Lady Alexandra's Lover (Sex and the Season #3) - Helen Hardt Page 0,24
the Brighton estate wearing bed linens… No, not on today’s agenda. By the time Evan was dressed, Ally needed help with her corset.
He came to her without her asking and tightened it for her. “These things always seemed barbaric to me,” he said.
“Trust me, they are.” She sucked in her breath. “But what choice do we ladies have?”
“You don’t need one,” he said. “You have a lovely shape without it.”
Thankfully her back was to him. Her cheeks and chest warmed.
“I hope your friend in London hasn’t been too worried about you,” Evan said, still tightening her laces.
“My friend?”
“The one you were supposed to visit?”
“Oh. Yes, of course.” Ally cleared her throat. “Miss…Spofford. I’ll send her a wire when we get back. I’m sure I’ll be able to visit her soon.”
“There are still a few balls in London as the season finishes up,” Evan said. “Perhaps you and Sophie would like to attend one? We can plan another trip in a week or two, after we’ve rested up and fully healed from the accident.”
How perfect that he suggested it! “Yes, I think that would be acceptable,” she said, trying to sound casual.
“Perhaps your friend Miss Spofford will be in attendance.”
“Yes…perhaps.” Ally bit her lip.
“There you are. That’s as tight as you go.”
“Thank goodness. Anything more and I might swoon.” She did so hate her corset. She pulled up her dress and stepped into it. “I’ll need you to fasten me.”
He quickly did so.
Ally bit her lip again. “What are you going to tell those men?”
“That this is none of their concern. They’ll be fine, and if they aren’t, they will no longer be employed. Most of our servants are notoriously loyal. We treat them well, so there’s no reason for them not to be.”
She nodded, hoping he was right. “Do you think they brought any food with them?”
“Lord, I hope so,” he said. “I am certainly famished.”
“We should have woken up earlier and left before they got here.”
“Yes, we should have,” he agreed, “but I assure you there will be no trouble from this. And honestly, it’s better this way. We haven’t eaten in two days. We’re weak, and the trek to the road would have been arduous for both of us.”
True. But it would have been a lot less embarrassing.
Evan opened the door. “After you.”
Ally walked outside. The sun was shining, finally, and the two men stood next to two saddled horses. Evan walked to them and had some words with them out of her hearing. Just as well—she was embarrassed enough, and if she heard the words, no doubt she’d turn seven shades of red. She looked around. Where was the carriage? Not even a buckboard?
Evan returned to her. “I’ll take one of the horses. You will ride with me.”
Lord in heaven. Ally was not much of a rider.
“I’m sorry there’s no sidesaddle. You’ll have to ride astride.”
“Why didn’t they bring adequate provisions?” she asked. “How far must we ride?”
“They couldn’t. They knew they might have to go off road. Which they did. I’m sorry for the discomfort, but it will only be a few hours.”
“Did they bring any food with them?”
“Yes, some sandwiches in the saddlebags. They’re getting them now.”
“Thank God.”
One of the men strode toward them and handed them each a sandwich. Ally rammed half of it in her mouth.
“Slowly, Alexandra. If you eat it too quickly, you’ll get sick.”
“I don’t rightly care at the moment.” She finished the sandwich in a total of four bites. “That’s not nearly enough.”
“I know,” Evan said, munching on his own sandwich, “but we’ll be fed well once we return to the estate. Sophie will have Chef prepare us a veritable feast.”
They went back into the shack and each drank a dipper of water. Then they mounted the horses and were off.
Sitting astride behind Evan was certainly no hardship for Ally, even though the terrain was rough until they made it to the road about forty-five minutes later.
The breeze blew through Ally’s long hair, tangling it into a worse mess than it was already. But nothing to be done at this point.
Several derriere-pained hours later, they arrived back at the Brighton estate. Evan dismounted and helped Ally down, and the servants took the horses to the stables.
“Oh, a meal and a bath…or a bath and a meal,” Ally said. “I’m afraid I don’t know in which order I want them. Perhaps one of the maids can serve me in the tub.”