“You can’t very well walk with that injury.” He walked them all the way back to his horse and then gently put her on the saddle. “The house is too far away for Thor to carry us both, plus I don’t want him injured if he slips.” He grabbed the reins and began to lead the horse forward.
“Where are we going?”
A tick in his jaw pulsed. “I know … a place not too far away where we can take shelter until the rain stops and your ankle heals.”
He walked ahead, gently tugging on the reins to make Thor follow his directions. A few minutes later as they rounded a hill, she saw what looked like a large, manicured hedge. “What is that?”
“A private garden,” he explained. “Or rather, a statuary my parents built. There’s a little roof inside where were can wait out the rain.” They turned, following the hedge until they came to a small metal gate. He didn’t even bother asking her permission, but instead, lifted her off his horse. “Can you stand for a moment while I secure Thor?”
His surprisingly gentle tone shocked her into silence. So, she nodded instead, then watched as he tied the reins around a post next to the hedge. After checking that Thor was all right, he opened the gate. “Please, allow me to help you.” He offered her his arm in a gallant manner and there was no hint of mockery or disdain in his voice.
Gingerly, she took it, though this time, he made no move to lift her up. Instead, he led her inside the garden. When they got through the small opening through the hedge, he stopped just at the entrance as there was a thatched roof awning right above them, sheltering them from the rain.
With the fog and rain, she could only make out the outlines of the various statues inside the enclosed garden. To her, they looked like big globs of marble. Hmm…I wonder what they’re supposed to be?
“How is your ankle?” he said, breaking the thick tension of silence between them.
“It’s getting better,” she answered. “It should be healed in an hour or so.”
“What happened?” There was genuine concern in his voice. When she didn’t answer, he continued. “I was riding back when I saw Eleanor and Jeremy. They said your horse had run away.”
“She got scared by the lightning and ran off.” She’d never seen lightning strike so close. It was almost unnatural. “I couldn’t hold on, and I fell.”
“We can head back as soon as the rain stops. So we won’t be suffering each other’s company for too long,” he said.
He sounded almost sorry and repentant. And she didn’t like the things she was feeling right now. In the last couple of minutes, he actually sounded like he was worried about her.
Reed Townsend was such a conundrum. One moment he was cutting her down with his stares and the next, he was acting like some hero in a romantic novel. Of course, it didn’t help that he was handsome. And that he was actually nice to his grandmother and sister. And he was a good uncle to William. Or—
Stop it.
She couldn’t start having these feelings for him. So instead, she thought about what Simon told her earlier, about his reputation and his mistresses, and reminded herself that he was a cold, unfeeling brute. “I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you, Your Grace,” she said, using the chilliest tone she could. “I’ll try to keep out of your way from now on.”
“Elise, I didn’t mean it that way.” He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “And I doubt you’ll be able to keep out of my way.”
“And why is that, Your Grace?” And she made the mistake of looking at him. His dark eyes drew her to him like a moth to a flame.
“Because I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
The words made her jerk back. Quickly, she pivoted away from him. “The rain has slowed down.” With a careful gait, she stepped forward. The pain in her ankle was less pronounced now. “This sure is an interesting collection.” She moved closer to the white statue on her right. “What is this—”
“Elise,” he began in a warning tone. “You probably should know something about this place—”
“Now that’s weird …” She blinked. There wasn’t just one figure, but two. A male and female. And they were both nude, kneeling in front of each other on a slab of marble. The man was between the woman’s thighs, his mouth pressed between her breasts.
Heat crept up her cheeks and she swallowed hard. Then she looked at the other statues. All around them were couples in marble, entwined in passionate embraces. The one just opposite from her had a man standing behind a woman, his hands covering her breasts. Another had a woman tied up with ropes against a column, while her lover knelt in front of her, his face buried between her thighs. All the statues were expertly sculpted that they almost seemed alive, their expressions frozen at the height of pure ecstasy.
Where the heck had he taken her?
Chapter Nine
When Reed imagined the first time he would take a woman to his parents’ secret erotic statuary, he didn’t think it would be because he was performing a chivalrous act for a virginal miss. In fact, he imagined that it would have been a very unchivalrous act.
“Where are we?”
Elise was staring up at him, big blue eyes wide, her moist, plump lips parted, and her wet riding habit clinging to every curve. Standing amongst the erotic imagery, she looked even more tantalizing than any of the statues around them.
“I told you. It’s a private garden.” He took a step forward, which prompted her to step back. “My parents’ private collection.”
Her eyes grew impossibly wider. “Collection?”
“Yes. They … let’s just say
