Katie shook her head. “I don’t ride.”
“This is Blossom,” he said, pointing to the mare. “She’s gentle. My mother rides her all the time.”
Katie shook her head. “I don’t ride.”
“Have you never ridden a horse before, or do you simply not enjoy it?”
“I’ve ridden, and I don’t enjoy it.” That was an understatement. She was terrified of horses. They were enormous and had huge teeth that could bite a finger off.
“Well, it’s only three miles to the village. You needn’t ride for long.”
Katie shook her head. “I won’t ride that beast.”
“Blossom? Blossom is hardly a beast. She won’t even go faster than a trot, and she trots only with considerable bribery.” He held out his hand. “Come, I will hand you up.”
The groom gave her a reassuring smile, but Katie dug her heels in. “I cannot. If you won’t use the carriage, we shall walk.”
Carlisle turned his back on the groom and said to Katie,sotto voce, “I thought you needed to be back before your companion was up and about. If we walk, by the time we reach the village, we’ll need to be back again.”
“Then I suppose I cannot go. Except—” Katie blew out a breath. Sheneededto speak to the steward. The man was obviously not coming to her, so she had better go to him. She eyed the horse again.
Blossom. What a ridiculous name. She could tell the beast simplylookeddocile and quiet and really wanted to sink her teeth into Katie. She straightened her shoulders and took a breath. Carlisle, understanding she was willing to try again, heldout his hand. She squeezed it tightly. This time she actually came close to Blossom’s stirrup.
And that was when her entire body revolted, and she took a step back again. “I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” Carlisle said. “Excuse me a moment.” He stepped to the groom to have a quiet word. Katie stared at Blossom, who blinked at her slowly with long-lashed, liquid brown eyes. Vicious creature.
“Yes, Your Grace,” the groom said, leading Blossom away. In the meantime, Carlisle mounted his own beast, a large gray gelding who stamped his feet impatiently.
“Lady Katherine,” Carlisle said. “I forgot to mention one thing to you.”
“What is it?” she said, eyeing the horse cautiously. She was so angry at herself. All of this trouble and now she wouldn’t meet the steward.
“Come closer so we might speak privately.”
Katie didn’t like the idea of moving closer, but she did so, keeping one eye on the gelding. Carlisle took her hand and made to lean down.
And then he was lifting her up, assisted by the groom, and settling her on the saddle before him.
“What are you doing?” she screeched, trying to jump back off. But Carlisle wrapped his arms about her waist and held her tight. A groom held the gelding’s reins, though it was clear, from the way the beast was blowing and stepping this way and that, he didn’t like the commotion going on above him.
“Shh,” Carlisle said, his breath tickling her ear. “I have you.”
Katie continued to struggle. “Let me down.”
“I will let you down, but then you won’t go to Dunwich, and you certainly won’t speak to Mr. Gillett.”
Katie was sorely tempted to agree to those terms, but she gritted her teeth and tried to take a deep breath. The latter wasalmost impossible, as her chest was tight. However, the horse was quieter now, and no longer skittering about quite so much. Perhaps if she simply closed her eyes, she could pretend she were not on the horse? How long would the torture last? A quarter hour at most?
“Fine. I’ll ride with you.”
“What was that? I believe you must actually move your jaw to be understood.”
She could hear the smile in his voice, and she would have smacked him if she hadn’t been afraid he might accidentally release her. She could imagine tumbling to the ground and being trampled by the bloodthirsty horse.
“You heard me,” she said through clenched teeth.
“I did.” And with that, he removed one arm from about her waist, still managing to hold her tightly with the other. The groom tossed him the reins, and Carlisle made some sort of clicking sound with his tongue. He nudged the horse forward, and the next thing Katie knew, they were moving.
