An Earl by Any Other Name(31)

"He must have asked you before breakfast, given that neither of you dined with us this morning." Owen's eyes narrowed on Leo, one brow arching up in silent challenge. The threat of retaliation was clear, only Ivy didn't know exactly in what manner Leo's friend would avenge himself. Men were such odd creatures, completely insensible when it came to fighting for possession of something.

Her father clapped Owen on the shoulder and dragged him back a step. "You and I will hunt together, Mr. Hadley."

"Good," Leo answered. "We're all settled. I believe the gamekeepers are ready." Leo placed a hand on the lower part of Ivy's back, just above her bottom. Warmth spread outward from his touch, even though she couldn't feel the heat of his hand through the thick layers of her clothes. Lord, she would miss feeling this intimacy and heat. He made her want to forget her promise to stay unwed, but she had to hold fast to her dreams lest she fail the next generation of women.

They trudged off toward the woods, the rest of the hunting party behind them. Mr. Atherton and Mr. Pevenly had teamed up, while Lord Pepperwirth had gallantly stayed behind to keep the ladies company. Of the ladies, only Ivy had chosen to brave the cold forest. It had been that or face Mildred's glowering countenance over the rim of a teacup all morning.

No thank you. I will most certainly pass on that unpleasant event.

The grass ahead of them turned from a greenish-brown mess to thick, knee-high wheat-colored strands as the shooting party left the manicured lawns behind them. The pairs began to spread out as the gamekeepers moved ahead of them, flushing pheasants out.

Ivy remained at Leo's side, watching him raise his rifle, take careful aim, and bring a bird down. It spiraled toward the earth, and she felt a pang of sadness. She clenched a fist and raised it to her chest over her heart. Her father had often teased her for having too soft a spot for creatures great and small. In truth, though, she knew he liked that she cared so much about the animals. Romani valued nature. The beasts and birds was a part of her soul, bone-deep.

Leo was a cautious hunter. He didn't take every shot, even when it was an easy one. There were times when the pheasants flew overhead, and he simply leaned forward on one leg and watched in silent admiration as they passed by.

"You are not shooting much, my lord," she commented. It puzzled her that a man who clung to tradition was not frantically killing birds in order to compete with the others, who no doubt wished to kill several hundred before the day was through.

He lowered his gun and studied the skies, then swept his gaze over the field, as though noting the other shooters' locations.

"I have a feeling you were attempting to judge me, Miss Leighton." He finally turned to study her. The intensity of his eyes on her was so strong that she felt the touch of invisible hands sliding over her body.

"I don't intend to," she replied, her tone barely above a whisper. "Only to understand."


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He sighed and gestured for her to walk deeper into the woods, away from the rest of the shooting party. She obeyed without a question, and he joined her, keeping pace.

"I have no need to kill beyond that which the cooks require for the feast. Unlike many of my peers, I see no reason to fluff my pride through shooting unnecessarily. Why should I strike a creature down and end its life solely to prove I'm a crack shot? I hope no species ever outdevelops man and takes such a callous and shallow view of our lives."

His words were thought-provoking and made perfect sense. He respected life, all life. Like a Romani. Like her. That was more in tune with the young man she had known as a child. The young man who had stolen her heart …

"And what of you, Ivy?" He had abandoned calling her Miss Leighton, and she was glad of it.

Despite their quarrel the night before, she still desired a level of intimacy with him. They could not come together as she wished, not while he planned to marry Mildred and she was determined never to marry, but at least she could have this, whatever this was.

"I agree with you. Life should be valued. Each creature should have the right to exist and live the way it was meant to, arguments for necessary food aside, of course." She paused, wondering if she could explain further. "It is why I care about women's suffrage."

"Pheasant hunting and the issue of women voting have something in common?" He chuckled, the sound filled with genuine warmth rather than biting arrogance.

Despite his amusement, he wasn't mocking her.