Charlaine clung to the mare’s mane as they raced across the meadow. Her dress had risen to well above her knees for she rode astride and without a saddle. The pressure of her knees kept her upright as she urged the chestnut mare eastward.
Glancing over her shoulder, Charlaine spotted Nathanial slowly gaining ground.
As expected, he had been a bit reluctant when she had proposed they ride without saddles. That adorable, little frown had once more teased his face before his lips had thinned in determination and he had agreed.
Lately, Charlaine had sensed a change in him as though he had come to understand how restrictive his life had been and was now determined to seize opportunities he would have ignored before. It was still an effort for him, but he was trying.
Charlaine was proud of him.
“Do you see those clouds?” Nathanial called over the thundering of their horses’ hooves. He pointed ahead to where the sky began to darken.
“Yes!” was all Charlaine said in answer.
Nathanial rolled his eyes. “What if it rains?”
Pulling on her reins, Charlaine slowed her mare to a trot. “Then we’ll get wet,” she told him with a smirk.
“Soaked, you mean,” Nathanial chuckled before his gaze dropped to her bare legs and then immediately snapped upward, a tinge of red coming to his cheeks. “How much farther do you wish to go?” he asked, urging his gelding ahead of her.
Charlaine smiled at the back of his head. Indeed, old habits died hard! Still, she could not imagine riding a side-saddle with her legs strapped into leather boots on a hot summer’s day like this. No, it was much more preferable to ride bare-legged and feel the soft breeze brush over her skin.
Nathanial would simply have to make his peace with her oddities as he called them.
Over the past few weeks, she had succeeded in persuading him into trying all sorts of things. Most, he had first deemed childish, like climbing a tree, or girlish, like picking flowers. Still, in the end, he had not refused her…and he had enjoyed himself.
“Only a little farther,” Charlaine exclaimed before urging her mare into a gallop once more. “Race you to the horizon!” she called over her shoulder as she shot past him.
A faint chuckle drifted to her ears from behind…and then the skies opened and she felt the first drops of rain land on her heated skin. They felt wonderful and refreshing, and she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the heavens.
“Charlaine!”
At the sound of Nathanial’s voice calling her name, Charlaine reluctantly reined in her mount, then turned to see him pull to a halt only a few paces in front of her. “Isn’t it wonderful?” She held out her hands, palms facing upward as more and more drops began to fall.
He laughed, then cast an uneasy glance at the sky. “We’ll get soaked.”
“I thought we’d already agreed to that.”
He eyed her through narrowed slits. “Are you saying you have no intention of returning to the house before the storm breaks?”
Smiling at him, Charlaine shook her head. Then she opened her mouth to catch a few raindrops on her tongue. “Try it,” she urged him.
Attempting to hide a smile, Nathanial ran a hand over his face, a sure sign that he was uncomfortable or otherwise emotionally overwhelmed. “You’re mad!” he told her, finally allowing his smile to show. “Mad beyond anything I’ve ever seen.”
Charlaine bowed her head. “Thank you, kind sir, for that most wonderful compliment.” She pressed her hands to her heart and blinked her lashes at him. “I shall treasure it always.”
Nathanial laughed. “I’m glad my words are of such amusement to you. But what will Pierce and Caroline think when we return soaked to the skin?”
Charlaine shrugged. “They’ll no doubt laugh about us.” Then she released the reins and let her mare go where she pleased.
The rain slowly grew in intensity as the dark clouds drifted closer. The drops’ splats upon her skin felt heavier and, after a few minutes, Charlaine felt small streams run down her temples as well as her arms and legs. The wind picked up as well, whipping the rain about.
Nathanial urged his gelding closer. “We should return to the house,” he told her with a worrisome glance upward.
Sighing, Charlaine playfully kicked his shin, his skin warm against her own. “Race me to the horizon first, then we’ll ride back,” she dared him, curious to see what he would do. Would he give in or would he stand his ground?
“No!” The moment she made to urge her mare onward again, his hand whipped out and grasped her reins, stopping her from riding off. “We return now,” he told her with a steady gaze. “I’ve seen storms like this before and, believe me, you do not want to be caught outside when they hit.” His eyes held hers, and Charlaine knew that there was no use arguing.
“Very well,” she said with a nod, proud of his insistence. Ever since they had first met, his behavior had been marked by indecision, reluctance and the fear to fail or disappoint. The man looking at her now, however, showed none of them.
A sigh of relief left his lips. “Ride ahead then,” he told her, releasing her reins. “I’ll follow.” Again, his gaze drifted to the darkening sky.
Seeing the deep concern in his eyes, Charlaine directed her mare toward home, noting the way the animal tossed her head, agitation in the way she moved. “It’s all right, girl,” Charlaine mumbled, gently patting her neck. “We’ll be home soon.”
A low roll of thunder crashed in the distance and Charlaine’s mare reared up with a frightened shriek.
Thrown off guard, Charlaine lost her grip and was flung off, hitting the ground hard. Her left hip throbbed, but the pain quickly lessened. Scrambling to her feet, she watched her mare dart off in the direction of home, her legs carrying her as fast as they could.
“Are you all right?” Nathanial called to her from behind.
Turning around, Charlaine saw him fight to keep his own mount under control as the gelding pranced nervously, ears flattened upon its head. “Yes,” she called, then slowly approached the agitated animal, offering soft words of comfort.
Throwing his head up and down, the gelding eyed her warily, but then slowly began to calm, allowing her to grasp his reins. He rubbed his large head against her shoulders as she stroked his neck.
“Are you hurt?” Nathanial asked from atop the animal. “Can you ride?” He held out his hand to her.
Charlaine grasped it, and he pulled her up in front of him. One arm came around her, his hand settling on her belly, holding her tightly against him. The other held the reins as he urged his gelding homeward, a direction the animal approved of most ardently.
Within moments, they were thundering across the meadow sloping down toward Markham Hall. The rain fell in earnest now, and Charlaine could feel the fabric of her thin summer dress sticking to her skin as the rain ran in streams down her body. Nathanial’s body, however, kept her warm as the chilling wind brushed over her skin. His arm remained around her, holding her to him, and Charlaine smiled at the sense of security that came over her despite the approaching storm.
“We’re almost there,” Nathanial mumbled in her ear, and she wondered if he was even speaking to her or rather reassuring himself. Still, his movements remained steady, his mind clear as he guided the gelding through a cluster of trees and around to the stables near the back of the house where Charlaine’s mare stood waiting, prancing nervously in front of the closed door. The animal tossed its head up and down, eager to get out of the wind and rain.
Charlaine knew the feeling for the chill in the air began to raise goosebumps on her skin and send shivers down her back. Oh, a warm bath would be wonderful now!
Nathanial landed in a small puddle as he jumped off his mount and pulled the gelding forward. One hand held on to the reins while the other opened the stable door. Then he led them inside, the dim light and smell of dry hay enveloping them.
Charlaine’s mare needed no extra invitation, but charged ahead into her warm stall. Outside, the wind started to pick up and they could hear the heavy pattering of the rain as it hit the roof. Thunder crashed every now and then, and the horses flattened their ears in fear.
Nathanial tied his gelding’s reins to an iron ring in the wall, then turned to help Charlaine off his mount. His hands reached for her waist, and she let herself slide forward and into his arms.
Shivering from the cold, she was less than nimble, but Nathanial caught her, his hands warm even through the soaked fabric of her thin summer dress. Her own hands came to rest upon his arms, his sleeves as soaked as her dress, as she looked up at him. “Thank you,” she said, meaning every word. “I’m sorry I teased you so. I did not mean to make you worry. You were right. We should have returned sooner.”
A warm smile teased his lips as he looked down at her. “Are my ears deceiving me?” he whispered. “Did the woman who knows how to live life to the fullest just admit to making a mistake?”
Charlaine chuckled, feeling her shivers subside as his warmth reached out to her. “Oh, don’t act so surprised. I’m far from perfect.”
Nathanial stilled, the gaze locked on hers becoming thoughtful. “You could’ve fooled me,” he mumbled then and, again, Charlaine was not certain if he was speaking to her or simply muttering to himself.
He exhaled a deep breath, and his right hand reached out to touch a dark curl dancing down from her temple. He caught its tip and then slowly wound it around his forefinger, staring at it as though mesmerized.
Feeling the soft tug of his fingers, another shiver danced down Charlaine’s back and, this time, it was not from the cold. She drew in a shuddering breath and her hands tightened upon his arms, her fingers digging into his flesh as though she would fall if she did not hold on.
Instantly, his eyes snapped back to hers.
Charlaine’s breath lodged in her throat.
Something had changed!
Something was…different all of a sudden.
As she stood in his arms, her own feeling weak, she could have sworn that Nathanial had never before looked at her quite like this. Not even the night they had danced at the masquerade. The night she had kissed him. The night he had wanted to kiss her.
Longing and desire lay in his eyes. She could feel it in the way he held her, the soft but insistent pressure of his hand on the small of her back. His breath was ragged somehow, and that muscle in his jaw twitched now and again as his gaze bored into hers.
Something wild and untamed lay in his eyes, and yet, Charlaine felt utterly cherished in that moment. Cared for and protected.
Exhaling slowly, Nathanial tucked her dark curl behind her ear. The tips of his fingers brushed her skin, the shell of her ear as well as the soft spot below. Then his hand slid to the back of her neck, urging her closer as his head slowly bent down to hers.
He’s going to kiss me! A voice in Charlaine’s head screamed, and her knees almost buckled at the thought. Or isn’t he?
Charlaine frowned when Nathanial suddenly hesitated, his lips thinning. The longing in his gaze dimmed and was quickly superseded by something else. Something rational. Something−
The stable doors were pushed open in that moment, allowing in the deafening drum of the rain as well as two stable boys.
Instantly, Nathanial released her and stepped back, putting distance between them.
Charlaine felt her heart sink at the sudden disappointment that surged through her. Had she wanted to kiss him this badly? She wondered, barely taking note of the two boys.
“’Tis quite a downpour,” Daniel remarked laughing. “My shirt is almost soaked through.”
Henry joined in before his gaze moved to them. “Ya look no better,” he observed. “Go on inside. We’ll see to the horses.”
“Thank you,” Nathanial told them as they hastened forward to tend to the shivering animals. Then he offered Charlaine his arm. His eyes, however, never quite met hers. “We need to run,” he told her, glancing out at the rain.
Charlaine chuckled despite the disappointment that still clung to her heart. “Why? We’re soaked through as it is. Can it get any worse?”
His gaze swept over her gown, clinging to her skin, before it snapped up, returning to the downpour a few steps in front of them. “On three,” he said, his arm tightening on hers. “One, two, three.”
Then they dashed across the yard and up to the side entrance. Donahue, Markham Hall’s one-armed butler, stood there, booming laughter spilling from his mouth as he held the door open to allow them inside. “You look like drowned rats!” he observed, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
Charlaine grinned at him. “It’s nice to see you as well.”
Mumbling a few rather unintelligible words, Nathanial hastened away, no longer concerned with her now that he knew her to be safe. Indeed, it seemed what had happened in the stables−or what had almost happened−had shaken him even more than her.
Donahue frowned. “Who got his goat?”
Charlaine sighed, then smiled at Donahue and headed to her own chamber. She truly ought to have wrung out her skirts for they were dripping all over the floors. Still, her thoughts lingered elsewhere.
Something had indeed changed between Nathanial and her.
The only question was: for better or for worse?