The Unlikely Lady (Playful Brides #3)(45)

Stunningly beautiful. Those two words played in Jane’s head like a song. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. She opened it and closed it once more.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself, Upton,” she finally managed. “You’ve done the impossible. You’ve rendered me speechless. What do you think of that?”

He turned his head and flashed her a grin. “That is a good start, but the more serious question is, what are we going to do about the fact that we kissed each other? I must confess, I enjoyed it immensely. I know you did too. You wouldn’t let me stop, after all. So the more important question is … when are we going to do it again?”





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Garrett arrived at the stables the next morning exactly as planned. It was bloody early for an outing, but he’d agreed to this at dinner last night when Cassandra had suggested they all go for a ride. A dozen or so of the party guests were already wandering around the stables by the time he strolled into the large building.

There had been no nightmares last night. He hadn’t slept. Instead, he’d spent the night thinking about his confrontation with Jane. What had he expected to come of it? He couldn’t answer that. He’d only known he had to confront her to see if he could detect any sign of her supposed love for him. He’d seen nothing other than shock, which made him wonder if it were true.

Garrett admired Jane for matter-of-factly admitting to being Lady Blue. She hadn’t said anything when he’d asked her when they would do it again. He’d been half jesting, half trying to determine if she did, indeed, have strong feelings for him. Jane had announced she had to get to bed and then she’d nearly flown from the room. Frankly, the entire evening had left Garrett more confused than before.

Jane was in the stables already. She stood with Cassandra and Lucy, wearing a blue riding habit that did little for her figure. It didn’t matter. Her figure was burned in his brain.

A loud laugh drew his attention to the right. Mrs. Langford came strolling toward him. “Mr. Upton, there you are.”

He squared his shoulders and turned to face her. Isabella had been rude to Jane yesterday. Jane could more than take care of herself, but he refused to allow Isabella to imply to his friends there may be something indecent between them. Whatever she’d said, it had been enough for Jane to draw the conclusion that Isabella was his mistress. Guilt or no, he refused to allow that misconception to continue.

“Good morning, Mrs. Langford.” He gave her a tight smile.

She wore a smart emerald-green riding habit that hugged her every curve. Why was Jane’s frumpy one making his breeches tight? He looked back at Jane. She turned away. He let out his breath and forced himself to turn back to Isabella. Extracting himself from her company this morning would be difficult.

“Where are we riding to?” Isabella slid a gloved hand over his arm.

“I believe we’re riding to the church in the village and back.” Garrett could not resist glancing back at Jane again, who was absorbed in conversation with her friends.

“Sounds delightful,” Isabella replied. “I do hope you’ll help me mount.” She looked into his eyes. He didn’t like the way she had said the word “mount.” Garrett turned his attention to where the stable boys and grooms were preparing the horses. “Isn’t that your footman?”

A scowl flitted across Isabella’s face. “Oh, Boris, that dolt. I’d much rather have you assist me, Mr. Upton.” She batted her eyelashes at him. There was no mistaking the invitation in the depths of her pale green eyes.

He cleared his throat. “Very well.”

The team of grooms and stable boys began helping the ladies to mount. When Garrett looked again, Boris was gone. Garrett pasted on a smile and helped Isabella onto the frisky gray filly Cassandra had provided for her. He swung himself up onto his own mount. By the time he finished, Jane was already seated atop her own high-stepping filly. She had a smile on her face and the sunlight glinted off her spectacles. Was her hair looser in the knot today? She was lovely—frumpy riding habit notwithstanding.

Surprisingly, Isabella waited for Jane to come alongside them before she nudged her own mount into a trot. “Do you ride often, Miss Lowndes?”

“Not as often as I should, Mrs. Langford.”

“Good morning, Miss Lowndes,” Garrett interjected, feeling like an utter arse. Why was Isabella always near when he was trying to speak with Jane?

“Good morning, Mr. Upton.” Jane lifted her reins as if to make to move past the two of them, but Isabella stopped Jane with her words.

“Do you ride often enough to race, Miss Lowndes?”

Jane blinked. She let the reins settle back against the saddle. She turned her head to the side. “Race you, Mrs. Langford?”

“Yes,” came Isabella’s overconfident reply.

Garrett tightened his grip on his own reins. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Jane couldn’t say no to a challenge, especially not from someone she disliked.

“I’m not sure—” Garrett began.

“Do you ride often, Mrs. Langford?” Jane pursed her lips and regarded Mrs. Langford over the top of her spectacles.

Isabella’s smug laughter followed. “On the contrary, I rarely ride. But something tells me I could best you, Miss Lowndes. You seem more interested in books than horses.”