Silk and Shadows(40)

"You are a glutton for punishment, your ladyship." Before she could protest, he swept her up in his arms and carried her into the stables.

While Sara had always been conscious of his strength, before it had been a recognition of the mind. Now she was aware with every fiber of her being. She was shaking when he set her down on a bench inside the stable. Physical pain was not the problem, for she had survived a great deal of that in her life. Far more disabling was her helpless, involuntary reaction to his virility.

Oblivious to her mental turmoil, Peregrine said, "With a little rest you should be able to walk, but you won't be riding back to London today."

"I'm sorry to cause so much trouble." She looked down, unable to meet her companion's gaze.

"Don't apologize. This is merely a nuisance, not a disaster. I'll ride down to the gate house and tell the gatekeeper to hire a carriage and driver to take us back when we are ready." He touched her cheek. "Isn't the pain more tolerable than the fear of pain was?"

She nodded, arrested by what she saw in the clear depths of his vivid green eyes. Usually Peregrine was enigmatic, veiled in mystery, but for an instant he let her see deeper. And when he did, she saw a man who knew all there was to know about pain.

That insight helped her master her disordered emotions, and she managed a faint smile. "Remarkable how much you understand."

"Not remarkable in the least." He straightened. "I will be back in a few minutes." After bringing Pansy into the stables, he swung onto Siva and trotted out of the yard.

When the prince was out of sight, Sara leaned her head back against the wooden wall and closed her eyes, feeling weak and foolish. She had been hurting, and the prince had helped her with kindness and efficiency. And because she was vulnerable and grateful, she had responded with that intense physical awareness of him. It had been a momentary aberration, no more.

Determinedly she turned her attention to her throbbing leg. Tomorrow she would hardly be able to get out of bed, but as she cautiously prodded her thigh, she decided that no permanent damage had been done. In a few days she would be back on Pansy. At first she would ride only to the park and back, but in time, she vowed with grim determination, she would be able to ride twenty miles without a second thought.

Lifting her head, she saw that a tabby cat had materialized a yard away, sitting on its haunches and acting as if it had been in the same spot for hours. Amused by its world-weary air, she said, "Well, Furface, did you see me make a fool of myself?"

Taking that as an invitation, the feline made a flying leap onto her lap. Sara winced as it landed on her aching leg, but she couldn't resist the way the cat bumped its head against her ribs in a demand for attention. Scratching the velvety throat, she asked, "Did you see the man who might be your new master? You had better catch mice well for him, because I don't think he will tolerate idlers in his employ."

The cat turned around twice in her lap, then curled up and gave her a smile of imbecilic pleasure as it began purring. There was something very soothing about a cat. In addition, the creature made a good substitute for a warming bottle.

After a few minutes, Sara sighed and put the indignant cat back on the floor. Then she stood and began making her slow way through the stables, her right hand skimming the wall for support. It was easier to concentrate on the mundane business of walking than to think about the man whose casual touch could change her into a woman who was a stranger to herself.





Chapter 8





After sending the gatekeeper to arrange for a carriage, Peregrine remounted Siva and rode back to the house, taking his time as he reconsidered his strategy. He had intended to make a major move in his campaign to detach Lady Sara from Weldon today.

From the beginning she had been attracted to him, though she was both too innocent and too ladylike to act on her interest. He had moved slowly, careful not to alarm her until he was sure that she was ripe for seduction. Not that he was sure he would allow matters to go that far, for seducing a noble English virgin was likely to cause complications he didn't need. But he suspected that Sara's attachment to her betrothed was not very deep. A little judicious love-making should help persuade her that marriage would be a mistake.

However, while Peregrine had confidence in his skills, a woman who was in pain was a poor subject for seduction. He should have insisted that they come by carriage, but he had admired her courage and determination. He still did, even though her desire to come on horseback had produced a result that would balk his plan for the day.

Once more he stopped at the top of the drive and regarded Sulgrave Manor with brooding eyes. Buying a country estate had merely been part of his plan to establish himself in English society, with the added benefit of providing an excuse to be alone with Lady Sara. It had been a surprise, and not a pleasant one when he had reacted so strongly to his first sight of the manor. It was dangerous to want something so much, because desire and affection made a man vulnerable.