Selina first encountered Lord Deveril when she was masquerading as a maid at a posting inn. Intrigued, he has returned to Torrisford and come in search of her…
‘Miss Wynter, we meet again!’ His dark eyes were full of laughter. ‘You are a deuced elusive lady. I have been riding around here for days, hoping to see you.’
‘Do I know you, sir?’ She treated him to a haughty stare. There was still a possibility he might not recognise her.
He grinned. ‘We have not been formally introduced, but I wanted to find you, to thank you for that tankard of ale.’
Only for a moment did Selina consider disclaiming any knowledge. It would be futile, so instead she gave him a look intended to depress pretension.
‘Well now you have thanked me, so you may go on your way. Or rather, you should return the way you came. Perhaps you are unaware that you are trespassing.’
‘No, am I? This way leads to Reigney Abbey, does it not?’
She turned Orion, saying pointedly, ‘Goodbye, Lord Deveril.’
‘If you are going back to the Abbey then pray allow me to accompany you.’
He rode up alongside her, so close she could reach out and touch the buckskins covering his muscled thigh, if she so wished. Even more alarming, he could reach her.
‘I do not wish you to accompany me.’ She edged Orion away, widening the distance between them.
‘Then I shall follow you. To call upon Mr Wynter, you understand. I should like to make his acquaintance.’
Deciding that any further remonstrance would be childish, Selina pressed her lips together and set off at a canter. She was not surprised to find Lord Deveril kept pace, but when the grey began to edge in front, she could not resist the challenge.
She gave Orion his head and the black surged forward. Immediately Lord Deveril responded and soon both horses were galloping neck and neck across the hill. The wind tugged at Selina’s hat, pulling curls free from their pins, and a laugh of pure joy bubbled up. She must look like a hoyden, but for the moment she did not care.
They were approaching the lower slopes of the hill where the track descended more steeply. They both slackened their pace but the grey stumbled, pitching the rider over the horse’s head. Selina hauled on the reins and Orion came to a plunging halt.
‘Deveril!’
She slipped to the ground and ran across to where he was lying, motionless. He was on his back, eyes closed, and she dropped to her knees beside him. Gently she smoothed the black hair away from his brow, anxiously scanning his body for signs of injury.
‘My lord, are you hurt?’
‘Forgive me while I catch my breath,’ muttered Deveril, keeping his eyes shut while he assessed the situation. ‘I do not think I have broken anything.’
‘Thank heaven for that. Can you get up?’
He opened his eyes to find Selina gazing down anxiously into his face.
‘Now why should I want to move, when you are looking at me like that?’
The ready laughter sprang to her eyes and she sat back, shaking her head. ‘You are irrepressible, my lord! Tell me, truthfully, how do you feel?’
‘I feel I want to kiss you.’
‘Well, you cannot!’ she said, blushing and laughing at the same time.
He grinned. ‘Can I not?’
‘No! We must ascertain that you have taken no injury.’
He sat up slowly. ‘I shall have a few bruises, I think, but nothing more serious.’
‘I am very glad about that.’ She jumped up and held her hand out to him. ‘Let us see if you can stand.
‘Well?’ she asked, when she had helped him to his feet. ‘Is there any damage?’
‘Only to my pride.’
‘That will soon be mended!’
She was standing before him, her face alive with merriment, and Deveril’s breath hitched. The fall had winded him, but not like this! It seemed the most natural thing in the world to pull her into his arms and, when she did not resist, he lowered his head and kissed her.
She leaned against him, her palms resting on his chest, her mouth soft and sweet against his. He deepened the kiss and she responded, her tongue flickering tentatively for a moment and then she was pushing him away.
Immediately he released her and she stepped back, her cheeks flushed. Without a word, she began to shake out the voluminous skirts of her riding habit. Deveril watched her for a moment, then he scooped up his hat.
‘Should I apologise?’ he asked her.
Selina kept her eyes lowered, giving the skirts a more vigorous shake while she tried to make sense of her feelings. He had kissed her! She should be furious with him, but how could she let him take all the blame, when she had kissed him back so outrageously?
She could not recall the last time she had felt so…so alive. The gallop, Deveril’s sudden fall and the knowledge that he was unhurt had left her buzzing with nervous energy. And then that kiss! It had set her body tingling from her head to her toes. Even now she could feel the blood pumping through her veins. She knew she could have stopped him from kissing her, if she had tried. If she had wanted to do so. It would be wrong, churlish, to dissemble.
‘It was not entirely your fault, my lord.’
‘Wasn’t it?’
‘No. I was curious.’
‘I see.’ He did not appear to be shocked by her admission. ‘Did I live up to your expectations?’
She looked up. He was smiling, his eyes full of mischief, and Selina was obliged to smother the laugh bubbling up inside. This was dangerous ground and she knew very well that Lord Deveril was experienced at flirtation. Yet for the life of her she could not bring herself to snub him.
She looked around ‘At least we did not frighten the horses.’
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