The Diabolical Baron by Mary Jo Putney

Author:Mary Jo Putney [Putney, Mary Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Regency Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1987-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Jason awoke at dawn and indulged himself with a satisfied leonine stretch. It was good to be home in his own bed after ten days’ absence.

He had intended to return sooner, but some genuine business had cropped up and delayed his return. He’d collected George Fitzwilliam in London and they had arrived late the night before, after the rest of the household had retired. Knowing George’s habits, he didn’t expect to see him before ten o’clock even in the country.

He rose and looked out at the brightening sky. The dawn chorus of birds sang industriously and the Cotswold hills lay partially garbed in a pastel-tinted haze. It had been one of the fairest summers in his memory. The farmer in him wondered if there had been sufficient rain for the crops, but he firmly quashed the thought while he donned his riding clothes.

When he reached the stables his good mood was threatened by the absence of his favorite horse, Caesar. This early, even the stablehands were not stirring; certainly it wasn’t a normal hour for exercising the stallion.

Perhaps one of the younger lads was stealing a ride on the horse generally reserved for the master or the head groom. Making a mental note to check into the matter later, he saddled a large roan gelding he was schooling as a hunter.

The morning fulfilled its promise as he cantered east into the sunrise. He drew a deep breath of Wildehaven air, thinking how surprised his London acquaintances would be to know how much he enjoyed being home in the country.

Though it was amusing to play the bored man of fashion in the city, that was only a facade, suitable for short stretches of time. He felt a fierce sense of connection with his own land and could easily imagine defending it to the death in an earlier, more barbaric century.

He was reveling in his pride of place when he saw a horse cresting the hill above him. Caesar was readily identifiable by his size and gait, but he didn’t recognize the rider silhouetted against the rising sun.

The slim figure appeared to be one of the stableboys. Jason called out and urged the roan uphill. Caesar’s rider reined back, apparently torn between fleeing and staying in the face of Radford’s obvious desire to intercept.

The rider stayed. Had he sought to escape, it would have been difficult to catch him—Caesar was the fastest animal on the estate and didn’t appear to be carrying much weight.

The windblown red hair gave her away. Slim and boyish, she was simply dressed in breeches and shirt with her hair tied back by a scarf. As she eyed him with the wariness of a lad caught in mischief, she looked even younger than the seventeen years she had when first they met.

Still feeling expansive, Jason hailed her cheerfully. “Good morning! I trust my favorite horse pleases you?”

Jessica looked defensive. “You did give me the freedom of the stables, my lord.”

“A freedom you have taken advantage of,” he said with a pointed glance at her costume.

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