Page 16 of The Mistletoe Countess
He needed to confirm his mental assessment with a strong enough kiss to wipe the memory of Grace’s from his mind…before he lost all sense and kissed the wrong sister again.
“Lord Astley!”
The call came from ahead on the trail. A boy, one of the stable hands, dashed toward them with Elliott at the lad’s heels. Frederick straightened to alert. He’d never seen his valet move so quickly in all the years he’d known him.
“You…you”—Elliott paused to bend at the waist, panting—“are all right, sir?”
“He has a hurt ankle,” Grace replied before he could respond.
“The horse came back without you, sir.” The boy rushed forward, barely getting the words out between breaths. “And your saddle. I didn’t know, sir. You have to believe me. I didn’t know about what happened to your saddle.”
“Know?” Frederick looked from the boy back to Elliott. “My saddle?”
“Sir, it seems your saddle was not in the best condition for riding.” Elliott tipped his head toward Grace, brow raised in question.
Heat seeped from Frederick’s face. “Ah, I see.” He shifted his hold on Grace’s waist. “Elliott, would you mind escorting Miss Grace to the house while I return her horse to the stables? I’m certain she’d like to get out of the chill.”
“Escort me to the—” She turned on him, ginger hair flying around her shoulders as she did. “I think I’d like to know what is going on.” Those intelligent eyes examined each face before landing on the weakest link. “Cam, what were you saying about the saddle?”
“That’s right, Miss Grace. The saddle. If I’d knowed it was—”
“Come now, Miss Grace.” Frederick held Elliott’s gaze, and his valet took the hint, stepping to the side of the horse just as Frederick lifted her from the seat. With Elliot’s help, she was on the ground before she could protest. “The house will be awake soon enough, and Miss Grace will be missed.”
She turned back toward him, rebel brow raised in challenge, pink lips set. “You’re the guest of honor, my lord. Perhapsyoushould go on to the house, have your ankle tended, andIcan see to this mess about your saddle.”
“Very thoughtful of you.” How could he possibly be fighting a smile? “But I believe this situation requires my immediate attention, and I’d prefer you find your way safely back to the house. I feel certain your sister would agree.”
“My sister? Of course.” She shot Frederick an impressive, though powerless, glare before slipping her arm through Elliott’s and pushing on a smile that resembled nothing like the genuine ones he’d seen before. “Lead the way, dear Elliott. What would a young woman know of saddles and mysteries after all?”
“No one said anything about mysteries, miss,” Elliott replied with a gentle smile.
She sent a look over her shoulder at Lord Astley, their gazes meeting in an unspoken battle. “Of course not, Elliott,” she said, her voice hiding nothing as Frederick rode the horse past her. “No mysteries at all.”
Chapter Six
Dismissed? Grace pinched her arm more tightly around the perfectly pos-tured valet as they finished their walk up the trail. If she hadn’t liked Lord Astley so much, she’d have been tempted to think very bad thoughts about him. Thoughts of Gothic horror proportions. But he really was much too nice for Gothic horror. Perhaps murder mystery? Her grin tipped. Yes. He could be the handsome inspector who was always proven wrong by the lady detective.
She sighed in resignation. Oh well, notalwaysproven wrong. She did want the inspector to have some wits about him. It made for a much more balanced story.
But in all honesty, why did everyone think she couldn’t manage distressing news? With the amount of fiction she consumed, she would likely be the least shocked of anyone.
Something was amiss. Something about the saddle and Lord Astley’s fall.
The tingling of a mystery pricked at her scalp, even as she was relegated to safety in the house. Ridiculous men! Shehadto learn the truth.
“I do hope Lord Astley’s ankle is quickly mended.” She glanced in her periphery at the valet, who seemed much too young and handsome for his job. Why had she supposed English valets were old and disgruntled as a rule?
“It was fortunate you were out early enough to find him so quickly.”
Best create friendly dialogue to throw the good valet off her sleuthing scent. “Well, it’s the only time I can ride astride without offending half of the women at the house party and unnerving half the men. You know, it really doesn’t make sense to get ourselves nearly killed for some ill-placed sense of propriety. I feel certain you wouldn’t want to ride sidesaddle if you were a woman, would you, Elliott?”
He kept his gaze appropriately diverted, but his lips pinched in the strangest way. “I really can’t give an informed opinion on the matter, miss.”
“No, I suppose you can’t.” Grace’s laugh bubbled out. “But what a valiant attempt you’re making at not being horrified by my question. I can already tell you are the excellent sort.”
“I should like to think so, miss.”
A little chink in his well-honed demeanor teased her curiosity. “You know I’m to escort my sister to England after the wedding, don’t you?”
