Sighing, she pushed her skirts back down her legs, and then tucked her breasts away in her dress and eased to her feet. She had been telling the truth when he’d asked if she was tender. She hadn’t been, but was a bit now and the realization brought a grimace to her face. But she supposed it was to be expected. Her body wasn’t used to such activity.

Lisa quickly brushed down her skirts, removing the bits of straw stuck to her, then felt her hair and removed any stray strands there. She then glanced back to Robert uncertainly. She couldn’t just leave him here like this, but on the other hand, she had no desire to talk to him at that moment. He would just say she couldn’t marry Findlay, or insist she had to marry him now, or some such thing and she didn’t wish to deal with it all now.

After a hesitation, she slid from the stall and moved to the open stable doors. Pausing there, Lisa glanced back, and then stepped out into the rain and slammed the door closed, making sure to make as much of a racket as she could. She then peered through a knothole, relaxing when Robert suddenly stood up, popping into view. The noise had done its job. He was awake.

Turning abruptly, Lisa raced for the house, heading for the French doors to Richard’s office rather than risk running into anyone in the kitchens. What she hadn’t counted on was finding Richard actually in, seated at his desk.

He glanced up with a start, eyes wide when she rushed inside and slammed the door, and Lisa paused briefly, her own eyes going wide. Then she rushed across the room with a muttered, “Sorry,” and hurried out into the hall, headed upstairs to her own room.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

“Are you sure you don’t want to come tonight?” Christiana asked, eyeing Lisa with concern.

“Positive,” Lisa assured her, avoiding her eyes.

Actually, part of her did want to go, the part that wanted to avoid any chance of being forced to speak to Robert. However, another part, the part that also wanted to avoid having to dance with and possibly be proposed to by Lord Findlay, definitely didn’t want to go. She was basically stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. Avoiding two men.