“You are risking war and poverty,” Julian snapped at her. “I am surprised at you. Does your country mean so little to you?” He went after J.T.
Aria gritted her teeth and wondered which one Julian was most concerned with, war or poverty? He wouldn’t like to marry the queen of a war-bombed country.
She chastised herself for her thoughts and allowed Julian to help her onto her horse.
“He will stay well back and we will be almost as if we were alone,” Julian said as if in apology, and kissed her gloved hand.
She jerked away from him, then made herself smile at Julian. Lieutenant Montgomery was not going to ruin her outing. Perhaps she would give the American something to see. She wondered if he could ride a horse.
“We’ll take the north path, to Rowan’s Peak.”
“Aria!” Julian gasped. “Are you sure? You haven’t been on a horse for a while.”
She leaned toward Julian. “Perhaps we can lose our escort and be alone,” she said, looking at him through her eyelashes.
“I will follow you to the ends of the earth, my darling,” he said under his breath.
J.T.’s horse plunged between them, breaking them apart and making Aria’s mare dance on the cobble-stoned yard. “Sorry,” he said. “I sure wish they’d put a steering wheel on this thing. If you two don’t mind, could we go on an easy path? I’m not used to horses.” His horse was prancing about and turning sideways, making the distance between Aria and Julian even wider. “Where’s the brakes on this thing?”
“Pull back on the reins,” Julian called. “Damned Americans,” he muttered. “Why did the English fight for the place? Aria, what is his name?”
“Lieutenant Montgomery,” she called over her shoulder as she cantered out of the stableyard and headed for the mountain trail.
Julian followed her, J.T. still in the courtyard, his horse wildly turning around in a circle.
Aria knew that her only chance of escaping Lieutenant Montgomery was to outrun him or to lose him on the twisting path that branched off in many directions. Her horse was rested and needed the exercise, and she gave it, urging the animal higher and higher into the mountains.
The air was cool and dry, and as she went up the rocky dirt path, the air got thinner. Around her were tall pine trees, closing off the rays of the morning sun. Huge gray boulders sometimes made the path very narrow and a couple of times her horse’s hooves slipped, but she kept going.
She was perspiring from the effort, and at a bend in the trail she paused to see Julian not far behind her. She smiled when there was no sign of Lieutenant Montgomery. She motioned to the right to show Julian which path she was taking. There was a mountain spring a few miles down the trail and she thought they would stop there and rest—or whatever.
She brushed branches from her face, buried her face in her horse’s mane to keep from getting struck, and kept riding. By the time she reached the spring, she was exhilarated with the exercise. She dismounted and breathed deeply of the clean mountain air. How she had missed her country.
Julian arrived, his face damp and wearing an angry expression. “Aria, I must protest. A lady should never ride such a strenuous path. It is much too much for someone of your delicate nature.”
“Are you going to sit up there and scold me or are you going to get down and kiss me?”
His face registered momentary shock, then he dismounted rapidly and took her in his arms. “You have changed,” he murmured before kissing her. “Let’s set a date, my darling,” he whispered, clutching her to him. “I don’t know how much longer I can wait for you. I think your subjects would frown on our first child being born an inadequate length of time after our marriage.”
Aria moved her head back so he could kiss her throat. He felt so very good.
“Whoa there, ol’ Dan Tucker. Whoa!” J.T. burst into the little clearing like a rocket, and making about as much noise. Aria had tied her horse but Julian had not and at J.T.’s noise the horse jumped and went trotting further down the narrow path.
“You will fetch my horse,” Julian ordered J.T., his face red with suppressed rage.
J.T. looked the soul of contrition. “I’m real sorry, Count, but I can’t leave the princess. I guess you’ll have to run after him yourself. Or you can take my horse. Brother! What a climb that was. About twenty times I thought I was gonna fall off and now I’m plumb tuckered out.” He dismounted.
Aria glared at him. He was obviously lying because he didn’t look in the least tired. In fact, he looked ready for some “real” exercise.
“You okay, Princess?” he asked.
“I am Your Royal Highness, to you,” she said, then turned to Julian. “I will walk with you to find your horse. You,” she said to J.T., “will stay here.”
J.T. lowered his eyes. “I wish I could do that, Your Royal Mightiness, but—”
“Your Royal Highness,” Julian snapped. “Aria, I refuse to spend another moment with this provincial idiot. I shall cable the American government as soon as I return to the palace and protest. Come, Aria. You remain here.”
Julian took Aria’s arm and they started walking.