A Man For All Seasons by Jenny Brigalow Read Free Book Online Page A

armed herself with brushes, humming happily under her breath. She felt great.
    Suddenly she jumped violently as she stood up from beneath the mare's front legs to find she was being observed. For a moment she thought it might be Chad, but disappointment flooded through her when she recognised the pale face of her betrothed. With considerable self-control she forced a smile onto her face. “Hi.”
    “What are you doing?” he asked.
    “Grooming my horse.” Wasn't it obvious?
    His lips formed a petulant moue. “I just came to offer you a lift into London. I have to go to the office.”
    She felt guilty; he was only trying to help. “Thanks. I won't be too much longer.”
    He waited while she hastily threw Pollyanna's rugs back on and fastened the many straps and buckles. She could feel his growing irritation.
    “You shouldn't be doing that,” he snapped.
    “How the hell do you think I managed in Germany?” she flashed back, thoroughly fed up. No sooner where the words out than she regretted them. Her father had only let her go because he'd paid exorbitant fees to free her from any need to perform physically hard labour. But she'd been unable to sit back and watch the incredibly overworked staff run around after her and had insisted on pulling her weight. It had been one of the happiest times of her life.
    But Bloody Barry would blab. She was a little shocked at her introspection. Since when had her fiancé become bloody?
    She stalked back to the tack room, seething. She threw the brushes back into their drawer and tried to collect herself. Something tickled her face and a dark form swung before her left eye. She gasped in horror, her rage fading instantly. A small scream burst out of her lips and she began to dance around, slapping and waving her hands around her head and face in a frenzied dance.
    “Get it off! Get it off!” she shrieked.
    “For goodness sake, don't be so ridiculous. It's just a spider,” said Barry.
    But she was beyond reason. She began to cry. “Get it off.”
    And then a pair of strong arms entwined around her, holding her still, and a hand brushed her cheek briefly. Blinded by fear she instinctively held onto her salvation. For one brief moment she leant into the rock hard breadth of his chest. He smelt of horses, hay and healthy young male. Then she was alone.
    “It's gone Seraphim. It's all right now,” said Chad quietly.
    Her tremulous hands patted her face. The long sticky thread had gone along with the hairy, leggy monstrosity. She took in a long shuddering breath of relief. “Oh God, I'm sorry. You must think me a complete fool.”
    Barry snorted his agreement.
    Chad observed her. There was a strange intensity about him, an aura of curious melancholy. He shook his head. “No shame in being afraid.”
    “I'll be leaving in ten minutes. If you're not ready I'll go without you.”
    But Barry's voice was just a hazy drone in the background. She barely acknowledged the sharp click of his leather-shod feet as he left the tack room.
    Suddenly her life seemed terribly complicated. What had seemed a few days ago to be the firm foundations of her life and future was now strangely out of focus. It was as if she'd put on someone else's strong prescription glasses. Her world had become fuzzy and indistinct, unfamiliar almost.
    Panic surged in her chest. Why did she feel this way? What should she do? What could she do? Everything was organised. The invitations had gone out. Her final fitting for her gown was today. It was inconceivable that she back out at this stage. Wasn't it?
    She returned to her first unanswered question. Why did she feel this way? Almost of their own volition her eyes travelled to Chad. She looked into his face and stared into his eyes. For some reason she felt as if she would find the answers there.
    He held her gaze. Both stood quite still.
    Finally he smiled softly. “My mum, she was terrified of spiders,” he said.
    She understood somehow that he'd shared something.