The Countess Page 0,75

And then to squeal it with shock as the carriage suddenly shuddered to a halt and she went flying backward. Fortunately, Christiana landed on the bench seat across from Richard, though she arrived there in something of a muddle, her skirts flying up to cover her face and chest.

"Are you al right?" Richard was there at once trying to right her and brushing her skirts down so that he could see her face.

"Yes," Christiana assured him, pul ing her gown up to cover her chest and peering about uncertainly. "What happened? Why have we stopped?"

"I'm not sure," Richard admitted and turned to peer out the window. While he was distracted, Christiana quickly slid her arms back into her sleeves and pul ed the top of her gown back into place. She was feeling her hair, trying to tel if it was al right or needed fixing when he muttered, "It would appear we've reached Stevanage. I told them to stop there for lunch."

"Oh," she murmured and let her hands drop as he turned back to her. His eyebrows rose when he saw what she'd done.

"That was fast, and you look as perfect as you did this morning. Wel done," he praised and then pressed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose before turning back to open the carriage door.

Christiana stared after him with amazement as he got out of the carriage. The compliment was nice, but the kiss on the nose had seemed . . . wel , it had been the affectionate sort of thing her father would have done when she was younger. Not that she thought Richard's feelings toward her were in any way fatherly, but the action seemed to speak of affection.

"Are you coming, Christiana?"

"Are you coming, Christiana?"

She blinked and stared at the hand Richard was holding out to her, but then took it and descended from the carriage, noting that there appeared to be something in his expression that could have been affection as wel . Or perhaps she was just imagining that because she wanted to believe it was there, Christiana acknowledged on a smal sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Richard asked, apparently having heard the sigh.

Christiana shook her head at once. "No, no. Everything is fine," she assured him glancing around to see the other two carriages had drawn to a halt behind them and everyone was disembarking.

"Come, let's get you inside and find you something to eat," Richard said, taking her arm to lead her toward the inn.

"What about the others?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"They'l fol ow. I'm more concerned with you. You skipped breakfast this morning in favor of packing and I suspect you didn't eat much of the tray I had sent up to your room last night when you didn't join us at the table."

"I was helping Grace pick out what we should bring," she explained.

"I know, and I understand, but you're looking a bit pale now and a good meal wil probably set you to rights."

Christiana fel silent and merely al owed him to lead her inside, but her thoughts were not silent. George had always been nagging at her about eating, using it as an opportunity to force her to eat unpleasant things she didn't care for when he was annoyed with her. She didn't deliberately skip eating. The problem was she'd been so miserable this last year she hadn't real y felt like doing anything, even eating. That wasn't what had happened last night and this morning, though. Her forgetting to eat then had just been because she was so busy. But Richard wasn't nagging at her and using it as an opportunity to berate and insult her as George had always done. Instead he was being sweet and understanding and even concerned. It made her feel . . . cared for.

"Here we are." He settled her at a large table where everyone could join them and then glanced toward the innkeeper and back before asking, "Is there anything you don't like?"

Christiana felt her eyes narrow. "Why?"

"So I don't accidental y order you something you don't care for," he said with a laugh as if that should be obvious, and she supposed it should have been. Richard was not George.

Smiling, she said, "As long as it is not kippers, kidney, or liver, I should like it."

Richard nodded and headed off to speak with the innkeeper. Christiana watched him go, thinking that her life had definitely changed for the better. If he continued to treat