Devon tried not to look too long at her lush lips. “What else does Trusty have?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Not after seeing Lady.” He reached out and patted Lady’s neck. “I suppose I should ask if this is your finest mount rather than just assuming that it might be.”

She grinned. “Yes, she is. I haven’t ridden her for a week because she had a strained foreleg. But it seems healed now.”

“She’s a beauty and will make my poor mount appear lame.”

“Thunder?” Laughter shining in her eyes, Kat covered Lady’s ears. “Please do not get her hopes up. She can be quite despondent if she thinks to win and then doesn’t.”

It was nonsensical, but it helped dissipate some of the tension he’d felt earlier, though it did nothing to alleviate his concern over the lost ring. He put away those thoughts; surely the ring would turn up. “What brings you here this morning? I thought I was to meet you at the cottage.”

“I’m escaping,” she said. “Simon has been most obdurate about things of late. Besides, I thought we might ride out from here, to the north. You’ve only just a few days left, and should it rain, you might not have another opportunity.”

“Actually, I may stay a few days longer than I’d originally expected.” He didn’t have to wait long to see her reaction.

She gave an impulsive hop. “Wonderful!”

The natural eagerness of her voice made his heart lighten. “Lady Strathmore is planning an event of some sort,” he said. “It appears that I don’t have a choice in the matter but to postpone my business in Edinburgh.”

“Your brother will not be happy.”

“Marcus will be fine; he’s rarely happy, anyway.”

“Poor man! Still, I am glad you’ll be staying.”

“Oh?”

“Of course!” Kat’s smile lightened the cloudy day. “I am selfishly hoping that means that all of us can have more rides together.”

“All of us?”

“You, Thunder, Lady and I. In fact…would you like to ride Lady today?”

“That is very kind of you,” Devon said, touched despite himself. He reached over to pat Lady’s neck. “She’s a lovely horse.”

“Aye. You know, if she didn’t already have a name, I might consider calling her St. John, but she’s not in the least bit averse to being held to bridle, so…” She shrugged, an impudent grin on her lips.

“So this magnificent beast could have been my namesake. How lovely.”

The horse nudged Kat’s pocket, sending her stumbling to one side. “Easy!” she ordered. “That is for later in the day.”

“Another apple?” Devon questioned.

She nodded, patting her pockets where two round bulges could be seen. “I have one for her and one for Thunder.”