Must Love Dukes by Elizabeth Michels - Tricks Of The Ton 01 - Must Love Dukes

Author:Elizabeth Michels - Tricks Of The Ton 01 - Must Love Dukes [Michels, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical
ISBN: 9781402285998
Google: Did7mQEACAAJ
Amazon: 140228599X
Barnesnoble: 140228599X
Goodreads: 17586488
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Ten

Lillian opened the heavy front door of the estate and walked out into the brilliant afternoon. It was one of those rare days in England when the clouds had all been scared away, leaving a bold blue sky in their absence. A breeze pulled at her hat and she put a hand up to steady it before continuing on toward the stables. She’d spent the past ten minutes waiting in the foyer for Lord Amberstall to meet her for their tour, but when she heard the clock in the parlor strike one, she gave up on his escort.

As she neared the stables, she could see Amberstall in the distance overseeing the grooming of a horse in the paddock nearest the house. He wore a dark green coat which contrasted with his blond hair, making him appear golden in the bright sunshine.

She felt a pang of guilt at having a mysterious parcel of herbs in her pocket. He didn’t deserve to be the object of the Duke’s scheme and neither did his poor horse. Perhaps she wouldn’t adhere to His Grace’s wishes. Maybe it was time to call his bluff. She smiled as she joined Amberstall outside the main entrance to the stables.

“Ah, Miss Phillips. Is it one o’clock already? I do hope I’m not in danger of missing our engagement today.” He bowed over her hand with a charming smile.

“I would never allow it. I’ve been looking forward to this little tour.”

“Very good.” Amberstall smiled as he slid open the large door to the stable. “Down this way is the area where most of my horses are housed.”

They walked into a central hall with a cobblestone floor under a vaulted ceiling. Several chandeliers hung from heavy beams to light the area. Ahead was a row of parked carriages, all black and gleaming in the light cast from the open stable doors. They turned down the left wing of the structure, walking past candle-filled sconces bracketed into the brick walls across from an endless string of stalls. Lillian paused when she saw a newborn horse munching on hay in a stall corner.

“Oh my, what grand surroundings for such a sweet little horse,” she commented, walking over to the foal and watching it wobble on newfound legs.

Amberstall joined her at the stall door. “His name is Silent Thunder. He was born only a few days ago.”

“Silent Thunder,” she repeated with a smile, glancing at the man at her side.

“You have a lovely smile—nice straight teeth,” he mused.

“Oh, thank you, my lord,” she stammered. What an odd compliment to give someone.

He pushed off the stall door and continued down the hall. “If you will follow me this way, you will see we have a well-supplied tack room.”

Lillian followed him down the long line of stalls and turned into the tack room, which looked more like a tack warehouse. Rigging, stirrups, and saddles were hung on giant racks in aisles filling the room. “Goodness, how many saddles do you have?”

“Over a hundred. They have different purposes.

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