Chapter 11 #3
Alaina felt a rising panic, as the sound of hooves signaled that the group of riders was almost upon her.
She struggled to find her seat in the saddle and whirled her horse around in the path just in time to see Graham and Christopher gallop through a thicket and come into view.
Alaina breathed a sigh of relief and quickly looked around for Lady Barbara, intent on alerting the men of her presence, but she found no trace of the woman.
The gentlemen had stopped just short of her position when she heard the sound of an easy trot from the opposite direction, and espied Evelina.
“Alaina! What happened to you? I know I raced ahead, but I had expected you to catch up to me ten minutes ago.” Evelina seemed concerned, and Alaina watched her sister’s eyes widen as she caught sight of the duke and the marquess.
Christopher and Graham had joined them on the tight trail, Graham in front, Christopher close behind. Before Alaina could respond to her sister, both men spoke.
“Alaina, are you alright?” Graham calmly asked, Christopher’s identical question just behind the duke’s.
“What is going on?” Evelina gathered quickly that something was amiss.
Graham opened his mouth, but it was Alaina who answered first. “I am ok, I think,” she said, as she rubbed her arm where Lady Barbara had held onto her.
“I am thankful you all are here now, you have impeccable timing, really.” A nervous chuckle escaped her lips before she continued, “I just saw Lady Barbara, and she… well, she…”
Alaina felt her throat close up, and her fear of what could have happened took over as her body shook uncontrollably. As if he could wait no longer for an explanation, Christopher interjected, “She what?”
Alaina took a steadying breath and attempted to continue. “She seemed quite angry with me, but that is not so unusual. She seemed happy to find me alone, and she grabbed me, but I was able to push her away. I fear I only escaped because of your arrival. Why is she even here?”
Finally, Alaina looked up and saw the shock on Evelina’s face and ominous looks from Graham and Christopher.
It was a few moments before anyone said anything.
Finally, the duke took charge. “Alaina, Evelina, can you follow Christopher back to the house? I have to go visit some neighbors and alert them to the goings-on of the afternoon. With Lady Barbara’s appearance, I fear Percy is at the root of all the mischief on the estate, and now they are threatening bodily harm!
” Graham practically growled. After a pause he continued, “I hope you forgive my abruptness, but trust me, it is for your safety.”
Evelina and Alaina both sat in stunned silence and could only nod in agreement as Graham steered his horse past Christopher, giving his friend a look and nod.
Christopher was quick to motion for both Evelina and Alaina to precede him on the ride back to the stables, Evelina taking the lead. The sound of plodding hooves filled the silence as the group picked their way along the trail.
Evelina spoke first. “So, it seems all the issues Graham has been called away for are related to his cousin?”
Christopher was slow to respond. “Yes, most of them have been vandalism or theft: a broken plow here, a missing sheep or two there, nothing to alert us of any real danger. But we had just come from a fire at the barn when we met with Georgiana and she said you were out riding alone. Trust me, if I had ever had any reason to suspect, if I had known…”
Alaina and Christopher’s eyes met, his steel-blue ones delving into hers, and he finally finished, his voice choked, “I would never have let you out here to ride alone, never.”
Alaina held his gaze for a few seconds more and then turned in her saddle. The look in Christopher’s eyes seemed to say too many things at once: anger, fear, possession. It was too much to bear, and they rode on in silence as Alaina wished for the solitude of her chamber to settle her mind.
“What on earth happened?” came Georgiana’s question as the group pulled up to the stables, and disembarked from each of their horses, clearly done with their ride. Georgiana pulled away from her freshly saddled horse to meet Alaina, Evelina, and Christopher, a furrow marking her brow.
Christopher answered, “Evelina and Alaina got separated on their ride and Lady Barbara made an appearance. I was thankful that Graham and I found her in time before something worse happened.”
“Worse than what? What was she doing in the woods on my brother’s estate?” Georgiana questioned, but a shake of Christopher’s head stalled any further inquiries.
Alaina and Evelina did not say anything and looked a bit shocked at the turn of the afternoon. Georgiana quickly intervened. “Well, then, I say we retire to one of the private family parlors and rest while things get sorted.”
Georgiana ushered the ladies inside through the side door of the stables, and Christopher followed quickly behind, but took his leave almost immediately.
He would not be joining them, as he had more important matters to attend.
Christopher first went in search of Graham’s steward, Mr. Locke.
Knowing this was one of the few times Christopher could question the man alone, he made sure to search the whole house to find him, but had no luck.
Christopher then checked in with the butler to find Graham still out on the estate, probably visiting his neighbors to warn them of the afternoon’s events and the suspicion of who was to blame.
Frustrated, Christopher returned to his guest room, placed along with the other guests in the east wing, opposite from the wing with the stables.
Georgiana had given Alaina and her family lodgings in the other wing, since they were more than merely guests.
He expected it was not just Alaina’s planning assistance, but the fact that she may soon be family that had prompted the decision.
At the moment, Christopher was both relieved and perturbed by their physical separation.
If their rooms had been closer, he would be more apt to run into Alaina and would have an excuse to talk to her.
His worries about displaying emotion were eclipsed entirely by the panic he had felt to learn that Alaina and Evelina were out exploring the property alone.
He could not shake the urge to find himself in their wing for one reason or another, just for the chance to see her.
It was madness. Was it just lust and their proximity?
Deep down he was coming to admit to himself that was false.
His body wanted hers, to be sure. When Alaina was near, his belly clenched and his manhood seemed to have a mind of its own, but he also yearned to know all her thoughts, her plans, desires in life, and to laugh at life’s inanities together.
Christopher sighed and moved absently to stand at the window in his room, knowing in his heart what he wanted, but feeling as if he may have missed his chance.
From the first, Christopher had found himself forcing Alaina away, only to be pulled back into her orbit.
He could never expect her to entertain him as a suitor now, not with his behavior and his proclamations against any proper form of attachment.
Not to mention the fact that his friend, his charming friend, was courting the young lady.
They seemed to get along well, and Christopher was perturbed to find himself jealous that her smiles were reserved for Graham.
No, there was certainly no chance for Christopher to convince Alaina of his worthiness.