his rude comment after their kiss yesterday about her remembering she was betrothed to Murdock. Excellent.
“What’s this, ye reckon’?” Mr. Hereford asked, pushing back his hat with his thumb and rubbing his forehead as he watched the giggling group of ladies fluttered into the middle of the stables, pointing and exclaiming at nearly everything they saw.
“If I don’t mistake my guess,” Rhys drawled, “they’ve come to make my life not worth living today.”
Mr. Hereford gave Rhys a sympathetic glance before jogging out to greet Julianna. “Good mornin’, me lady,” he said, bowing to her. “’ow may we ‘elp ye, this fine morn’?”
Rhys turned his back and continued mucking out the stall in which he was standing.
“Good morning, Mr. Hereford,” Julianna replied in her most obliging tone. “So good to see you again. I was hoping my friends and I might go on a ride around the grounds today. Do you have a coach big enough for all of us?”
“Indeed, we do, Lady Julianna. Lord Clayton keeps his break here at the estate. Today would be a lovely day for a ride in it.”
The open-topped, four-wheeled carriage was a popular conveyance in the country. Often used for hunting expeditions, it was similarly perfect for six ladies to travel about and see the estate grounds.
“Oh, the break will be perfect,” Julianna replied. “I do hope you have a couple of groomsmen who might accompany us. I was thinking Mr. Worthy would do.”
Rhys sighed and straightened. There it was. Her entire reason for coming here today, dressed up in some pretty speech and a seemingly off-handed remark that he might accompany them.
He propped his pitchfork against the stall door and dusted off his hands on his breeches. He would have to change out of his muck-ridden clothing before he could accompany the ladies. He might as well get to it.
Mr. Hereford had already turned around to look for him. The older man knew Rhys would have to prepare himself. Rhys pointed up to indicate he’d just go get dressed before disappearing up the staircase to the loft.
One upstairs, Rhys quickly stripped off his dirty clothes, wiped himself down with soap and water from the wash bowl, and hastily threw on his livery before dashing his fingers through his hair and racing back downstairs.
Mr. Hereford hadn’t been idle. He and two of the other groomsmen had put the horses to the break and the conveyance was waiting in the center of the stables by the time Rhys returned.
“There he is,” Mr. Hereford said, his smile widening as soon as he saw Rhys. No doubt the older man was eager to get the ladies out of the stables and on their way. Their chatter had increased, and Mr. Hereford looked at a loss for what else to say to them.
Rhys strode forward and bowed to the ladies.
“Good morning, Mr. Worthy,” Julianna said with a prim smile. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind taking me and my friends on a jaunt around the grounds today.”
Rhys executed his most perfect bow. “It would be my pleasure, my lady.”
The other ladies were sent into a fit of giggles.
Rhys glanced at each of the young women. Besides Julianna and Mary, he’d never met any of the other four. No doubt Julianna had picked them carefully to ensure they wouldn’t know who he was. How kind of her. “Henry and I would be honored to accompany you,” he continued.
Henry, one of the other groomsmen, bowed as well. “At your service, Lady Julianna.”
Rhys gave Henry a reassuring nod. Henry was the best choice to join them. He was smart and discreet. He knew who Rhys really was, but he stood the best chance at keeping up the pretense for an entire morning without any breaks in his performance. Good chap, Henry.
After Rhys and Henry helped all six of the ladies up into the break and had duly asked if any of them needed their legs warmed by a blanket, Ernest took his seat on the raised box while Rhys and Henry stood on small platforms at the rear on opposite sides of the wheels.
Julianna, he noted, had taken a seat in the middle, facing the back on the same side he was standing. She was no more than a few feet away from him and her haughty smile indicated she intended to make this entire outing as difficult for him as possible. Perfect. Apparently, she was still bent on revenge.
The carriage soon took off out of the stables and into the