Maddie clapped her hand over her mouth and squeaked, sending Lucy into renewed bouts of mirth. They had to stop for Lucy to catch her breath.
“Well, it was not funny at the time. He was ready to take my head off. I am surprised he didn’t call me out.”
Maddie gasped. “Don’t tell me. You went into your studious act and he decided you were harmless.”
“Yes and he did not forbid the lessons.”
“I know,” Lucy said. “But that was because he wanted to and that made Mother in favor of them.”
“I would have thought they would both agree I am not suitable company for you.”
“No, they never agree on anything,” Lucy said. “As Maddie pointed out, I can use that to my advantage.”
Leighton blinked. “I am sure you can. Shall we go, ladies? I will not make much of an impression if I’m late.”
* * * * *
Though Maddie made sure she was back in the drawing room twenty minutes before the lesson was to begin, so was Lucy. There was no opportunity for private speech with Leighton. In fact the whole family was present for the start of the lesson. Leighton must have thought to drive them away with a series of scales.
“But I want to play something real,” Lucy insisted.
“Very well.” He riffled through the pile of music on the piano. “Here’s a piece that would suit you. A Beethoven sonata.”
“I have started learning that one already.”
After listening to the first dozen bars, Leighton stilled her hands gently and said. “This is a very delicate piece, well suited to your touch. But try to play the beginning as you would stroke a tiny kitten or a little bird. Think of the piano as something alive and yet you must keep the tempo. Go ahead, try again.”
There was such a marked improvement in her performance, Maddie felt herself staring in wonder. It was as though the piano was speaking, an illusion she frequently had when Leighton was playing. Lucy stopped and let out a sigh. “That is as far as I have practiced.”
“Do you hear the difference?”
“Most certainly.”
At some point Lady Haddon must have left but Sir Phillip stayed for the whole lesson and nodded with approval when Mrs. Marsden told Leighton to come again the day after tomorrow.
“Tomorrow we go on a picnic into the country,” Lucy confided. “Father, may Mr. Stone come? I shall ride my new mare.”
“Mr. Stone is certainly welcome to ride along, if he desires and he has a horse.”
Maddie thought the man was using that to stop Leighton, picturing a poor music master scouring Bath for a mount.
“What about you, Maddie?” Leighton asked. “Do you ride tomorrow?”
“No, I shall go in the carriage.”
“You can ride Jasper,” he offered. “You have before and he likes you.”
“Jasper is here? But I-I have no saddle.”
“Oh, I can take care of that,” Leighton insisted.
“But, I brought no riding habit.” She flushed and sent him a speaking look.
Lucy turned to her. “I have three. You can wear one of mine. It will be so much more fun this way.”
There was no other objection Maddie could think to raise. Besides, she loved to ride and had a particular fondness for old Jasper. But she hated admitting her poverty. She had not brought a riding dress because she had none. Indeed, all the finery she now wore and the pin money in her pocket were provided by Patience.
Lucy smiled. “That’s all settled. See you tomorrow at ten, Mr. Stone.”
He half expected Sir Phillip to raise some other impediment but the look on his face was one of fondness. So, the man really loved his daughter. That meant that her case was not hopeless. He might not force her into a loveless marriage, as he was sure Maddie’s mother had been forced, perhaps such a match as his parents had suffered.
If only Maddie would make up with him, he would guard his tongue and try not to anger her again. Finally everyone else left and Maddie ignored him while tidying up the music.
“I think I need to apologize again.”
“For what? You haven’t done anything lately.”
He came to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her. “For ever thinking that what I did in Spain was important, for letting it, or the bridge, or anything else be more important to me than you.”
She froze in his arms. “But your work did matter. Even I realize that.”
“It did not matter as much as the work you were doing at Longbridge.”
She turned in his arms. “I was happy to do that. It is what you intended, isn’t it? That’s why you sent me the money.”
“I had hoped you would spend some on it on yourself.”
“When there was such need all around me? It wasn’t as though your mother would notice and in those days, Ross and Amy could not afford to take care of any but their own people. Of course I had to secrete the money from Father, not spend too much at once so he would not notice.”
“I know that now. I should always have known you would sacrifice your own happiness for the least of my people. But I should not have let you. I counted on you more than I had any right to.”
Maddie looked up at him, a faint smile trembling on those strawberry lips of hers. “Just promise me one thing.”
“Only one? What is it?”
“That you will stop hiding things from me. If we are to be married, we must share everything, the good and bad, the joys and the risks as well.”
“I will tell you everything,” he vowed.
She let him kiss her then and her scent, faintly of oranges like the bush in the yard at the vicarage, reminded him of her innocence. He must never do anything to hurt her again.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning Leighton found that Prad’s Hotel did not have a sidesaddle after all. But he had inquired early, so he had time to buy one. Maddie would need one anyway and it could be one of his wedding presents to her.
Before he left the hotel, he was joined by Dr. Murray and Lieutenant Reid, both mounted. Reid had lengthened his left stirrup to accommodate his stiff leg. At the appointed hour, they trotted up Richmond Hill with Leighton mounted on Chandros and leading Jasper. Sir Phillip was in the stable yard of Marsden House supervising the saddling of the horses.
“Where did you get that gray colt?” he asked Leighton.
“He comes from Spain of the Andalućian stock. I plan to use him as a stud.”
“Fine-looking animal.”
Leighton dismounted to give him a chance for a closer inspection.
The back door of the house opened and Maddie came out first, dressed in an emerald green habit and a forage cap adorned with iridescent feathers. Leighton stared, for it was the perfect color to set off her eyes. He would have to remember that. He also reminded himself not to say anything stupid today.
“Well, come, come, ladies,” Sir Phillip said. “Or it will be midafternoon before we find a place to spread your picnic lunch.”
Because he was holding Jasper’s reins, Leighton got to help Maddie mount. He also rode beside her to make sure Jasper behaved for her. The plan was to ride up Chippenham Road, then along farm lanes, making a loop around the hill that overlooked Charmey Down. The carriage with the older ladies and the gig carrying the footmen and al fresco luncheon restricted them to roads rather than a cross-country romp. Leighton found himself glad for that since it would give him more time to talk to Maddie.
Reid started out next to Lucy but Gifford, after talking to Sir Phillip for a while, dropped back and angled Reid out of the way. He started pointing out to Lucy houses along the way and even cows and sheep. Leighton thought she tolerated him remarkably well.
“You look lovely today, Maddie.”
“Thank you. I have been trying to think how long it’s been since I’ve ridden.”
“Six years.” Leighton finally looked back over those years and realized something. They had been exciting ones for him, dangerous even. But for Maddie, wi
th nothing to look forward to at the end, it must have been drudgery. He had accused her father of turning her into a servant but he had been guilty of far worse. “That too is my fault.”
“But at least now I know why. You trusted me with your tenants though. I think you might have told me what you were doing even if I couldn’t help. Especially since you told Ross.”
He turned to her but her eyes no longer contained condemnation, just understanding. “You are right. I should have told you. It was just that I didn’t want to promise anything in case…”
She shook her head and smiled. “Leighton, even a broken promise is better than no promise at all.”
“I had not thought of it that way. Do you forgive me, yet again?”
“Yes but do not make a habit of concealing things from me.”
“I promise you will know my mind in all matters from this day forward.” Chandros tossed his head a little, fighting the bit.
“He wants to run,” Maddie said. “At this snail’s pace we will be past dark getting home.”
“We cannot run off from the rest of them.”
“Just as we cannot elope. We finally understand each other. We must make our families understand us.”
“You don’t ask much but I will see what I— I mean, I will consult you about it when the time comes.”
They had come along a road that skirted the base of the hill, climbing as it went. Leighton wondered if they would find themselves trapped on the top but so many cart tracks crossed it that he felt sure they would find one to carry them down again.
They heard Gifford start an argument with Lucy and finally she spurred her horse ahead of the party.
Sir Phillip made no remark but to warn Gifford he would have to learn to mind his tongue.
“Poor Lucy,” Leighton said. “I had thought her a spoiled beauty but I see now how sorely her patience is tried. We must see what we can do to help her.”
Maddie filled Leighton in on how she had been coaching Lucy to stand her ground against Gifford. He laughed at her ingenuity. After another few minutes she grew silent.
“That’s odd,” Maddie said. “We have not caught up with Lucy and we should have by now. I can see half a mile ahead and she is not there on the road.”
“She must have taken a wrong turn. That sheep track, the one that branched off back there. She must have taken that by mistake.”
“Oh, Leighton, please go after her. She is not an experienced rider. Who knows what could happen?”
“Right.” He turned Chandros and cantered back, spinning the horse to take the lower trail.
“Where is Leighton going?” Reid asked.
“We fear Lucy may have taken a wrong turn and he is going to check. I think I shall go too.”
“Where is everyone going?” Sir Phillip demanded after Reid followed Maddie.
“To look for Lucy,” Murray said as he too turned his horse.
When Maddie caught sight of Lucy’s red habit, the blood froze in her veins. The girl was struggling with the mare and mistakenly backing it off the edge of a hill.
“My God,” Reid said under his breath. He began riding faster as did Maddie. Then she saw Leighton appear from under the brow of the hill galloping Chandros, deliberately toward the edge. He grabbed Lucy off her mare with his right arm just as her horse staggered backward and fell over the hill. Lucy’s weight pulled Leighton off his horse—as he must have planned, for Chandros went over the edge as well.
When Maddie rode up, she saw Leighton clinging to a handful of grass with Lucy’s dead weight in one arm, while scrabbling for a foothold with his boots.
“Don’t move!” Reid shouted as he halted his horse and did a running dismount that must have hurt. He drew a knife from somewhere and slashed one rein off his bridle. He tossed an end to Lucy but she was too faint to grab hold.
Murray dismounted and ran to add his weight to the end of the rein. Maddie managed to get down on her own and ran to the group. “Lucy, you must stop crying and take hold of the rein. Please, we will have you up in a trice if you can only think clearly for a minute.”
“My mare! I have killed her.”
“Perhaps not,” Leighton said with a grunt.
Finally Lucy grasped the rein with one hand and let go of Leighton’s neck. By then her father was there and Gifford, who had caused it all. When they pulled Lucy up, she collapsed into her father’s arms, crying. Gifford started chewing at her immediately, leaving just Murray, Reid and Maddie to pull Leighton to safety.
“Gifford, shut up about the mare,” Sir Phillip said. “Can’t you see she feels badly enough? It could be her lying down there.”
“I’ve killed her,” Lucy moaned.
Leighton walked to the edge again to peek over.
“Leighton, are you trying to give us heart failure again?” Maddie demanded.
“Well, Chandros slid down all right. He may have a skinned a heel, mind you but he’s standing. I’m going down.”
“What about the mare?” Gifford demanded.
“She’s on her back, lodged against a tree. She may be alive but too terrified to move. I’m going down.”
“How?” Reid asked.
“This trail must lead down after switching back. Who can lend me a horse?”
“Take mine,” Sir Phillip said. “I intend to turn the expedition around. I don’t think any of us are in the mood for a picnic after this.”
“Sorry, Maddie,” Leighton said as he mounted.
“Just don’t get yourself killed.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise.”
As they rode on to find the switchback, Leighton recalled that Maddie had given him that warning with resignation rather than anger. That was a relief.
“What do you think?” Reid asked as they dismounted near Chandros a few minutes later.
A cursory glance proved what Leighton had suspected. He had a scrape on his rear hock but was not even lame.
“I never thought I would need my pistol on a picnic,” Reid said as the mare lunged, then grew still.
“I don’t think we need it now but if you have that knife, it would be useful.”
Reid pulled out a boot dirk and handed it to him. Leighton cut the mare’s cinch, freeing the animal but not helping her upside-down condition.
“We need to turn her.”
“You’ll get yourself kicked in the head,” Reid warned.
“Are you willing to grab the front feet?”
“Oh, why not? It’s been a perfectly disastrous day up until now.”
Leighton spoke soothing words to the mare and got hold of the uphill hind leg, dodging the other. Reid did the same with the front and at a word they rolled the horse downhill. The small tree against which she was lodged cracked and fell, leaving a short stump. She now rested in the V on her belly on top of the loose saddle.
“Well, she’s still stuck,” Reid said.
“But more able to consider her situation. Let her rest for a moment. No, I’ll bring Chandros over to her. She was interested in him before. Possibly that is why she was so high-strung. I swear, a mare in heat is a more dangerous ride than a stud any day.”
Leighton led the colt toward the mare. The two touched noses and nickered to each other in that high-pitched squeal denoting sexual interest. Then Reid held Chandros while Leighton bent one of the mare’s hind legs up and got the ankle over the tree trunk. The mare was still blowing and heaving. Before she could realize what he was doing Leighton doubled the other hind leg up as though he was going to give her a boost.
She gave a tentative shove, pushing off against Leighton’s thigh and knocking him over but she was free. Of course then she expected to pursue the romance but Leighton came around to take the colt’s bridle and managed to quiet him while Reid examined the mare.
“How badly is she hurt?”
“You’re not going to believe this but other that this scrape above her eye she doesn’t seem to have taken any harm.”
“That’
s a surprise and a relief.”
“I was not looking forward to reporting to Miss Haddon that we had to shoot the creature.”
“Nor I.” Leighton chuckled. “Too bad it wasn’t Gifford who rolled down the hill. I would not hesitate to put a bullet between his eyes if he broke something.”
Reid laughed. “Well, that would assure your position in the household. I think Sir Phillip has concluded Gifford is a dunderhead.”
“My position? What, as music master?”
“No, as a suitor for Lucy,” Reid said, then led the mare toward his horse, removing one of her reins to repair his damaged bridle.
Leighton realized Reid had ridden down the hill with only one rein. His horse must be very well trained. “I have no such intent.” He loaded the mare’s saddle onto Chandros and tied it in place. He wanted to observe his horse’s gait more before he surrendered Sir Haddon’s horse. Chandros had saved the day and he would not ride him lame.
“What then is your reason for inflicting yourself on the Haddons?”
“Inflicting?” He laughed again and told Reid the truth. “Maddie, of course.”
Leighton thought the lieutenant looked skeptical. Then Reid smiled at him, though surely he must be in pain from the day’s work. Leighton knew he was. He would have a fine set of bruises on his side and thigh but what he mostly felt was fatigue. He’d been used to getting extra sleep to finish repairing his lungs. In the excitement of saving Lucy, he had forgotten that feeling of absolute exhaustion that came over him when he wasn’t yet fully recovered.
They were greeted as heroes when they brought all back up the hill. Lucy looked on Leighton as though he were some victorious knight. He gave credit to Reid’s quick thinking and told Lucy to thank him for her horse’s life. That brought a puzzled expression to Reid’s face.
By the time they had ridden back to Marsden House, Leighton’s right side was throbbing in good earnest from landing on his ribs and shoulder holding Lucy. He was now used to clearing his lungs with a brandy and water, then throwing himself down for a nap when he was tired but there had been no chance today. In fact, he had not eaten since dinner the night before and he once or twice had nodded off on the way back to Bath. Lieutenant Reid had to call his name to bring him around.
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