it did detain him long enough to give her time to pick up her heels and race down the street as fast as she could.
The moment Pierce finally stumbled out of the carriage, he only caught a distant glimpse of her before she disappeared around the next corner.
Pierce sighed, then glanced down at the driver, who still lay sprawled on the ground, before he whistled for his gelding, which came trotting toward him from a few paces away.
“She’s something, isn’t she, Sport?” he whispered, brushing the gelding’s nose affectionately. In return, Sport nickered, then rubbed his head on Pierce’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her again.”
With a smile, Pierce pulled himself into the saddle, once more glancing up and down the street to see if anyone had taken notice. Fortunately, on a night like this, most remained indoors, especially since the rain had once more turned from a drizzle into a downpour within the few, seemingly endless moments he’d spent in the carriage with his little mouse.
Now, how best to tease her about tonight?
Pierce couldn’t help but grin when he remembered that she hadn’t, in fact, unmasked him. So, she didn’t know who he was. He, however, knew her very well. Better with each passing moment they spent together.
Now, about the next one!
Chapter Nine
Secrets Among Cousins
How odd! Caroline thought. Was it truly a coincidence she seemed to see him everywhere she went?
Ever since that rather odd encounter at the Cavendish ball toward the end of the last Season, Caroline had been unable to not think of Lord Markham. In truth, her inability to focus her own thoughts was quite shameful. After all, months had passed since that rather short-lived moment out on the terrace. Should she not have been able to put any lingering curiosity to rest by now?
Of course, she should have.
Then why hadn’t she?
A part of Caroline didn’t dare look for an answer to that particular question for she suspected it would be deeply unsettling.
Autumn was well on its way as Rebecca and Caroline made their way to Hyde Park one sunny afternoon. The leaves had turned golden, mixing with others shining in dark reds and deep browns as they swirled through the air, blown about by a soft breeze.
“Is something wrong?” Rebecca asked, her green eyes narrowed as she looked at Caroline. “You keep looking over your shoulder.”
Willing a noncommittal smile onto her face, Caroline shook her head. “It’s nothing. For a second, I thought I’d seen someone I knew.” She shrugged. “But I was wrong.” Still, she could not keep herself from glancing over her shoulder yet again.
Had it been him? She wondered. The man on the black steed who’d just passed by on the opposite side of the small cluster of trees they were currently walking past?
“Anyone I know?” Rebecca pressed, the hint of an amused curl coming to her lips.
Smiling, Caroline shook her head. “I assume you’re relieved Father is finally allowing you out of the house again?” She rushed to change the subject.
Rebecca sighed. “Indeed. The man is quite odious. After all, it’s been weeks. I think he did overreact quite a bit.”
After Rebecca had sneaked away to visit her friend, it had, indeed, taken Caroline’s father about a fortnight to realize his niece was no longer under his roof. However, to this day, he did not know she’d been gone that long, merely thinking that she’d left a few days prior to his discovery.
As planned, Caroline had placed a note from Rebecca onto her cousin’s vanity once her absence had been discovered, which stated that she’d left for Ravengrove to visit an old friend. Of course, Caroline’s father had been livid, but he had not realized that it had, in fact, been his own daughter who’d hidden her cousin’s whereabouts from him for so long.
Furious, he’d gone after Rebecca and brought her back home, locking her inside for the next few weeks in order to teach her a lesson. Still, Rebecca being Rebecca, all she’d learned was to plan with greater diligence. Never would her vivacious and adventure-seeking cousin ever give up on that which her heart longed for.
Caroline could not help but suspect that that was once again connected to one Lord Pembroke for after Rebecca had returned from Ravengrove, the man’s name had been on her lips almost constantly. Gone was the disappointment from the end of the Season when she’d feared his interest in her had vanished. These days, Rebecca seemed almost giddy with anticipation of the next Season