A warm morning breeze stirred the bushes. Anna’s horse shied, rolling her eyes and snorting. “Easy, girl,” Anna said, bringing the spirited mare under control. She loved Majesty and would miss her when the time came to leave Greyley.

The thought sent an unexpected lump to her throat. Damn it, what was she doing? she asked herself as she guided the horse out of the woods and into a wide field sprinkled with yellow flowers. Being silly, she instantly answered, then grimaced.

She hated it when she was honest with herself. Most people managed to evade home truths with astonishing ease, but her conscience was louder than necessary. Still, she had to admit that it was madness to seek out a woman who was, in a very vague sort of way, her own rival.

No, not a rival, really. Charlotte was apparently the type of woman Greyley wanted for a countess, while Anna was…well, she wasn’t sure what she was. A prime candidate to mess up her life by falling in love with a man she couldn’t have.

Not that she was in love, of course. She just had a very sincere liking for Greyley. Despite his offer to make her his mistress, she had to admit that there were things about him that nearly redeemed him. He was kind to the children, took care of his troublesome family, and worked hard to provide for everyone around him. Plus he had a wicked sense of humor and could kiss a woman until her bones melted. Anthony Elliot was a very disturbing package indeed.

And that was why it was so important that she meet Charlotte Melton. It wasn’t because Anna was necessarily jealous of the woman, it was just that she wanted to be certain that Charlotte was everything she should be. Greyley was, after all, the brother of Anna’s best friend. And he deserved something better than a hard-hearted adventuress. So here Anna was, on her way to assess the nature of Greyley’s betrothed.

It was the least she could do, considering the circumstances. Besides, if she had a brother who might be on the verge of making such an error, Anna was certain that Sara would make the same effort on her behalf.

Anna rounded a corner of the path and found herself alongside a low stone wall that encased a large, well-laid out garden. This was it. Anna unhooked her knee from the pommel and slid to the ground. She tied Majesty to a tree limb, then entered the gate, glad to see the outline of a lovely house not far down the path.

She took a moment to smooth her skirts and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She was just dusting a smudge of mud off her skirt when she saw a young girl walking down the path.

Dressed in a morning gown of white muslin, her blond ringlets bouncing with each step, her blue eyes wide, she appeared annoyingly young and innocent. She was holding a small book in one hand, though she seemed far more interested in humming a waltz and dancing over the stones in the path than else. The girl appeared all of sixteen and was obviously Charlotte Melton’s younger sister or a house guest of some sort.