The ride was as slow as Harold's breathing.

He did not want to make any sound for he wanted to be as invisible as possible.

It was humiliating.

In fact, it was even worse than that. Earlier, after pulling him up from the ground with one strong hand, she guided his horse back to him and returned to hers as though she simply happened to drop something and picked it up.

"Well, are we not going?" she asked then after mounting her horse, looking down at him with haughtiness.

Harold struggled to return to his senses and climbed back on his horse.

And now, she was guiding him out of the forest as though she had been through this road too many times.

Having not said a word since she picked him up, Harold had nothing but the stillness around him for comfort.

But he would not succumb to it for too long. He glared at Alice's erect back as he followed behind, summoning the courage to act nonchalant. Anyone could fall off their horse anytime. He landed perfectly, in fact, not sustaining any injury. If it was anyone else, they would have been left crippled.

He was a master rider. Master riders could fall off their horses as well.

He cleared his throat.

He cleared it again when she did not flinch.

"We are near the edge of the forest, fret not," she spoke without turning her head. "You have ventured to the wrong direction. Unless, of course, you intended to do so."

Harold's jaw tightened. "The horse—your horse—would not follow my orders."

"Ah, well, he is wise to know an unwise decision when he sees it."

"Are we going to argue once again, my lady?" he nearly growled.

"I am very much trying not to." Her head finally turned and she looked over her shoulder to add, "Are you?"

Through gritted teeth, Harold replied, "I would hate to do so."

She allowed a satisfied nod and turned her head back on the road again. "I shall escort you to Tiny Town."

His brows arched high in surprise. "Truly?" he asked, tone filled with suspicion. "Humor me, my lady. Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"You are a guest," she said, suddenly stopping her horse. She then guided it around to face him. Her face was as unreadable in the darkness as it was in the light. "And I have the responsibility to make certain that you do not get yourself into trouble. Martin ought to be doing this job, but since he is the one you are running after to, it could not be helped. The responsibility falls unto me."

Harold chuckled wryly. "In case you have not noticed, my lady, but I am a man. I can very well find my way to Tiny Town without help."

"Ah, yes, very much like how you could handle a horse on your own without falling." He already had his mouth open to throw something else when she loudly sighed and added, "But we cannot argue at the moment. I am certain you are feeling rather sore after that fall."

Harold glared at her back. He imagined grabbing her neck from behind and snapping it with both hands. She irritated him so. Why was he fascinated with her in the first place? She surely could make a man's blood boil with her quick wit.

"And why would you want to escort me to Tiny Town. Was it not you who insisted that I leave them alone?" Harold found himself asking instead.

"I have changed my mind."

He waited for her to say something more, but she did not. "Why?" Did he have to force everything from her?

"I realized that my friend might be making a mistake."

"Ha!" he cried out in mock amusement. "You finally realized it then!"

"They did not have to elope on their own."

It took a long moment of dumbfounded silence before Harold's throat opened up. "What the bloody hell do you mean?"

"Well, they would need a witness if they wish to marry in Tiny Town." She kicked her horse and it walked faster. "I wish to be that witness."

"You cannot be bloody serious."

"If you do not wish for me to be there, then we might as well go our separate ways." Her head moved a little and she spoke over her shoulder, tone irritatingly taunting. "That is, of course, if you know the way."

"You are suggesting we race our way to Tiny Town. You are bloody insane."

"If you wish to race, I can very well manage to win on my own."

"A gentry on horseback to Tiny Town. Yes, of course, you will get there safe and sound," was his sarcastic remark.

He heard her scoff but said nothing further. It sounded as though she knew better than he did and it was very infuriating.

But what she was suggesting was not going to happen. How could he leave her alone to venture on her own? She would definitely arrive in Tiny Town faster than he. She knew the area better.

And her horse was bloody fast.

"Now that you have realized that a race would merely lead to your ultimate humiliation, I suggest we continue on to Dartridge by following this road."

"Do you not think this is rather absurd? We are both rushing toward Tiny Town with different goals in mind."

"Your goal is to stop the wedding. Mine is to witness it. The decision will have to be in the hands of both our friends. Once we arrive, try your best to convince Martin that he is making a mistake. I shall not say a word. I would simply be present as a friend should."

"In summary, you are going to sit there and allow me to be the bad friend."

"Well, if that is how you will see it, yes."

"You are making me infuriated with each word you speak, my lady. I truly mean it."

"I have more to say."

"No, thank you. I would rather you speak no more until Dartridge."

Following his command, Alice said nothing more.

*****

She was not certain if Harold had ever gotten his hand on a map because if he did, he would have realized by now that going to Dartridge through the Dark Forest was the worst idea of all. The best way was through a small passage between Mecklenberg and Carnfield Haverston.

But by how he was allowing her to guide the way, Alice had to surmise that the man was too pampered his entire life. He may have gone to excursions or adventures, but they must always have been with guides.

Ah, the lives of gentries from big towns like Wickhurst and Willowfair. They knew nothing!

She did not expect him to be this easily manipulated. She must be getting good with the small lies.

Oh, she was being wicked.

And she rather liked the feeling!

Secretly smiling to herself, Alice led the long way toward Dartridge.

"Are we there yet?" he asked from behind her.

"We are almost there."

"You said it almost an hour ago."

"Well, it is true."

"How long?"

"Why? Are you tired?"

"No, but the bloody horse is. I wish to replace it once we reach Dartridge. Or we can hire a carriage to take us to Tiny Town."

"I am not leaving my horses, my lord."

"Then how far long are we to Dartridge."

Alice sighed and looked ahead. "Three hours."

"What!"

"Camel can take us there in an hour. I am not so certain about Benjamin."

"Benjamin?"

"The horse who threw you off the ground—Benjamin. You may call him Benny." A sniffled laugh escaped her throat as she remembered the sight of him cowering on the ground earlier.

"I was not thrown off."

"Oh, then you must have jumped?"

"I did not!"

"Then you were thrown off."

"I was—"

"You fell."

"You scared Benny earlier. He panicked and I was not prepared."

"And so you fell."

"Why do you have to reiterate the falling part every time?"

"Because it is my current amusement."

A moment of silence reigned between them. When he spoke again, his voice was low and bitter. "You surely do know how to amuse yourself."

"Being born an only child and with very little friends, it is something that comes naturally."

Another long quiet moment passed.

"Was it a lonely childhood?"

"As far as I was informed, you are also an only son, my lord. You should know the answer to that question."

"Oh, but I am naturally friendly. People around me enjoyed my presence. I do not believe we have had the same experience. I am not called Lord Ice."

"Ah, so my reputation precedes me as well."

"It is not every day that a woman graces parties with the same expression as yours. There are some, but they are the widows and spinsters."

"You have seen me in balls?"

"No, but your name was being whispered about."

"I am certain it was. Most of my seasons are not very pleasant experiences."

"Are you not going to answer my question?"

"If I was lonely?" He did not reply. "No, it was not. The constant quiet has always been such a good company. I was not deprived of love from my parents. I enjoyed my horses. I liked my precious times with Eva. I could not say I was lonely."

"But you must have missed many enjoyable things other ladies your age surely had the privilege to experience."

"Like flirting with lords such as you?"

"No, I meant—why do you always have to make insults—"

"I am not insulting anyone. I am simply pointing out facts. Women go to balls to hunt for husbands. To do so, they have to flirt. Am I not correct?"

"No, but there are also other—"

"Ah, of course, the gambling. I should have not forgotten that."

"No, not the gambling—"

"The dancing then? I tell you, my lord, I have danced with a number of men. I can confidently say it is rather boring."

"You must have not had the opportunity to dance with the right men."

"I have danced with all sorts. Those with restless hands, those with stiff hands, the mute ones, the boisterous lot and oh, yes, the proud ones. Have I missed others?"

"Restless hands?"

"Of course. You must know there are those kinds as well. You cannot imagine where they land their hands during a waltz."

"Someone has tried to fondle you during a bloody waltz?"

"Not someone. If I remember correctly, there were at least three who tried—why do you sound angry?" She looked over her shoulder to find that he was glaring at her. "You are angry."

"What did you do with them? The bastards who tried to—"

"Oh," she said, looking away to look straight ahead. "Well, we must have not gone to the same balls after all."

"Whatever do you mean?" Alice was surprised when he suddenly appeared beside her, having urged his horse to walk side by side Camel.

She stole him a glance. "Because you would have heard what had happened to them."

"So you punished them?"

Alice contemplated for a moment before admitting, "One found trouble finding a wife."

"What did you do?"

"It was not I. My mother was behind it."

"And the others?"

"One, I believe, had to stay in prison for two nights."

"You reported him?"

"My father did." He waited for her next words. "The last one has to live with a broken finger."

He was looking at her with amusement as he said, "Eva snapped his finger then?"

Alice shook her head. "No, I did." As he chuckled, she added, "In the middle of the ballroom."

His laughter rang around the eerie road.

"We must hurry if we do not wish to attract bandits," Alice said, kicking her horse.

Benjamin, his horse, surprisingly equaled Camel's pace.

Seeing the surprise in his face, Alice explained, "He likes Camel."

They continued with a good pace until they were finally out of the Dark Forest. Alice allowed the horses to fall into a steady pace before she asked the question that had been in her mind for days. She turned her head to look at Harold's handsome face. "Why are you desperate to stop Martin and Alice? What is your true reason, my lord?"

He did not provide an answer immediately. He took his time formulating an answer and when he finally looked right into her eyes and said the words, Alice almost fell off her horse. "Because soon, Martin will regret choosing your friend over you."