Читать книгу Dare to Love - Alleigh Burrows - Страница 7

Dare took one look at Nivea’s grateful expression and felt a pang of remorse. He should be more solicitous of her. True, she was not his most shapely companion, but she was much less disagreeable than most, barely voicing a word of complaint.

It wasn’t her fault he was so ill tempered. It was his blasted carriage that had broken, after all. And now he was forced to ride through the countryside on a coach horse, looking like a farmhand. Dear God, how his family would laugh if they saw him. Their ridicule would be endless.

Thinking of his family brought on a familiar surge of anger. Unwilling to give in to such a relentless emotion, he slowed down and returned his attention to his companion trailing behind.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be much farther.” He offered her an encouraging smile.

Her response was a tired shrug.

Fortunately, the second building they came upon had a small, faded sign out front, declaring itself a respectable establishment for travelers. As they turned up the entrance, a young man emerged from the stable.

Dare said under his breath, “It would be best if we pose as brother and sister, to avoid any impropriety. The rest of our story is innocent enough.”

Nivea nodded, her eyes fixed on the approaching stable hand.

“Good day, sir,” the young man said with a tug to his forelock, “are you anxious for a bit of rest tonight?”

“Yes. Do you have rooms available?”

“Oh, yes, milord. Mr. Ludlow will be more’n pleased to find a room for you and your…”

“Sister,” Landis finished for him.

“Sister. Yes, milord.”

Dare sprung from his horse, wincing as he landed. The large nag was by no means as comfortable as his usual mount. He handed off the reins and strode over to Nivea to help her down.

Keeping her eyes averted, she mumbled, “Why don’t you go inside. I’ll join you in a moment.”

In no mood for games, he reached up his arms and gestured irritably for her to dismount.

Still she didn’t move. Instead, she said, “Perhaps you could ask for some assistance. Or I could climb down onto that block over there.”

Dare couldn’t wait to get inside to wash off the dust from the road. It coated his face and hair—even his teeth were gritty. This was no time for arguments. “Come, it will be fine. Let’s get inside where we can rest.”

“I don’t think I can.”

Now she was being ridiculous. “Nonsense. Throw your leg over and slide down. I’ll catch you.”

* * * *

As much as she wanted to get down from the dreadful beast, Nivea hated to appear ungainly in front of him. But what choice did she have? If she continued to fuss, it would irritate him.

So, rucking up her skirts as best she could without exposing her entire thigh, she took a deep breath, heaved her leg over the horse, and plummeted down into his arms. He staggered a bit, but managed to guide her to her feet without incident.

As always, the touch of his hands sent a pleasant shock through her. But it only lasted until her feet hit the ground and her knees buckled. She’d never felt so sore in all her life. She hoped she could make it inside without collapsing.

Mr. Ludlow was waiting at the front door and snapped to attention as they approached. It was obvious that years of service had taught him to recognize Quality even if their mounts were not the usual snuff. “Milord, welcome to our establishment. Will you be dining with us this evening or do you and your lady require a room?”

“My sister and I will require two rooms. You may bring us both a hot bath and set up a meal in a private sitting room. If you can have everything accomplished in the next three quarters of an hour, there will be an extra shilling for you.”

“Yes, milord! Please make yourself comfortable in our parlor while I see to your rooms.”

He led them to a tidy little area off the front hall. Dare surveyed the accommodations before stretching out his long frame on the damask sofa. Nivea sank into a sturdy chair by the door, grateful for the steady surface.

She smiled at the sound of footsteps racing up and down the stairs. It was obvious that Mr. Ludlow was intent on meeting their needs as soon as possible.

The door opened and an older woman approached with a tray of glasses.

“’Ere is some sherry for you and your lady, sir. Sure to clear out the dust from the road.” She placed the tray on the table and left with a nervous curtsey. Dare eyed the glasses warily. Picking one up, he held it up to the light. Finding it to his standards, he took a small sip and handed the other glass to Nivea.

Reaching out to accept the glass, she did her best to hide a grimace of pain. Uncertain how it would go down, she took a small, cautious sip. There was a slight burn, but after a few swallows, her jabbing pain mellowed to a dull throbbing.

“Better?” Dare asked.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she said, not at all confident. Every bone, muscle, and sinew in her body ached. She wasn’t sure she could even get out of the chair once their rooms were ready. In fact, she would have been happy to fall asleep right there, perhaps never waking up again.

“It was a bit of a bumpy ride. I assure you, we will be more comfortable tomorrow.”

Nivea managed a nod, before setting down her empty glass and closing her eyes.

After what seemed like a cruelly short period of time, Mr. Ludlow reappeared and announced their rooms were ready. Dare helped her from the chair—for all appearances, acting as a solicitous brother, but in reality, he had to exert a hearty tug to get her upright. While the tingle from his touch was still there, it dimmed to a faint flicker as he helped guide her up the interminable amount of stairs and into her room. She let out a sigh of relief when the door closed. A young miss was already in attendance, and Nivea was immensely grateful as she helped her remove her travel clothes and eased her into the soothing bath.

If she had ever doubted her aversion for riding, today solidified it. How could anyone enjoy being bounced around on such an ungainly beast? Every inch of her felt bumped and bruised. Thank goodness, she would never have to go through that again.

The water was starting to get cold when there was a knock on the door.

“Supper is ready, miss,” the maid called out. “I will help you get dressed so you can join his lordship.”

Nivea was too tired to eat, but spending time in Dare’s presence was tempting enough to drag her from the bath. She let the maid help her into her least rumpled gown and then headed across the hall.

Dare was standing by the window with his snuffbox in hand. Even without a valet, he looked impeccable. It was so unfair.

She gingerly took her place at the table, her posterior so sore, she wasn’t certain she could sit through the meal. It was evident that Dare was not experiencing a similar sensation. Without offering a word of conversation, he sat across from her, his posture erect, his movements precise, as formal as he would at Court. This time, Nivea was too tired to care.

She picked at the roast turkey and forced down a few potatoes, before giving in to exhaustion. Laying her fork aside, she asked, “May I assume we will wait here for the carriage tomorrow?”

“I am afraid not.”

What? “But I thought you said we would be more comfortable.”

“Yes, we will. Mr. Ludlow has acquired two passable horses for us…with saddles. It will ease our ride considerably. The carriage will no doubt catch up with us by mid-day, but it would not be prudent to wait.”

The news sapped the last of Nivea’s energy. “Please excuse me. I would like to retire now,” she mumbled.

“Yes, of course.” Dare stood and walked her to the door. “We will leave at eight o’clock, so don’t dawdle getting ready.” He bowed as she passed through the doorway, missing her blazing glare of contempt.