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His jaw hung slack because honestly, it beggared belief how quickly this conversation had spiraled into him being the villain of the piece when he had had nothing to do with Aunt Almeria’s blasted errands in the first place.

“I am apparently the only person here who cares for Miss Travers’s safety and that makes me horrid?

If she were your daughter, would you allow her to ride unchaperoned to Maidstone, Mama? ”

Aunt Almeria sighed. “I understand his reticence, Constance, even if it is overly cautious. Entrusting a complete stranger with a precious mount, irrespective of its breed, is not something a diligent stable owner like Guy should take lightly. His concern for my companion’s safety is also noble.

” For a moment, he actually thought his aunt was about to see sense and take his side—until she ruined it.

“Why don’t we give Guy a demonstration of Travers’s superior abilities as a horsewoman right this minute, and then that will put his mind at rest.”

Backed into a corner and sick and tired of his mother’s lack of grandchildren being used as a stick to beat him with, Guy had done the sensible thing over the main course and partially relented before he beat a hasty retreat out of the dining room.

He agreed the harpy could borrow a horse on two conditions.

The first was that she could have a gentle mare and not a fast Arabian.

The second was that wherever she went on it, she had to be back by six at the latest for the sake of her own security.

It wasn’t an ideal compromise but at least he didn’t have to worry about her breaking her irritating neck on Juno, and he went to bed satisfied at his small victory.

This morning, now that he was watching Bill flirt shamelessly with the minx as she was introduced to the mare, he had some serious misgivings.

For a start, he should have stipulated that she could only borrow the horse when she had errands to run for her mistress that could not be done by anyone else.

He hadn’t thought that far ahead in his hurry to escape all his mother’s nagging histrionics last night, so he hadn’t expected Miss Travers to take advantage of his offer first thing this morning when she had no errands to run whatsoever.

Simply to ride. Just for the fun of it but cunningly dressed up as getting to know Blodwyn, the sturdy Welsh cob he had assigned to her.

What Blodwyn lacked in speed she made up for in intelligence and a sure foot.

In other words, she was the sort of horse that his aunt’s reckless companion was the least likely to get herself killed riding.

Although now that Guy watched Bill insist on helping her onto the pony and enjoying the sight of her swinging one long leg over Blodwyn’s thick body far more than was polite through the tack room window, he realized that he should have also insisted upon a fourth stipulation.

A sidesaddle. Because nobody could ride like one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse perched on one of those complicated and unbalanced contraptions.

Now that he knew the menace was going out astride, he wondered if it might be prudent not to visit his orchards at the farthest end of his estate and to follow her instead. For no other reason than to put his mind at rest that she wasn’t in any danger.

Before he talked himself out of it, he quickly saddled Zeus and led him out of the stable just as Miss Travers trotted out of the yard.

Besotted Bill was too engrossed in ogling her bouncing derriere to notice him at first and when he did, Guy gave him a stern look.

“Why did you let Miss Travers use a man’s saddle? ”

“It seemed rude not to after she’d selected it herself and hauled it to Blodwyn’s stall before I got there.

” The charmer grinned and wiggled his brows.

“Those long legs of hers seemed to have no trouble sitting on it, so I reckon she’s done it before.

” Then Bill winked and all of a sudden, they weren’t just talking about saddles anymore.

“She’s a feisty one, that one, and a mighty fine filly to boot.

Wouldn’t mind going for a ride with her myself. ”

The flash of jealousy at the innuendo caught Guy off guard. “Do your courting on your own time and not mine. Be in no doubt, my aunt’s companion is off-limits if you’ve set your wandering eyes on courting her!”

“Is she, now?” Rather than reel at Guy’s cutting tone or jump to it because he had uncharacteristically pulled rank, the scoundrel flashed him a knowing smile instead. “Interesting.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Only that I’ve known you close to three decades and not once in all that time have you ever had a problem with where my wandering eyes have wandered, that’s all.”

“My point is merely that my aunt is very fond of her, though goodness knows why.”

“Point taken.” Bill chuckled as he turned to go about his business, then took his time leaving to gaze across the field at Miss Travers, who had now kicked Blodwyn into a canter. “And goodness knows why indeed. For what hot-blooded male wouldn’t be interested in that fine filly?”

The wretch was still chuckling as he disappeared inside.

That outrageous misapprehension alone convinced Guy not to follow her.

The last thing he needed was having anyone thinking his noble concern for the Valkyrie’s safety—and by default poor Blodwyn’s—meant more than it did.

Especially as his only interest lay in getting the pair of them back in one piece.

He certainly wasn’t interested in the termagant in that way.

He wasn’t an idiot after all.

Or stark-staring mad.

He pitied the fool who took on that handful.

Reassured that Bill had the entirely wrong end of the stick, Guy turned Zeus toward the orchards. Trotted that way until the stables were well out of sight, then found himself veering after her regardless.