Page 76 of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
But he was. The truth of it broke over him like a vicious wave. By exerting his power over her in an effort to keep Millie safe, he was doing exactly as Philippa said. Decimating the woman he loved. The horror of it shattered him. His heart fractured. He pressed the heel of his hand against his chest.
‘You see it now, don’t you Major General? How your edicts erase any chance of equality for her?’
As shattering as it was to admit, the duchess was right. Issuing any order and expecting it to be followed inherentlyassumed a hierarchy of power that put Drake above Millie. ‘Dear God. I’ve ruined everything, haven’t I?’
‘You will. If you don’t trust her, Major General Drake. If you don’t give her the one thing she should never have to ask you for. Freedom.’
‘I must find her. I must speak with her.’
Philippa tipped her chin at the window. ‘She went out for a ride this morning. About half an hour before I came down.’
Drake sprang from the chair, almost tipping the heavy thing in his haste to find Millie.
‘Lovely chat, Major General Drake,’ Philippa called to him as he raced out the door.
Millie was far too angry to climb into her bed after she stalked out of Drake’s room.
‘Stupid, idiotic, thick-skulled, moronic bastard,’ she hissed to the quiet room. Anger filled her limbs with buzzing energy.
Philippa had been right.
‘Of course she’s right. She’s always bloody right.’
That revelation did nothing to ease the burning ache in Millie’s chest.
‘Fucking numbskull!’ She kicked the bed and howled in pain as her toe cracked against the wooden post.
Wonderful. Now my toeandmy heart are broken.
Storming into her dressing room, Millie threw petticoats, chemises, dresses, and jackets about until she found her favourite riding habit. A gorgeous tartan wool of forest green and deep brown. It buttoned at the front, allowing Millie to dress without needing to call for Penny. She shoved her stockingedfeet into well-used riding boots and braided her hair. It would be cold so early in the morning, but Millie cared not.
‘It would serve him right if I froze to death. Hard to protect an icicle, Major General Blockhead!’
She fought her way into her thickest riding jacket and stomped out of her dressing room to dig through her armoire for a pair of wool-lined gloves. Without pausing to glance in the mirror, Millie swept out of her room, down the grand staircase, and out the front door. What she needed was a fast, hard ride on a beast who knew something about loyalty. Trust. Freedom.
‘Who needs a husband when I can have a horse?’ Millie declared to the windblown alders and pewter skies.
Pushing open the stable doors, she almost ran right into Master Bright.
‘Cor, Millie! You right near took me ’ead off!’
‘Billy! I’m so sorry. What are you doing about so early this morning?’
Billy was carrying a heavy saddle in his skinny arms. He almost tipped over as he sidestepped a bale of hay left in the centre of the barn.
‘Didn’t you ’ear? Theys arranged a search party. For Lucy.’
Millie followed him down the line of stables until he stopped in front of Medusa’s half door.
‘Billy, you aren’t thinking of riding Medusa, are you? Do you even ride?’
Billy ducked his head, the back of his neck turning crimson. ‘I’ve ridden before.’
‘When?’ Millie put her hand on her hip. She would cut all her hair off if Billy had ridden anything bigger than a pony.
‘Wot’s it matter to you anyways?’ He hunched his narrow shoulders. ‘I need the fastest ’orse so’s I can find ’er. Before they move ’er. I knows summink none of those others do.’ His voice quavered, and Millie wished she could pull him in for a hug. Itwould do both of them a world of good. The new missing girl must remind him of his sister. How much weight this small boy carried.
Wait a tick. Before they move her?
