Oh, Cherry Ripe

“You are mad.” He sighed.

“You must be ready to escort me back to London tonight. Can you hire a post chaise for the trip? I don’t want anyone to see me riding into London. I have to do this quietly.”

“Done. Be back here at seven, and off we’ll go,” he answered promptly. “I’ve had a chaise in waiting ever since I found you.”

“You are so clever, James,” she said. Throwing threw her arms around him, she planted a kiss on his cheek. “Seven it is.” She turned, mounted her horse, and hurried him towards Bromley!

* * *

Cherry didn’t get very far. Sky Westbrooke sat his horse in the middle of the narrow trail. She saw him and pulled up on her reins, for she had been gently loping down the dirt road. She found herself breathing irregularly and wondered what he was doing there looking so oddly at her. “My lord … how nice …” she said lamely.

“Is it—nice, I mean?” he asked on a dry note.

“Well, of course—finding myself in your company is always … er … pleasant.”

“Fine. Shall I escort you home then?” he asked blandly.

She shot an inquiring glance his way but could read nothing from his cold expression. “Thank you.”

“Did you have a, er … pleasant visit with your friend Dartford?” he asked, almost too casually.

“What makes you think I was visiting with James?” she returned, her chin up.

“Weren’t you?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I was.”

“I can’t say I approve of such behavior in the governess of my brother and sister,” he said, his voice hard.

“No, of course not. I understand perfectly. You reserve the

right to take favors from her yourself.” She turned angry, bright eyes on him. She had done this with calculation: she wanted him upset. She needed a quarrel with him, and he was walking right into it.

He reached out to stop her horse, for she was starting to trot off from him, and said on a low growl, “Hold there, sweetheart!” He did in fact rein in her animal.

“Stop that!” she snapped at him. “I don’t like being manhandled.”

“Then don’t make sharp remarks and then take off. Expect to get as good as you give …” So saying, he slipped his arm around her waist and drew her to him for a kiss. Their lips barely met when Cherry’s horse objected strongly with a fidget.

She wanted to giggle but instead rode towards Bromley’s drive and the barn. Sky rode after her. When they reached the stables he quickly called a groom to take both their horses and followed Cherry as she started for the house.

“Cherry … wait,” he called after her. “I should like ten minutes of your time.”

She turned. “Of course, my lord.”

He caught up to her and drew her toward a stone bench along the bluestone path. There he made her sit beside him. “Cherry … you must know how I feel about you?”

“Must I?” she answered, her brow up. “James tells me that you are engaged to marry Lady Elton’s stepdaughter.” There—she had said it; she waited for his reaction. If he truly loved her, would he say so now? Would he tell her that he was for London to break off his engagement? Would he do the right thing? Or did he still want a mistress in his bed and a lady to run his household?

“How would he know that? Nothing has been finalized or announced—”

“Things have a habit of getting about,” she said sweetly as she looked intently at him.

“Yes, it is true … but even if I must go through with it, it would be a marriage of convenience … nothing more.” He looked away for a long moment. “Still … I want you, and I thought … think, you want me.”

A part of her was outraged. What if she had allowed her stepmama to arrange their marriage? It wasn’t right, and he needed a bit of a lesson, didn’t he? She paused just a moment and then said quietly, “What makes you think so, my lord?” she said lightly as she played with the skirt of her riding habit.

“Is it that puppy, Dartford?” He sat ramrod straight.