The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes

Author:Grace Burrowes [Burrowes, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency
ISBN: 9781492605317
Google: decBBQAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1492605301
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2015-04-06T14:00:00+00:00

“I married a grasshopper,” Thea accused, unwilling to be swayed by Noah’s stoic expression. “And, you, Lord Harlan Winters, are a bad influence on your brother.”

Two grooms led the horses out, the elder man smiling at Thea’s scold.

“Don’t be too hard on Noah,” Harlan replied. “Greymoor’s stud is said to be all the crack, and you want the girls to have the best possible ponies, don’t you?”

Thea wanted her husband to admit he’d miss her.

She crossed her arms rather than give in to the urge to touch him. “The best possible ponies would have to be thirty-odd miles away. Not a single pony in all of Kent, or at the auctions in Town, would do.”

Based on Noah’s disgruntled expression, he would have preferred to go pony shopping in darkest Peru rather than endure Thea’s displeasure in public.

“I wasn’t looking for ponies when I dragged your brother to buy a mount for Lady Antoinette,” Noah replied, slapping his riding gloves against his thigh. “My wife had yet to inform me I’d been remiss in the matter of ponies.”

“Oh, her.” Thea groused. She wanted badly to smile, which was ridiculous, because Noah was haring off again, but this time he was dragging Harlan with him—or perhaps Harlan was doing the dragging. In any case, they were away to Surrey, though promising to be back the next day, or the day after, “at the latest.”

“You disparage my wife at your peril, Duchess,” Noah said, looking stern despite the glint in his blue eyes. “She is an estimable lady.”

“And very determined,” Thea reminded him. “If you do not reappear as scheduled, Husband, I will hire the crankiest governess I can find for our daughters, and you will have to pension the old besom off at considerable cost upon your return.”

Noah pulled on his gloves, though Thea had seen something—humor, bashfulness, what?—in his gaze before he’d looked away.

“What did I say?” Thea straightened the lapel of his faultlessly tailored riding jacket. “I wouldn’t hire them anybody terrible, Husband. You know this.”

Noah stepped closer and planted a smacking kiss on her mouth, while Harlan made a production of cinching up his horse’s girth. Thea might have wiggled away for form’s sake—both grooms were grinning now—but Noah held her close long enough to murmur in her ear.

“See that you look after our daughters in my absence, Wife. My womenfolk matter to me.”

Thea stepped back, her fingers going to her lips to mask her pleasure. Harlan winked at her, swung up, and began castigating Noah for how slowly old married men moved when there were horses to be bought, and perhaps his brother wasn’t getting enough rest, or perhaps the heat was disturbing his slumbers—

Noah gently tapped Harlan’s mount on the quarters with a crop, which had the animal trotting off more in indignation than surprise, and Harlan laughing out loud.

“You have my direction,” Noah said as he settled into the saddle. “Mind you don’t let the girls explode with anticipation. They’re merely ponies.”

“Be safe, Husband.” Thea petted True’s sturdy neck.

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