One moment she stood strong in her conviction not to give in to her inappropriate feelings for Lord Shevington, and in the next second, she hovered over an abyss of indecision.If only he weren’t so handsome, intelligent, amusing, and heartbreakingly considerate of his daughter’s feelings, she could overcome her attraction. Push it away to the farthest reaches of her mind and simply admire him for having the qualities of a good man.But he was all those things and more. The barrier her mind had erected—the one that guided her along the jagged path of right and wrong—had begun to tremble and crack, allowing bands of brilliant, invigorating light to shine through.She was drawn to those bands in the same way a ship’s crew who had dwelled at sea for far too long sought out a speck of land.A gasp rent the air, forcing Anne’s inner struggle to the background. She paused behind Lord Shevington, Jacqueline, and the stable master. The trio observed something inside a large stall.Anne moved to see what had drawn their attention when Jacqueline turned to her suddenly and exclaimed, “A pony!”All Anne’s wariness, concern, and self-recrimination vanished at the sight of one beaming smile from a troubled little girl.
