The Lady and the Earl (21 page)

“Daughter?”
Declan
asked.  Tananguard had a daughter?

“Yes, Allana told us of how chivalrous you
were
when Cherry stranded her last week,” Tananguard replied.

“She’s your daughter?”
Declan
choked in surprise
this time
.  He looked at her
, and suddenly his eyes were opened.  Connor had not been a concerned
beau
but a concerned brother.  So much made sense by this news
.  The odd ruffling of her hair, the insistent examination of her wrist without her permission, and the way she reacted to him. 
Allana
hadn’t
wanted her over-protective brother le
arning of her fall, not her intended
. 

Lord
Tananguard nodded in pride.  “Yes, my own flesh and blood.  Hard to believe isn’t it?” 

“And hard to believe she is still unattached,” Connor
said under his breath. 

“It is indeed
,
”
Declan answered
Lord
Tananguard
.  Of course
,
his answer applied to Connor’s quiet comment as well, a comment Declan was certain was said for his ears alone. 
Allana
was free to pursue if he desired it.
  Wasn’t that what he wanted?
  Uncertainty clouded his thoughts. 
It was one thing to want her when he knew he could not have her.  It was another to want her and know he could possibly win her, and that terrified him. 
What would come if he tried to pursue this woman?
 
Was she truly as honest in her character as she seemed?

Tananguard smiled.  “But again
, thank you for getting her to us safely
.
”

“Of course.
  It was my pleasure,” Declan answered.

Tananguard nodded then turned his attention to the entire group. 
“Who
else are we waiting for?
 
Is
Lord
Stephens
here yet?  Ah, there you are,
John
.  Well then, are the dogs ready?” 

“Yes, they
are
, my
Lord
”
Dalon
McGlen
,
the
Tananguard’s
gamekeeper
,
replied.
  The man had the dogs in hand, ready to move on
his Lord’s
command.
 

“
W
hat are we waiting for?  Lead on,
Dalon
,”
Lord
Tananguard commanded.

The old
gamekeeper led the men with the leashed hounds toward the woods. 
Most of the men rode together in a large pack, leaving the ladies to bring up the rear.  Declan glanced back to see Edmund fall b
ehind
to accompany
his soon-to-be bride and
Allana. 
The three of them laughed at something Edmund said.  Declan watched
.  The
n
he cursed beneath his breath and turned his horse around to join them.

*
             
*
             
*

Allana smiled at her friends.  This was the way it should be, Edmund and Carmon together at last.  They were
to be wed soon
, and Carmon had never looked happier. 
The three of them had certainly fooled the district.  No one was the wiser as to how
long Edmund and Carmon had truly been
courting
, and thus
,
their short courtship and engagement was acceptable.
  Everyone thought the rumors Allana had started the night of the Christmas party were true.  They thought Edmund had indeed been courting shy Carmon
the entire time, not Allana
.  Allana was simply so bold in her relationship with the two, it
had been
assumed she was the one he was courting
instead
.  Allana had smeared her
own
name slightly with the rumor, but
both
Carmon’s
and Edmund’s
happiness needed it. 
 
 

“It’
s just two weeks
un
til the wedding, is it not?”
Allana asked.

Carmon beamed. 
“
Actually less.
  It’
s in ten days.  You should know that.
”

“
Yes,
I should
.
 
The time seems to be
moving
so quickly.  That is all,” Allana said.

“I would say it
’
s moving too slowly,” Edmund said with a laugh.  Allana and Carmon laughed with him.

The three chatted casually, but before long
,
Allana found herself falling behind to ride alone.  Her heart hurt being so close to real love, and her friends radiated that love painfully.
 

“Miss Allana,”
a deep voice said.

She glanced up and found
Lord
Cunningham watching her.  Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
  Her mind searched for something to say.
  “Shouldn’t you be up with the other hunters?  You will fall behind when
they release the hounds if you’
re back here.”

He smiled.  “It is possible, but I needed to know how you were
faring
.  How is your wrist?”

“It
’
s healing wonderfully.  Thank you,
” she answered. 

“
I’
m pleased to hear it
.  I feel I should have
come by to check on you
.”

“You
had other duties to attend
.  You said so yourself,” she reminded him. 

“Ah, yes.  I
still
should have come, though, and I apologize I did not.”

“Thank you.  Your concern is
—
”

The dogs started barking and howling furiously
, cutting her short.

“Cunningham!  They
’
re releasing the hounds.  If you linger, you will miss the action,” Edmund called from over his shoulder. 

Allana glanced up just in time to see Edmund lean in toward Carmon and brush her lips wi
th his before urging his horse
toward the other hunters.
 
Allana
blushed furiously
, embarrassed to have witnessed such a private moment
.  Cunningham had seen the kiss as well, but s
eemed unconcerned with it
.  He looked at Allana briefly.

“A
llana, I—
”

“Cunningham, are you coming?” s
omeone else called from
up ahead
.

He sighed and shook his head. 
“I will
return
,” he
said as his horse danced excitedly to
the side.  He
nodded to
her before spurring his horse to a run. 

I will
return
?
  Allana asked herself.  What did it mean?  Would he make a special effort to come visit with her? 
She’d
simply
assumed she would
be observing him from a distance
and nothing more
.  Did he
truly
wish to speak
further
with her? 
Allana’s heart beat furiously and butterflies danced in her stomach. 
G
ather your senses
, Allana.
It could mean anything
.   

Declan
wasn’t the only one to spur his horse to a run.  All the men had spurred their horses as well, each one trying to get the first kill of the day.
  Declan caught up to the others easily though.
 

Allana and
Carmon
, as well as the other women who had come,
followed close behind
,
watching the excitement from a
short distance. 
Adrenalin was in the blood
, sparking that competitive edge within each man
. 
They raced ahead, driven by the need to get the first shot off.
Some, like her father, showed their enthusiasm on their faces while others, like
Declan
, looked calm and composed.  Allana knew Connor was measuring up the competition, trying to find each man’s weakness. 
It was what he always did
,
usually
enabling
him
to
get the first kill
.  B
ut it was
Declan
who brought down th
e
first fox
today
, outmaneuvering the other hunters. 

A break was called for afterward.  Most wanted to get a good look at
Declan’s
kill
, which meant long discussions and comparisons of kills and scenarios from previous hunts.  Thus,
like many of the others in attendance,
Allana and Carmon
had dismounted, using the time to stretch their legs and rest for the moment.

Allana studied Declan curiously.  He
laughed
and smiled with the other
l
ord
s as they congratulated him on his skill.  He was confident, but not cocky or conceited, and he was genuine.  It baffled her.  Lucas
was
confident, cocky, and conceited.  He would have laughed if
he’d
seen
her
thrown into a pit of mud. 
Lord
Cunningham had been nothing but a conc
erned
gentleman toward her.  He
—Oh no
!
  He was looking right at her. 
He’d just caught her staring!
  She blushed and quickly looked away.

Carmon giggled next to her. 
“
Allana, I believe you have
been keeping secrets from me.”

Allana’s eyes widened in alarm.
 
“Secrets?
  Why Carmon, what are you talking about.”

“The Earl?”
Carmon asked. 

Allana shrugged her shoulders in innocence.

“
Very well, then.  How is this? 
It seems someone has caught the eye of the Earl,”
Carmon
teased
.
  There was an excited light in her eyes.
 

“
No.  I told you last night how he helped me
last week
,” Allana argued.
  “He’
s simply concerned for my welfare.”

“Yet I’ve seen him several times watching you
,
and you
have
not
taken your eyes off of him since the hunt began.  It is very curious, Allana. 
You’ve ignored the pursuits of several suitors over the year. 
Is he the
reason why
?”
Carmon asked
with a smile
.

Allana knew her cheeks were red, giving her following answer no legitimacy. 
“No, of course not.
  I
only
met him last week.”

Carmon giggled.  “
And to think I thought it was Lucas.  But it is Lord Cunningham
, isn’t
it?
 
How long?”

“How long?
  How long what?”
Allana asked.

“How long have you been b
esotted with him?”
Carmon asked curiously.

“Carmon
please.
  I
—
”

“Are you
enjoying yourselves, ladies?”
Cunningham’s voice suddenly asked.

Allana jumped at the sound
, whirling around to face him.  “Lord Cunningham!” she blurted.  He was not mounted, but his horse was behind him.  He must have ridden over and
dismounted before engaging the two women. 
Had he heard any of their conversation?
 
She prayed he hadn’t. 
She
would be horribly embarrass
ed
if he learned of her obsession with him.
  “
Yes, we are having a marvelous time, thank you.  You are quite the horseman and marksman.”