Sea of Christmas Miracles by Christine Dorsey

shiver to dance down her spine. His hand
tightened on her elbow as he led her to another horse, this one a
chestnut mare replete with sidesaddle.
    Caroline swallowed. Her breathing was
shallow, and she wiped her damp palms down the side of her flowered
skirt. “Aren’t we taking a coach?” She rarely rode. The once fine
stables at Simmons Hall were empty by the time her father moved Ned
and her to the country. And the large animals frightened her. But
then, nearly everything seemed to.
    Spoiled. He should have known. Well, Lady
Caroline Simmons was going to have some difficult lessons in
reality... starting here and now.
    “We’re heading for the frontier, Your
Ladyship. The roads are mired with mud in the spring, choked with
dust the rest of the year. At no time are they wide enough to
accommodate a coach and four.”
    “I see.” Caroline glanced back at the animal
who pranced impatiently, and she sighed.
    “You should go home.”
    “I... beg your pardon.” The words were so
unexpected, Caroline didn’t know what to think.
    The face she angled up toward him was pale.
He could plainly see a light dusting of freckles across her nose.
Which Wolf told himself was why he offered her an escape. Besides,
sending his father’s betrothed packing back to England was almost
as effective as taking her to bed... at least that’s what he tried
to tell himself.
    Wolf folded his arms. “I have no idea what
you were told, but Seven Pines is not what you imagine. Life is
hard. The frontier doesn’t care that your lineage is pure or your
skin soft as down. Return to England while you still can.”
    “No!” Caroline sucked in her breath, “I
won’t... I can’t return.” She felt childish blinking back tears
that sprang to her eyes, but she couldn’t seem to control her
emotions. For months she had worried about what was to become of
Ned and herself. The chance to come here had been a Godsend. She
endured the long weeks alone crossing the stormy ocean, only to
have Robert’s son suggest she return... to give up the one chance
she and her brother had to avoid debtors prison.
    Grabbing the reins, Caroline put her fear
into perspective. The ocean voyage had frightened her, but she
managed it. She would manage this... and anything else that was
necessary.
    Wolf arched his brow, then merely shrugged.
He’d given the woman her warning. His conscience was clear, he
decided, as he cupped his hands to boost her up onto the saddle.
But when he saw the expression of determination on her face, he
wished she weren’t so adamant about staying.
    It didn’t take Caroline long to understand
why coach travel was impossible. They were barely out of the town
before the roads deteriorated to mere trails. Most of them bordered
dark, mysterious swamps. Large turtles sunning themselves on
rotting logs glanced around as they passed. Later they traveled,
often single file, through never ending forests of tall, stalwart
pines.
    Only once did they stop, and that was to rest
the horses, and let them drink from a wide, slow-moving stream. But
Caroline refused to utter one word of discontent. In the back of
her mind lay the uneasy feeling that should she complain too much
about the conditions, her companion would return her to Charles
Town.
    Besides, though her back ached and her legs
grew stiff, she could bear this. And sooner or later Raff had to
grow tired. But as the sun tinged the sky ahead with a splash of
mauve, their pace seemed to quicken. Caroline twisted in the
saddle, causing the leather to creak beneath her skirts.
    Wolf glanced over his shoulder. “We shall be
at George Walker’s soon. Then you can rest.”
    Relief washed over her, but Caroline refused
to let it show. Somewhere on the arduous ride, she decided to prove
to this arrogant man that he was wrong about her ability to last on
the frontier. “I’m quite all right,” she managed, only to see the
ghost of a disbelieving smile tilt his lips as he righted himself
in the saddle.