The Rebellious Debutante by Meg Alexander

Author:Meg Alexander [Alexander, Meg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2002-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

As Rushmore had predicted, the weather continued to hold fair and two days later the party assembled at Laura Place for their expedition.

Perdita inspected her mount with unaffected pleasure. As he had promised, the Earl had chosen the best of what the local livery stable had to offer, both for herself and for Amy. Blaze was a mettlesome chestnut and his half-brother slightly darker in colour except that he lacked the distinctive white flash which had given Blaze his name.

‘Well, Miss Wentworth, will they do?’ The Earl was smiling down at her.

‘We could not wish for better,’ she announced warmly. ‘May I take Blaze? He seems so friendly.’ For an instant she rested her cheek against the horse’s massive head, and he made no move to pull away. ‘Amy, shall you be happy with his brother?’

‘Will I not!’ Amy was already in the saddle. ‘Is this not the best scheme in the world? How I’ve missed our rides in London.’ She bent to pat her horse’s neck. ‘Lancer is so fresh…he’s longing for a gallop.’

‘But not through the town, I beg of you, Miss Amy!’ Rushmore’s smile robbed his words of all offence. ‘Let us take it slowly until we reach the open country.’

Amy laughed. ‘It shall be as you say, my lord. Our cavalcade will proceed with all decorum.’ She glanced behind her. ‘Lord, what a crowd we are! Do we need quite so many grooms?’

The Earl regarded her gravely. ‘Miss Langrishe’s chef is on his mettle,’ he announced. ‘Though he disapproves in general of eating out of doors he intends to prove the haute cuisine is not beyond his powers even there…’

Amy giggled. ‘So we have a full staff for our alfresco picnic? I wonder if he has sent along the family silver?’

‘I should not be the least surprised. I suggested that the White Hart could well provide sufficient for our needs in the way of food and drink, but I was turned down out of hand.’

‘A new experience for you, my lord?’ Perdita observed mischievously.

‘On the contrary, Miss Wentworth. It has happened all too frequently in recent weeks.’ He was laughing down at her and she blushed, turning away quickly before he could offer to help her to mount, and accepting the assistance of one of the grooms.

Amy led the way, accompanied by Henry. She knew Bath well, and took the road to the north-west, out of the town. The gradient was steep, but they rode at a leisurely pace until they reached the heights above. There Amy stopped and threw out her arm in an extravagant gesture.

‘I love this place,’ she cried. ‘Is it not a perfect jewel, set in the bowl of the hills? It was so clever of the Romans to discover the warm springs. Did you know that they called it Aqua Sulis?’

Her enthusiasm brought a smile from the rest of the party, though Henry could not resist the opportunity to tease her. He grimaced.

‘Are we to have a history lesson?’ he cried.

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