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Authors: Confessions of a Viscount
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danced. He hid a smile. “It’s a good thing you have no intention of treading the boards, Miss Parnell.”
She gave him a wide-eyed innocent stare, which he returned.
After a few moments she gave him a rueful grin. “Too much?”
“If you really wanted to drive, all you had to do was say so.” He did a quick check to make sure traffic was still flowing as slowly as usual through the park.
She opened her mouth, no doubt to argue that she had said so, but closed it when he thrust the reins into her hands. She sat up straighter and adjusted the reins in her grip, her teeth flashing in a smile. “He has such a sweet gait, does he not?” She pointed her chin at the bay gelding in the traces.
“Maxwell does, and he has a tender mouth, as well.” Alistair forced his hands to stay flat on his knees so they wouldn’t snatch back the reins. Everything was fine so far. No children or dogs playing nearby that could startle the horse, no reason to expect Miss Parnell to drive them into the Serpentine.
“I shall take extra care, then.” The reins adjusted to her apparent satisfaction, she settled back in the seat, seemingly prepared to continue driving for the rest of their outing.
They rode in companionable silence for several minutes. Alistair tried to look everywhere at once, to spot anything that might upset Miss Parnell or the horse, and at the same time keeping an eye on her. Two little boyschasing a dog, shouting and barking, ran toward the carriage. Alistair tensed, ready to take back control, but she kept the horse steady with just a flick of the reins. The dog suddenly doubled back and chased the boys away from the vehicles.
“Please try to relax, Lord Moncreiffe. I’ll have you know I haven’t overturned a cart since I was ten.” She flashed him a quick grin, then returned her attention to the crowded road ahead.
Alistair did not relax his vigil, but he did allow some of the tension to leave his shoulders. They continued along the crowded path, nodding at acquaintances, returning a waved greeting now and then. The looks of disappointment on several women’s faces, misses and matrons alike, were almost comical. When he’d decided to bring Miss Parnell for a drive, he’d only thought of it as a chance to talk without being overheard, rather than it being a public outing with his fiancée.
While he was accustomed to women staring at him, he was surprised to realize two men on the path behind them were staring at Miss Parnell. Were they disappointed suitors? They were dressed well enough to blend in with the park crowd currently on parade, but something about them seemed a bit off. Like they’d be more comfortable in the company of Nick, or Miss Parnell’s half brother, Steven.
But Nick had sailed on the midnight tide just before the newspapers printed the engagement announcement. Alistair shouldn’t be surprised that her brother had set someone to watch over him with Miss Parnell, as a chaperone of sorts. If he had a sister, he imagined he would bequite protective, too, if she had just become engaged to a stranger.
Perhaps his imagination was simply being overly suspicious, thinking they were being watched. But the men had stayed just behind them, within one or two carriage lengths for the last complete round through the park, past all of the park gates, and had not paused to speak to anyone.
Then again, neither had he and Miss Parnell.
So focused on his thoughts, Alistair was startled when he heard his name called. Up ahead, two riders were threading their horses between the carriages, coming closer to the phaeton.
Clarke hailed him again. Miss Parnell slowed the horse and edged to the side of the path.
“Moncreiffe, well met,” Clarke called as he and his companion reined in their mounts beside the phaeton. “See, I told you that was him,” he said in a loud aside to the other man. “Dorian here didn’t believe that was you, letting a woman drive your carriage.” His fatuous grin
She gave him a wide-eyed innocent stare, which he returned.
After a few moments she gave him a rueful grin. “Too much?”
“If you really wanted to drive, all you had to do was say so.” He did a quick check to make sure traffic was still flowing as slowly as usual through the park.
She opened her mouth, no doubt to argue that she had said so, but closed it when he thrust the reins into her hands. She sat up straighter and adjusted the reins in her grip, her teeth flashing in a smile. “He has such a sweet gait, does he not?” She pointed her chin at the bay gelding in the traces.
“Maxwell does, and he has a tender mouth, as well.” Alistair forced his hands to stay flat on his knees so they wouldn’t snatch back the reins. Everything was fine so far. No children or dogs playing nearby that could startle the horse, no reason to expect Miss Parnell to drive them into the Serpentine.
“I shall take extra care, then.” The reins adjusted to her apparent satisfaction, she settled back in the seat, seemingly prepared to continue driving for the rest of their outing.
They rode in companionable silence for several minutes. Alistair tried to look everywhere at once, to spot anything that might upset Miss Parnell or the horse, and at the same time keeping an eye on her. Two little boyschasing a dog, shouting and barking, ran toward the carriage. Alistair tensed, ready to take back control, but she kept the horse steady with just a flick of the reins. The dog suddenly doubled back and chased the boys away from the vehicles.
“Please try to relax, Lord Moncreiffe. I’ll have you know I haven’t overturned a cart since I was ten.” She flashed him a quick grin, then returned her attention to the crowded road ahead.
Alistair did not relax his vigil, but he did allow some of the tension to leave his shoulders. They continued along the crowded path, nodding at acquaintances, returning a waved greeting now and then. The looks of disappointment on several women’s faces, misses and matrons alike, were almost comical. When he’d decided to bring Miss Parnell for a drive, he’d only thought of it as a chance to talk without being overheard, rather than it being a public outing with his fiancée.
While he was accustomed to women staring at him, he was surprised to realize two men on the path behind them were staring at Miss Parnell. Were they disappointed suitors? They were dressed well enough to blend in with the park crowd currently on parade, but something about them seemed a bit off. Like they’d be more comfortable in the company of Nick, or Miss Parnell’s half brother, Steven.
But Nick had sailed on the midnight tide just before the newspapers printed the engagement announcement. Alistair shouldn’t be surprised that her brother had set someone to watch over him with Miss Parnell, as a chaperone of sorts. If he had a sister, he imagined he would bequite protective, too, if she had just become engaged to a stranger.
Perhaps his imagination was simply being overly suspicious, thinking they were being watched. But the men had stayed just behind them, within one or two carriage lengths for the last complete round through the park, past all of the park gates, and had not paused to speak to anyone.
Then again, neither had he and Miss Parnell.
So focused on his thoughts, Alistair was startled when he heard his name called. Up ahead, two riders were threading their horses between the carriages, coming closer to the phaeton.
Clarke hailed him again. Miss Parnell slowed the horse and edged to the side of the path.
“Moncreiffe, well met,” Clarke called as he and his companion reined in their mounts beside the phaeton. “See, I told you that was him,” he said in a loud aside to the other man. “Dorian here didn’t believe that was you, letting a woman drive your carriage.” His fatuous grin
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