Lincoln hadn’t been home for the evening meal the last two nights, but Victoria wasn’t surprised to see him in the front parlor when she and Audrey entered the room prior to dinner.
Jake, with his coal-black hair and his down-turned mustache that always made him look like he was frowning, was also there and Audrey left her side to greet him.
As the couple met and took a hold of each other’s hands, Victoria chose to give them their privacy and made her way over to Lincoln, who had crossed the room as soon as she’d entered it and now stood near the credenza hosting before-dinner drinks. “You didn’t have to work late tonight, I see.”
He grinned and shrugged while taking the top off a decanter. “No, I didn’t.”
“Didn’t have a choice, did you?” Victoria asked. She didn’t know why she felt the need to tease him, but knew that Roseanne had said he’d be home, and he was, per his mother’s instructions. That didn’t make her happy. In fact, it increased her empathy for him. He was being targeted, but it wasn’t by his mother, as he thought.
“No more of a choice than you have to go riding after dinner,” he replied, while handing her one of the glasses of sherry that he’d poured.
They had their backs to Audrey and Jake, and were both talking softly, to keep from being overheard. She took a sip of the sweet wine before saying, “Your mother is not matchmaking, she’s merely worried about you.”
“Is she?”
“Yes.” Lowering her voice even more, she said, “She wants to avoid a scandal.”
He stared at her over the rim of his glass as he took a drink of the amber liquid with somewhat of a dullness in his eyes. “That’s her excuse?”
“It’s not an excuse, and I would think you would want to avoid one, too,” she replied, trying hard to not become frustrated that he didn’t believe her.
“In that case, I suppose I should be grateful that you are going to save me from one, too.”
He’d never caught her attention, nor struck her nerves, like he was during her stay this time. “I very well could.”
Twinkles formed in his brown eyes. “Victoria to the rescue.” He leaned closer. “I don’t need to be rescued. I’m perfectly capable of saving myself.”
“What about everyone else? Your family?”
“I can save them from a scandal all my own, too.” He lifted a brow. “I have been for years.”
His attitude was exasperating, but so were her inner reactions to him. Not wanting to admit, or for him to know, he was making her heart beat too fast, she lifted the glass to her lips, but before taking a sip, whispered, “You should have a tail to go with your braying.”
He lifted a brow. “Are you calling me an ass?”
There was no conceivable reason for her to be enjoying having done exactly that, in a roundabout way, but she was. Shrugging, she took a sip of her wine.
“What are you two whispering about?” Audrey asked quietly, coming up behind them and sticking her face between their shoulders.
Looking at Lincoln, Victoria answered, “Animals.”
However, at the very same moment, he said, “Asses.”
She nearly choked on her own saliva, and stared at him. “Which are animals. Ones that bray.”
“They do,” he said. “They also kick.”
“And are stubborn,” she replied. “To a fault.”
“Like some people I know.”
Eyes still locked with his, she said, “I know some, too.”
“I’ll just take this glass of sherry,” Audrey said, reaching between them to pick up the glass off the credenza. She backed away with the glass in her hand. “And leave you two alone.”
Victoria knew she should walk away, too, but instead shook her head at Lincoln. “Asses?” she hissed.
“You started it,” he said.
“I did not.”
“Yes, you did. I was simply standing here, minding my own business when you walked over and—”
“Oh, hush up!”
“Why?”
In spite of the fact that they were whispering, she still bit back a retort that would be too long if she said all that was on her mind about his own beliefs and abilities and shot him a glare that said it instead.
He frowned. “How did you master that look? You aren’t a mother.”
Once again telling herself not to answer, she shook her head.
Grinning, he asked, “No last word?”
She was about to just call him an ass again, using the word this time, but was interrupted by someone else speaking.
“Oh, I wish your father was home,” Roseanne said.
Both Victoria and Lincoln turned about, and watched as his mother walked across the room from the doorway she’d just entered.
“Look at the four of you,” Roseanne continued. “You all look so adorable. Victoria, dear, that dress makes you look so nice. Yellow is your color, and Lincoln, your gold vest matches her dress perfectly.”
As Roseanne turned her attention and compliments on Audrey and Jake, Victoria glanced at Lincoln. He did look nice in his black suit, white shirt, and gold vest, which was close to the color of her dress.
He was looking at her, too, the length of her, which made an odd warmth form in her stomach and spread. All the way to her face when their gazes met.
“She’s wrong,” he whispered, then took a drink from his glass. “That dress doesn’t make you look nice. You make that dress look nice.”
The warmth inside her heated up, and she could feel her pulse throbbing, even though she was sure he was still simply trying to get her goat. She had to draw in a deep breath before finding the ability to say, “You look nice, too.”
He chuckled. “For a moment, I thought a cat got your tongue.”
His ability to fluster her had hit a new level. “Just accept the compliment.”
“Thank you.” Giving her another slow glance, he added, “She was right about the color. You look good in yellow.”
“Thank you,” she said, only because he had thanked her for her compliment.
“It gives your face a glow.”
She drew in another deep breath at yet another increase in her pulse.
“Or is that just a blush?” he asked. “Are you blushing?”
This time, she listened to herself and walked away, and kept walking even as his soft chuckle followed her. Taking a seat in the armchair adjacent to the sofa where Audrey and Jake sat, holding hands, she told herself to concentrate on the conversation already happening between them and Roseanne. It may have been about the wedding, or a number of other topics. She truly had no idea because the hand that settled on the back of her chair near her shoulder made concentrating impossible.
Lincoln was doing his best to unnerve her. She had no doubt about that. She also had no doubt that he was doing a very good job at doing exactly that. The question was why? He’d never been anything but friendly and kind during all of her other visits. They’d spoken, even joked, but in a different way. A more distant way. Nothing like this.
Who was she trying to fool? She knew why. He was trying to prove that his mother was matchmaking. It took her less than a split second to determine that she would prove to him that Roseanne wasn’t. Everyone was worried about him being tricked into a scandal, and he should be, too. He had to know that could ruin Audrey’s wedding.
A pit formed in her stomach. Good heavens! If a scandal did happen, it would be her fault. Preventing one was why she was here. She was sure that was why she’d been asked to come for a month.
Lincoln had no idea what had gotten into him—as his mother would say—other than he’d never realized just how fun it was to bicker with Victoria. A teasing bicker. She was so quick to respond and that made it enjoyable. Then again, maybe he did know what had gotten into him. She wasn’t trying to force him to the altar. Women, and before them, girls, had been trying to do that for years, and that had made him stay away from even innocent fun that could be had with the opposite sex. He didn’t have to worry about that with her. He was free to just be himself, with no worries that his actions or behavior would give her the wrong idea. That had never been an option for him before, and he wasn’t opposed to it, even though he probably should be.
She did look nice in that yellow dress. Like the one she’d worn the other day, it wasn’t overly busy with lace and ribbon and things that would have taken away from the fitted waist and flowing skirt that highlighted her a sculpted, well-defined shape. Her face was admirable, too. It had a glow to it, even when she wasn’t blushing.
He bit back a smile at that memory. She had been blushing while he’d been complimenting her. They truly had been compliments. He’d noticed how lovely she looked as soon as she’d walked into the room, which had been why he’d instantly crossed the room and poured himself a second drink. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to tear his gaze away from her, and might still be standing in the parlor, simply staring, and wondering why he’d never noticed her in the past. Then again, his mother had never implanted herself into her matchmaking role as she was this time.
Just as his mother had planned and insisted, they were now on horseback, riding through Central Park as the stars grew brighter and the air colder.
Jake and Audrey rode ahead of them, most likely whispering sweet nothings to one another. They were quite smitten with each other, and oddly enough, considering his attitude towards marriage, he was happy for them. He didn’t have concerns of their marriage turning into something neither of them wanted. Namely because Jake was not like him. Jake already had the career he wanted and was ready for the next step in procuring a future for his family. Like many men in the city, Jake was following in his father’s footsteps. Theirs was the newspaper business, and Jake had taken over as editor-in-chief last year, after being a reporter for several years.
Lincoln couldn’t think of a better man than Jake to marry Audrey. They’d known each other for years, and had been smitten with each other for nearly just as long, yet had chosen to wait for marriage until Jake had been promoted into a position that would indeed secure their future. Not only financially, for his family was very well-off. Jake had the time for marriage, for a wife His job no longer drew him out into the streets in the middle of the night to report on some dastardly deed, or a fire that could spread along blocks of businesses, or inclement weather that could bring the city to a standstill. All things that would have sent Audrey into a worried panic.
Furthermore, Audrey was not like so many socialites. She’d patiently waited for marriage, knowing that would give them time to make sure they were making the right decision.
“How much longer do you think they’ll want to ride?” Victoria asked.
He and Victoria had silently been riding side by side behind the happy couple, and he glanced her way. “Getting tired?” They had ridden thorough a large portion of the park, at a slow, dull walk.
The expression on her face was enough to make him grin, even before she spoke. “Bored,” she replied. “Aren’t you? The horses are.”
He agreed fully and gestured towards the couple ahead of them. “Maybe we wouldn’t be bored if we were whispering sweet nothings to each other.”
She let out a huff of disgust. “The horses would still be bored.”
He laughed. It shouldn’t be this fun to frustrate someone, but she made it enjoyable. Just like she made the green cape she was wearing over her yellow dress look lovely.
“We could have a race,” she suggested. “To the footbridge. It’s not far.”
He knew how far it was to the footbridge and that the path to it was straight. However, more importantly, he knew she was comfortable and confident in the saddle. She and Audrey often rode during her stays here, and he’d accompanied them a time or two. His third consideration was for others. The pathway was wide, and so far had been relatively clear of park patrons. He brought his horse to a stop and confirmed her suggestion. “Just to the footbridge?”
Stopping her horse next to him, she looked at him expectantly, but also with a shine of excitement in her eyes. “Yes.”
He glanced at her horse. The bay mare had a good temperament and was sure-footed, which was why that was the animal he’d chosen for her to ride this evening. Determining there was no real danger in providing her request, he asked, “On three?”
Her smile lit up her face. “On three,” she agreed while readjusting the reins in her hands and leaning forward in line with the mare’s neck.
“One,” they said together.
“Two.”
“Three!”
The horses lurched forward at the same time, and reached a gallop in unison. He steered his animal left, while she went right and they raced past Jake and Audrey. It had been some time since he’d raced for the fun of it. Samson, his horse, was faster than her mare, but he wasn’t focused on winning. The laughter echoing in her wake was like a win in itself.
Though the ride was swift, it was smooth and he felt as if he was at his leisure watching her ride. It was a sight to see, her green cape flying behind her, lit by the stars and the moon, and a gas lamp now and again. There were very few, if any, society girls who would dare be seen galloping through the park. Perhaps he should have qualms about that, but at the moment, her pleasure was more important. She was clearly enjoying the race, and truth was, he was, too.
They raced along the gravel path, side by side, past trees, flickering flames inside the glass globes of the light poles, and trimmed hedges. The footbridge was in sight and they both surged forward, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a dog ran onto the pathway and froze as if in shock at the horses racing forward.
Lincoln steered his horse far to the left to make room for Victoria, and pulled up on the reins, but she didn’t slow or steer in either direction. He shouted, “Dog!” but at that very same moment, her horse soared into the air.
Lincoln’s heart leaped into his throat, and remained there as Victoria’s horse sailed over the dog, made a smooth landing, and continued onward in a gallop.
The entire event had only taken a matter of seconds, but in his mind, and his pounding heart, it had been much longer.
Samson danced with impatience, and Lincoln eased off the reins, urged the horse to race after Victoria while the dog ran off in the opposite direction.
He arrived at the footbridge as she was slowing her horse into a walk, to let it cool down. “What were you thinking?” he asked, fear of what might have happened burning inside him. “You could have broken your neck!”
“My neck? You mean the dog’s neck, had I run into it.”
He grasped a hold of the rein running along her horse’s neck, bringing it to a stop. “I mean your neck if you’d fallen off!”
“Fallen off?” She laughed. “I’ve been riding longer than I’ve been walking.”
“I don’t care! That was dangerous!”
“Jumping over a dog? I’d say it would have been more dangerous to run into it. There wasn’t time for me to do anything else.”
“Yes, there was. I swerved!”
“The dog wasn’t in front of you!”
“You are the most—”
“You’re just mad,” she interrupted.
“Yes, I am!”
“Because I won!”
Lincoln took the time to draw in a deep breath, but it didn’t help. “I don’t care who won. You could have gotten seriously hurt with a stunt like that.”
“It wasn’t a stunt,” she said. “It was to save a dog’s life. Now, will you kindly release my horse so I can cool her down?”
He let go of the rein and followed as she walked her horse over the short wooden bridge. A million and one things were still floating in his mind. Front and center was her and the injuries she could have acquired. “How would your family have felt if you’d gotten hurt?”
She didn’t respond.
He rode up beside her. “Or mine? Think about Audrey and Mother.”
“Think of the scandal that would have created,” she said with feigned exaggeration.
“I’m not worried about a scandal.” He let out a pent-up sigh. “I was worried about you. Nothing more.”
The clip-clop of horse steps echoed behind them. They both turned, then reined in their horses to wait for Jake and Audrey to catch up.
“We heard yelling,” Audrey said. “Did something happen?”
“A dog ran into the road,” Victoria said, glancing at him.
“Oh, no!” Audrey pressed a hand to her chest as she glanced at both of them. “But you’re all right? Both of you? We didn’t see a dog.”
“We’re fine,” Victoria replied.
“It ran off,” Lincoln said, forgoing the need to explain anything more.
Audrey gave them both a long, somewhat perplexed look, before she smiled at Jake. “We are getting cold and are going home for some hot chocolate.”
“We’ll join you,” Lincoln said, but his gaze was on Victoria.
“Yes, we will,” she said, and nudged her horse into a walk.
The ride home was quiet. At least it was between him and Victoria. Jake and Audrey could still be whispering sweet nothings. They were behind him, so he didn’t know. They could very well be whispering about other things. Him things. He wasn’t one to lose his temper easily, and his sister knew that. She also knew he’d been mad.
He still was, but had lost a lot of his steam. Victoria hadn’t known a dog would run into their path, and jumping over it had been a better solution than running into it. She hadn’t had time to swerve, not at the speed they’d been going, and he could blame that on him. He could have slowed the race simply by letting her take the lead. If he had done that, she would have had time and room to swerve around the dog.
Therefore, the truth was that he was culpable in what had happened.
As soon as they’d handed the reins of their horses over to the groom, he cupped her elbow to escort her to the back door of the house. “I apologize for shouting at you,” he said quietly. “That was very rude of me, and I agree that jumping over the dog was the smartest choice.”
She stopped and turned to stare up at him. “Oh, dear, that had to hurt.”
“Excuse me?”
“Apologizing, agreeing with me, and calling me smart, all at the same time?” She huffed out a tiny breath. “That either had to hurt, or you like eating crow.”
He pinched his lips together, mainly because he couldn’t think of a comeback. Normally, he would have, but her smile was blocking his ability to do much other than admire the shine on her face at besting him.
“Are you two whispering again?” Audrey asked. “Should I be wondering about something?”
He and Victoria turned around to face Audrey, then glanced at each other, before he said, “That’s for us to know and you to find out.”
Audrey giggled as she and Jake walked past.
Victoria was looking at him with eyes wide. “Why did you say that?”
“What?” he asked, not understanding her concern. “It was an answer to her question.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you realize what you just did?”
He had to think for a moment as to what she was referring to, and glanced at his sister and Jake walking in the house. Nothing came to mind. “I was joking. It was a joke.”
“She doesn’t think it was a joke.” Victoria pointed at the door. “Everything right now is about their wedding. I bet you a dime to a dollar that she thinks you—we—are whispering about something to do with that. The wedding.”
Lincoln was still dumbfounded, yet a hint of reality struck. She could be right. “Like what?”
She stared at the house door for a moment. “I don’t know. A gift, maybe. Something unique and different.”
He felt deflated, because that was probably exactly what Audrey was thinking. “What would be a unique and different gift?”
“I don’t know, but I bet that’s what she’s thinking, and expecting. Something out of the ordinary.”
He agreed. That would be exactly what Audrey was expecting. Luckily, another thought formed. Having Victoria with him would make his visit to Webster’s tomorrow appear more natural. He’d planned on picking up a little something, just to make the visit legit, but she would have more of an idea of something unique and out of the ordinary. “What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?”
“Nothing that I know of, why?”
“I have to go to Webster’s Department Store in the afternoon. Can you meet me there at three? Help me pick out something?”
“I guess so.”
“Good. I’ll tell William, he’ll be prepared to take you in the carriage.”
“What are you going to buy them?”
“I don’t know, hopefully you’ll see something.” He put pressure on her elbow to escort her to the house.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“You’re the one who said—”
“Not so fast,” he interrupted. “If you’d have just accepted my apology, we’d have kept right on walking into the house and no one would have caught us whispering again.”
She huffed out a breath before hissing, “Oh, hush up.”
“Gladly.” He grinned at getting the best of her, and he opened the house door.