Page 21 of Indecently Daring

Kilbane pulled a face, which to her dismay looked genuinely disgusted at the idea. “The rest of the population are too dim-witted to realise the danger they’re in. I am not.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?” she demanded. “It’s not like I’m following you about, you know. I’m staying at Holbrook House.”

“Good for you, and my business is my own, brat. I urge you to keep your nose out of it.”

“I’m not a sneak,” Cat said, indignant that he should think that of her.

“How delightfully reassuring,” he said dryly, his lips thinning into an unpleasant smirk.

Cat bristled, but said nothing.

“Well, if you’ve quite finished making a nuisance of yourself, I’ll be on my way. Good day to you, Lady Catherine.” Kilbane made a show of doffing his hat to her and strode past.

Muttering with irritation, Cat tried to walk again, and smothered a cry of pain as her ankle protested. “Devil take you,” she grumbled, wondering how on earth she would get home.

“I could not agree more,” came an angry voice from close behind her. “And the sooner the better! Never in my life was I so plagued by a spoiled brat of a child.”

Cat turned to find Kilbane glaring at her, his eyes flashing with annoyance. He had not abandoned her after all.

“Oh, you came back,” she said, smiling at him.

Kilbane did not smile. He looked furious. “I don’t suppose you have a carriage waiting? That someone is coming to fetch you?”

“I walked. By myself,” she admitted sheepishly.

A nerve in his cheek leapt. “Of course you did. By God, I shall have something to say to your father about this.”

“Oh, please don’t,” Cat begged, horrified. Her father would never forgive her. “Papa was so angry with me about the last time. I’ve been in disgrace for so long, and I only walked to the village. I wasn’t doing anything I ought not do. I had no idea you were here. I swear I did not mean to plague you.”

Kilbane looked as if he was grinding his teeth with frustration. “Stay here,” he growled, and strode off again.

Where he thought she would go in this state, she couldn’t imagine.

With a sigh, Cat leant back against the wall, waiting for Kilbane to return. Despite his genuine annoyance with her, a smile curved over her mouth. Lord, but he was handsome. All that thick black hair, and those eyes…. She sighed happily, content to wait for him to return. A few minutes later she saw him cross the village green, leading an enormous black horse, the two of them perfectly matched in colouring. Cat caught her breath as she watched him stride towards her. Such broad shoulders he had, and those long, lean legs, his trousers clinging to strong thighs.

He’s mine, she thought dizzily. He doesn’t know it yet, but he will. One day. He will.

“You’d best pray nobody sees us together,” he said, glowering at her. “I don’t give a rat’s arse if you’re ruined, but I do care if your father comes after me wanting blood. Dying for one’s wickedness is one thing, dying when one hasn’t had the pleasure of sinning for it is quite another.”

Cat held her tongue, certain that did not require an answer.

Kilbane manoeuvred the splendid horse beside her and then bent to cup his hands to give her a boost.

Cat sent him a reproachful look. “Aren’t you going to lift me on? I’m not heavy.”

“Not on your life,” Kilbane growled. “Get up, or stay here. I really don’t care.”

Cat shrugged and tucked her bag of marzipan into her reticule, letting it hang from her wrist, then grasped hold of the saddle to keep her weight off her injured ankle. Kilbane shoved her up with the uninjured side, refusing to help any further. It took an ungainly amount of wriggling and heaving, but Cat finally got herself seated, though not terribly comfortably as it wasn’t a side-saddle. She did not dare cause even more of a scene by riding astride, however. No doubt Kilbane would leave her to her fate if she tried it, she thought with a grin.

“Don’t smirk. It’s unattractive,” he said, walking to the horse’s head and taking the reins. Cat bit her lip to stop herself from laughing as he got the horse walking out.

“It’s a beautiful day. Do you come to this part of the world often, my lord?”

“Don’t speak to me. This is not a social call. We are not friends. We are not even acquaintances. I will deposit you at the gates to Holbrook House, where someone will spot you soon enough and no one will see us together. You say that you turned your ankle on that spot, and with luck, no one will contradict you. Your father need not know.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she said with feeling, for she did not doubt Kilbane would have relished the opportunity to tease her father with this incident, but he was restraining himself.

He turned and shot a murderous glare in her direction.