Catch Me If You Can Read Free

door of the carriage opened, Rivers reached out and handed Frieda down. He allowed the two a few moments of reunion, before descending to join them.
    “Ah, Rivers. Welcome, it’s good to see you again,” James said, turning from Frieda to greet him.
    James had been instrumental in selecting Rivers for his post and there was understanding between the two men. James had visited the Californian estate after his brother’s death three years earlier to help Frieda to secure a good manager. Rivers firmly grasped the hand offered. James beamed at the two of them, his woolly graying sideburns framing his broad smile. “You are most welcome to our home.”
    “I’m pleased to be here, Sir.” 
    “Come, let us take some refreshment indoors.” 
    Frieda and James were deep in conversation by the time they reached the parlor. It was a spacious room, littered with grouped easy chairs of differing designs, eclectic yet comfortable. A piano stood to one side of the fireplace and one wall was lined with bookshelves inset with a wide shelf at waist height, to allow the observer to open the books for perusal before selecting one with which to spend the evening. The ornaments and pictures decorating the walls spoke of travels in far-flung lands. A carved shield stood beside a collection of fearsome looking spears caught his eye. His host was clearly an intrepid explorer and an avid collector.
    Rivers noticed Frieda and James had stationed themselves close to the large oak inset fireplace, as people tended to do, even in the height of summer the focal point of the room drew them close. He chose to sit off to one side in a winged armchair in order to view the grounds through the window.
    Within moments a horse cantered into view.
    Rivers leaned forward in his seat. It was a magnificent beast. The rider dismounted. A stable lad, he assumed. He quickly corrected the assumption, for it was a stable girl. The contours of a shapely rump within close-fitting breeches gave it away. Rivers smiled. The young woman wore men’s clothing, a shirt and riding breeches tucked into long boots. The shirt hung out of her belted waistband on one side, the thin cotton barely concealing the outline of her womanly form.
    His inspection of the horse was replaced by an altogether more fascinating survey. The girl was a real beauty, despite the boyish attire. She had thick black hair clasped loosely at her nape. She soothed her mount with a sensitive, knowing hand. A sensuous country wench, he surmised.
    She strode off, leading the horse by its rein.
    Rivers sat back in the chair and wondered if he’d see the stable girl again during his visit. He considered himself a keen observer of human character. He particularly enjoyed observing women. They were very different creatures from men and he enjoyed discovering all the ways in which they differed. When an appealing character and the opportunity came his way, he enjoyed discovering them more intimately.
    He was no casual seducer, but he’d proven himself a popular man with the ladies, despite his preponderance for being a loner and his reputation as something of a blackguard. His travel stories, hunting abilities, and extensive knowledge of wine production had gained him both good and bad attention, particularly over the past nine years since he’d left his family home. Along the way he took pleasure pursuing passionate women whilst carefully maintaining his desire to avoid matrimony.
    The mention of his name drew his attention back into the room.
    “Rivers has been patient during our journey. He’s keen to get to France and Italy to select vines for his new project. That is foremost in his mind at the moment,” Frieda gave a caring smile toward her friend and employee.
    A frown passed across James’s face. “I hope you won’t be leaving us too soon. I’ve been anticipating this visit for some time.”  His expression softened and he drew Frieda’s hand to his lips. The gesture brought a flush to her