Free Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels Page A

take you seriously!”
    â€œYes,” Sophie said, her eyes downcast in what she hoped looked like modesty. “Levity is something my mother frequently warns me about.”
    â€œWe’ll ride down toward the river, to the village,” Lord Randall said and pointed with his crop.
    Brindle Park sat on the brow of a hill. The view was the best part of the entire estate, with a sweeping vista spreading out before her. She touched the mare with her heel and fell in beside Lord Randall, riding down the long slope toward a glint of water in the distance, where a river made a lazy turn. Houses nestled into a group in the little valley, surrounding a small stone church. Far on the other side of the river, halfway up another hill, a huge old stone block of a house nestled into a grove.
    Sophie noted that once he was in the saddle, Lord Randall was a reasonably good horseman, with solid form and light hands. His assessment of the mare called Moondust was accurate too—or else he had listened more closely to the head stableman than he had to Sophie. Moondust was lively, and she had a way of making her wishes known—and it was clear that the mare would really like a gallop. Which, Sophie had to admit, was exactly the sort of morning she’d prefer too. But Lord Randall seemed to be content to jog along quietly, so she reined in the horse and rode sedately beside him.
    â€œWill you be going up to London soon?” she asked. She knew the answer already, but there was no sense in letting him know the servants had been talking about him.
    â€œOf course. There are certain expectations of one, you know. The Season is about to begin in earnest, and my presence is required.”
    He made it sound as if the ton couldn’t function without him! Sophie wanted to roll her eyes. “It must be such fun,” she said and knew she sounded wistful.
    â€œThere are moments that are enjoyable. This year in particular it is important that I be at hand.” He paused. “I do not wish to sound inhospitable, and indeed I am pleased that my mother’s good friend has come to visit her, but I must admit surprise at Lady Ryecroft’s timing. My mother’s arrangements have already been made, and I came to Brindle Park this week in order to escort her to town.”
    â€œAnd instead you find us here.” All the suspicion Sophie had felt when she discovered that Lady Brindle was not, after all, recovering from a sprained ankle mingled with the unease that had swept over her this morning when Lady Ryecroft had insisted on going out for a ride without her. What exactly was her mama up to?
    â€œAnd a great pleasure it is,” Lord Randall added hastily, “to have such a dear old friend and her daughter in the house.”
    â€œBut you’re anxious to be off to town and afraid that your mother won’t tell us that it’s time for us to be going home?”
    â€œYou see, there is a lady… and our intentions to wed are soon to be announced. It is necessary that I be in attendance for her official presentation, and my mother must be there as well.”
    So much for the plan to ensnare him with her beauty, her charm, and her innocence.
    She couldn’t for the life of her feel sad about it, however. In fact, a little bubble of glee rose inside her as she realized it was no longer necessary to behave in the strict pattern that Lord Randall obviously seemed to think ladies should. The sudden relief was like a weight lifted from her shoulders, and she laughed merrily at her foolishness in thinking that he might be the answer to her problem.
    Then she leaned forward, whispered to the mare, and touched Moondust’s side with her heel—and they were off, horse and rider of one mind as they careened down the gentle slope in a wild, joyous, headlong flight. She reached the outskirts of the picturesque little village and was reluctantly beginning to slow her pace when a rider darted from