Bitterleaf by Lisa Gregory

Author:Lisa Gregory [Gregory, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780515063332
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Published: 1983-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

❧

Daniel considered the dance a great success. Even Meredith had to admit it had gone well. Now that it was past, however, she had more time to dread her wedding day. She concentrated on sewing her wedding dress and embroidering the sheets and pillowcases, trying very hard to ignore the seductive nightclothes that Lydia was spending her time on.

The fair was the week after the ball, culminating in the race the following Saturday. Jeremy took Meredith and Lydia to the fair on Friday, as Daniel did not feel well enough to accompany the ladies. Meredith normally visited the booths that sold various wares, ignoring the entertainments. This time, however, Jeremy insisted she see everything, dragging her from the booth where brass bowls were sold to watch the acrobats and jugglers. Meredith stared at the men balancing on each other's shoulders, then doing flips off them, both backward and forward. Unconsciously she clutched Jeremy's arm. He patted her hand soothingly. "It's all right." he assured her. "They're talented men, my pet."

She grimaced at his endearment and, realizing how she was gripping his arm, dropped her hand and moved several inches away. He glanced at her with clear amusement, but Meredith raised her chin, refusing to let Jeremy embarrass or intimidate her. She was furious to note that her distance didn't bother him at all. He merely turned and talked to Lydia. who stood on his other side. Meredith fumed, her mind dancing with jealous images. She was surprised. Jeremy and Lydia hadn't contrived to "lose" her so they could spend the time alone. Meredith spent the rest of her visit to the fair in a disgruntled mood, made worse by the fact that Jeremy completely ignored it.

She was so irritated by Jeremy that she considered not attending the race the next day, but soon decided it would be an insult to Daniel if she did not. Besides, she had to admit she had a stirring of interest about the outcome. Although Meredith was not the sporting type, she wanted to see Equilibrium race after all the times she had watched him run across the meadow.

The race began early the following afternoon at Creighton Meadow, an almost perfectly flat piece of land on Carroll Wayne's plantation. Wayne used it to pasture his cattle, so the grass was cropped down. It was the best place to race for miles around. The spectators lined up in their carriages and open "chairs" on either side of the raceway. Daniel's coachman maneuvered their carriage into a prime spot at the end of the course, where they would be able to see the winner clearly.

Meredith, wrapping her full cloak around her against the cold, peered at the starting line at the far end, where several men walked about, leading their elegant horses by the reins. It didn't take her long to spot Jeremy among them. He was taller than the others and broader of chest. His hair, lacking powder, blazed a bright gold in the sun. He

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