She could only blink at him. Frederica felt surprised by his apology and his compliment. She had not expected either from him. Moving her hand to her throat, she felt the quick stutter of her pulse and the fluttery feeling in her stomach. ‘And do you still resent me?’
He licked his thick lips, making her wish to kiss them. ‘I never resented you. I resented that my father’s debts did not allow me to make my own choice.’
Sipping her tea, Frederica realised that her cup had gone cold. She set it down on the saucer with a little clatter. She thought of Lady Caro and the other women who had flirted with Samuel at the parties and balls. ‘Who would you have chosen?’
As soon as those words left her mouth, she regretted them. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She did not want to hear about a dainty and well-behaved, but less wealthy, young lady that he preferred to her.
‘I do not know.’
His answer was better than she could have hoped for, but still disappointing. She knew it was irrational, but she’d wanted him to say her. She wished to be his choice. Frederica got to her feet, her body stiff from her earlier ride, but she could not show Samuel any of her weaknesses. He knew too many of them already.
‘Come on, sloth,’ she said in a falsely chipper voice. ‘We’ve got a long ride back home and poor Harper can only cover for me for so long.’
They returned to the taproom, where Samuel dropped several coins into the small man’s hands. They left the inn, and the innkeeper assured them that he had fed and watered the horses and that they were ready for the trip home. Samuel threw the lad a coin and then assisted her into the side-saddle of her horse. His hands on her waist made her feel strangely breathless. And for once, she actually needed the help. Her leg muscles cramped something awful.
She stroked the neck of her horse and spoke soothingly to it. ‘There there, girl. We are almost done.’
If only she could assure her own body of the same thing.
Samuel mounted his mare with ease and they took a more leisurely pace back towards Brussels, only passing a few carriages and wagons. Frederica reined in, placing her right hand over her eyes to get a better view of the area—mostly farms, a few stray trees, and a small blue lake. Her eyes alighted on a black stallion with a slim rider that galloped furiously towards them. Instinctively she gripped the reins of her horse tighter, but then she relaxed them when she saw the face of Captain Mark Wallace.
He rode up beside her and took off his tall hat. ‘Good afternoon, Lady Frederica, Colonel Lord Pelford. Off for a bit of exercise?’
She grinned, sighing in relief. ‘Yes. And what a superb specimen! Such shoulders and so perfectly black.’
Mark touched his chest. ‘Alas, for a moment I was hoping you were talking about my humble self and not my cousin’s horse.’
‘I hope you haven’t stolen it,’ Samuel said in a gruff tone.
‘No indeed,’ he assured them with a confident smile. ‘The Duke of Wellington is keeping all of his staff, including my cousin Alexander, so busy training the new recruits that I thought to do him a favour by exercising his horse.’
Frederica raised her eyebrows. ‘Is Alexander aware of your kind favour to his beautiful horse?’
Mark winked at her. ‘As of yet, no.’
‘Perhaps I can ask the general to find something for you to do, Captain,’ Samuel said stiffly. ‘If you have so much spare time on your hands.’
Frederica’s grin widened until it hurt. Despite not choosing her, Samuel seemed quite territorial over his bride-to-be.
‘But what of my poor cousin’s horse? Someone must take care of him.’
She laughed merrily. ‘We are on our way home, Mark. Should you like to accompany us?’
‘With pleasure.’
Samuel groaned as Mark brought his horse parallel to hers and they cantered together to Brussels. He told her blithely about his family’s castle in Scotland, his perfect elder brother, James, and cut several jokes at his own expense. He begged to go riding with her again, before bidding her a merry farewell at her door. Samuel was unable to get a word in edgewise. He just scowled at them both. Nor did he bother to tell her goodbye.
Harper opened the front door of the rented house and Frederica saw her mother descending the stairs in a cotton day dress with a little red flower print.
Mama yawned. ‘Good heavens! Have you gone riding all afternoon? You should take a short rest before the party tonight. I do not want you looking fagged.’
‘Yes, Mama,’ Frederica said dutifully and gratefully went upstairs to her room.
Chapter Nine
Afew days later, Samuel saw Frederica jumping a high fence on her horse, as if she knew the Belgian countryside as well as her own castle. She was always heedless and fearless like that. Samuel took the same fence on his own horse. Urging his mount to a gallop to catch up with her, he overtook her groom first and then reached her. At least Harper had not let her go out alone. Frederica had a way of twisting people around her little finger.
‘What do you think you are doing?’ he demanded in a loud voice.