Dare to Love (17 page)

He stared in disbelief. “What is this? I thought you hated horses.”

She giggled as she stroked the horse’s neck. “I have come to learn they are not the horrifying beasts I had thought. They are actually quite sweet. I will never be the horsewoman my sister is, but I am learning.”

Dare remember the greeting they received upon their arrival. “That must be quite a pleasant surprise for your father.”

“Oh, I have not told him yet. I…”—she paused and lowered her voice—“I have been riding in secret every day since we arrived. Once I am fully comfortable, I will make my ‘debut,’ as it were.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really? You have been practicing alone, just to please your father?”

“Yes,” she replied with a hint of embarrassment. “For once, I would like to truly feel like a Horsham.”

That statement hit Dare like a blow.

He was a heel. A total, inexcusable cad. The girl did not have a mean bone in her body. She wanted nothing more than to fit in with her family, not even realizing how much they already loved and accepted her.

And how had he treated her?

He’d taken her innocence, accused her of betrayal and, when she tried to make amends, he’d assaulted her in his room. He had abused her abominably. Guilt washed over him, clogging his throat and sending a jab of pain through his chest. He had to make amends. As if it were possible.

Deciding to extend an olive branch of sorts, he cleared his throat. “Perhaps I could help you become more proficient,” he offered. “If you would like, I could accompany you on your ride tomorrow.”

Joy lit up her face. “Would you?”

“I would be honored,” he said with a bow.

“That would be lovely. Do you promise to keep my secret?”

She was teasing him. After all he’d done to her, she bore him no ill will. No matter what happened, she remained cheerful, guileless. It wasn’t an act—she was truly a nice woman.

He felt a strange lightness in his chest, like a knot bound too tight loosened.

He’d been so upset, thinking he’d trusted her and she’d played him falsely. Learning it was his sister who stirred up such mischief was not only expected, it was comforting. He would deal with her later. For now, he would try to make amends to Nivea. She deserved no less.

He smiled at her. Not the forced, insincere ballroom smile he usually gave, but one that bubbled up from his chest. “Of course, I will keep your secret.” Taking her arm, he breathed in a deep, satisfying breath and escorted her out of the stable.

Now that he knew who was responsible for embarrassing him at the musicale, Dare decided to extract some revenge. That evening, while the guests were socializing in the parlor, he drew Nivea aside.

“Would you agree to a favor?” he asked.

“Certainly,” she responded, with a hint of hesitation. “What do you need?”

“Pretend I have offended you and act outraged at my behavior.”

“What? Why?”

“I have a score to settle.”

Turning toward the rear of the room, his eyes settled on Elizabeth Wilshire. Anger flared as he watched her casually flirting with an enamored young whelp. He’d settled on a plan that would make her think twice about toying with people’s emotions.

Nivea must have guessed who his target was as she wasted no time embracing the ruse. Planting her hands on her hips, she snapped, “Fine. I’m sure if you simply act like yourself, I’ll find some reason to take exception.”

The contempt in her voice was disturbingly convincing. His surprise must have been evident as she attacked him again.

“That’s right, you have not always been the most pleasant of escorts, you know. Your charm is offset by your scorn, set downs, and insults. It is amazing anyone would socialize with you.”

Unable to help himself, he glared down at her.

“See, just that expression. I have done nothing to merit such a look, yet it has skewered me on more than one occasion. In fact, I don’t know why I even waste my time talking with you, sir.” Her shrill tone reverberated around the room. “I have done nothing to you and yet you continue to treat me as a nuisance. I will stand for it no longer!” Then she twirled on her heel and stormed away. As she reached the door, she turned back, gave him a saucy wink and she was gone.

Well, that was unexpectedly well done
. Dare’s heart was pounding, and he felt as though he
had
insulted her.

Realizing all eyes were upon him, he gathered his wits, and went along with the charade. Smirking at the closest gentleman and bestowing a glare on the remainder of the room, he pulled out his snuffbox. While taking a pinch, he spotted his quarry over near the window. Lady Wilshire shot him a smug expression. He quirked his lips into an arrogant smile and approached.

She brought up her fan to shield her smile. “It appears you are not as irresistible as you imagined, Lord Landis.”

He sneered at the door where Nivea had made her escape. “’Tis a pity certain women don’t appreciate a well-intentioned bit of advice.”

Elizabeth fanned herself, slanting a knowing look at him. “Then perhaps you should limit your attention to the women who appreciate your…intentions.”

He forced a husky laugh and pressed closer, nudging her into the folds of the thick drapes, obscuring their view from the room.

“I admit you were very appreciative,” he purred, reaching up to caress her neck.

She flashed him a wicked smile. When he leaned in closer, she tilted her head and her eyelashes fluttered down, anticipating a kiss. Perfect, he thought. With a quick tug, he removed both her ear bobs.

Elizabeth let out a screech that Dare covered with a loud well-timed cough. Gazing into her furious eyes, he leaned forward and growled, “What I would appreciate, my dear Lady Wilshire, is for you to discontinue any and all correspondence with my sister. And if I ever suspect you of spreading evil gossip about me and my personal family relationships, you will suffer devastating consequences, I can assure you.”

He waved her ruby earrings at her and then slid them into his trousers pocket.

“Although your husband is not a doting spouse, I have no doubt he would be quite distressed to learn you had left his grandmother’s jewels in my quarters, following a night of debauchery. I have several acquaintances that would be happy to share personal details of the evening, right down to the distinctive mole on your left thigh.”

She narrowed her eyes and hissed at him.

“That’s right, your respectability would be quite tarnished with a tale such as that.”

“I need those back. He is sure to notice if I don’t wear his blasted jewels.”

He tapped his finger to his lips, thinking. “When the time comes that I believe you won’t cause any mischief, I will return them. Until then”—he patted his pocket twice—“they will remain safe with me.” With a wink, he sauntered off.

Well aware he may have stirred up a dangerous hornet’s nest, he decided to reinforce his warning. Stopping to get two glasses of port from the sideboard, he went to Lord Wilshire.

“Sir, you appear a bit parched. Care to join me in a drink?”

George gave him a bemused look, but was more than happy to take the drink. They clinked glasses and Dare launched into a conversation about the upcoming hunt. As they chatted, he feigned amusement at one of Lord Wilshire’s comments and patted him heartily on his back.

That should keep the nasty shrew squirming.

Greek statues could have been carved from that man
. Nivea sighed as Dare approached the stable the next morning. His black hair gleamed in the morning sun, his perfectly-tailored forest-green riding coat emphasized his broad shoulders. And his legs? The muscles, straining against the soft fabric of his tight fawn breeches, inspired all sorts of wicked thoughts.

“Good morning, Miss Horsham,” he called out, flashing her a brilliant smile. “Are you ready to ride today?”

Ready? She had barely been able to think of anything else since he’d invited her.

“Yes. It is kind of you to accompany me.” Not to mention, thrilling and nerve-wracking. She was so jittery, she wasn’t sure how she would manage to climb on her horse. Fortunately, with the help of the groom, she was able to haul herself up with a moderate level of grace and join Dare, who was already astride his enormous black stallion.

“You have made some improvements,” Dare remarked as they headed off toward the trees. “You still have a long way to go to be considered a true Horsham, but at least I no longer fear you will plummet off the back of your trusty steed.”

She laughed, patting her horse affectionately on the neck. “Thank you. She is more of a plodding puddinghead than a trusty steed, but we suit each other well.”

As they entered the woods, Nivea pointed to a nearby boulder. “This is where I have been practicing my dismounts. Buttercup was quite disgruntled at first, but I think I’m learning the way of it now.”

“Maybe I can be of some assistance,” Dare offered. He pulled his horse to a stop and swung himself to the ground with the grace of a dancer. She stifled a sigh of pleasure as he stopped a mere arm’s length away and flashed her a roguish smile.

“I will steady Buttercup,” he stated, rolling his eyes at her name, “while you adjust your weight to one foot. Then shift your, ah, lower half toward me and I will help you down.”

She wanted to trust him, but her skin pricked with nerves at the thought. Other women drifted daintily down into their escort’s arms. But all she could picture was plummeting like a stone and knocking them both to the ground, breaking an ankle or rendering one of them unconscious.

Unaware of the perilous situation he was putting himself in, Dare stood there with his arms raised. It took her a moment, but determination won over fear. Taking a deep breath, she followed his instructions and slid out of the saddle. Remarkably, he grabbed her around the waist and lowered her to her feet unscathed.

Nervous tension heightened her senses, and his touch sent an immediate spark of desire through her. His hands lingered on her hips, his fingers burning through to her skin, tormenting her. Dropping his hands, he pinned her with deep onyx eyes and a lazy grin. Then he leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Well done...for a novice.”

It sounded…well, it almost seemed like he was flirting with her. It was hypnotic, rooting her to the spot. Memories of him touching her, caressing her, flashed through her mind and set her heart pounding.

As if he were reading her mind, he leaned in again and purred, “Now we can practice mounting, if you’d like.”

Nivea took a step back and shook her head in disbelief.

Dare laughed. “The horse, my dear. Practice mounting your horse.” And he gave her a wink.

He
was
flirting with her. What had she done to deserve this sudden change in attitude? It sent a delightful buzzing through her brain, and she almost missed what he was saying. “Riding sidesaddle is a little trickier to master than sitting astride. But once you put your foot in the strap and reach up to the saddle, you give a little hop, and I will lift you up and into position.”

“You will lift…wait! What?” She jerked back to reality.

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. “You will push up and I will lift you into the saddle.”

She balked. “Oh, no. Certainly not. Shouldn’t we use the stone to help, at least for the first few times?”

“No need. We’ll manage.”

She wasn’t sure which was wreaking more havoc on her nerves, having Dare so near, or the thought of him throwing her up onto a horse. He must have seen her tremble, for he placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Come now. You’ll be fine.”

His dark, entrancing eyes bored into her, lending her strength. Wishing to make him proud, she took a deep breath and nodded. She raised her foot to the stirrup. He placed his firm hands around her waist and yelled, “Jump!”

She gave a little hop and he heaved her up, twisting her squarely into the saddle. She grabbed the sides to steady herself and then looked down in stunned delight. “I did it!” she crowed.

He quirked a brow at her and she laughed.

“All right.
We
did it. Oh, thank you ever so much!”

“My pleasure,” he answered with a bow. “Now come, we will try it again until you are comfortable.”

It was unbelievable. She’d mounted a horse. Why had she ever thought it to be difficult?

Beaming, she gave Buttercup a pat before shifting her weight forward out of the saddle. Dare reached up and she glided into his arms. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she spun back toward the horse and raised her leg. She couldn’t believe she had been able to scale a horse so easily.

“Ready?” Dare grabbed her waist. When she nodded, he lifted her up into the saddle, this time exerting far less effort.

Throwing back her head, she laughed with joy. “I cannot wait to show Popa. For years, he and William tried to convince me I could do this without a mounting block. But I refused to consider it. I just
knew
I’d flail about so much it would spook the horse, who would go rocketing off, most likely dragging me to my death.”

Shaking her head in amazement, she sighed. “Oh, Dare, this is simply wonderful.”

His smile bespoke amused tolerance. “Come now, let’s try it again to make sure you’ve mastered it.” He reached up his arms and she slid into them. This time, when she reached the ground, he didn’t let go. His eyes darkened and he lowered his lips to hers. Enthralled, she threw her arms around his neck and eagerly returned the kiss.

“Thank you,” she whispered when he raised his head.

“For what? The kiss or the lesson?” he rumbled.

She smiled. “Both.”

At that, an odd look crossed his face. To her disappointment, he stopped and took a step back. “I think we should continue our lessons.”

Hmm
. Frankly, she would rather continue with the kissing, but it appeared he was no longer interested. Had she done something wrong? With a sigh, she let him return her to the saddle and they headed up the path.

After a few moments, Dare asked, “Do you think you could prod Buttercup into a trot?”

Surely, he was joking. This slow easy gait was quite enough for her; she couldn’t imagine bouncing around any faster on the beast. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I think we are happy to walk.”