Love Me, If You Dare: Book 1: Wagers and Wallflowers by Clarke Alyssa

Author:Clarke, Alyssa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Darkan Press Inc.
Published: 2021-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

The very next morning, Theo made her way outside to the inn’s forecourt, inhaling the crisp spring morning air into her lungs. The duke waited with a handsome chestnut horse, the reins dangling loosely in one of his hands. His earlier uncompromising features were tranquil, his powerful body relaxed atop his stallion, his beautiful blue eyes intent on her. Her mouth dried when his gaze slightly flared, his gloved fingers clenching reflexively on the reins upon noting her riding habit.

He swept off his hat and made his bow to her. “It is a fine morning, Theodosia.”

She dipped into a quick curtsey, wanting to curse the fluttering in her stomach, nay, they were everywhere in her body. Thankfully upon rousing a couple hours ago she had been alone in the room with only an eager Molly to render assistance.

“It is a perfectly wonderful morning for riding. I fancy I can smell the sea air from here.”

The damnable curiosity, or awareness should have died away, instead it had multiplied. The dark green riding habit was one specially made with breeches replacing the pleated skirts. It molded to her figure leaving little to the imagination. To Theo’s mind, it was perfectly freeing and wonderful. She sauntered toward him, nodded gracefully, and went around to the horse.

“What a beauty,” she crooned, touching the horse’s nose before pushing her foot through the stirrup, grabbing the pommel, and hauling herself with perfect ease onto the saddle without calling for the mounting blocks.

She cast him a sidelong glance and tossed her head. “What men can do…women can do.”

Sebastian turned away but she spied the barely there smile before it vanished from her sight.

“I’ve sent the carriages ahead. I hope to reach Brighton by noon,” he said, turning his horse down the driveway, turning him into a trot.

Theo followed suit, easily keeping pace with the duke. Tension radiated from his frame, the hands gripping the reins were stiff, his top hat shadowing his face so Theo could not even hazard a guess as to what he might be feeling.

“Your Grace…” Theo began, only to stop when he looked at her.

The duke might be silent, but his eyes shone with his private agony. Last night he had been a scoundrel, and she’d done her best to sleep without thinking of how close he slept or what he wanted from her. He hadn’t taken up her offer to speak, and she had thought this morning of any way she could relieve his worry. A part of her questioned why she was so concerned about a man she hardly knew, but it was also against her nature to see someone’s worry and ignore their distress.

The gentle breeze lifted the tendrils of hair from her forehead. “I know you are very worried about Perdie, Sebastian,” she murmured.

The duke did not reply but remained silent. Theo could not take offense, unable to imagine the fear he and his mother must currently endure.

He drew his horse to a halt suddenly. “Rakes are notorious for preying on young, inexperienced girls.

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