Free Rebecca's Refusal by Amanda Grange Page A

solitary rider was heading towards them, but his pace was so slow and his distance from them so great that it seemed safe to cross. Together she and Joshua stepped into the road.
    And then, in a matter of seconds, everything changed. The horse was suddenly careering towards them, slipping and sliding on the snow and ice, and bearing down upon them in the most alarming way. Rebecca looked up, and to her horror she saw that, instead of trying to slow the animal down, the rider seemed to be urging it on.
    Surely he knows it isn't safe to push the animal to such speed when the road is so slippery? she thought, shocked, as the horse careered towards them.
    The rider raised his whip.
    It is not the animal's fault, she thought angrily, seeing the man was about to control the horse with cruelty . . . when she had the sudden, alarming feeling, that the whip was not aimed at the horse, but at Joshua. She turned towards him, but he was more concerned for her safety than his own and he pushed her unceremoniously out of the horse's path.
    Which left him directly in front of it.
    The rider brought down his whip -
    'No!' cried Rebecca.
    She watched, horrified, as the man's whip hand began to descend, but Joshua, stepping out of the horse's path, reached up to the rider and caught his wrist. There was a brief struggle, and then Joshua wrested the whip from the man's hand.
    What the devil do you think you're doing -'? he began.
    But the rider, deprived of his whip, wheeled his horse around. It slipped all over the road before finally managing to find its footing, and the horseman rode away.
    What the hell was that all about?' said Joshua under his breath, eyes narrowing; before joining Rebecca on the far side of the road. Turning to her in concern he said, 'Are you all right?'
    Rebecca was trying to gather her wits. She could still hardly believe what had happened. The rider had seemed to be deliberately riding towards them and then deliberately aiming the whip at Joshua. But of course that was not possible. He must have been trying to control his horse and, having to wrestle with the slipping animal, had misjudged his aim. Even so it had given her quite a fright.
    'Rebecca? Are you all right?' Joshua asked again.
    His hands were on her shoulders. His warm, firm touch was reassuring.
    It was strange that his hands could be reassuring, she thought inconsequentially. She had never associated Joshua with reassurance. And yet his body was communicating an unmistakeable sense of confidence.
    Yes,' she told him. Yes. I'm all right. Just a little shaken, that's all.'
    'Fools like that shouldn't be allowed to own a horse,' said Joshua. Bringing the animal out in this weather was bad enough, but trying to force it to go at speed was an act of gross stupidity. It's no wonder the animal slipped. Fortunately, no one was hurt. You're not hurt, are you Rebecca?' he queried in concern.
    'No.'
    'Good. The shock will pass,' he told her gently. 'Still, the sooner we get to Sloane Street the better. You have had a nasty fright.'
    It is nothing, I do assure you.' Already she had collected herself, and was ready to brush off the incident.
    'My dear,' said Hetty, hurrying up anxiously with Charles: the two of them, hearing the commotion, had looked round, and when they had seen what was happening they had come rushing back. What a dreadful thing to happen. I am beginning to think we were wrong to walk in such treacherous weather. We should have waited for a hansom instead. I thought you were going to be knocked down for sure.'
    Rebecca set about reassuring her aunt. 'No. I was never in any danger. It was just an unfortunate accident, that's all. Don't worry, Aunt Hetty; there's no harm done.'
    'Damn fool shouldn't have been out on the roads if he can't control his animal,' said Charles. 'Poor horsemanship if ever I saw it. Wouldn't have happened in my young days. We knew how to handle our cattle back then.'
    Exclaiming over the incident they continued on their way,