Wonderland By Night (Heroic Rogues Series) (15 page)

He shrugged. “Because all of my friends call me Gabe.”

“And you consider me amongst your friends?”

His grin widened. “Yes. Don’t you?”

The corners of her mouth lifted as if she fought back a full smile. “Well, I...um, all right, Gabe,” she ended, giving him her full smile once more.

“Much better, thank you. And now since we are friends, it is only decent of you to let me have another chance at winning. So if you will play honestly during our next race, I would like to prove to you that I’m as admirable as you are.”

She laughed lightly. “Play honestly? When was I not playing honestly? I will have you know I am quite ethical when sporting.”

“But you got a head start.”

When she laughed, her eyes danced with merriment. “No. I think you held yourself back because I’m a woman.”

“And what if I did?”

“I don’t want you to hold back this time. I want you to push yourself to the limit.”

Suddenly, an idea took root, and he held back the mischievous spark of energy within. “Would you care to make a wager on our little race, then?”

One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in question. “What did you have in mind, kind Sir?”

He couldn’t believe what he had in mind, but he would definitely not tell her about his improper thoughts. She’d certainly not conform to something so personal, so what wager could he make? “All right, I have it. If I win, I will require you to dress like a woman for an entire week.”

She gasped. “Are you jesting?”

“No. I’m quite earnest.”

“You don’t think I dress like a woman now?”

“Well, let me rephrase that. I want you to dress a little more…what’s the word… appealing.”

She released an
unlady
-like snort. “Appealing? My gowns aren’t appealing?”

“Let me clarify a little better. I want you to wear gowns that fit you and I want to see your hair styled like a young woman your age would fix her hair. You dress as if you are an old woman.”

“All right, I understand now. So what if I win? Are you going to wear a bath towel all week for me?”

He howled with laughter. This tiny woman certainly knew how to keep him on his toes. She had a quick wit, and he adored it. “Is that what you want to see me in?”

“No. I was just making a comparison.”

“All right, I will do anything but wear a bath towel.”

Leaning forward on her horse, she studied him in quiet deliberation. What wild wager would she require? Would he play along? He was sure he would, especially if he won. Seeing her wearing lovely dresses would give her more of a mature look...more alluring. Most of the time she looked out of place anyway.

Finally, she smiled wide. “If I win, for an entire week you have to treat me as if I’m a princess.”

He chuckled. “How can I treat any woman like a princess if she’s wearing baggy and plain dresses with her hair wound so tight?”

“I suppose you will just have to try.”

He remained silent for a second, staring at her stubborn, yet pretty face. He didn’t plan on losing, so he would agree. “I will take your challenge. If you win, I will treat you like a princess, but if I win, you will have to wear enticing women’s dresses for an entire week.” He reached out his hand to seal the bargain. “Shall we close the arrangement with a handshake?”

She smiled, slipping her small hand into his and giving it one good squeeze. “Yes, we have an accord.”

Lining their horses up, they prepared for the race.

“On your mark...get set...” He started the countdown.

“Go,” she yelled and took off. Gabe was prepared for her trickery and wasn’t far behind. He laughed. She really wasn’t being dishonest, just sneaky.

The thoroughbreds ran neck to neck along the countryside. At times, Gabe was ahead, but then discouragingly, Emiline always seemed to catch up. Then, at a point, she broke ahead of him, but soon enough he caught up. Obviously, she was determined to win, but so was he. And he’d never lost a horse race to a woman. Then again, he couldn’t recall if he’d ever been in a horse race with a woman since he didn’t know many women who didn’t ride sidesaddle.

But Emmie was definitely not like most women.

One mile away at the stream was their ending point, and both of them reached the bank at the same time. By the time he pulled his horse to a stop, he laughed merrily, and she joined in.

Gabe dismounted first and moved to help her down. “You surprise me, Emmie. I have never known a woman who could maneuver a horse as well as you.” He took her small waist and lifted her down from the horse slowly.

“Thank you, Sir. That’s quite a compliment coming from you.”

Still holding her waist, he stared down into her huge eyes. Excitement shot through him. He became breathless standing so close. The yearning to kiss her again spread through him like wildfire. The sudden spark of heat confused him, so he released her and stepped back.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself from the brief contact. “So, now what do we do in this situation?”

Her eyes widened. “What situation?”

“The race. We tied, you know.”

She blew out a gush of air and smiled. “Yes, the tie. I don’t know. I have never tied before. I’m usually the person who wins.”

He chuckled. “You are very good—for being a woman.” Amazed, he shook his head. “But what I think is done in situations like this is that we both have to pay the consequences.”

“What? You still expect me to adorn myself as an
enticing
woman?”

He nodded. “Yes, just as I will treat you like a princess for a whole week.”

Emiline bit her bottom lip as silence stretched between them for a few seconds. “I think you are getting the better end of our wager.”

He chuckled. “No. I think you are. Can you imagine what my uncle, aunt, and cousin will think when they see me treating you as if you are royalty?” He laughed harder. “Just think about what Lady Sarah will do.”

A frown quickly touched her mouth. “I will explain things to her so she understands.”

He turned away and walked to the water. “Is it really difficult for you to dress that way?” He bent and plucked a long weed from out of the grass.

“Hard for me?” Her laugh sounded forced. “I will have you know—” She stopped suddenly, biting her lower lip.

He received the impression she was about to divulge a secret. Now he wanted her to continue. “Go on,” he encouraged.

“Um, I will have you know that...well, that I do know how to dress that way.” She walked to him. “I have been Lady Sarah’s companion for a couple of years and I have watched her closely. I know I could dress as she does, but I have chosen not to. My father was not very strict with me as a child, and he let me traipse around the estate doing things only a boy would do.”

Chuckling softly, he shook his head. “And Lady Sarah still wanted you for her lady’s companion?”

A flicker of hurt flashed through her eyes and her expression sobered. She lifted her chin stubbornly. “As I told you before, we were friends and she wanted to help me out by giving me the position as her companion.”

He didn’t mean to hurt her, just thought he was stating the obvious. He touched the long weed to the end of her cute little nose. “You must have done fabulously because look at Lady Sarah now.”

Pushing the weed away from her face, she walked passed him toward the stream. “
I thank you
, I think.”

He chuckled. “Yes, that was a compliment.”

She knelt by the stream and ran her fingers through the water. Leaning against the tree near her, Gabe studied her, wondering why she’d suddenly become quiet. The gentle breeze lifted the wavy strands of her hair that had miraculously escaped her tight bun. He traveled his gaze further to her ears and neck, which was actually beginning to tempt him to lean down and kiss her skin. Strange how hard it was to hold back from doing so.

As he studied her, he realized she would have been the hit of London if she were a real lady. If she arranged her hair the right way and wore elegant dresses that fit, she would indeed make one very beautiful woman. She carried herself as a lady and talked as one, too, which was quite surprising, but then he suspected it was because she had been around the duke’s daughter for a few years. Strange, but Lady Sarah didn’t speak as eloquently as her companion, nor did she carry herself as well. Yet Emmie was the one who was poor relation. Very confusing.

Emiline’s pretty eyes were surrounded by dark thick lashes, almost making them resemble butterfly wings. Soft skin and high cheekbones made her face appear more delicate. Indeed, she was one very handsome woman. Then again, so was Lady Sarah, yet… There was something not quite right, and he couldn’t pinpoint the problem.

“Emmie?”

She didn’t take her eyes off the water. “Yes?”

“I was just wondering about something.”

“What is that?”

Curiosity got the better of him and he just had to ask. “Why do you know more and seem more educated than Lady Sarah? You mentioned earlier you rode a stallion, yet once when I was with Lady Sarah, she said she had never been on one before. Can you tell me why this is?”

Her hand froze in the water, and her body stiffened. Now he
knew
she had a secret.

Chapter Seven

Emiline cursed under her breath. Dare she weave more into her web of lies? Or could she trust him with the truth? As much as she wanted to trust him, the simple fact was that she didn’t know Gabe very well at all. She didn’t know the Hampton’s, either. Would they frown upon her father’s decision of wanting to keep his daughter’s identity hidden? She doubted they would understand.

Steadying her heartbeat, she turned and looked up at him. She thought back to the story Anna had told him about Lady Sarah, and Emmie knew she couldn’t give him
that
story. She presented Gabe with a sweet smile. “I was born here in the colonies to a struggling farmer and his sickly wife. My mother died when I was young, and my father raised me to help him around the farm. When he became ill and couldn’t make a living, that is when he sent a letter to his distant cousin—Lady Sarah’s father—to ask for help. The duke agreed to have me come to England to be his daughter’s companion until she married. So I suppose you can say I received the best of both worlds while growing up.”

Gabe’s eyebrows rose in curiosity. “That certainly explains why you can ride a horse so well astride.”