Hattie grinned. “There is no telling what sort of search party they would launch if they found our horses without us.” The amusement slid from her face as quickly as it had arrived, and she looked to Bentley. “We must go at once. There really is no telling what my father will do if he deems me missing and in danger.”
“Nor my husband,” Mrs. Green reminded them.
Bentley understood Hattie’s meaning. Unless he wanted a group of nervous men searching his woods, they ought to hurry.
“By all means, we shall go as speedily as we can.” He led the way outside after informing his butler of his intentions to see the women to their horses, and then headed into the woods. The lantern cast light ahead of them as the sun slipped closer to the horizon and the shadows grew longer within the trees. They picked their way down Bentley’s familiar path until they reached the eastern edge of the woods, and he turned toward the women.
“Do you recall where the horses were left?”
“Yes,” Hattie said. “We can find them. Thank you, Your Grace.”
“It was my pleasure.” And oddly enough, he found that it was a pleasure to see her again. He watched the women step from the trees before turning away and pausing. His conscience would not allow him to let them walk away in the growing darkness, not until he ascertained their safe arrival home, or at least to their horses. Stepping quietly to the edge of the trees, he searched the spreading lawn for any sign of the women.
Two horses came into view, cantering toward the estate, the women atop them. They must have found a stump or fallen log in order to mount, but he was glad of it. When they reached the halfway point where they were nearer to the Greens’ estate than the woods, Hattie turned, looking over her shoulder in his direction. It was too dark for him to see her eyes, to know where she was looking, but he felt as though she could see him, and he shrank back further into the shadows.
Bentley watched until Hattie rode out of sight before he turned and began making his way back toward his house. He had a habit of painting to relieve his feelings, and he had a feeling he was going to be awake late into the night doing just that.