Broken bones, as Madge had so helpfully pointed out.Mangled limbs.Death.
What did she risk by not going?
Adventure, as Madge had also pointed out.A beautiful afternoon with the very gentleman she’d spent all month dreaming about.Life itself passing her by.
“Everything carries risk,” Christopher said gently.“Nothing always works out.Life is about doing it anyway.”
“Not your most confidence-inspiring speech.”She elbowed past him onto her front step.
There was the phaeton.The whip-fast death machine.
A tiny, open-air passenger basket fully exposed to the elements teetered high atop two rickety springs barely wide enough to connect their reckless driver to four uneven wheels—two smaller ones up front near the horses, and two enormous ones at the rear.
Only a madwoman would climb inside.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?”he said with a self-satisfied smile.“May I help you up?”
Gloria glared up at the phaeton.Without help, it would be impossible to get in.They should take that as a sign to stay home instead.
She gave a tight nod.
He grinned and managed to sneak a peck to her cheek as he swung her up and into the phaeton.
Her face heated.She had not been prepared forthatrisk.
He leapt up beside her and expertly led his horses down the snow-dusted road at an impressively sedate pace.
“What do you think?”he asked.
“I didn’t know phaetons could go this slow,” she answered with a tentative smile.
He lifted the reins.“Shall I spur the grays faster?”
“No!”She grabbed his arm to stop him before she realized he was teasing.
“Look around,” he said.“Five minutes and perhaps six feet later, and we’re still alive.The phaeton is still standing.All our bones are intact.”
“For now,” she muttered.
“See?”he said.“New things aren’t inherently bad.This is how I feel when I travel.The unknown can be exhilarating.”
“I agreed we were still alive,” she reminded him.“I never said I found this contraption exhilarating.”
“Let me see if I can change that,” he said and tossed her the reins.
“Eek!”she squeaked, throwing her hands into the air as if the reins would burn like acid.“I said I’ve never driven before!”
He gave her a placid smile.
The horses plodded forward.
She scooped the reins from her lap and tossed them into his.
He crossed his arms, tilted his gaze to the sky, and began to whistle as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
The horses kept clomping.
She snatched the reins from his lap with shaking hands.“As soon as we stop, I’ll kill you.”
