The Offer (Baron 2)

Tasha still didn’t move.

What was she doing wrong? She’d ridden since she’d managed to stand up and grab a horse’s stirrup. What was wrong here? She leaned over Tasha’s neck and said directly into her ear, “Please, Tasha, we need to leave now. It’s not far we’re going, just to Borhamwood, but I do want us to get there. Please.”

“I’m sorry, Sabrina. Tasha only lets me ride her. If you’d only bothered to ask me, I would have told you that and saved you countless wasted minutes.”

She whipped about at the sound of Phillip’s amused voice. He was leaning against the stable door, his arms folded across his chest. He didn’t look particularly angry, but she knew he was. She wasn’t certain how she knew, but she did. Well, if she’d been Phillip, she supposed she’d be pretty mad herself.

“I was so quiet. Couldn’t you be a nightmare that I just conjured up to frighten myself? You really shouldn’t be here, Phillip. You’re not even wearing a coat. You could become ill. Why don’t you go back to the house and I’ll just be on my way?”

He didn’t move, just smiled at her, the coldest smile she’d ever seen. “You of all people should realize what a light sleeper I am. You coughed and I was there beside you. You didn’t breathe evenly and I was there beside you. It saved my life several occasions on the Peninsula. Now, perhaps, it has saved yours also.”

“No, it hasn’t. Listen to me, Phillip. I can’t remain here. You said yourself that they were looking for us. I can’t let them find me.”

“Let who find you, Sabrina?”

She just waved her hand at him. “If Tasha won’t let me ride her, then I’ll just walk to Borhamwood. I’m a great walker. I’ve walked all my life. I can do it. You can’t help me, Phillip, believe me on this. No one can do anything. I have to leave. It’s the only chance I have. I won’t tell you who I am. It would gain neither of us anything. I’m protecting you in this and protecting my family. Now, I do thank you for taking care of me but I have to leave. I must.”

She slid off Tasha’s back. When her feet touched the ground, she felt the damnable weakness hit her like a stone on the head. She held to Tasha’s mane until she was stronger. She prayed that Phillip merely believed her to be saying good-bye to his horse. Finally she felt steady. She looked over at Phillip. He hadn’t moved, was just looking at her, saying nothing. Perhaps he was seeing reason n

ow. On the other hand, he was a man, and in her eighteen years’ experience, it wasn’t often that a male saw the same reason that a female saw. But Phillip was an exceptional man. Just perhaps he was ready to let her go.

Although the thought of trudging through Eppingham Forest in the middle of the night nearly made her hair stand on end, Sabrina was determined. She could do it. She stiffened her back, threw her head back, and marched up to him. “You see, I am just fine. Good-bye, Phillip.”

The problem was that he didn’t move from in front of the stable door. Then, suddenly, he straightened. She was staring up at a man who was much taller than she’d imagined. He was big. Strange how he hadn’t seemed this big before. He was larger than Trevor, tougher, stronger. No, she wouldn’t be frightened. This was Phillip. He would never hurt her, never.

“Please move,” she said to the middle button of his wrinkled white shirt.

He straightened, taller now than just the moment before. “Come back to bed, Sabrina. I don’t want you to make yourself ill again.”

“No,” she said, never looking away from that middle button. “Please move, Phillip.” Then she did look up at him. “Listen to me, you don’t know me. I’m nothing to you, not your sister, not your cousin, nothing. Believe me that you don’t want to be involved with me. You wouldn’t be at all happy were I to tell you all these things you wanted to know. Just let me go. You’ve done your good deed. But now it’s over. Let me go. I’ll never tell a soul I met you. You’ll never have to see me again.”

“That’s the most pitiful logic I’ve ever heard. On the other hand, I haven’t spent all this much time with a woman, so that must be it. Well, I have, but the time passed with other activities, not all this pleading and begging and ridiculous attempts at changing my mind, which I won’t change. You think I’d let you go in the middle of the night into the forest? Do you think me a complete blockhead? Come, Sabrina, it’s back to bed for you.”

Still, he made no move to touch her. Her face was pale, her beautiful hair tangled now around her face. “Do you care so little for your life as to attempt a midnight walk with no protection? There are probably wolves out there. In fact, I know there are. I’ve heard them howling.”

“There’s a well-marked path. I will keep to it. I’ll be warm enough with the three blankets.” Her face was paler now than just a moment before. He had to bring this to an end.

“You’re not going anywhere, Sabrina.” He held out his hand. “Come here to me.”

She was shaking her head. He knew she was very probably as cold as he was. And he was ready to let his teeth chatter. He hadn’t even taken the time to throw on his coat. He wished he had it now so he could wrap her up in it.

“I’ve made up my mind, Phillip.”

“Would you please remove Tasha’s bridle?”

She wanted to drop in a heap right where she was and he wanted her to remove the damned mare’s bridle? Without a word, she turned away and walked to Tasha. She unfastened the bridle and slipped it from Tasha’s head. She tugged on the mare’s mane and walked her back into the stall.

“You know,” he said as he slowly approached her, “I should have hidden your clothes. It never occurred to me that you would even consider pulling such a stupid stunt as this.”

She ignored him and pulled her cloak more closely about her face. “I’m leaving. Move aside, I won’t tell you again.” She felt his fingers tighten about her arms. Slowly, he pulled her closer until she was leaning against him. Even in the cold stable, he was warm. If she hadn’t wanted to kill him she would have burrowed into that warmth, into him.

“You have no say whatsoever about my actions, and I won’t be bullied. Let me go.”

“I’m cold and I’m getting irritated, Sabrina. Either of these conditions should alarm you.”

She lowered her head and bit into the back of his right hand.

He stiffened and released her. She got no farther than the stable door, tugging on the handle. His hand was above her head, pressing palm flat against the door. “You listen to me now, you little witch. Oh, what the devil, no more of this.” He grabbed her about the waist, wrapped the three blankets about her, and tossed her over his shoulder. When she reared up, he slapped her bottom. “Hold still, damn you. I’m cold. I’m vastly annoyed with you. Just lie still.” He slapped her bottom again.