Ravished by a Rake : Historical Fiction

Chapter 5

Lord Alexander sunk his head low, his ankle tapping against his Arabian race horse’s hind leg.  He wanted more power from the grey and he knew he would deliver.  He raced his grey so hard around his estate as if the devil was chasing him. If the Earl was honest, he was trying to race away from the confusion he felt in his heart. 
It had been two weeks since he’d ravished the young Ms. Sybrina Trevick in his private dining parlour.  Fourteen days and nights had passed but he could not get her out of his mind.  Her beautiful challenging green eyes, green like marble, and those rosy kissable lips tormented his mind. 

‘Come on boy, give me more, damn it,’ the Earl kicked gently at the horse, urging him faster.  What concerned the Earl more was every time his mind strayed to Sybrina, his memory would recall a masked lady in shimmering silk.  Every time in his dreams when he unmasked the stunning Artemis, the face that gazed back at him was that of Sybrina. 

God’s teeth!  How can a man be so attracted to two different women?  Different they most certainly were.  One was a high society lady.  She dressed like a lady.  She walked and danced and carried herself like a lady.  The other was shy, dressed like a commoner and lived in an orphanage.  Yet her eyes were intelligent, fiery, passionate __. 

‘Faster boy, even a chestnut can move faster than you,’ the Earl tapped his whip softly on his grey’s behind.

As if taking offence at the derogatory comparison, his grey skidded to a halt and neighed protestingly, and blew his nose angrily.

The Earl threw his head back and laughed, ‘hurt your pride did I?’ he lovingly patted the mane at the grey’s neck.  The grey made a complaining grunt.  His mouth and lips move simultaneously at high speed.

‘If you don’t stop with the whining, I’m not introducing you to that gorgeous mare drinking at the lake,’ the Earl bargained as he slid off.

As if totally understanding, the grey licked on the Earl’s wrist and was hurriedly dragging the Earl towards the lake.  The mare spotting the handsome stud checking her out, eagerly trotted ahead to meet the grey half way, to which the grey bellowed triumphantly.

‘You must let me in on the secret hmm,’ Alexander murmured close to the grey’s ear. ‘I wish my lady could be that enthusiastic.’

My lady?  You can’t even make up your mind whether you want Sybrina or the Lady Artemis!

 

‘Claudia I was so curious when your groom brought the message this morning that you wanted to visit.’

‘Sy, you’re looking well.  A little thin I think, but healthy,’ Claudia smiled hugging her friend.

But not beautiful right?

‘Let’s have tea in Mother Agnes’s sun parlour.  It’s much warmer there,’ Sybrina tugged on her friends arm.

Sybrina served tea, and offered Lady Claudia a slice of the fresh sweet cornbread, cook had baked that morning and waited patiently to know the reason for her friend’s visit.

‘Are you busy this Friday evening?’ Claudia asked casually.

‘Let’s see, I have to mow the lawn.  I need to paint the back walls of the church and I may have to round up the herd of sheep__’

‘Quit kidding around,’ Claudia laughed.

‘What plans have you concocted?’ Sybrina smiled, biting into a slice of cornbread.

‘Duchess Miranda has invited us to a ball__’

The Duchess!  Sybrina choked on her bread, and coughed unendingly.