Thea rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling deeper into him. “It is so nice being in your arms. I want to stay here forever.”
“I certainly would hold you in my arms as long as you wanted to be in them,” he replied, his eyes focusing on dark dots moving in the distance. “However, I fear your brother would have something to say about it.”
“Freddie is such a stickler for propriety,” she said, her tone annoyed even though her body remained relaxed within his arms. “Everything is either black or it’s white, nothing in between.”
“But he did break some social bounds by informing you that you could have a say in who your husband will be,” Liam said, not daring to look at her.
“I know, so perhaps there is some hope for him after all.”
Thea lifted her head to meet his gaze. “If he says I am to marry the Baron of Ampleforth, then I will refuse. He cannot force me to marry anyone against my will.”
Oddly, Liam had never thought of that. “I suppose I expected that if he did, you would comply.”
“You have not been paying much attention all these years, then.”
He laughed, trying not to jostle her. “I suppose my own fears got in the way of some things.”
“Mine as well,” she admitted, resting her head on his shoulder again. “Perhaps in time, I can convince Freddie of the genuine love we have for each other, and he will permit us to marry.”
“Uh, perhaps you should not appear quite so comfortable while I carry you. Your esteemed brother approaches with a band of servants. He might suspect something if he does not already.”
Thea lifted her head from his shoulder. “You were right. My horse going back to the stable informed them something happened.”
“Horses returning without their riders tend to do that.”
Liam felt her shift in his arms slightly, her haughty expression returning to her lovely face. “Do I look like I am in love with you?”
Liam glanced down and grinned. “You appear as though you hate me and cannot stand being in my arms.”
“Good. Now put your stony expression on.”
Liam schooled his face into that of the well-trained footman, the one who merely performed his duty in carrying his mistress home after a bad fall from her horse. While he hated the subterfuge, he knew they both had no choice in the matter. For the time, at least.
Lord Willowdale, riding a bay horse, spurred his beast into a gallop toward them, the grooms and footmen running in his wake. “What the devil happened?” he shouted, curbing the animal in sharply as he reached them. Leaping from the horse even before it came to a slithering halt, its rear quarters slung low, he ran across the short distance.
Liam bent and carefully set Thea on her feet. He bowed and stepped aside to permit Thea to do the talking as Lord Willowdale stopped in front of her, his eyes switching from her face to her bandaged left arm to her face again.
“You were right, Freddie,” Thea said, her voice weaker than when he had held her in his arms. Liam wondered if it was feigned so that Lord Willowdale would not suspect anything going on between them. “That villain tried to kill me.”
“Good Lord,” Lord Willowdale thundered, reaching for her but not touching, his brows lowered in anger. “Tell me what happened, Thea. Are you all right?”
“I broke my arm when I came off my horse,” she said. “The assassin popped up with a rifle and tried to shoot me. My mare threw me. He would have shot me with a pistol, but the other footman, John, distracted him. John is dead, Freddie.”
“My Lord,” Liam said, his tone formal. “I tried to shoot him, but I fear I missed. I wrapped Miss Miller’s broken arm, and carried her toward home, as you saw.”
Lord Willowdale alternated looking between Thea and Liam, his jaw loose, his pale brown eyes wide. “Good Lord,” he repeated, his voice low, shocked. “The other footman who escorted you is dead? Oh, no. That is terrible news.” He stared off into the distance for a moment, a muscle in his jaw flexing. “All right. Thea, I am going to set you on my horse. Where is the dead man?”
Liam turned, pointing. “About a half a mile up the path, My Lord.”
Lord Willowdale gestured toward six of the grooms and footmen who accompanied him. “I need you to fetch him back. He saved my sister’s life. He will be buried with honor.” Lord Willowdale turned to Liam. “Did he have family, do you know?”
“He had no wife or children.”
Lord Willowdale nodded, distracted and upset, but picked Thea up and set her on the horse. Thea sat astride the saddle, her face wincing in pain as her arm was jolted. Lord Willowdale instantly apologized. “I am sorry, Thea. I did not mean to hurt you.”
“Do not worry, Freddie. You could not help it.”
Lord Willowdale picked up the reins and began to walk, gesturing for Liam to walk with him, back down the path. “Thank you, yet again, Mr. Carter, for coming to the aid of my sister.”
