To Win a Viscount (Daughters of Amhurst) Read Online Free Page B

ribbons off another. No argument was made, no cynical remark or counterclaim given. She fought the urge to glance back to verify he had heard her more than rational request, when the sound of departing footsteps echoed in the small space.
    Was he leaving?
    He’d been a nuisance, an irritating, buzzing gnat in her ear, upsetting her plans and disparaging her title. She ought to rejoice at his departure and her apparent good fortune… Only, she wished for him to witness her ride.
    Because, devil take it, she was a good rider. Her ego aside, she wished his approval to gain access to the filly—an access not yet granted to her by the earl.
    But one that would be soon, should Henrietta work her magic and convince the man to see things as they stood—with Albina riding in the derby to attract the marquess’s attention. But in the event her sister failed in her endeavors, well, a second option was essential. And having the groom witness her ride was part of that course.
    Gripping the ribbons in one hand, she placed another on the steed—only to have her fingers swipe against a quilted pad being thrown over the mare’s withers.
    The groom’s low voice whispered over the horse. “She was groomed earlier and is ready to ride—if you are.”
    Her heart sped, her blood pulsing with unfettered excitement. She edged around the horse to the front corner of the stall, where she was afforded a full view of the groom’s broad shoulders and trim backside.
    Albina averted her gaze, a warm heat creeping up her neck. “You…you have rescinded your objections?”
    He lifted the saddle—a cross saddle—and settled it on the mare’s back. “I have. Against my better judgment.”
    “Why?” She honestly hadn’t meant to give voice to the question. He was, after all, preparing and tacking the horse to ride astride. It was in her best interest to remain silent and allow him to continue the task.
    But then, Albina had never been able to keep quiet.
    He peered down at her, a ginger brow quirked upward. “A titled woman determined to defy convention is seeking my approval. My interest is piqued, my lady.” He fiddled with the saddle skirt, his gaze dipping to the oiled leather. “Curiosity, it seems, has overridden my good sense.”
    She fought the smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. “You won’t be disappointed.”
    “That remains to be seen.” He fastened the girth and placed the bridle over the mare’s sleek snout. He held out his hand, his forefinger curling inward. “The ribbons, if you please.”
    She handed him the leather strips and stepped aside while he guided the mare out of the stall and into the aisle. He paused and turned back, capturing her gaze with his searing blue one. “You have this one opportunity for both my silence and my opinion. Should I find you near the racers again without the earl’s consent, I will not hesitate to notify him of your presence, your intent…and your appearance.”
    Albina nodded, barely able to contain the surge of excitement his words rendered. She reached for the old hat settled against the barn wall. “Duly noted, Mr.…?”
    “White. Mr. Edmund White.”
    “Well, Mr. White, the next time you see me, I will not require the earl’s permission, for you will recommend me to him yourself.”
    …
    She was confident. Edmund would give her that much.
    And headstrong, defiant, and far more brazen than a woman of her station afforded, and yet, he found himself intrigued to see if the fiery lady lived up to her boasting and pompous claims.
    If one could call her a lady. She might possess a title and hold connections to monarchs and high-seated bureaucrats, but she wore a set of clothing so threadbare and worn, not even the stable hands mucking out the stalls would see fit to don them. The thin and sadly tattered fabric, however, firmly established her sex, revealing a figure he could neither deny nor ignore.
    He kept his gaze not on the round curve of her bobbing bottom, but on