At that moment one of London’s many street sweepers, a little boy of about nine years old, darted into the street just before Bucephalus’s foreleg. The boy alone would never have upset his horse, Alex later thought, but he was followed by a burly fruit seller from whom he had just snatched an apple. The boy slipped in front of Bucephalus; the fruit seller directly collided with his shoulder. And just to his left a hackney coach driver narrowly missed the fleeing boy by jerking up the reins of his two poorly fed, irritable horses. They both reared in the air to a tremendous jangling of reins and hardware.

It was too much for Bucephalus. He and his master had been out twice today and so far he had been given no opportunity to stretch his legs. And he had had a very uncomfortable walk as Pippa drummed her feet and pulled his mane. He trumpeted loudly and reared straight in the air, his front hooves pawing the air.

“What the devil!” Alex said furiously. He reflexively shortened the reins and leaned forward with his other hand to grab Bucephalus’s bridle. Bucephalus, a well-trained horse, thudded back down to the ground immediately. But Alex straightened only to meet the amused eyes of his beloved, who had paused on the sidewalk to watch.

Alex stared at her for an instant. He knew she would be wild in his arms; he sensed it when he kissed her in the park. But now she looked as demure as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. His mouth twisted in a rueful grin and he jumped off Bucephalus, throwing the reins to Charlotte’s groom.

“Let me take that plump pullet,” he said easily, when he reached Charlotte and Sophie on the sidewalk.

Charlotte had been very pleasantly thinking that she must be getting used to Alex, because her heart was beating normally, and she felt absolutely like herself. But when he reached out his arms and took the child, his eyes twinkled down at her in such a way that all her newly found calm fell to pieces and she felt a blush creeping up her cheekbones.

Sophie, never one to miss an opportunity, nipped back and signaled to her groom to toss her back up on her horse. “Au revoir,” she said gaily. “I must return to my maman now. No, no, I’ll be perfectly all right with Philippe. Charlotte, I will see you tonight.” She bowed her head politely to Alex and edged off into the crowded street, followed by her groom.

At first Charlotte felt paralyzed with shyness, walking next to Alex with all of London doubtlessly watching them. But Pippa, who spent the time on Charlotte’s shoulder trying to get Alex’s attention, now turned her head, laid it lovingly on her papa’s shoulder, and proceeded to flirt wildly with Charlotte. Charlotte laughed out loud. Alex remained prudently silent.