Lara Temple - The Reluctant Viscount

She stared at this amazing treasure, a tribute to the Roman goddess of clemency and forgiveness, her heart thumping uncomfortably. After a moment she pressed the tips of her fingers to her eyes, wishing she wasn’t such a fool. It was ridiculous to cry. It was ridiculous to feel anything because of him. She knew this gesture meant nothing. Selfish people were very good at manipulation. Her father was a master at interspersing his domineering commands with clever wheedling and Rowena usually managed to convince everyone around her to do precisely what she wanted in the end. Ten years ago Alyssa had believed Adam was very different, but that had been as much a fiction as any adventure tale she had ever read.

Well, she was through with selfish people who did what they pleased and then thought they could manipulate their victims into forgiving them. She was not a child any longer and she would give no one such power over her ever again. Adam was not a man worth risking her heart over a second time, even in the extremely unlikely event someone like him, who had enjoyed the favours of beautiful women all around the globe, might be interested in a thoroughly provincial oddity who was only mildly pretty. She shoved the coin back into its little pouch. She would return it to Lord Delacort as soon as possible. In a couple of weeks he would be gone from Mowbray once again and everything would return to normal.

* * *

The following morning, Alyssa dressed for walking and set out towards Mare’s Rise. She had debated how to return the coin in the most discreet manner possible, which meant she couldn’t have Betsy deliver it or send it by post. She tried to imagine what the gossipy postmaster, Mr Curtis, would make of it if she asked to send a package to Lord Delacort. Finally she decided her best chance was to waylay Lord Delacort near Mare’s Rise. It was common knowledge he had taken to galloping his thoroughbred, Thunder, along the straight stretch past the rise every morning and this was likely to be her best chance to see him alone and be able to return the coin privately.

It did not take her long to reach Mare’s Rise and before she had even made it to the top she heard the pulse of hooves approaching. She stood on the crest of the small hillock and watched as Thunder lived up to his name, moving across the field towards the lane that ran through the woods so fast he hardly seemed to need the ground beneath him to stay in motion. Rider and horse were beautiful together, she thought. Then they disappeared into the trees. She started walking down the rise, watching the point where they should come into sight again, then stopped abruptly.

The squeal of the horse was so unexpected she wondered if it was perhaps a bird’s cry. Then she picked up her skirt and ran the rest of the way, forcing her way through the low, tight trees and brush that lined the path.

Thunder was standing over Adam and she could hardly see the man, only that he was stretched out on his side on the ground, unmoving. Thunder raised his head at her approach and nickered and Alyssa saw Adam was already raising himself on one elbow. But she didn’t stop running until she had reached them.

‘Are you all right?’ she gasped, clutching her side. ‘Don’t get up yet.’

Adam was still holding Thunder’s reins, but he let them go to brush at the dirt and leaves that clung to him and directed a puzzled look at his horse.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

Alyssa refrained from stating the obvious. ‘I didn’t see the fall. I just heard Thunder cry out and then nothing. He may have tripped in a rabbit hole. Were you off the path?’

Adam pulled himself to his feet with a groan and she resisted the urge to help him.

‘Right in the middle,’ he replied, brushing leaves and twigs from his coat. ‘I always stay in the middle between the trees if we’re coming in fast. There are definitely no rabbit holes or anything there.’

Alyssa frowned and moved towards Thunder. He stood calmly, his left foreleg resting on the tip of the hoof. She bent down to glance at his knee and cannon bone, but aside from scratches she could see no damage, so she turned in the direction they had come from and took a few steps down the lane. The ground was damp and she could clearly see where Thunder had stumbled. She went next towards the trees and knelt down again when she found what she was looking for. After a moment she pushed to her feet, ramming into Adam, who had come to stand behind her. He winced.

‘Careful. I’ve had all the damage I can bear for one day. Let me see.’

She tried to stop him, but then realised the absurdity of the gesture and stood back. He didn’t say a word as he took in the thin stretch of dun-coloured rope wrapped very low around the trunk of a poplar tree.

‘That’s one hell of a prank,’ he said slowly. ‘Did you see anyone around here?’

Alyssa shook her head and after a moment’s hesitation she kneeled down again. She extracted a pair of small scissors from her reticule and sawed off the string.

Adam watched.

‘A memento of my near demise?’

She glanced up at him.

‘Don’t be flippant. You might just as easily have broken your neck at that speed. You are lucky Thunder didn’t break his knees.’

‘Thunder!’ Adam exclaimed, as if waking up, and went back to crouch down by his horse, running his hand gently down the stallion’s legs. Thunder whinnied and nudged Adam with his muzzle.

‘It seems we are both luckier than we deserve, old boy,’ Adam said quietly. ‘Just scrapes and bruises, but we will have Jem put something on that, just in case.’

‘You should have someone put something on you, too,’ Alyssa said, holding out a handkerchief. ‘You’re bleeding.’

Adam glanced down at the small white square of linen she extended.

‘Does this white flag mean you’ve accepted my token of penance?’

She blinked. She had forgotten why she had come. She opened her reticule once again and extracted the silk pouch, holding it out as she had the handkerchief.

‘I can’t keep the coin. It’s too valuable. And besides, I shouldn’t have become so angry—’

‘You had every right,’ he interrupted her, but she raised her hand. She was very aware of the muddy rope she was still holding and she had the uncomfortable sensation of being watched.

‘I may have had the right, but it was still foolish. And a waste of energy. But there is no point in discussing this. You should get Thunder back home. And put something on those scratches.’

‘I’m not eight years old, you know.’

‘So you say. Please take the coin.’

‘It’s a gift. I don’t take back gifts.’

‘Oh, for once, would you not argue! And we shouldn’t be standing here like this. Not after what happened!’

His eyes narrowed.

‘You really are worried, aren’t you? It was just a stupid children’s prank. If they had known what they were doing, they would have secured it higher off the ground. They probably didn’t even realise anything serious might happen.’

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

‘Fine. If you won’t take it, I will send it by the post, which will be unnecessarily embarrassing and costly.’

He ignored her comment and glanced around the forest, frowning.

‘Come, walk with me back to the Hall and I will send you home in the gig. I need to see Thunder back to the stables and I don’t want you walking back alone.’

‘It’s not far...’ she began.

‘I know it isn’t, but if there are mischief-makers out there now, I don’t want you alone with them. Come, you can make sure I don’t keel over on the way, weak from blood loss.’

She smiled reluctantly.

‘So now it is serious.’

‘Of course it is serious. How am I supposed to attend the dance with my face looking as if I’ve been tied in a sack with a wild cat?’