Lady X

Mary bit her tongue.

* * *

Exerilla’s green eyes were open wide as the coach came to a full stop. She was in Dover in the year 1815. Fascinating.

The coach pulled up to a row of two story buildings. One with a long awning, a panoramic window, and a sign denoting it as Dover Coach. She could see the closed sign in the window, illuminated by the newly installed gas street lamp.

Exerilla heard the coachman grumbling that he still had quite a bit to do, as he climbed down and went about his business.

She watched him slip his paperwork through the slot in the door, before he turned back to the coach and removed her luggage from the boot.

She turned and watched as Jake who had climbed out of the coach said at the open door, “Will someone from Horwich House be meeting you?” She shook her head. “I don’t see anyone…”

She saw by the grim look on her new friend’s face that he was certainly concerned about this.

She lowered her head. “No, I don’t suppose they bothered to wait—it is late.” She had no idea what the Horwich family was like. Mrs. Kingston spoke highly of her cousin, Mary Horwich, but had little to say about the squire. She knew she shouldn’t whine. This was just one more situation she would have to deal with until she could leave. She couldn’t help wishing for the hundredth time, that she could just find a little cottage all by herself in which to hide away till Samhain. She had made up her mind that if all else failed, that was what she would do. Perhaps she could conjure up enough money without emitting too much residue.

“Look then, Exerilla, stay here in the coach and I’ll go see what we can come up with. Don’t worry yourself about it. We shall get you to Horwich House,” Jacob said going off into the dark.

The door at the opposite side of the coach opened, startling Exerilla. She had been wondering where Jerry Swit and his lordship had gone off to. Here was one of them with his bright eyes alive with amusement. Even in the dim light of the street lamp, she could see his lordship’s glittering blue eyes. He said, “Well then, lass, I thought I would join ye while Jacob wasn’t looking and steal a parting kiss.” He climbed into the coach and sat down right beside her.

She put up a hand. “Is that what you thought?” She managed to control herself and said merely, “Think again.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Aye, on second thought I must have two kisses. What say ye?” He made no move on her, but merely regarded her quizzically.

“Arrogant blade,” she said remembering the term from a historical romance she had once read. “No doubt you think I should swoon for a kiss from you.”

“At the very least, I expect ye sweet lass, to breathe hard and let me bring ye in a little closer.” His voice was husky but the tease was in his eyes.

Exerilla’s mind once again turned to mush. He had taken all the standards she had thought about what she wanted in a man and had bombarded them in her, turning those patterns inside out and then setting them upside down.

He was a flirt, like none she had ever known. He tickled her sense of humor as well, making him lethal to her libido.

She knew that he was only passing the time with her, but his charm was most compelling. She looked away from him as she gathered the strength to rebuff him. She was in the wrong era and he was the wrong man. She wasn’t about to get caught up in a romantic mess here in jolly old England in 1815. So Xie girl, get it together, she told herself.

Jacob came into view. She could see he would soon be at the door and she would be saying so long to the hunk beside her. A fleeting sense of disappointment rushed through her. She had to admit to herself that she had enjoyed her time with this arrogant blade. It had been i

n the end, a harmless adventure.

He wasn’t harmless though, not to her. She was way too attracted to the hot hunk and it would take some doing to forget him.

She said with a sigh, “Okay then, here is Jake.”

“Jake is it?” His dark brow arched. “My, my. Ye two have become friendly,” he said on a low questioning note. “Has our young Jacob taken on the role of a knight in shining armor, lass?”

“There is no gainsaying, my lord.” She paused, proud that she could pull up a nineteenth century term. “That if ever I needed a knight, I needed one on this trip to Dover.” Her eyes twinkled appreciatively.

Her attention was momentarily diverted by Jerry Swit who had crossed the avenue and intercepted Jacob. She watched the two as their hands flew about their heads and they obvious argued with one another. Jerry Swit poked Jacob in the chest and Exerilla frowned as she was mildly worried. Jerry Swit was a wild card not to be trusted.

Suddenly Swit threw back his head and laughed, but to her ears it was an ugly sound. He shrugged young Jacob off with a wave of his hand and walked off toward the Tavern across the way. She was able to sigh with relief and realized she had been concerned for Jake’s safety.

Exerilla turned and found his lordship’s watchful blue eyes scanning her face. Sir Jacob opened the door wide. He frowned and said, “Are you here, Hunter?”

“Apparently so, lad.”

“What are ye doing? We don’t want to delay Miss Radley any further.”

“I’m simply bidding the lovely lass a fond farewell.” His lordship returned smoothly.