The Lady and the Earl (18 page)

He raised his eyebrows at her.
  “Not far?”

“Well, it’
s
a good distance
, but I
a
m capable.”

“Yes,
you’
ve
said that once already today.  Then your horse ran away.”  She glared at him, but he ignored it.  “
Right
, I can tell you
don’t
want me around at the moment
.  You are surely embarrassed from this incident
, but a gentleman does not leave a lady stranded. 
Permit
me
to
give you a ride.  In fact, I insist upon it.”  He turned toward his steed and whistled.  The grand, black horse came without hesitation.

“But
I…
er
…
do not even know you.  H
ow do I know I can trust you?”
  The words slipped
from her mouth
before she could stop them.  She was trying to stall, to find a way out of this situation without having to ride with him. 
 

“Ah, I see.” 
He smiled, and his gorgeous eyes danced in delight. 
He winked at her almost deviously, causing her heart to skip a beat. 

He was too handsome for his own good!  Perhaps she should be looking for a way to turn this into a beneficial encounter. 
It could be pleasant riding with him.  Then again, she was covered in mud, and how could that be beneficial or pleasant?

“Fortunately for you, I am not a criminal or any type of highway man.  I am
Declan
Cunningham.  I’
m the Earl of this land you find yourself on.”  He bowed politely to her.

“An
e
arl
?” she
asked in bewilderment.  “I had no idea,” she lied.  “Please forgive me,
m
y
Lord
.”  She curtsied to him.  “I shan’t bother you further.  Now if you
’
ll excuse me, I have a long walk ahead of me.”

“Stubborn girl.
  I a
m giving you a ride,” he stated forcefully.

“But I’
m covered
in mud!” s
he exclaimed. 
Please, just go,
she thought desperately.  If he gave her a ride home, she would be forced to talk to him.  She didn’t think she could muster anything to say
just then
.  All she could think about was this horribly humiliating mud covering her body and that horrendous kick she
gave
him four years ago.  If she spent too much time with him, would he connect her to that kick?

He laughed.  “I do
no
t care.  Now come here, and
allow
me
to
help you mount,” he demanded. 

She sighed in defeat before
going to him.
 

“That
’
s better,” he said
.

Allana stared up at the saddle, cradling her wrist.  Could she use it? 
Did she have a choice? 
She reached up and clasped the saddle with both hands.
  That did
n’
t feel too bad.
 
Lord Cunningham
lifted her up, forcing her to put pressure on the injured wrist. 
It held for a brief moment before she felt something pop.  Terrible pain shot up her arm from her wrist. 
Allana
exhaled
a sharp moan
and collapsed down to her elbow. 
 

“What happened
?” he
asked, pulling her down to look at her.

She held her wrist close to her body
, breathing
raggedly
.
  Sharp, jagged pain pulsed
through
i
t.
  By using it, she had injured it worse.

He shook his head.  “You
are
injured.
”
 

“It’s nothing
,” Allana said through gritted teeth.
  It actually hurt quite badly,
so badly tears were beginning to form.
  This was terrible!

“Nothing?
  If
it’s
nothing, you will permit me to look at it,” he demanded.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat.  “I…,” she began, but could not finish.
  Her wrist throbbed in pain, and t
he tears were
trying to force their way out. 

“My L
ady,” he began.

“Allana,” she said quietly.
 
The tears began to fall. 
She swallowed
again, trying to gain some control of herself
.
  “
My name is Allana…a
nd I knew who you were.  I was
…
trying to stall.”
  She began to really cry.
  “It hurts
badly
.” 
Well, p
ain
and tears were
one way to get past her pride.

He looked at her in alarm.  “You should have told me.  I would have hoisted you abroad Colonel.  You
shouldn’t
have used it.”

“I,” she hiccupped, “didn’t think it was this bad.”  Normally, she would
n’t
cry over pain such as this, but it had been a tryin
g week and an unusual day.  “I’
m sorry.”  She was sobbing now.  She was going to hate herself later for it.

“
Shhhh
.
 
All will be well
.
” 
He looked as if he would pull her in and comfort her in a warm embrace.  Instead, he
cupped her face gently between his hands.  “I will get you
to Tananguard
.  And we will
see to your comfort
.”  He smiled
warmly
.
 

Allana nodded.  “Thank you
,
”
she hiccupped.

“You are welcome.
”  His thumb brushed aside a tear
, and then the strangest thing happened.  The Earl of Westbrook dipped down and brushed her lips lightly with his
.  Instantly, she stopped crying
.  He
pulled back quite suddenly.
  He looked as shocked as Allana felt.

“Forgive me!” h
e
said in alarm.
  “I
don’
t know what overcame me to do such a thing!” 

He seemed quite upset by the kiss as if he wished he could reclaim it somehow.  Allana
couldn’t
blame him.  She must look dastardly, and she had behaved quite wretched
ly with all of
her crying
.
 
She
needed to
relieve him of his worry.

“The tears have stopped.  Surely that was your purpose.”  And perhaps it had been, b
ut she would relish that kiss.  It may be the only one she would ever receive from this man.

His eyes widened in surprise at her comment.  “No, you cannot let it go so easily.  It was far
too
forward and uncalled for. 
Please, my
L
ady.  I beg of you, forgive me,” he pleaded.

Allana inhaled. 
He was
too
handsome
.
 
“
Of course
you are forgiven
. 
Truly
, i
t was nothing.
”  To brush aside such a cherished thing was pai
nful.  She gave him a half-hearted smile and received
a smile
in return that melted her heart.
 

“You are too kind.  Thank you, Allana.”

“You
’
re welcome,” she managed to say. 
He’d
said her name!
  And the sound of it on his lips was just as she dreamed it would be
—glorious!
 
    

“
Will you a
llow
me
to
examine
your
wrist
?” he
asked.
 

Allana didn’t resist.  She
held out her now swollen wrist to
Lord
Cunningham
. 
She
did her best not to
flinch in pain every time he moved it
, but when he flexed it slowly and gently, she could not help herself.  She made some odd noise
of pain
she tried to conceal
but failed
.
 

He looked at her in sympathy. 
“
I’
m s
orry. 
I don’
t believe it is broken, but it is severely injured.
  We need to get you
to Tananguard
to rest it.
”

Allana nodded. 

“
May I have your permission to place my hands about your waist that I might hoist you abroad Colonel
?” he
asked.

“Yes.”
 

He nodded and placed his hands on her waist.  “If you need to brace yourself as I lift you, only do so with your right hand.  You may place it on my shoulder now if
you wish
.”

C
ould she deny herself the pleasure of doing as he said? 
Of course not.
  She placed her right hand atop his shoulder
, relishing the feel of it
s strength
as she
braced herself.  He l
ifted her with ease.  She didn’
t even have to jump to assist him.
  She almost did
n’t
need to brace herself
with how easily he lifted her.

Lord
Cunningham stared up at her for a moment.  She was sitting side-saddle and could not bring herself to look away.  He seemed as if he were contemplating something
, and the moment spread i
nto what seemed like an eternity.

“My
Lord
,
is there something the matter
?” she
asked.

“You have very lovely eyes.”

Allana was certain her
jaw
dropped.  Was she in so much pain she was imagining things?  Had he truly just complimented her eyes?
 
This was almost as shocking as the kiss.  All she could do was gape at him.
 

He
smiled up at her.  “I see I’
ve embarrassed you.
  Has no one ever told you such?”

“No, never,” she admitted.  Of all of her features she thought her eyes were her best, yet no one aside from
Lilly
had ever told her so.
  “Thank you.”
 

“You are welcome.” 
He climbed up be
h
ind her before adding, “And it’
s
Declan
.”

“Hmm
?” she
asked.

“My name.
  It’
s
Declan
, not
my
Lord
.  I was never one for formalities,” he replied.

She nodded in understanding. 
Declan
,
she thought and smiled.
  And he was not one for formalities? 
Interesting
.
 
Perhaps she was not as far
from
his association as she
had always imagined.

The
beginning of the ride was quite uncomfortable.  The saddle was not meant for two, and Allana was side-saddle,
taking
up
far
more space
than she would have otherwise
.  She tried to scoot as high up on the saddle as she could without straddling the saddle horn, but doing so put her at an angle.  She kept sliding back down or leaning so far backward she was leaning into Declan.  He even tried his best to sit behind the saddle, but that was unsuccessful
as well
. 
Finally, he simply pulled himself into the saddle and slid her right up next to him
so
she was practically on his lap!