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devil?” Spotting the lone animal, Jonathan rushed forward through the trees. Alice was hard on his heels. Reaching his mount, the big man looked it over, then examined the branch where the stallion’s reins were still tied. “Damn! Someone has stolen your horse.”
    â€œDo you really think so?” Alice glanced around nervously. “Perhaps he merely came untied and wandered off.”
    â€œNay. I tied him well. I was sure to tie them both well.” Jonathan freed his mount, scowling around the area. “Someone has to have taken yours.”
    â€œOh, dear.” She glanced around the woods to the tree where her horse had been tied. “Well . . .” She brightened. “I can ride back with my uncle. They are waiting in the clearing, after all.”
    â€œAye.” Giving a nod, Jonathan put a foot in the stirrups of his horse. Alice turned to start back through the woods, but then she heard him call.
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    Glancing back over her shoulder, she answered, “Heading back to the clearing to—” Her words were cut off as her foot was caught on a branch that sent her tumbling. Embarrassed and muttering, she quickly started to push herself onto her knees, then froze at the sight of a bit of blue cloth snagged on a branch near her face. It was the same blue as Lady Fairley’s gown. A moment later she was caught under the arms and lifted unceremoniously to her feet.
    â€œAre you all right?”
    Alice glanced up in surprise at the concern in Lord Jonathan’s voice. He wasn’t looking at her; his gaze was traveling down her body in the wake of his hands as he checked her over to be sure she wasn’t injured. She flushed at the familiar way his fingers skimmed over her, and took a quick step back, nearly tumbling again.
    â€œI am fi-fine,” she got out a little breathlessly as he caught her arms to steady her. “Really,” Alice added when he continued to look concerned. After a brief pause, he swallowed and nodded, then turned to grab at the reins of his mount.
    Her gaze moved distractedly back to the small swatch of blue cloth on the ground by her feet. She was about to draw Jonathan’s attention to it, when she was suddenly caught by the waist and lifted onto his horse.
    Alice promptly began to protest. “Oh, really, my lord. There is no need for us to ride. I can walk back to the clearing. I—”
    At last she gave up her protests, mostly because he was ignoring her. He mounted in front of her and drew her hands around his waist.
    â€œHold on,” he instructed.
    Alice nodded against his back, breathing in deeply to try to steady her nerves. It was rather novel to be in such close proximity to a man. She had never done so before. Unmarried women were simply not allowed such familiarity. Of course, this was an unusual circumstance, and . . .
    Her thoughts died as she breathed in the scent of him. He smelled of the woods and the river and . . . male. It was a surprisingly pleasant mix, she decided, breathing it in again as her fingers interlocked at his middle. Feeling the muscles of his stomach bunch and ripple, she flattened her fingers over them to get the full sensation, then, realizing what she was doing, stopped breathing in embarrassment. Her fingers stilled.
    Of course, Alice couldn’t go long holding her breath. She managed to do so for the short ride back to the clearing, but there the breath left her in a slow hiss. The place was empty. Lady Fairley and her uncle had not waited for them; they had apparently ridden on ahead. Alice recalled the small swatch of cloth she had spotted near the horses and pondered silently, wondering why Lady Fairley had been by the horses. Surely she hadn’t untied Alice’s mount and let it go? Had she really been so annoyed with Alice as to wish to have her walk back to the castle?
    â€œWell, we shall have to ride quickly to catch