Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid - Julie Johnstone Page 0,15

well, and his niggling suspicion grew tenfold.

“Tomorrow, then,” she said, whistling for her dogs to follow, and then she left Owen and Nash as if there were something chasing her.

When she was totally out of sight, Owen turned to Nash, his irritated expression apparent, even in the moonlit night. “Race me.”

Nash frowned. “What?”

“Race me,” Owen repeated, his voice hard.

“What are we racing for?” Nash asked, that suspicion now nearly choking him.

“The right to court Lilias.”

And there it was. A swift punch of unwanted truth to his gut. For one moment, he was robbed of the ability to speak, but then he finally found his voice. “I thought you said you wanted a wife who would behave properly and never go against Society rules.”

“Of course I said that,” Owen growled. “I didn’t want you to know I liked Lilias, but I do. And you do, too.”

He did. God, he did, but it was as if he were standing on that ice again and Thomas was before him. He could put Owen’s desires above his own as he had failed to do for Thomas. There wasn’t ice under Nash’s feet now, simply solid ground, but he was going under anyway, drowning fast. “What you saw was two friends, nothing more.” The surface was gone, as was his hope.

“I think she likes you,” Owen said, his voice glum. And before Nash could respond, Owen added, “I know about your brother. My father heard in Town the gossip of what occurred.”

All the air left Nash’s lungs.

“Tomorrow, I’ll challenge you to a race, Nash,” Owen said. “Who knows, perhaps I’ll win and Lilias will finally see me.”

Nash swallowed the desire to declare that Lilias was his. She was not. He did not deserve her. “I’m certain you’ll win,” Nash replied, meaning it. He would not race his hardest.

Owen nodded and left Nash standing in the woods alone.

Nash couldn’t say how long he remained there, but the sun came up eventually, and when he made his way home, he vowed to himself not to be the thing that drove Lilias and Owen apart, no matter what the cost to himself.

The next morning, Lilias hurried to meet Nash and Owen for their morning ride. She’d overslept because she’d had such trouble getting to sleep the night before. Every time she had closed her eyes, she would recall every detail of Nash kissing her. She hated to wish Owen away, but wish him to London, she did. Yet, when she came to the clearing where they always started their ride, he was there, and she felt guilty for the disappointment that filled her.

She glanced around the clearing, not seeing Nash, and then he came over the hill and jumped over a fallen tree that, to her, looked nearly impossible to clear. Nash reached Owen at the same time she did.

“You ride dangerously,” Lilias chastised Nash, though she was secretly amazed.

“I ride the way I live,” he said, his voice so solemn her breath caught and worry blossomed.

“You should be more careful,” she said. If anything were to happen to him, she would be devastated. “But I will say, you are the best horseman I have ever seen.”

“I believe I’m now better,” Owen said. His tone was boastful, and his expression irritated, like a petulant child.

Lilias bit back the wish to retort, realizing Owen must be feeling as if he were in Nash’s shadow. She was certain no boy would wish to feel that way. Owen scowled at her. She placed a placating hand on his arm. “You are a fine horseman. I—”

“Race me, Nash,” Owen demanded, shrugging off her hand. “Let me prove I’m better. Unless you are afraid to?” It almost sounded like a taunting challenge. She clenched her teeth at the foolish pride of men.

“Owen, no,” Lilias said, certain he’d be embarrassed in a race against Nash.

“Yes,” he clipped.

“Nash—” she tried.

“If he wishes to race, I cannot, as a gentleman, decline.”

“Then don’t be a gentleman,” she fumed. But it was hopeless. Before she knew it, they took off, leaving her behind as they raced back toward the fallen tree Nash had just jumped.

Lilias held her breath, watching, admiring Nash’s form and hoping Owen did not make too poor of a showing. To her shock, Owen pulled ahead of Nash and started to lengthen the distance between them. But then Nash seemed to gain ground as they moved like lightning toward the fallen tree. Her heart began to pound as they drew closer and closer to the