THE GUN KETCH

is he not, sir? Joy of the morning, sir.'

'Mister Lewrie,' Harry Embleton replied, sounding a bit arch as he squinted his close-set eyes at him, then just as quickly lost interest and turned his gaze to Caroline. 'Well, shall we have our ride, my dear?' he asked, turning almost cloyingly mild.

'Mister Embleton, I do recall that my uncle did give us his permission, but I considered that was dependent upon whether I gave my consent to it,' Caroline replied. 'In fact, in the excitement of Mister Lewrie's arrival, I quite forgot it. Perhaps you should talk with Uncle Phineas, and me, for another time.'

God, the girl has steel in her backbone, Alan exulted!

'Well, since we are all here, that is…' Harry suggested, looking extremely miffed and hunching down into his coat collar.

Since there was no way to turn him down without being rude, she heaved a small sigh to show the slightest bit of exasperation at his intrusion, and allowed as how they might ride for a piece together.

'If you would assist me, Alan?' she asked after he brought her mare to her. Embleton sprang down from his saddle to come to her side but Caroline was already taking Alan's offered hand to steady her as she put a booted foot in the stirrup and got aboard. 'My thanks to you, Alan.' Leaving Harry flicking reins on his boots foolishly.

'Any time, Caroline.' Lewrie smiled, looking up at her. And it mattered to him to see how she would handle this; most women he'd known would have exulted in having two men snarling over them, and would have gotten a certain joy out of the heightening of a bad situation.

Alan crossed to his gelding and mounted, then walked up to her side. 'Well, where to, now? Down towards that middle stream you told me of? After clawing up this hill, I'm sure the horses could use some water.'

'Yes, that sounds pleasant,' she replied, and led off without a backward glance. Harry and Alan caught her up and rode to either side of her.

'A lovely morning,' Harry Embleton said. 'D'ye know that we put up a fox on the way over. Be good sport. Wish we had the hounds with us. Do you hunt, Lewrie?'

'Not for a long time, in Kent. Cruel, it is,' Alan replied.

'Blood sport not t'yer taste, then? My word, you've come to the wrong place, hey, Caroline?' Harry guffawed.

'I was speaking of the horses, sir,' Alan smiled evenly. 'Too much neck-or-nothing, like a steeplechase, these days. Now a proper hunt, you have to stop and let the dogs have their scent, take care of your animals. I've seen too many fine horses put down to some fool's carelessness to suit me.'

'I do think it cruel as well to kill a blooded horse for the momentary joy of chasing a fox, whose pelt price would not buy a new saddle-pad, Mister Embleton,' Caroline added. 'Much as I love riding and going hard 'cross- country, I'd never lash little Sabina here to her death.' She patted the neck of her mare lovingly. 'And the hunt does result in a lot of damage to crops and such. Surely, snares are to be preferred to keep down the fox population.'

'Foxes be too clever t'snare, Miss Chiswick,' Lane said from behind.' 'E takes too many rabbits'n hens. An' it's good sport!' 'Caroline has ridden on our hunt, haven't you, my dear? I had no idea you disliked it so,' Harry pouted.

'I did not say I disliked it, Mister Embleton. I merely said that some are too heedless of their horses.' She replied without turning to look at him. 'Now, last fall, you lost that fine gray taking a fence, when the gate was open not a furlong farther down to let the dogs through. And think of the colts you could have had from that black that fell going down the steep bank. A thousand guineas lost!'

'Don't trouble your head about profit or loss, Caroline,' the Honourable Harry stated with a little titter of amusement. 'They gave good sport in their lives, and that's what horses are for. And we own enough of them. Mister Lewrie, I say, you ride well, I see. Perhaps you might be interested in taking a look at Douglas's mount there. I think you could appreciate his formation. Douglas, here, you ride with Mister Lewrie for a span, whilst I and Caroline go ahead.'

'I see he's a good'un,' Alan said, turning in the saddle to eye the horse in question, then turning back. 'I'm more taken with Sabina here. Is she from Governour's stud, Caroline?'

'Indeed she is, Alan. Isn't she beautiful?' Caroline waxed almost rhapsodic about her mare, who perked her ears up and arched her neck as she was praised. 'She's such a bighearted old baby, I cannot tell you how often she's gone the limit, when she knows she should quit. Good-gaited, too! And on a canter, you'd think you were in an armchair!'

They discussed the finer points of the mare to exhaustion, and to the total disregard for the earnest Harry Embleton, who sulked on the far side, his ears burning and his breakfast congealing into some stony lump in his stomach.

'And what are the horses like in India, Alan? Did you get to ride while you were there?' Caroline demanded to know. 'Heavens, more to the point, what is India like! Your letters told me some, but not in such detail as I would have liked.'

'Well, picture…' Alan began, happy to monopolize another topic which might be good for the rest of the morning.

'You exchanged letters?' Harry sniffed. That did not sound very promising, and he felt another spasm of jealousy and hatred for this interloper. He hadn't known that they wrote each other! Such was for people already plighted or betrothed, or those who would be when circumstances allowed, dammit all!

'Oh, yes. Father gave his permission in Charleston, long ago, Mister Embleton,' Caroline told him, looking in his direction for the first time in half an hour.

'But he's… I mean, your uncle… he is aware…' Embleton flustered, almost drawing rein to pull away.

'That my father is no longer able to direct the affairs of his children, Mister Embleton?' Caroline huffed, not liking to be reminded of that fact. 'And, at twenty-two, I am hardly a minor to have to ask with whom I am able to correspond.'

'As a friend of the family,' Embleton sighed, finding a cause for relief. 'I see.'

'As a friend of our family, certainly,' Caroline said, turning to smile at Lewrie. 'As one of my dearest acquaintances, as well.'

'A lovely spot, this,' Alan said, pointing to the grove of willows by the little freshet toward which they'd been riding. 'God, wish we'd thought to pack a lunch. Have what the Frogs call a pique- nique.'

'We could do that tomorrow!' Caroline exclaimed. 'Oh, let's do!'

'Or we could ride back to the house and put one together now!' Alan suggested. 'It's what, mile and a half out and back?' He took his watch from his pocket and studied it. 'Just in time for dinner.'

'Will you ride with us back to the house, Mister Embleton?' Caroline asked him. 'Perhaps you could dine with Uncle Phineas and Governour. And I know Millicent hasn't seen you since last Sunday church. You owe your good sister a visit, you know,' she concluded with mock severity, then turned back to Lewrie. 'Should I bring my flute, do you think? If you do not find my playing tedious.'

'I insist on the flute,' Alan laughed. 'I was quite taken with your playing last night. It was only then I learned you were so musical. And talented. A French-style pique-nique, a bottle of wine, and music! What could be grander!'

'Give my regards t'my sister,' Harry Embleton glowered, turning turkey-wattle red at not being invited to join them. 'I've things to see to at home, then. For today, at any rate. My dearest Caroline, allow me to call upon you for another ride, soon? I shall speak to yer uncle, then, for his permission?'You may speak with my uncle, Mister Embleton,'

Caroline said with a touch of ice, sidling her mare round in a small circle to end up with Alan almost between them. 'We shall see.'

'G… good day to you, Caroline,' Harry grumped, sweeping off his hat and mating a bow. 'And to you, Lewrie.'

'Good day, Mister Embleton,' Caroline nodded.

'Joy o' the mornin', Mister Embleton,' Alan said with a grin, raising his own hat in parting.