Part 10 (1/2)
She waited, watching as he waded into the pond. ”Go out farther,” she told him when he stood submerged to the hip. ”I want to know how deep it is.”
He nodded and used his strong arms to propel himself forward. He stopped at the center and spun around, treading water. ”You're not undressing,” he called.
”I will in just a moment. Can you touch the bottom?”
”No.”
”Why don't you dive down and see how deep it is? I want to make sure we don't have to worry should we forget ourselves while we're . . . playing.”
Even from a distance, his eyes gleamed with desire. Then, slick as a fish, he disappeared beneath the surface.
She sprang into action the moment he vanished from sight. Racing as fast as she could, she bent and gathered up his clothes, rolling them all into a tight bundle, which she tucked beneath her arm. Without sparing another glance in his direction, she ran for the trees.
She had just untethered both horses when she heard Lord Leopold call her name in the distance. Working as fast as she could, she tied the bundle of clothes to the back of her saddle, then thrust her foot into the stirrup. She wasn't used to mounting a horse without a.s.sistance and faltered as she struggled to lift herself up. If he caught her, there would be h.e.l.l to pay.
The realization gave her the strength she needed in order to climb onto her horse. Her heart rabbited in her chest, her breathing labored.
Suddenly, he jogged out from behind the tree line, his wet hair plastered to his head, his naked body glistening from his swim. ”Thalia, what are you doing?” His confusion was plain.
She wheeled her mount around to face him. ”I am leaving.”
”What? Why?” He looked shocked.
”If you had been paying attention, you would know why. You ought to have listened to me when I told you I wasn't interested in being your bed partner.”
A heavy frown settled on his brow. ”You aren't? Then what for Hades' sake has all this been about?” He waved an arm toward the pond behind him.
”A lesson, Lord Leopold. Since you refuse to take no for an answer, I thought a more overt demonstration of my wishes was in order. I've tried to be polite, but you persist in your unwanted pursuit of me.”
”It is not unwanted.” His eyes flashed.
”See? You are doing it again. Listen to me closely. I-do-not-want-you,” she enunciated, ”so stop chasing after me.”
”Really? That's not what your body and your kisses say.”
She brushed off any truth to his words and continued on. ”You've shamed me, first at Lord Elmore's party and again here at Holland House by insinuating to everyone that I am your mistress. Rumors are as good as the truth and I am tired of being lied about and manipulated. You embarra.s.sed me, so I have decided to return the favor by embarra.s.sing you. Enjoy the humiliation, my lord.”
His scowl turned black with sudden suspicion. ”What humiliation? Get down from that horse. We will talk.”
”No, I am done talking. Enjoy the walk. It's only a couple of miles back to Holland House.”
Before he could get close enough to reach up and grab the bridle, she wheeled her horse around. Raising her riding crop, she brought it down hard on the b.u.t.tocks of Lord Leopold's horse, sending the startled animal into a frenzied gallop. She had no doubt the stallion would run all the way back to the stables. She gave her own horse a sharp kick and sent the mare charging forward.
”Thalia, come back here!” Lord Leo bellowed.
But she rode on, forcing herself to ignore his furious shouts of outrage.
Chapter 10.
Of all the endings to his afternoon, Leo had never expected to find himself walking stark naked through the open countryside back to Holland House. How he was going to present himself once he got there, he had no idea. He could only imagine the wide-eyed stares and t.i.tters over his arrival.
If he was lucky, maybe one of the servants could be persuaded to fetch him some garments while he concealed himself behind a convenient bush. Or even better, perhaps the a.s.sembled company would still be in their rooms dressing for dinner and he could sneak upstairs un.o.bserved.
Somehow he doubted he would be that fortunate-exactly as Lady Thalia had intended.
h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation, he still couldn't believe what she'd done-most particularly taking his clothes! He remembered the way his temples had throbbed with fury and disbelief when he'd gone back to the pond and realized they were gone.
At least she left my boots, he thought as he tramped along the path, leaves and stones crunching under his heels. I must look a complete fool.
Also exactly as she'd planned.
Just wait until he got back. She might think she'd delivered the last salvo, but he wasn't the only one who would learn a lesson today. Precisely what he planned to do once he confronted her, he didn't know. But this wasn't over between them.
Doesn't want me, does she?
Liar.
He'd tasted the pa.s.sion on her lips, knew he hadn't imagined her pleasure or her longing for more.
And she was going to get more-a lot more. But first he had a score to settle with the deviously clever Lady Thalia.
He walked on, grateful that he hadn't encountered anyone so far. If the trees hadn't been barren of leaves, he might have tried snapping off a weak limb to use as concealment. But she'd plotted her revenge well, leaving him no choice but to make the journey back in nothing but his altogether.
For his own part, he didn't care a jot about being naked, having never suffered from an overabundance of modesty. But other people might not feel the same. There was also the uncomfortable fact that he was growing chilled, gooseflesh beginning to pop out over his skin now that the sun was sinking lower in the sky.
He'd been walking for another five minutes when a cottage came into view. A brown-haired woman stood in the rear yard, tossing handfuls of grain to a small flock of chickens, while a toddler played with a wooden toy on a nearby patch of gra.s.s. Not far away, freshly washed laundry hung on a line, the clothes waving slowly to and fro in the modest breeze.
Among the items was a man's s.h.i.+rt and trousers, the answer to his current dilemma. Even if the s.h.i.+rt was the only thing that fit, at least he wouldn't be completely bare-a.r.s.ed naked any longer-shockingly attired, yes, but not naked.
But how to acquire them?
He considered the straightforward approach of just walking up to the woman, explaining his situation and asking to borrow the clothes-with the promise that she and her family would be more than generously compensated once he was back in his proper element and in his own clothes again. But there were far too many things that could go awry with that plan, he decided. Once she got an eyeful of him, she might not stay long enough to hear him out as she ran for the cottage and barricaded herself and her child inside.
His only other options were equally unappealing. The first being that he would continue on to Holland House exactly as he was, or the second, that he would wait until the woman wasn't looking and take the clothes.
He balked at the idea. A gentleman no matter his difficulties did not stoop to thievery. It was wrong, plain and simple. Yet if he took the clothes, just long enough to make his way back to Holland House, then promptly returned them, was he actually stealing? It was more a case of borrowing really when you thought about it.
He cringed, knowing his rationalization was exactly that. But thanks to Thalia-blast her outrageousness-he was in a real fix and had to consider all his options, honorable or otherwise.
Yet what real harm was there in using the clothes for a couple of hours? If all went well, the woman wouldn't even notice they were missing. And he would send the garments back, freshly washed, with a note of thanks and money attached for their use. Seen in that light, she and her husband might regard the entire incident as a kind of unexpected boon.
He weighed his choices, watching her from behind the tree.
She finished feeding the chickens, then walked over and scooped the little boy and his toy up off the ground. Tucking the child against her hip, she went into the house, the door swinging shut with a bang.
Now was his chance. If he wanted the clothes, he had better make a dash for them while the opportunity was ripe. He weighed his options one more time, cast another quick look around and ran.