Beatrice didn’t realise she’d gasped aloud until she felt Natalia’s sharp gaze on her.
“What is it?” her friend whispered.
“I-it’s him,” Bea managed. She spoke to Talia but couldn’t drag her eyes from the man across the square.
As she watched, he smiled and tipped his hat.
“It is? Where?”
Beatrice didn’t even have the time to answer before Natalia issued a gasp of her own.
“Oh, Bea, he’s so handsome. And look how he stares at you. Goodness!”
“Who’s handsome?” Ben’s affronted tone finally penetrated the haze Beatrice was in, and she whipped her head around to Ben’s scowling face.
“You are, darling.” Natalia reached out and patted his arm.
“Hmm.”
He sounded slightly mollified, but he still eyed Beatrice with suspicion.
“And who is staring at you?”
“Nobody,” she answered swiftly. “Just – just someone I met yesterday.”
Ben frowned down at her like a disapproving father.
“And were you alone yesterday when you met this staring someone?”
Beatrice shot her glance across the square, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment when she saw the spot where her mystery man had stood was now empty.
“Beatrice?”
“What? Yes. I mean – no,” she stammered as Ben’s expression grew thunderous. “I mean –“
She looked in desperation at Natalia, who was rolling her eyes at Ben’s protectiveness.
“Just tell him, dear.” She sighed.
Beatrice felt betrayed at Natalia’s words.
She had trusted Talia with her secrets for years. And whilst she was now the Countess of Staunton and Ben’s wife, she was still Bea’s best friend.
“Well, I –“
“She ran into a horse,” Natalia interjected smoothly.
Ben’s expression turned to one of confusion.
“A horse?” he asked.
“A horse,” Natalia confirmed.
“And the horse was staring at her just now?”
Beatrice winced at the disbelief in Ben’s tone. Not that she could blame him.
But Natalia’s expression remained unmoved.
“Mm. Animals can be so intuitive, can’t they?” she asked.
Beatrice stood nervously as Ben and Talia engaged in a sort of silent battle of wills.
“And he’s handsome?” Ben quirked a disbelieving brow at his wife, looking half amused, half suspicious. “This horse?”
“Indeed. Such majestic animals, I’ve always thought. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Once again, they stared each other down, and Beatrice found herself inexplicably nervous.
After an age, Ben spoke again.
“You know I don’t believe you,” he said with a sigh. “Just as we both know I’m not going to win here.”
Natalia gave a small, smug little smile.
Ben merely laughed and shook his head, but when his golden eyes turned on Beatrice, they were quite serious.
“Be careful, cousin,” he said softly. “Anything can happen to a young lady who engages with – unknown horses.”
Beatrice merely nodded meekly.
“Now, let’s return before Aunt Elizabeth sends out a search party, shall we?”
He reached for Natalia’s hand and pressed a kiss to it before turning toward the road home.
Beatrice watched the secret smile between Talia and Ben, then looked back to the spot where the deep blue gaze had ensnared her own.
“You go ahead,” she blurted in a sudden fit of boldness. “I just needed to see – um – Mr. Altmont. About –“ she wracked her brain, already regretting this course of action. “About flowers. For, for the festival.”
“You’re helping the vicar with the festival?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” she lied swiftly. “Same as every year.”
He wouldn’t object to her returning home alone later. She’d been doing so since she was a girl.
“All right. We shall see you back home then. Come, love. We’ll have to make Bea’s excuses.”
“Of course,” Natalia agreed before tuning to Bea. “Just – look out for any rogue horses, won’t you?”
Bea turned on her heel and darted away before Ben could see her cheeks brighten at Natalia’s words.
Both ladies knew that it wasn’t rogue horses Bea was hoping to bump into. Rather, a rogue himself.
Chapter Three
“I didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to see you again so soon, Lady Beatrice.”
Bea froze in the act of staring through the bakery window at the lemon cakes that she loved so much.
She didn’t even have to look up at his reflection in the glass to know who spoke.
Doing her best to still her galloping heart, Beatrice slowly turned to face him.
The bright spring sun shone down on him, and she was able to see him even more clearly than in the dappled light of the woods the day before.
His chestnut hair, she noticed, had tones of a dark caramel colour, and his eyes, rather than be brightened by the sunshine, seemed a darker blue than before, like the deepest part of the ocean.
And that smile…
Bea swallowed, her throat suddenly painfully dry.
“You saw me earlier, didn’t you?” She tried to sound flirtatious and bold. But instead, she sounded as though she were scolding him.
“I did,” he answered gravely. “And I must admit, my jealousy almost got the better of me when I saw you with the tall gentleman. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I saw him kiss your companion.”
Bea couldn’t help it. An unladylike snort escaped.
But it was just so ridiculous.
As though any man would notice dowdy little Beatrice when Natalia was around.
“You don’t believe me?” he asked, a small smile playing around his lips.
“Of course, I don’t believe you,” she blurted before she could stop herself.
Instead of being offended, however, he threw back his head and laughed, the sound doing funny things to her insides.
“You are refreshingly honest, Lady Beatrice.” His eyes twinkled down at her. “But I assure you, I am man enough to admit that envy almost got the better of me.”
He was lying, of course. He must be. But Beatrice felt a spurt of pleasure regardless.
“Lord Staunton is my cousin, and his wife, Lady Staunton is my best friend.”
“They are visiting with you?”
“Yes, they are lately returned from Russia. They are staying with Lady Staunton’s aunt, whose estate borders ours, until we remove to London.”
He nodded as though every word she said was vastly interesting. Beatrice wasn’t quite sure what to do with such
