Page 40 of As the Earl Likes
“Why would my father want to take in an orphan? She is the daughter of an old family friend, but no one I was acquainted with while I was growing up.”
“You think your father lied?”
“I think my father has probably sired a number of illegitimate children, and it’s likely that Ellis is one of them. He felt badly when she was orphaned and brought her into the household, where she has been a daily reminder to my mother of her husband’s infidelity.”
Jo shook her head. “I had no idea.” She looked over at Sheff, her eyes dark with concern. “Does Ellis know?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s never discussed. I can’t see how she doesn’t at least suspect it.”
“Nobody ever talks about it? Not even Min and Ellis?” Jo asked. “They seem so close, like sisters.”
“Perhaps they do discuss it. I wouldn’t be privy to their private conversations.”
“How awful for Ellis—to live with someone who detests your presence.”
Sheff thought it went deeper than that. His mother didn’t just despise Ellis’s presence. She seemed to loathe her as a person, which Sheff usually did a good job of ignoring. However, this conversation was making him uncomfortable with his own complicity in how his mother treated Ellis. On the other hand, it wasn’t as if she asked for her husband to be unfaithful. All the time. And with any number of offspring as a result.
Still, none of that was Ellis’s fault.
A shriek rent the air, followed by several shouts. Sheff turned his head to see a horse thundering toward them. The beast was clearly out of the rider’s control. People ran, but no one was in the direct path of the animal—except them.
Sheff turned toward Jo and gathered her in his arms. He did so awkwardly, but he reacted with urgency and fear. Launching himself forward, he did his best to propel them out of the way. That meant he was not entirely in control of his movements, and while the velocity of his action took them away, it also sent them crashing to the grass off the path. He was able to twist and position himself mostly underneath her. He was certain his shoulder and back would be quite sore tomorrow.
He still held her tightly against him as he felt the hard ground beneath him. His gaze found hers. “Are you all right?”
“I’m not the one who slammed into the ground.” She brushed her hand along his temple and cheek. “Are you all right?”
“Ask me tomorrow.” He smiled at her, glad he’d managed to move them both out of the way.
“I shall,” she said softly, her gaze burning into his.
Sheff was all too aware of her body pressed to his, of how her back and…backside felt in his grasp. He hadn’t meant to grab her posterior. He hadn’t thought about body parts at all when he’d sprung into action. But he really ought to move his hand now. He should help her up.
He did neither of those things. At least not immediately. For one lingering moment, he enjoyed having Jo in his arms.
“All right there, Shefford?” someone asked, jolting him back to reality and the impropriety of their position. Though, surely it was forgivable since he was merely trying to save them from disaster.
Moving his hand from her backside, Sheff nodded. “Fine, thank you.”
Jo shifted as she pushed herself up. Her pelvis pressed against his for the barest moment, and Sheff wondered if he would hurt in more ways than one. He reacted instantly to her, his cock lengthening.
Dammit.
The person who’d inquired after him helped Jo to stand, then pulled Sheff to his feet. “Quick thinking there,” the man said, clapping Sheff’s shoulder.
“What happened?” Jo asked.
“Silly chit lost control of her mount over on Rotten Row. Evan Price has saved the day, however. He actually grabbed the horse’s bridle and managed to pull himself onto the animal behind the young woman. It was astonishing to behold!”
Sheff had seen Price ride and credited him as a fine horseman, but this was another level of skill. “I’m sorry I missed seeing that.”
“Glad you’re all right,” the man said before taking himself off in the direction of a crowd of people.
In the distance, Sheff saw the horse who’d nearly mowed them down, as well as two figures, one of whom—Price, evidently—was walking the horse. “Remarkable,” he murmured.
“I’m also sorry we missed that,” Jo said. “Gwen will be shocked to hear of her brother’s actions.”
“He does enjoy daring pursuits, but what the man described him doing sounded dangerous. I’m glad he isn’t injured.”
