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horse to a gallop, Anthea had no choice but to follow suit.
Unfortunately, the conclusion drawn by Weylin and Radbourne was
that the ladies' horses had run away with their riders. So a moment
later there were four horses galloping madly across the fields.
Giles urged his bay forward until he drew abreast of Miss Marwood's
gray mare. Anxiously he reached out and seized the mare's bridle and
forced both horses to slow. When he had brought them to a halt, Giles
perceived that Miss Marwood was regarding him with the liveliest
astonishment, but Radbourne found he was too angry to consider
what that might mean. "Are you all right?" he demanded. "What the
devil possessed you to ride a horse you couldn't manage?"
Affronted, Anthea retorted coldly, "I can."
"Of course. You always ride hell-bent-for- leather?" he suggested
sarcastically.
"Calandra and I were racing," Anthea retorted, forgetting that it had
not been her choice.
"Really?" he asked icily. "And is that the sort of example you choose
to set for her? If so, you are even less fitted to care for the child than I
thought."
Anthea smiled at him sweetly. "I was not aware that that was in any
way your concern," she said. "Moreover, although you might
question my judgment in racing Calandra, I cannot see what other
possible objection there can be to my taking charge of her."
Once more Radbourne's face was transformed by his smile. "Your
youth," he explained succinctly.
Anthea looked at him blankly. "My youth? You must have windmills
in your head! I am above thirty, you know," she said with as much
dignity as she could muster.
"What a bouncer!" Radbourne retorted.
In spite of herself, Thea grinned. "Well, I am," she said. "By two
months, at any rate. But do be serious! I collect you do object to my
taking charge of Cal, and I cannot understand why."
"I meant it when I said my objection was your youth," Radbourne
repeated calmly. "You ought to be out dancing yourself instead of
chaperoning that child. How you have escaped marriage thus far is
beyond me and there is no reason why you should continue to do so!
Why aren't you married?" he concluded outrageously.
"You needn't think I didn't take!" Anthea bristled. "I came out the
same year as your wife, Clarissa Lambert, and even if you had no
eyes for anyone else, there were gentlemen who did? I simply didn't
wish to marry any of them."
"And I suppose you then proceeded to bury yourself here in Bath?" he
asked indignantly. "What an appalling waste!"
"Actually, I had several Seasons in London," Anthea corrected him
gently. "But it's true that I withdrew to Bath afterwards. Probably
about the time you came out of mourning for your wife, in fact. I
remember that she was very beautiful."
"Very," Radbourne agreed curtly. He smiled at Thea, a trifle
wistfully. "Do you imagine I've been wearing the willow for her? I
haven't, you know. Clarissa was very beautiful and also very
uninterested in me, once we were married. Within a year, from one
excuse or another, I found myself banished from the bedroom and her
affairs generally. She was very much afraid, you see, of childbirth
and losing her figure by breeding. Nothing mattered to her but the
admiration of gentlemen, preferably not her husband! Clarissa finally
killed herself by riding neck-or- nothing at a fence her horse could not
possibly have managed. And why the devil I'm telling you all this, I
can't imagine!" he concluded roundly. "But that is why you cannot
expect me to stand by while you ride madly and risk such a tumble!"
Anthea barely heard his last few words. Her thoughts were, instead,
on the proud young man who had been faced with a wife who did not
want him. No wonder Lord Radbourne had never remarried!
Abruptly Radbourne's rough voice dragged Anthea back to the
present. "Will you stop staring at me like that, Miss Marwood?" he
asked with some asperity. "Your niece and her friend are waiting for
us, and I, for one, do not choose to sit here all day!"
Hastily Anthea recollected herself and managed to answer him
calmly enough. "Neither do I, sir. Which way do we go now?"
If there was a certain constraint between the pair, it could not last long
in the face of such a perfect day. Which was fortunate, Radbourne
told himself later as he watched Miss Marwood tether her horse near
the ruins. If ever there was a bubbleheaded way to begin an affair! I
am not, he reminded himself grimly, usually so maladroit. No,
another inner voice agreed, and neither do you usually encounter
women like Miss Marwood.
But there was no time to brood upon the matter. Young Seabrook was
determined to engage the viscount in a discussion of military tactics
invaders might have used. It was not precisely what his lordship had
envisioned when he offered to accompany the expedition, but he
nevertheless amiably obliged Weylin.
Anthea and Calandra resolutely declined to traipse all over the ruins,
contenting themselves with the easier portions to reach. Eventually
the party found itself back in Bath. Upon reaching the house in Laura
Place, the gentlemen reluctantly prepared to take their leave of the
ladies. Before either Calandra or Thea could dismount, however, the
door of Miss Marwood's house was flung open and Castor Marwood
clattered down the front steps. "Anthea!" he thundered. "And
Calandra. Good God, even young Seabrook! Does your father know
you are here, Weylin?" he demanded.
"Of course he does!" Weylin snorted before he could stop himself.
Then hastily he said, "That is, good day, Mr. Marwood."
"I shouldn't think Mr. Marwood is in a mood to agree," Lord
Radbourne observed dryly.
"And who the devil may you be?" Marwood demanded, looking up at
his lordship.
Giles managed to execute the briefest of bows, without disturbing his
horse. "I am Viscount Giles Radbourne," he replied politely. "And I
collect you are Castor Marwood. Anthea's brother," some devil
prompted him to add.
Marwood quivered with rage. "Radbourne? I've heard of you! How
comes it about, sister, that this . . . this libertine has the freedom of
your name? Have you actually had the impropriety to encourage the
attentions of a man of his reputation? Before you answer me, Anthea,
I take leave to warn you that Miss Lawley has already informed me
that you have had Radbourne to tea!"
This last was pronounced in such awful tones that Anthea could not
help laughing. "Yes, I have had him to tea," she agreed. "A high
crime, I collect?"
"Don't be sarcastic with me, sister," Castor warned her imperiously.
"I asked you if you have been encouraging this man's attentions."
Anthea did not answer at once. Instead, she signalled to Calandra to
dismount. She further ignored Marwood's raging countenance while
she gave instructions to the groom, who had by this time appeared.
Only after this did Anthea turn to her brother and reply evenly, "I do
think we should continue this discussion indoors. Whatever your
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