Andrew must admit, he was not quite certain his plan would work. He prepared an excuse to visit lady Blackburn without suspicion, but he wasn't certain he would be able to keep his face straight should she ask questions.

As he rode in the carriage, he repeated his reasons once more. Lady Blackburn and him had rumours of an unknown source saying they are lovers. By visiting her, he was aware that the suspicion might grow, but he really wanted to find out if she knew who started the rumour. Mayhap he could silence the gossipmonger by showing some money.

Also, he wanted to understand how they ought to proceed from here on. She told him at the Birmingham ball that they should not avoid each other, nor spend more time than necessary together. But how much time was just enough? And what should they do to prove that Andrew was not courting lady Blackburn.

As he watched her mansion grow closer, he hoped she would know what to do. He had never been involved in a rumour like this and had not the slightest idea as to how to proceed. But he doubted she knew, for she had not been in any rumour in her life. The only times the Blackburn name was printed on the newspaper, was for the accidents involving the former lady Blackburn, the former lord Blackburn and the current lord Blackburn. Never before had "Victoria Blackburn" sired the people's favourite piece of reading.

The carriage stopped in front of the highest mansion on Lyne Avenue, the mansion everyone looked up at when passing by. Andrew knew the house was attached to its fair share of horror stories, but he had never believed a word his brother Arthur had said when he told them. His father would roll his eyes when he heard of the ghosts of the previous owners, and his mother would forbid Arthur to speak another word about the Jones house - named after its first owner and oldest ghost.

As Andrew walked toward the front, he heard the hooves of a horse at the side of the house, but ignored them and kept walking toward the door. He hoped lady Blackburn was not in a hast to leave as her carriage was being prepared. Or better yet, that she had just returned and had no more errands for the day.

The front door opened and an older butler stepped into view. His hair was starting to grey and his face had wrinkles, but his eyes looked very much alive as he assessed the visitor in front of him. It made him wonder if lady Blackburn had many visitors before the rumours had started. No one knew of her, but did that mean she had no friends at all?

The butler's eyes finally met his and a smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

"Lord Brompton, I presume," the butler said.

"Yes," Andrew answered with a forced smile on his face. "I was hoping to speak with your mistress, lady Blackburn. I hope she is home."

"I am afraid she is not, my lord," the butler responded. "She has just left the house."

Andrew nodded and excused himself for the interruption. With a smile and a nod, the butler closed the door. Walking back to his carriage, Andrew cursed at himself for the inconvenience. He should have called on her before he appeared like a love sick fool in front of her estate.

Of course that was not who he was, but it was who he seemed to be to gossipmongers and people who believed their gossip.

Returning to his carriage, he heard the horse hooves again. They sped up from a walking pace to running, and Andrew could not help himself and do the same. He ran to the side of the house, where the horse seemed to be.

He rounded the corner, just in time to see a white horse speed away to the garden behind the house. On top of the horse was its rider, her light blue dress draped over the animal, her shoulders straight and proud.

Bloody tarnation, the woman was riding a horse!

Andrew did not know what had come over him when he ran back to his carriage, freed one of the horses and climbed on top, throwing off his hat for the stable boy to catch, but he had the urge to follow lady Blackburn and he could not hold back.

He rode passed the servants, who had just watched their mistress ride away, while ignoring his footman calling for him. He followed lady Blackburn as her horse rode through the fields behind her mansion. Andrew had never known they were there, and though he wanted to appreciate the piece of nature in a busy city, he could not for he may not lose sight of lady Blackburn.

She rode surprisingly fast, making Andrew think she had done this many times before. He did not dare to admit it, but she might be a better rider than him, and she had a better horse. How come a lady knew how to ride and how to breed fast horses? It did hurt his pride.

He followed the lady as she entered the forest. Andrew did not know where he was, nor where he was going, but it was evident that lady Blackburn knew her way very well. She made the horse pass trees and jump over bushes, and turn right around a stone bench.

After what felt like a half an hour in the dense forest, they exited it and crossed many more fields. Where the bloody hell was she going?