The Sherbrooke Bride - Catherine Coulter [45]
He picked up a scone and bit into it.
“Did you ride Fanny?” Ryder asked.
“Yes, she is a wonderful mare. However, I am uncertain if His Lordship is convinced that I ride well enough.”
“You did fall,” Melissande said. “That wasn’t well done of you, Alex.”
To Douglas’s surprise, Alexandra said only, her voice quite apologetic, “It was unfortunate but I shall be far more careful in the future.”
Douglas wondered if there would be a future. He had to get out of here and do some serious thinking. Annulment seemed the best answer. It seemed the only logical thing to do. He looked over at Alexandra. She was looking directly at him and he saw such wariness in her eyes that he winced. And there was fear also. Fear of him? Because of what she’d done to him, doubtless. The twit should be afraid of him, curse her.
Douglas rose quickly and nodded to the assembled company. “I have work to do with Danvers. The mail is doubtless here by now.”
He left. As he closed the door behind him, he heard Ryder’s laughter.
The mail, however, didn’t cheer him at all.
It rained in the early afternoon, a light soft drizzle that soon cleared away, leaving a very blue sky and very fresh air. Alexandra found Ryder Sherbrooke in the overrun garden at the west of the house, leaning against an oak tree, staring at nothing in particular, seemingly content to bask under the warm sun that filtered through the branches.
“Ryder?”
“Ah, my little sister. Am I an accident or did you search me out on purpose?”
She’d never met his like before, but oddly enough, she trusted him. “I asked Hollis where you were. He always knows everyone’s whereabouts.”
“True. Come sit here next to this fat nymph. What do you think of all these statues? Brought by my grandfather from Florence during his Bacchanal phase, so wrote one of his friends, Lord Whitehaven, an old roué who bounced me on his knee.”
“I’ve never seen them before,” Alex said, staring at the line of naked females, each in a startling pose. “This is my first visit to the gardens.”
“In the depths of the gardens are all the naked male statues and the assorted couples. Grandfather evidently had some qualms about childish eyes and curiosity. The statues are nicely hidden. Do you like Northcliffe?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why do you bind your breasts?”
Alex nearly swallowed her tongue. She stared at him, mute as a snail.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I am known for speaking my mind, what there is of it.”
“How did you know?”
“I know women. There is nothing a woman can do that would fool me. The fairer sex is really rather obvious. Take your lovely sister, for example. Melissande will learn that life has a way of dishing out prunes along with the strawberries. She will play her games with Tony and he will allow them and doubtless enjoy them, within reason, of course. Already he controls her well despite his besottedness with her.”
“You don’t like ladies?”
Ryder gave her a surprised look. “Good Lord, I couldn’t live without them. I doubt there is anything else in life to compare to the pleasure a man derives from a woman’s body.”
Alex gasped, she couldn’t help it.
“Sorry, I did it again, didn’t I? You’re young, Alexandra, but you’re not fluff. You’ve got steel in you and I dare say you will have to use it, very soon. Now, what do you want of me?”
“I came to ask you if you believed Douglas would annul our marriage and how I can make Douglas wait and just give me a chance before he does it.”
“Ah, I thought that was the direction of his thoughts.” Ryder looked at her closely. “I will tell you what I think, since you ask me. Douglas is very likely seriously considering an annulment. He has been clipped hard in the chin, so to speak. He is angry, feels betrayed, and wants to strike out. He is also stubborn and hard and untractable. After seeing your sister today, after seeing Douglas seeing your sister, I believe time