The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,59

do not give me a reason to glare at you simply because you enjoy making me angry.”

“It is not your anger I enjoy, but rather the creases in your forehead when you scowl.” His eyes swept over my face, half his mouth lifting in a smile. “And the way your nose scrunches as if you have just smelled the inside of a horse’s stall.”

I exhaled sharply, and almost glared at him before thinking better of it. “You are very observant.”

“Not always.” He smiled, keeping his gaze fixed ahead, as though he didn’t want to risk me discerning more from his gaze.

When we had promised Mrs. Ollerton we would stay within view of the estate, she had agreed to simply observe our ride from the back window rather than venture outside on horseback to follow us. She would never leave us unchaperoned, even if she was uncharacteristically relaxed in her duties today.

“Do you have a horse? In Kent?” Mr. Hill asked.

Not anymore. She had been one of the first things to be sold. “My father had a mare he taught me to ride,” I said in a quiet voice. My heart protested the memories, but they floated to the surface anyway. The sensation was much like an experience I’d had as a child, when I had eaten too many sugar cubes when Mama wasn’t watching. My stomach had protested almost immediately, but they had tasted too sweet for me to leave behind.

“Did she have a name?”

“Cinnamon.” I smiled. “My father allowed me to name her whatever I wished.”

“Perhaps he will regret giving you that privilege when he learns that you attempted to deflect every opportunity to become engaged on your visit to Bibury.” Oh, yes. I was to be speaking of Sophia’s parents, not my own.

“Surely your parents will revoke some of your privileges if they learn that you have done the same,” I said.

Mr. Hill laughed. “It vexes them to no end that I have such a firm wish to deny them their intentions for me.”

“Why do you have that wish?” He had never fully explained it to me before.

His expression turned more serious, and he looked down at the reins he held. “Because they have denied me mine.”

What did he mean by that? I scowled in confusion.

“There it is,” he said, a slight smile reappearing on his face. By the teasing in his voice, I could guess he meant my scowl. It had been meant to prompt him to explain further, but he seemed content to drop the subject. We passed a shallow stream, and I inhaled the earthy scent of the water as it trickled over the rocks. The sun had begun rising, and I let the warmth of it soak through the fabric of Sophia’s old riding habit.

After a long moment of comfortable silence, Mr. Hill spoke again. “Considering that we are both trapped here at Winslow House against our wills, and we are both quite tired of the company of our fellow guests…I wondered if you might consider indulging one request I have of you.”

“What is it?”

He seemed uncharacteristically shy, rubbing one side of his face before pressing his lips together, as if uncertain of whether he would make his request or not. “We have three weeks remaining of our stay, and three weeks is all I ask of you.”

“Three weeks of what?”

“Courting me.”

I raised my eyebrows as the color drained from my face. Had he misunderstood what I had said on our first ride? I had no intention of courting or marrying any gentleman, and Mr. Hill was certainly a gentleman. A very eligible one at that.

He must have noticed my shock. “Pretending to court me,” he corrected.

I recovered from my shock for long enough to answer. “Considering that this is our second ride in two days, it seems you already have been doing just that.”

“Time in your company is never something I will regret, and I assure you, I have not been seeking it in order to instigate any false courtship without your permission. The idea only struck me this morning.” He checked my expression before continuing. I kept my dread from showing. “Mrs. Ollerton will have a taste of her much desired success, the other women will be sufficiently humbled, and I might depart here in three weeks claiming to my family that you have broken my heart and I might plausibly renew my determination to remain a bachelor for all of my days. There will be no risk to your reputation. I