To Suit a Suitor Read online

  “Which implies that another day you’ll say yes. I’d better teach you to gallop so you have a chance.”

  Julia clenched the reins in her hand at the thought of galloping. But she pasted a bright smile on her face when she looked up. “As long as you teach me to stop first.”

  Mr. Chamberlain chuckled and then nudged his horse forward. “Let’s try a walk around the field. Pegasus will probably just follow Felix, so you can just give him a nudge and try to hold his head up so he doesn’t stop to graze.” Felix began to walk, although she couldn’t see what Henry had done to make him move—some nudge she hadn’t seen—but Pegasus began a slow walk after them and Julia felt her whole body tense as she tried to hold on tight to both the reins and the saddle.

  Mr. Chamberlain looked back at her and in an assuring voice said, “That’s fine, just try to relax a little. If you are too stiff, riding will feel jarring.”

  Julia forced her muscles to loosen and felt herself sliding in the saddle as Pegasus followed Felix without any urging from her. In her sidesaddle position, she began to slide toward the ground. She scooted backward in the saddle too far to keep from falling and her behind went over the edge of the back of the saddle. She held on tightly to the reins but couldn’t right herself.

  “Henryyy!” she screamed. She’d never called him anything but Mr. Chamberlain; she didn’t even think of him as Henry in her mind, but as she slid toward the ground his name came out at a high squeal.

  She descended to the ground backside first with her legs above her, sliding down the horse’s side. Pegasus stopped walking and her hold on the reins meant it was a slow slide, but she still landed on her backside with her feet in the air resting against Pegasus. Her long skirts stayed pinned between her feet and the horse. It didn’t hurt at all, but it was surely the most ridiculous fall off a horse that had ever occurred. All Julia could do was lean back on one elbow before Mr. Chamberlain had dismounted and was there, trying for a sober expression and failing miserably. He had been ahead of her, not looking back, and she wished more than anything that she hadn’t called out his name. Then, perhaps, he wouldn’t have witnessed the most embarrassing moment of her life.

  Again.

  She let go of the reins and used her free hand to cover her eyes, wishing to be unseen as easily. With the reins loose, her legs finally landed on the ground as Pegasus stepped away.

  There was a long pause and Julia wondered how hard he must have been struggling not to laugh. “Let me teach you how to dismount,” she finally heard Henry say. There was a tremor in his voice, and Julia moved her hand away from her eyes to look at him and see that his eyes were shining with what could only be amusement.

  Julia rolled away from him and stood up. “I’ve already dismounted for the last time ever!” she declared as she moved a few steps away from him and both horses.

  “But Miss North, we’ve barely begun,” he cajoled. “Your, er, … fall was just a little setback.”

  “No, it was a sign that I should never ride a horse. I can’t believe I even thought to try.” Julia was ready to bid him goodbye and flee from his presence.

  His expression was thoughtful again and he said, “Interesting. When I decided to bring Pegasus for you today, I really thought yours was the stronger character.” Julia looked up in hurt surprise at the insult. But Mr. Chamberlain continued, “I’ve seen you hunt and catch your prey; I’ve seen you defy even the politest request for a dance,” he smiled in a self-deprecating way, “and you’ve even been interrogated by my mother and lived to tell about it. Surely you aren’t going to let Pegasus get the better of you?”

  Julia took in a deep breath and released it slowly. It wasn’t an insult; it was a compliment, sort of. And it was definitely a challenge. And with it, she knew she had to try again. She could surely do better.

  She cleared her throat. “Fine. But perhaps you could tell me before I climb in the saddle how to relax without sliding off the horse?”

  A huge answering grin overtook his whole face, making his eyes crinkle up. He had never looked so attractive. This man should be happy all the time, she thought as he explained to her how to let her body move with the horse and keep a good posture.

  Julia gathered her determination to once again face her foe. As Mr. Chamberlain pulled on the reins he spoke to the horse, “Pegasus, be a gentleman and try not to buck the lady off this time.”

  “A gentleman horse?” Julia asked. She thought of the horses she had seen pulling carriages around London. They all seemed so big and full of energy. Even when the carriages were standing still, the prancing steps of the horses caused the carriages to rock and sway. “Surely such a breed doesn’t exist.”

  Mr. Chamberlain moved close to her again and set his hands on her waist, but paused with his hands there and said, “Well, perhaps not, but Pegasus is as close as they come. He’d never mistreat a lady.”

  After he lifted her up, Julia waited for her heart to slow down before concentrating on her posture. As Pegasus began to follow after Felix once again, she tried to move with the horse. It didn’t feel natural and the jarring sensation was still there, but when she finally dared lift her eyes, she watched how Mr. Chamberlain moved and tried to mimic his posture. As they went around the pasture again, she felt a measure of success, and when he complimented her progress, she even smiled.

  After leaving the pasture and walking home, Julia couldn’t believe how happy she felt after riding a horse, and she had to give all the credit to Mr. Chamberlain. Despite Martha’s warning that he had a permanently broken heart, it was getting harder and harder to resist the pull she felt each time she was with him. For a brief moment, she stopped resisting and daydreamed about being the one who earned his regard. If they courted, she would call him Henry always and he would challenge her, but help her succeed, too. If he courted her, they would dance together and walk together and he would be the best suitor she’d ever had. In fact, if he courted her and her mother insisted she marry Henry Chamberlain, Julia wouldn’t feel as though she were being forced to marry at all. A strange thought for her, as the idea of marriage to any of her other suitors had left her feeling extremely reluctant. But if she could have her choice, he would be it.

  Her daydreams carried along until she realized the inevitable: she couldn’t have her choice. He would lose interest in her just as her other suitors had. He wasn’t even a suitor and that thought caused a pang in her chest that made her catch her breath. In fact, they were meeting in private for riding lessons so that no one would think he was her suitor. Could it be any clearer that he didn’t want to court her? The connection she felt to him must just be in her mind. She took a few deep breaths to stop tears from forming, which was ridiculous; she had never cried over any man.

  Why was Henry different from them? Well, obviously he wasn’t actually her suitor. But besides that, she realized that when those other gentlemen had decided they didn’t want to marry her, she had known that they didn’t really know her. They knew the girl that her mother insisted she be when being courted. She was proper. She put on an air of humility when she announced her accomplishments. She never tried to prove herself when challenged. And she never embarrassed herself. But Henry did know her. If she let herself be fascinated by him and let her daydreams take flight, it would be devastating when he rejected her. He didn’t want a wife, but even if Julia somehow convinced him to court her, he would eventually reject her, not just the version of her that her mother insisted on in front of suitors. In fact, Julia had to admit, Henry had already seen far more of her faults than she had allowed suitors to see before. His first impression of her to his last must be of a girl with no poise at all.

  When Julia thought about staring into his eyes when he had paused before helping her on the horse, she was sure her heart missed a beat. But it must just be the effect he had on all young ladies. Perhaps that was why so many had their hopes set on him. He gave them hope without even realizing it. His condescending smiles earlier had certain
ly put her in her place. She would just have to remember that he was treating her the same way he treated all the young ladies he knew, giving her a careful amount of attention, but never enough to actually be mistaken for courting.

  A

  Chapter 12

  Henry truly thought he had convinced his mother that he wasn’t forming an attachment to Miss Clifton. But when he arrived at Barrington Court for Saturday dinner as he always did, he found Miss Clifton alone in the drawing room.

  He paused a moment, finding himself caught off guard, but then addressed his mother’s guest. “Miss Clifton, good afternoon.”

  “Hello, Mr. Chamberlain.” She stood up quickly and approached him. Henry backed away a little.

  “I expected to find my mother here with her guests. Where is she, do you know?”

  She smiled brightly and inclined her head toward him, as though she was telling him a secret. “She is showing my parents and Mrs. Thurston the new layout she has planned for her rose garden.”

  Ah yes, his mother’s rose garden. “You did not join them?” It was a stupid question, of course.

  “I’m not so interested in roses, so your mother suggested I wait here.”

  Of course she did. Henry was surprised with himself for not expecting this. It wasn’t like him to be caught off guard by his mother’s schemes. He had been looking forward to joining his mother and her guests today, and his anticipation had made him forgetful.

  He had expected Miss North to be one of the guests.

  He glanced at the door to make sure he had left it open. Relieved that he had, he resigned himself to a few minutes of conversation with Miss Clifton. She wasn’t an unattractive girl, with blue eyes and blonde hair. Henry was certain he had heard her mother describe on more than one occasion how sought after her daughter was by other gentlemen. But Henry had always thought her eyes a little too close together and her nose a little too long. Really though, nothing she said ever held his attention.

  To give himself space, Henry walked over to the window where he would have a view of any other guests as they arrived. “Do you know who else my mother is expecting for dinner today?” Miss Abbot usually joined them and if she was coming, Miss North would be too.

  Miss Clifton crossed the room and joined him at the window before responding. “You are the last to arrive, I believe. Your mother said we wouldn’t dine without you and suggested I wait here in case you came while they were out in the garden.” While he was adjusting to the disappointment, he felt her hand touch his shoulder and trail to his elbow. “Large gatherings are preferable most of the time, but don’t you think an intimate family dinner is more enjoyable occasionally?”

  Henry warily glanced down and saw her looking up at him with a doting look in her eyes. He was intelligent enough to know what his mother had in mind. She would want to walk in the room and catch him in a moment just like this. Despite all his denials—or perhaps because of them—his mother hoped he had feelings for Miss Clifton. The trap was far too obviously laid for him not to see it. She must think that if Henry were left alone in a room with Miss Clifton that he wouldn’t be able to deny his feelings any longer. It was ridiculous the lengths his mother would go to, but it was more ridiculous that her plan had almost worked. Not that he had feelings for Miss Clifton, but if anyone saw them in this moment, it would be difficult to deny. Henry took a large step back and gestured to the room with an arm out. “Shall we sit while we wait for the others, Miss Clifton?” he asked as formally as possible.

  She gave him another smile—far too bright for a response to his inane suggestion—and sat to one side of the sofa, patting the space next to her gently. Henry almost smiled at that. Not for the wide world would he sit next to her. Ignoring her gesture, he took a chair as far across the room as he could get. “How is Anthony doing?” he asked, knowing Miss Clifton couldn’t be flirtatious during a conversation about her brother in the army. And his strategy worked. A few minutes more passed before his mother, along with Mr. and Mrs. Clifton and Mrs. Thurston, entered the drawing room. Henry made sure the look on his face was bored; he even went so far as to yawn. It was a fine line he walked: making sure his indifferent feelings were understood without offending Miss Clifton’s sensibilities. “I’m starving, Mother. Let’s eat.”

  His mother looked at him, then across the room at Miss Clifton. She looked disappointed, for which Henry could only be grateful. “Where are your manners, Henry? We can’t begin until all our guests have arrived.”

  Henry looked up eagerly as the sound of more people entering the hall reached his ears. “So sorry, Mother,” he said. “I was under the impression that this was everyone.”

  With huge relief and the knowledge that his entire evening had just been salvaged, he watched Miss Abbot and Miss North enter the room. Henry took in Miss North’s beautiful features as if checking them off a list: her brown hair, which looked darker as she stood in his mother’s drawing room than it had out in the sunshine of the pasture; her brown eyes, which were a lighter brown than any he had seen before; her cheekbones, which always became more defined when she blushed but always gave her face elegance. But today he was distracted by a feature of hers that he shouldn’t be. His gaze dropped to the hem of Miss North’s light green gown, where he saw her slippered feet emerge and withdraw with each step as she crossed the room to greet his mother.

  That very limited peek of her feet had him reliving the moment from the day before when he had caught a glimpse of her ankles. Immediately after beginning their riding lesson, he had heard a squeal of alarm, which made his heart race with fear, and he quickly glanced over his shoulder to see Miss North in a slow descent off her horse. He had never seen anything quite like it and his only reaction at first had been surprise. He had turned Felix around and dismounted in no time at all, worried that she might be hurt. But he could quickly see that although she was falling off Pegasus, it was a slow, backward descent.

  The very nature of her backward slide had pulled her skirt down around her feet. Henry had stood over her as she lay on the ground with her legs leaning against the horse. Part of him was annoyed with himself for letting this happen; he knew how frightened Miss North was of horses and he should have started slower. But a larger part of him—knowing she wasn’t hurt in the least—wanted to laugh out loud. It had been the most completely ungraceful thing a young lady had ever done in his presence. But then, her legs had landed on the ground as Pegasus stepped away. That was the moment the hem of her gown had flipped up, revealing her ankle boots and a good portion of both her legs. He had been on the verge of laughing, but the view of her slim ankles had chased the humor from him. All rational thought had left him, except perhaps the thought that remaining a bachelor for the rest of his days was unreasonable. His mouth had gone instantly dry and his voice wasn’t completely steady when he had asked her if he could teach her to dismount. The moment of exposure had been brief and he was certain that Miss North had been too embarrassed over her fall to even notice. She had jumped up, ignoring the hand he had offered in assistance, and stomped away from Pegasus, but the memory of it was recurring. In her presence once again, his thoughts could hardly focus and he found himself staring at her feet.

  “Henry, what’s the matter with you today?” he heard Miss Abbot ask. He was aware that conversation was going on around him; he just hadn’t been paying attention. “I’ve greeted you twice and you haven’t even looked up.”

  Henry lifted his gaze up directly into Miss North’s golden brown eyes and saw the curious expression there before he turned to Miss Abbot to respond. But his mother spoke before he could, saying, “Ah, don’t mind Henry. He’s tired today. I keep catching him yawning, and now he can’t do more than stare at the ground. Perhaps some food will revive him.”

  Henry placed a hand over his mouth to hide a guilty smile and let his mother lead them to the dining room.

  The dinner was uneventful. Henry’s thoughts hadn’t completely settled, and as he wasn’t sea
ted near Miss North, he didn’t make much effort to talk. After dinner, cards were suggested and no one objected, so the tables were soon arranged.

  Henry waited for Miss North to state her preference before voicing his own so he could be sure to be at a table with her. Miss Clifton and her mother made up the rest of their quartet, and after agreeing to a game of whist, they cut the deck to decide partners. Henry was disappointed when he was partnered with Mrs. Clifton and her daughter partnered with Miss North.

  Henry dealt the first round of cards, turned to Miss North on his left, and said, “You play first.”

  She gave him a questioning look and replied, “I already have.” Henry glanced at the table in front of him and realized she had already begun.

  It was soon evident that Miss North had a skill for strategy. Mrs. Clifton tried to support his play, but had no ideas or strategy of her own. Miss Clifton was another story altogether. Although partnered with Miss North, she kept laying down cards that helped him.

  Despite her partner’s traitorous play, Miss North still won more rounds than she lost. When he was dealt exceptional cards, he and Mrs. Clifton would win a few rounds, but it wasn’t enough, and Miss North and Miss Clifton led the game. Henry found it fascinating to watch her expressive face as she played. She concentrated so much on the cards that she didn’t contribute much to the conversation. He soon abandoned the conversation as well—Miss Clifton hardly needed single-word responses to keep talking—in favor of observing Miss North. He could almost read her cards on her face. She tried so hard to hold back a smile by twisting her mouth to one side when she was about to make a brilliant play, and when her cards were poor, she pulled both her lips between her teeth and pursed them. The second time he saw this reaction as she looked at her cards, he grinned in anticipation of finally scoring some easy points. Miss North still played her poor cards so strategically that he was impressed. He won the round, but it wasn’t as easy as he had anticipated, even with both his partner and hers helping him.