They reached the end and wheeled, exhilaration singing in their veins and lighting their eyes and expressions. They slowed the horses to a walk as they started back along the swath of clipped grass between the track and the woods.
The next group of riders—a trio this time—pounded down the track.
A shot rang out, the sound almost buried beneath the thunder of hooves.
Several yards ahead, a divot appeared as a ball plowed into the ground between his and Melissa’s horses.
Both animals shied.
Shocked, Julian instinctively tightened the reins and looked back.
Because of a slight bend in the track, a stand of trees lay directly behind them. The shot had come from there.
Melissa’s horse was dancing, but she remained in control.
Grim-faced, he met her eyes, wide and startled in a suddenly pale face, and nodded forward. “Go!”
Her lips clamped tight, and she swung her horse toward the top of the track, then gave the mare her head.
He followed close behind.
Several people threw them curious looks as they rode full tilt into the more populated areas of the park, and they slowed their headlong dash to a less eye-catching trot, then to an unremarkable walk.
Julian looked at Melissa.
She met his eyes, disbelief and sheer flabbergastedness writ large in her expression.
He grimaced and nodded in sympathy. “I…” He shook his head. “Did that just happen?”
“I think so.” She drew in a breath, then admitted, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Nor do I.” He glanced around, then nodded ahead. “Let’s ride back to Mount Street.”
They crossed the track, skirted the end of the main body of the Serpentine, and started trotting up the path to the Grosvenor Gate.
The sound of hoofbeats coming up behind them had them glancing around.
Julian relaxed and slowed to a walk as Felix came riding up. He’d known his brother had intended to go riding sometime that morning.
Felix greeted Melissa, then with a faint frown in his eyes, looked at Julian. “What’s going on? I saw the pair of you racing back beside the track as I was going down.”
Julian met Melissa’s gaze, then looked at Felix. “Not here. We were heading to Mount Street, but on reflection, it might be better to go to Carsely House.” To Melissa, he added, “Mama won’t be down yet, and for what we want to talk about, assured privacy might be preferable.”
“Indeed.” She nodded decisively and shook her reins, setting the mare trotting again.
Trying to conceal how grim he felt, Julian signaled to Felix to ride on Melissa’s other side and urged his horse alongside hers as the three of them made for the Grosvenor Gate.
Fifteen minutes later, Julian ushered Melissa into the study at Carsely House and steered her to the group of armchairs angled before the hearth.
Despite the sun, the breeze had been chilly, and Melissa paused to warm her hands at the fire before sinking into one of the wing chairs.
Julian claimed the chair across the hearth, his usual seat, while Felix, after following them in and closing the door, took the armchair to Julian’s right.
Julian exchanged a glance with Melissa, then looked at Felix. “The reason we were racing is because someone shot at us.”
“What?”Felix’s eyes flew wide. “Did you see who it was?”
Julian shook his head. “They shot from somewhere behind us. We were on our way back, just past the bend. I think he was in the woods, on that wooded hillock that, at that point, was more or less directly behind us.”
