I Kissed The Duke by Devon Eva

Author:Devon, Eva
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Romance
Publisher: Bard Productions
Published: 2023-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Andrew did not love to hunt, but he did love horses.

There was something about charging out atop one of the beasts that made one feel utterly and completely alive. And especially since his brother’s death, he had felt the need to feel alive.

There had been many times when all he had wanted to do was stay in his study, close the windows, shut the thick curtains, and allow himself to be wracked with grief—to do nothing but drink brandy, and sleep, and feel sorry for himself. But those? Those were dangerous things indeed.

He had shoved aside the brandy bottle and refused to touch it, for it did not numb. No, it did far worse things. It exacerbated the sorrow and the pain and made him all but wish to howl at the injustice of his young brother’s death.

The darkness of his rooms had nearly undone his mind, and it had only been the fact he needed to be there for his mother that had pulled him out of it and made him realize he could not give away to such trappings of grief.

And so instead, he had thrown himself into other things. His stallion, Orion, had been his relief and recourse. They had ridden out together every day in all sorts of weather. And now, here at the Duke of Wildwood’s vast estates as they milled out in front of the house, all the riders circling as they waited for the Master of the Hounds to take up the hunt, he found himself wondering if perhaps he should just go on a ride on his own. He’d always felt particularly sorry for the fox.

He understood there was usually a reason for the hunt, that there was a purpose. It wasn’t just some mad blood sport as some liked to engage in.

Wildwood would never allow such a thing, not on his estates. Foxes could be vicious creatures, killing birds and eating eggs, and if there were too many foxes in an area, it could be quite difficult and dangerous for other animals.

Still, he had to confess he was on the side of the fox, not the hounds, even though it was in the nature of the hounds to hunt the fox.

Truthfully, the nature of the world was a most confusing thing to him. He wanted peace, he longed for love, he wished there was no suffering, and yet it seemed every day, every month, every season, every year, every turn of the globe was an opportunity to see suffering.

He supposed there was the opportunity to see glory too, for as he looked out towards the forests and the fields, they were beautiful. He lifted his gaze to the crystal blue sky where white clouds danced across it, and he felt a moment’s awe at the beauty before him. It was the only thing that got him through.

Orion, as if sensing his emotions, pawed his hooves on the graveled drive.

“Steady there, Orion,” he soothed. “All will be well. I’m going to be well,” he said.

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