Page 65 of A Bride for the Cruel Duke

She had come to him only a few hours ago, asking—no, demanding. She demanded that he cancel whatever plans he had made, as she had taken the initiative herself and organized a horseback ride across the estate, to end with a surprise that she could not wait to show him.

“A surprise?” Anthony has asked, not sure what to make of this request, or how he felt about it. “Remind me, am I not the one who is meant to be seducing you?”

“You will have your chance,” she had said with a coy smile. “But first, say yes. And I promise, you will not regret it.”

It suggested to Anthony that she was the one trying to prove to him how much she cared for him—and to prove it to herself, for that matter. Gone were the days of distrust. Gone were the days of not being sure. It was time to start admitting what this marriage was, because both parties could so clearly sense it.

That of course raised the question about tonight, and where it might lead. Sensing now that Caroline was falling for him as he was for her, was Anthony ready to give in to his amorous desires and take her fully, if she allowed it? Or did he still wish to hold off until their final night?I suppose time will tell…

“Tell me we are nearly there,” he asked.

“What’s the matter? Growing bored?”

“Concerned for you,” he corrected. “I do not want you to bruise or chafe from riding your horse for too long.”

She chuckled. “I will be fine. Do not fear for me, when this is supposed to be about you.”

“I will remind you that I am the husband and you are my wife,” he continued haughtily. “I am the one who is meant to be wooing you. This is unheard of.”

“Then why are you enjoying yourself so much?”

“Who says that I am?”

Her eyes flashed delight. “Perhaps I know you better than you think?”

“Perhaps the man you think you know is all a lie,” he countered. “A mask I’ve worn this entire time.”

“Well, you’ve done a terrible job so far.”

“The evening is still young.”

She laughed and shook her head, that smile still very much there. “We are close, do not fear. See there...” She nodded her head across the field, toward the tree line. “Just beyond those trees.”

Anthony frowned as he followed her gaze, trying to piece together where she was taking him. This was his estate, so he knew the landscape better than anyone.

It was an hour or so before sunset; the sky just now was painted in dark pinks and warm oranges as the sun began to drift toward the horizon. They had been cantering across the estate for fifteen minutes, mostly through the verdant paddocks which surrounded the manor and farmland. Their destination was a small forest which lined the border, beyond which was nothing particularly interesting that he could recall.Where on earth is she taking me?

The answer became apparent ten minutes later.

They reached the tree line where Caroline instructed Anthony to tie their horses. She was brimming with excitement, her entire body shaking, and he found it so adorable he couldn’t help but follow her instruction.

From there, she led him through the forest. It was a sparsely packed, so they walked it with ease, and all the while Anthony searched for whatever this surprise was. That was when they came upon a small clearing.

“Here we are...” She stepped into it then turned back to face him, her eyes wide, her smile splitting her face in two. “What do you think?”

Anthony frowned. “And what is it that I am supposed to be...” He trailed off as he looked past her, spying finally what could only be this so—called surprise.

It was a picnic, set in the middle of the glade. There was a soft blanket at the center, on which were plates already set with foodstuffs; mostly snacks, such as breads and dips and cheeses, nothing too hearty from what Anthony could see. There was a bottle of wine with two empty glasses. While set around the blanket were four lamps, burning low. It was too early for their fire to be needed, but with the sun quickly setting, soon they would be the only source of light.

“What do you think?” Caroline asked, for the first time sounding nervous. “Do you... do you like it?”

Anthony didn’t know what to say, or how to react for that matter. That she had gone through all this effort, and for no other reason than to impress him… it was more than he could comprehend. Nobody had ever done anything like this for him before. There was nobody in his world who would. Or rather, there hadn’t been.

“I love it,” he said with a smile.

“There it is,” she said with a smile to match. “The smile. Just what I was looking for.”

He laughed. “Like I said, I can, when it is worth it. And this...” He gestured to the scene. “I think this qualifies.”

---