But when the men returned this time, they’d be expecting to hear whom she’d decided to marry.
She stared up at the underside of the mint-green canopy she’d begged for in her girlhood. Although their parents had depleted the family fortune financing the king in the Civil War, Jason had always seen to it that she’d never wanted for anything. To the best of his abilities, he’d indulged her every whim. Would he really force her to marry now?
He had seemed rather serious…
With a huff, she rose and pulled on her new hunter-green riding habit. She ran a comb through her hair, not bothering to call her maid in to curl and pin it. Amy would be here within the hour, but she needed to think. Alone.
In no time at all, she was mounted on Pandora, her mare, galloping across the Sussex Downs. Her brothers would be mightily vexed if they knew she was riding unescorted, but the three of them could go hang for all she cared right now.
Besides, they were away all weekend and would never know.
The fresh country air eased her aching head, but just thinking about that weasel Lechmere made her shiver. And the rest of her prospects weren’t much better.
The Earl of Shrewsbury came complete with a meddling mother—the “shrew” in her title was all too fitting. The Marquess of Rochford was a widower and kind enough, but his hair was completely gray—doubtless from dealing with his seven unruly children. Viscount Davenport didn’t talk, he whined. The Duke of Lancashire lived in, well, Lancashire—which was entirely too far from her family. The Earl of Morely was wealthy and kind, but nearing fifty. Lord Rosslyn was young, handsome, and fun loving, but lacking somewhat in brains. She wondered if he could read.
Jason couldn’t be serious.
Coming out of her thoughts, she slowed to a stop. She hadn’t realized how far she’d ridden. In fact, she noticed with a start, she was at the same spot where they’d seen the highwayman yesterday.
His friends had been atop that hill, lying on their stomachs, their hats pulled down to conceal their faces, training an impressive assortment of pistols on the hapless Puritan.
This morning, the hill was deserted and the highwayman nowhere in sight. In an attempt to judge the time, Kendra glanced at the sky, but it was all clouded over. The day was turning beastly. Not cold, but muggy, with a definite threat of rain. With no sun to confirm it, she guessed the time to be about ten o’clock. Perhaps highwaymen slept in.
Plainly, highway robbery wasn’t a full-time occupation. Not that she had any idea of what she’d have done if the highwayman had been here. Run for her life, in all probability. But she drifted into a vague reverie, seeing herself riding down the road at breakneck speed, her long, dark red hair floating on the breeze, impressing him with her horsemanship and her grace. In her fantasy he stared after her, openmouthed with surprise and appreciation, struck temporarily dumb by a bolt of…love at first sight.
Well, second sight, actually—but he hadn’t paid any attention to her the first time, so surely that didn’t count.
Then she would turn around, ride back, stop in the middle of the road, right in front of him, and slide off Pandora slowly…so slowly. Still gazing at her, he’d come forward, reaching her in two or three of his long strides, his large, strong hands spanning her waist as he eased her to the ground. And then…
She had no idea. Inexperience didn’t make for detailed fantasies. And she certainly wouldn’t have anything to do with a highwayman, anyway. Her reverie wasn’t only boring, it was absurd.
But instead of turning back, she rode along the crest of the hill a spell, then turned away from the lane. And there, perhaps a hundred feet distant, was a very mysterious mound.
It wasn’t sculpted by nature, Kendra realized immediately. Its shape was angular, its surface dirt, not grass.
A grave. A fresh grave.
Her hands tightened on the reins as she approached the tomb. Who could be buried there? The highwayman? A victim of his? Either one was unthinkable. She bit the inside of her cheek, worrying the soft flesh with her teeth.
A single raindrop fell on one of her clenched fists, and a gust of wind whooshed as she reached the mound. From her perch atop Pandora, she saw the loose dirt blow across it, revealing a sheet of canvas underneath. Her heart hammered at the sight. Was the body not buried properly, then—just covered with a spot of fabric?
She slid off Pandora and led her forward to investigate. Leaning down, she took a corner of the canvas, just a corner, in two shaking fingers and lifted it…
If her brothers had been here, they’d have told her, as usual, not to jump to conclusions. And this time, they’d have been right. Her shout of laughter rang across the Downs as she threw back the canvas.
Twelve blocks of wood. Twelve narrow pipes of various gauges. Twelve hats with different colored plumes and a variety of hatbands.
She tethered Pandora to a tree. Atop a nearby hill, she set a hat on a block of wood with a pipe sticking out from under it. When she ran back down and glanced up, it looked for all the world like a man lying on his stomach, pointing a gun at her.
He was clever, this highwayman. Very clever.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
She froze. She hadn’t heard anyone approach, and for the barest second she thought the voice was in her head. But he was standing behind her. She could feel his presence, maybe three feet away.
“I’m…” Words failed her. “I’m…”
“You’re letting my hat get wet.”
“Oh.” Kendra put a hand to her head, feeling the mass of her hair curling with dampness. She hadn’t noticed the increasing drizzle. “It’s raining.”
“Very observant of you.”
She turned then and gazed up at him, and he looked exactly the way she’d known he would.
