy once, but Millie put a quick stop to that with a stern command and firm grip on Medusa’s halter.
When she mounted the mare, Medusa stomped her hoof impatiently, pawing at the gravel drive. Millie ran her hand down the horse’s powerful neck.
‘You just need a nice long run to get out some of those nerves, hey girl?’ she murmured soothingly.
‘You sure you’ll be all right, Millie?’ Billy took a step back as Medusa pawed at the ground again, shifting anxiously as Millie kept her hands low, gripping with her thighs to ensure a steady seat. She would bet Medusa had a sensitive mouth and a strong will, never a good combination if the rider wasn’t skilled at guiding her mount without pulling hard on the bit.
‘I’m quite sure, Billy. I shall see you in a few hours.’ She tightened her legs and loosened the reins, giving Medusa her head and whooping as the horse leapt forward.
Billy was right. She was swift, strong, and bloody magnificent. Millie felt the thrill of flying through the air as the wind ripped through her loose chignon, pulling her hair free. She and Medusa were two wild creatures joined in will and temperament, tearing across the paddocks surrounding Alder House and heading for adventure.
Millie knew Medusa needed a long run to wear her out before she turned her toward the forest. She had been desperate to explore, but until the horse calmed, riding through such unpredictable terrain was too dangerous.
When they finally hit the tree line, she and Medusa had reached an understanding. The horse followed her direction, reading Millie’s leg pressure like a dream. The woods were thick and dark, colder without the winter sun to warm her back. But Millie felt she’d entered an ancient, magical woodland. They followed a deer trail deeper into the overgrown thicket, crashing through brambles and ferns. The scent of pine, black earth, and damp leaves comforted Millie.
Crossing a shallow brook, Millie wished she’d worn an extra layer. Snow was certainly coming soon. She couldn’t wait to explore these same paths in the heat of summer, perhaps take a sneaky dip in the babbling waters.
Glancing through the trees, there was a small clearing where an old hunting shack stood snug and neat. Smoke rose from astone chimney. Millie wondered if Drake allowed the villagers to use it during the summer, though it seemed strange for someone to be living there now. Hunting season was well over, as most of the animals were hunkering down for winter. She urged her mount forward to investigate, but before she could get closer to the clearing, the crashing sound of another rider had Millie swinging her horse around.
Drake!
Her heart beat harder as a male rider picked through the forest toward her.
‘Miss Millicent! What the Devil are you doing out here alone?’
Not Drake.
She ignored the disappointment filling her.
‘Lord Renquist. I could ask the same of you.’ She smiled at the charming man. While she hadn’t spent much time with him, in every interaction, he’d proven to be kind and respectful. More than she could say for most men of her acquaintance.
Renquist returned her smile. His dimples flashed as his eyes, a golden colour quite striking in his tanned face, lit with humour. ‘I was running an errand for our mutual friend.’
Millie exaggerated her frown. ‘I’m not sure who you’re speaking of, sir.’
Renquist threw his head back and laughed, the strong column of his neck moving with the pleasant rumble. ‘Come, shall I ride with you back to Alder House? I’m sure your stepmother has something scintillating planned for her guests. We wouldn’t want to miss a moment.’
Rolling her eyes, Millie groaned. ‘She is awful. I would apologise, but there’s nothing I can do to stop her. She’s quite the tyrant and destined to become even more so without my presence hindering her.’
‘I don’t envy you having had to live with her. I’m sure your situation with Drake will be a vast improvement.’
Millie fell behind Renquist as the trail narrowed, making it impossible to continue their conversation until they emerged from the forest.
‘I’m not sure I agree with your earlier assessment. But you know Drake far better than me. Perhaps you can share some tips to encourage a happy union.’ Millie was only half jesting.
Renquist didn’t answer right away. A slight frown turned the corners of his mouth down. He really was a dashing young man, yet Millie felt no stirring within her as she did anytime Drake was near.
‘The war was hard on all of us, but especially a man like Drake.’ Something dark flashed in his eyes but then was gone. ‘When he returned to find his fiancée had married his brother’ – Reynard shrugged – ‘no one would take the news well. But it was harder for Drake. He’s never had an easy time trusting others. He doesn’t speak about his childhood, but I don’t think things were pleasant. I know his mother was rumoured to have affairs. His father was a stern, distant figure. And you’ve met his brother. Two siblings could not be more different.’
Millie couldn’t stop her snort of laughter. ‘Godric’s hardly equal to his brother. A fact his wife is well aware of. Drake told me about Nora. I must say, I’ll not be sad to see them both leave.’
Renquist raised a brow. ‘He told you? That’s… surprising.’ He grew silent. For a time, there was only the squeak of leather, the jangle of metal against the reins, and the wind blowing across the open fields.
‘I suppose I shouldn’t expect a close union then.’ Millie finally broke Renquist’s reverie. The idea should please her, but instead, she felt an aching loneliness. She needed a distant marriage to continue her work with Philippa, but she was begrudgingly beginning to realise she didn’t want to keepBeaufort at arm’s length. She liked the man, as infuriating as he was and as complicated as that made her situation.
Incredibly inconvenient, and all Drake’s fault.
