“We’re here, miss,” Benton the groom announced. “Let me help you down.”
“Thank you.”
Glancing around, she saw everyone making their way to what was probably the picnic spot—a table set up under a giant oak tree.
“You know,” Julianna said as she sidled up next to Elise. “When they said picnic, I was thinking of soggy sandwiches and potato salad. Not this.”
“They certainly do things with flair.”
Elise guessed that the servants had been sent ahead to make sure the elaborate setup was ready. A large table covered in fine linen was heaped with food and drinks, along with a huge floral centerpiece. Three footmen stood on the sides ready to serve guests. They also had blankets spread out around the table, as well as comfy-looking cushions to rest on.
“The food looks good though,” Elise commented.
“I’m just glad to eat food without having hawk-eyes”—she cocked her head at the dowager duchess, who was already seated on one of the blankets with Signore Rossi—“watching every move I make and telling me I’m doing it wrong. Now, let’s get some grub!”
They both grabbed a plate and piled it with food. The kitchen staff really went all out as there was a wide variety, from cold sandwiches to delicate pastries to delicious sweets and cookies.
“Miss Henney, Miss Anderson.” Simon had popped up from behind and positioned himself between them. “If you have yet to secure a spot, I would like it if you would sit with me.”
Julianna made a face, but before either could say anything, he guided them over to an empty blanket which was, thankfully, next to Eleanor, Jeremy, and William. The little boy’s eyes lit up when he saw them approaching.
“Elise! Julianna!” William waved at them enthusiastically. “May I sit with them, please, Mother?”
Eleanor patted him on the head. “Only if there’s space and they don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Julianna said as she sat down and gestured to the empty spot beside her. “Come here, squirt.”
His face scrunched up. “What is a ‘squirt’?”
“It means, a cheeky little boy like you.” She ruffled his hair affectionately.
Since William had taken the spot next to Julianna, Elise had no choice but to sit beside Simon. “Thank you,” she said as Simon helped her get comfortable.
“Of course.” He gave her one of those bright-as-sunshine smiles. “I suppose we foreigners should stick together.”
“Foreigners?”
“My sister and I grew up in the Caribbean,” Simon explained as he sat beside her. “Our father’s business was over there, so we grew up in his estate on a sugar plantation. We’ve only been back two years. Father wanted Beatrice to have a proper coming out and thought it was time for us to return to England.”
“That must have been an interesting childhood,” she remarked.
“It was.” There was a tension in his jaw and his eyes darkened for a moment. “But we had servants and tutors from here and France. Father wanted us to be brought up like a proper English gentleman and lady.”
“And your mother?”
He swallowed audibly. “Died.”
“I’m so sorry.” She placed a hand over his.
“It was a long time ago,” he said.
She decided to change the subject. “So, your parents are English, and they gave you a real English upbringing. Why do you say you’re foreigners?”
“Because, try as we might, we don’t fit in here. Sure, my father’s title and money can open certain doors, but some things remain … unreachable to us.” He turned to her, his blue eyes pinning her. “And they still treat us differently.”
She felt a sudden pang of sympathy for him. “I know what you mean.” And she really did. This place was so different. She had never felt more out of place in her whole life.
The silence between them hung in the air until he spoke. “I’ve heard America is an interesting place as well.”
“Have you been?”
“No, but my father has.” He signaled for the footman to bring them over some wine, then handed a glass to her. “Will you tell me about your home?”
“I—” she faltered then cleared her throat. I could give him some vague details. And so, she spoke a little bit about her home and her family, without giving too much away. Mostly half-truths, stuff that she didn’t have to make up so it didn’t bite her in the ass later. Simon seemed interested in every word she said, even asking her a few questions and asking for her opinion on what she thought of England so far.
“I’ve only been here a few days,” she said. “But—”
A loud, high-pitched laugh pierced the air. When she turned to the source, she saw it was Beatrice, who was seated next to Reed. Jealousy knifed through her as she watched the younger woman place a hand on his arm and look up at him invitingly. The only satisfaction she got was seeing the dowager duchess—who was sitting beside Reed—flash a disapproving look at the young woman.
“My sister can be boisterous,” Simon commented with a wry smile. “It’s part of her charm.”
I’m sure it is. “She’s very, er, friendly.”
“Thank you for sugarcoating it,” he joked. “Maybe it was the years locked away in our lonely little schoolroom, but she enjoys company now. She loves being surrounded by her adoring beaux.” He lowered his voice. “Although I should probably warn her that she’s no match for His Grace.”
She blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve only heard about his reputation,” Simon leaned toward her. “You do know why his nickname is Hunter, don’t you? And it’s not because of his grand London home.”
“No, I don’t.” And she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“Because apparently he has a reputation for being focused when hunting down his prey.”
She followed his gaze back to Beatrice and Reed. He was offering her a pastry, which she took from him, their fingers brushing. She forced herself to turn away. “His prey?”
“Yes, prey. Whatever he wants, he gets. Business deals, valuable assets, artwork …” He turned so his face was inches from hers. “Even women. There was a story about his last mistress, Anaïs Boudreaux, the famous ballerina. She was actually under the Earl of Abernathy’s protection, but Hunter wanted her. And so, he took her.”
“Took her?”
He chuckled. “Not that he spirited her away in the middle of the night. But he offered her a larger house and a bigger allowance, so she left Abernathy that very day.”
Of course Reed would have a mistress. All rich men of this era did. Even the heroes in her most favorite novels had them, though they were dismissed once the hero met his true love. But still, the idea of him keeping a woman somewhere … he probably visited her all the time. Hell, he could have visited her anytime in the past days. Even after their kiss in the hallway.
Her stomach churned at the thought, and even though hot rage was ready to spill out of her, she couldn’t help but look back at Reed and Beatrice who were now deep in conversation, their heads bent together. Well, if she wanted him, she could have him. She would rather be alone forever than be with a ruthless man like Reed.
God, I’m going insane. She shook her head. What the heck was she thinking? This was the past. She was from the future. In her world, Reed didn’t even exist anymore. He was dust and—
“Miss Henney, you look pale,” Simon said, concern in his tone. “Are you all right? Would you like some water?”
“I-I-I’m fine,” she croaked, then pasted a smile on her face. Reed Townsend had no bearing in her life, past or present. She was better off focusing her energies on trying to get home. But for the meantime, she could have some fun too, right? “And please, do call me Elise.”
He returned her smile. “Then you must call me Simon.”
“Simon it is. So, why don’t you tell me what it’s like to come back to England after all these years?”
“This was much more fun than I thought it wou
ld be,” Julianna said as she plopped on the grass next to Elise. “Thank God Eleanor put William down for a nap. I thought that boy would never get tired.” She and William had chased each other around the field of wildflowers not far from the picnic area. Elise had joined them earlier, but she grew fatigued herself and declared she would sit down for a few minutes. “I’m sweating like a pig.”
“Don’t let the duchess hear you,” Elise teased. “She’ll probably say something like, Miss Anderson, sweating is so very unladylike!”
Julianna sat up straight and placed her hand on her lap. “And then you’ll never find a suitable husband,” she said, mocking the dowager’s severe tone. “By the way, could you find my maid so she can take this stick out of my ass?”
Elise covered her mouth, but not before a loud guffaw escaped her lips. “Julianna, you’re terrible.”
“That old bat’s driving me crazy.” She stretched her arms over her head, then lay back on the grass.
“And what about Signore Rossi?” she teased. The old Italian had really taken a shine to Julianna.
“He’s old enough to be my dad,” Julianna retorted. “Besides, he’s just like any flirty Italian. Goes after anything in a skirt. But I’m not getting any pervy vibes. I think I remind him of his home, that’s all.”
Her expression changed and Elise knew what she was thinking. “I miss home, too.”
Julianna sighed. “I just want to go lock myself up in my apartment and put on my sweats and binge-watch Netflix for a week.”
“That sounds like fun.” A wave of homesickness hit her. She was already missing her family, her bed, her home, and her job. “I—” She stopped when she felt something wet hit her cheek.
“Oops.” Julianna sat up and brushed a drop from her forehead. “It was pretty clear for a while.” A frown marred her face as she pointed at the ominous clouds with her chin. “Where did those come from?”
“Weird English weather.” Elise got up and helped Julianna to her feet. When she looked back toward the picnic area, she saw that the footmen were starting to pack up the table and food. “Looks like our picnic’s going to be cut short. Where’s Cross?”
“He went back to the house to do more searching while everyone’s gone.” Julianna brushed the blades of grass off her riding habit. “He said he’d come back in an hour.”
“I just hope no one notices he’s gone.”
The rain picked up, and thunder rumbled overhead. Julianna grabbed her hand. “C’mon, we should go.”
As they walked back, it seemed everyone else was headed back to the picnic area too. That is, everyone except Reed and Beatrice. Elise ignored the stab of jealousy in her stomach.
“Uh, this dreadful weather!” Eleanor scowled. “Looks like we’ll have to head back to the house. We don’t want anyone getting sick. I already had the groom escort Grandmama first, so we’ll be on our own.”
The rain began to really pour from the gloomy skies sending everyone rushing to their mounts. Jeremy and Simon all helped the ladies get onto their horses and then began to lead their party back toward the house. If anyone noticed that Reed and Beatrice were missing, no one commented on it.
“Father, I’m frightened,” William cried when thunder rumbled overhead. He was riding in front of Jeremy, his small body tucked into his father’s chest.
“Don’t worry, William, it’s just a little rain and thunder.” Jeremy was the one leading Elise’s horse, so he switched her reins over to one hand as he tried to soothe William.
The next peal of thunder was so loud, Elise thought her eardrums would crack. A second later, a jagged streak of lightning lit up the sky. William let out a scream, which frightened their horse. Jeremy dropped the reins trying to comfort the boy and calm their horse at the same time.
Elise grabbed them just in time and steadied her horse as she felt its nervous energy. “It’s all right.” She rubbed the mare’s neck. “Nothing to be—”
An even louder crack of thunder boomed overhead, and this time, the lightning streaked right in front of them, a few feet away. Her horse reared back, but her fast reflexes had her holding onto the creature’s mane which prevented her from falling. However, the mare’s distress caused it to turn around and run like mad, and Elise could do nothing but hold on as tight as she could as the horse galloped farther and farther away from everyone else.
The rain pelted at her like tiny icy knives. It also made it difficult to keep her hold on the horse’s mane and the gloves she wore were not helping. Her fingers slipped out of the gloves, and she felt herself falling. In a desperate move, she made a grab for the reins but got only air.
As she fell, she landed on her right foot, then tumbled down the wet grass. She let out a cry as pain shot up her leg. When her body stopped rolling, she pushed herself to her back and stared up at the gloomy skies.
Rain continued to pelt her, and her habit was now soaked and muddy. She wiggled her toes. It was like razor-sharp claws were digging into her ankle, but it didn’t seem to be broken. As a Lycan, a sprain would heal in an hour or two, so she wasn’t too worried. However, she couldn’t very well just sit in the rain, especially not when lightning could strike her in an open field like this.
Gritting her teeth, she hauled herself upright resting her weight on her left foot. Not sure what else to do, she dragged herself across the field trying to find any kind of shelter. The rain and fog made it difficult to see anything, but if she walked long enough and far enough, she’d find something. Tears pooled in her eyes as the pain became unbearable, but she soldiered on.
As she walked in the rain, her keen ears picked up another rumble from far away. But it wasn’t thunder. No, this sound was rhythmic and pounding, making the ground shake. She turned her head toward the sound, blinking the mixture of tears and rain away from her vision. In the distance, she saw a dark shape advancing toward her, emerging from the fog. It was growing bigger and bigger until …
Oh, crap.
The mounted rider stopped just inches from her, the horse coming to a halt expertly with little resistance. Reed looked down at her from atop his stallion, his face practically murderous. “What the hell did you do?”
It took her a second to realize that he was somehow mad at her! “What did I do?” she cried. “What did I do?” Oh, this damned man! Without another word, she turned around and began to limp away from him.
Boots thumped on the ground. “Elise, wait. Wait!” He cursed a blue streak.
Though she tried to walk faster, it was no use because her injury wasn’t healing fast enough, and he was much taller than her. He caught up with her in a few steps. “You’re hurt.”
She ignored the way his voice sounded surprisingly gentle. “Ya think?” she shouted.
He ran his fingers through his hair, then reached for her. “Let me help.”
She evaded his grasp. “I’d rather walk!”
“Well that makes you a damned fool!” he shot back. “Do you even know which way to go?”
She looked around, then pointed to her left. “There.”
“Try again.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“There?” She pointed to the opposite way.
He gave her an arrogant smirk and shook his head.
“Ugh!” She raised her hands in frustration. “I don’t even care where I’m going, as long as it’s far away from you.”
“Me?” He stepped closer to her. “I’m the one who almost broke my neck riding here to come after you.”
“I’m sure Beatrice would be sad if that happened.”
“Miss—” His face changed from angry frustration to confusion and then to something else she couldn’t name. “Well, if you’re waiting for Simon to come after you, then you’d be waiting a long time. He’s probably already back at Huntington Park with everyone else by now.”
She pursed her lips together, not knowing what to say.
“Let’s continue this conversation when we’re somewhere dry.”
H
e began to stalk toward her, and she couldn’t move away, not with her ankle. “Where are you—what the heck!”
Reed bent down and slipped his other arm behind her knees, then hoisted her up against his chest. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, and when she got a whiff of his scent, she felt oddly comforted. “Your Grace … please, you shouldn’t …”
“You can’t very well walk with that injury.” He walked them all the way back to his horse and then gently put her on the saddle. “The house is too far away for Thor to carry us both, plus I don’t want him injured if he slips.” He grabbed the reins and began to lead the horse forward.
“Where are we going?”
A tick in his jaw pulsed. “I know … a place not too far away where we can take shelter until the rain stops and your ankle heals.”
He walked ahead, gently tugging on the reins to make Thor follow his directions. A few minutes later as they rounded a hill, she saw what looked like a large, manicured hedge. “What is that?”
“A private garden,” he explained. “Or rather, a statuary my parents built. There’s a little roof inside where were can wait out the rain.” They turned, following the hedge until they came to a small metal gate. He didn’t even bother asking her permission, but instead, lifted her off his horse. “Can you stand for a moment while I secure Thor?”
His surprisingly gentle tone shocked her into silence. So, she nodded instead, then watched as he tied the reins around a post next to the hedge. After checking that Thor was all right, he opened the gate. “Please, allow me to help you.” He offered her his arm in a gallant manner and there was no hint of mockery or disdain in his voice.
Gingerly, she took it, though this time, he made no move to lift her up. Instead, he led her inside the garden. When they got through the small opening through the hedge, he stopped just at the entrance as there was a thatched roof awning right above them, sheltering them from the rain.
A Witch in Time Page 13
