Chapter Five

Amelie slows the horse to a walk for the second time, giving the poor creature a chance at a rest. It seems to enjoy the freedom from the wagon, and I cannot help but wonder if the beast dislikes the task. The stomach underneath my fingers tenses so tightly I can feel it through her dress, and it occurs to me that I would not be able to feel this if she were wearing a corset underneath. For some reason the idea that she may not have one on, sends a tingle through my fingertips that races straight to my navel.

"What is it?" I manage in a quiet voice, quite pleased that my racing heart hasn't affected my tone. I listen intently, but all I hear is the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of the horse panting.

"I can hear many hoof beats, someone is coming," she says quietly as she glances around and directs the horse off the road.

The trees are sparce and hardly provide cover, but I suppose it is better than standing in the middle of the bare road. Our position may give us a few moments to decide if whoever approaches can be trusted.

A group of men come around the corner, about six in total, all finely dressed and laughing jovially at something. My eyes are immediately drawn to the man in the centre with auburn hair and eyes so green I can see they are startling even from here. Something about him commands authority and respect, but in an easy carefree manner. As if my gaze has somehow alerted him to my presence, his eyes lock on mine and silence falls with a single raise of his hand.

"Fair ladies," he says in a clear but gentle tone. "I cannot help but notice you are alone on the road. Are you well?"

"That would depend on what your intentions are?" Amelie calls back in a firm voice.

I see the man's dark green eyes drift over the blood drying on the side of my face and the bruising appearing on Amelie.

"Our intentions are pure." He says as he dismounts from his horse and hands the reins to a handsome man with dark hair beside him. "I just do not wish for you to come to further harm."

Amelie holds the horse still and makes no move towards the man, but as he slowly walks towards us with his hands raised, she doesn't guide the horse away either. As he steps towards us, I am struck by how well built this man is, his jaw is square, and his body is obviously strong. Coupled with the hair colour and eyes, he certainly makes an impression that cannot be forgotten.

Amelie shifts the sword she had acquired so it is clearly visible, and the man halts his approach. The men move their horses towards us, and the auburn-haired man once more raises his hand and they pause.

"Declare yourself," she warns. "We have already been attacked by two men this day, and I will not easily be convinced to trust a band of six more."

He seems shocked. "You were attacked?" he gestures to us. "This is not the result of some accident?" Amelie shakes her head and remains silent. He pauses and bows. "I am Arthur, Earl of Stacks."

My heart skips a beat at the idea this is to be my betrothed. He is a startlingly handsome man and obviously kind. I know I could do much worse, but somehow, I am disappointed that his existence makes this whole thing real.

"Prove it," Amelie demands, gripping the sword tightly.

"My," he says in astoundment. "You are not from around here I see." He draws his sword slowly and turns it, so he is gripping the blade and approaches slowly with the hilt facing us. I am surprised by the incredible level of trust this shows. It obviously has an impact on Amelie who takes the hilt gently from his hands and inspects the crest engraved beautifully onto the base of the blade. She visibly relaxes and hands the sword back to him.

"Your trust and understanding in this manner have been greatly appreciated and well received," she says in a formal tone. From her dress she pulls a sealed envelope with my family's crest marking the deep red wax on the back. She hands him the letter, "May I present to you, Elizabeth Hawkford."

This stuns him and he opens the letter with a slight urgency. His eyes skim the words there and he makes a low bow. "I am so sorry Miss Hawkford," he says as he gazes up at me through wavey trestles of auburn hair. "I did not expect to meet you this way or under these circumstances. Please allow me to offer my assistance."

With that he holds out his hand and I look at it for a long moment before Amelie nudges me discreetly, and I realize I am expected to take it. I grasp the hand and allow myself to be guided to the ground, after which I realise the handsome dark-haired man has approached and is offering the same curtsy to Amelie.

Arthur is looking at me with such an intense gaze that I must fight to hold it. "Do you know who did this?"

I shake my head. "The men who did it are about half hours ride that way."

Arthur turns to his men and says, "Spread out and find them."

"They are dead," I say quietly.

That causes everyone to pause and Amelie darts me an urgent look. I swallow realizing that I will have to come up with a plausible explanation for how these men died when all the men accompanying us are also dead.

"Our coach driver gave his life defending us," I say staring at the ground, hoping this conveys a sense of distress as opposed to deceit. "He took a fatal wound with a sword in the final moments, but he still managed to strike down our attackers before any serious harm were to befall Miss Westward or myself."

Arthur nods. "Retrieve the men who were escorting Miss Hawkford and Westwood. See what you can do to retrieve any belongings that may still be there."

"What of the attackers?" Asks a short man with a large belly as he struggles to mount his horse.

"See if there is anything that can identify them and leave the scum on the side of the road where they belong," Arthur says curtly. He turns to us and indicates to the tall dark-haired man beside him, I am struck by the fact that he has a light beard that shadows his jawline. I cannot deny that the look certainly suits him, but I am surprised any man would continue to wear a beard as they have fallen so far out of fashion. "This is William, Earl of Nothlam."

We nod to the man who bows and says, "Ladies."

"Would you ride with us back to our estate?" Arthur asks. "I would understand if you wished to continue to ride together given the circumstances, but I do feel your horse could do with the rest."

I turn to face the beast and I feel a sense of distress that we had driven the creature so hard after its ordeal. I cannot help but agree with Arthur that it needs a rest and carrying two passengers is not the best way to achieve that. I look to Amelie who nods in agreement.

"We would be delighted to accept your offer," I say diplomatically.

Arthur leads me over to his large chestnut and lifts me effortlessly onto its back. I do my best to keep in the noise that tries to escape my lips as the large hands take my waist. Amelie is treated to the same fate as she is lifted onto a patched horse by William.

Arthur swings himself up behind me and takes the reins, I can feel the heat from his body and the obvious strength in his chest. He smells lightly of rose water, and I am pleased that he is obviously one of the few men who bathe, even if it is only for special events. Arthur collects the reins of our exhausted horse and guides it along with us as we ride in silence. My eyes keep drifting over to Amelie, forced to ride side saddle like me. I am in the arms of my husband to be, and he is obviously everything a woman should desire, but I find myself longing to be back in the saddle with her. I shake my head of the thought, unable, or unwilling to investigate the source. I should be delighted by Father's choice in suiter, Arthur is a strong, handsome and a seemingly kind man. I should be swooning.

I glance back at Amelie's ash blonde hair, slightly tussled from the day's events and my heart skips when her deep blue eyes lock with mine. She gives me a small smile before returning her gaze to the road and my fingers twitch as I recall how her small but strong waist had felt under my fingers. I bite my lip as I consider how her stomach would feel without the barrier of her dress and wonder if there are lines there that my fingers could caress.

I take a sharp breath as I realize how inappropriate and wrong the direction of my thoughts are. Women do not have these kinds of thoughts about other women, I silently scold myself. I have read enough romance books to know these kinds of thoughts are to be directed towards men. I stare at the dusty road and conclude the thoughts must be a result of the injury to my head and nothing more.

"We are not far from the estate," Arthur says in his strong voice. "We had intended to meet you and guide you the rest of the way."

I nod and frantically search for words. Knowing I am supposed to say something here to keep the conversation going. "We are grateful for your thoughtfulness," I finally manage. "Although our arrival has not gone to plan, I am delighted to have met you."

Arthur smiles, revealing an array of perfect white teeth. "Hopefully, your delight continues as we embark on this new stage of our lives."

Suddenly I feel a little queasy at the reference to our upcoming marriage and everything that would imply. Unable to make words, I simply smile up at him and quickly divert my gaze back to the dirt packed road.

I feel Amelie's gaze on me, and I refuse to meet it. Knowing somehow this growing attachment to her will impact me profoundly if I allow it to continue. A little voice pops up in the back of my head and adds further confusion into the mix as it asks quietly.

Would that be a bad thing?