Page 8 of Good Duke Gone Far

“Good thing it’s not that far to return home.”

“Ha! Like hell I’m riding in that right now. We’ll wait it out.”

“Yes. Quite…Well, when the coachman comes back, you’re not riding with us. By George, surely everyone would agree that to be highly improper.” It was not really her plan, but she didn’t quite know what else to say.

“He’s not coming back.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes. I do.”

“And how do you know that with certainty?”

“You rented this carriage?” The Colonel asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to be in Davin’s debt.”

“Well, that coachman is not in anyone’s debt either, so to speak. I don’t know where you found him, but he is not returning.”

Kat knew he was right. In this rain, the coachman was probably drinking himself silly at the inn, not rallying any help to repair the damaged carriage.

“In that case,” Kat sank onto the seat with an audible thwump and pulled out her newspaper. She didn’t intend on reading it, but she most certainly did not want to sit and make talk, small or otherwise, with the delectably tasting Colonel in front of her.

Her intentions, like so many good ones, lasted a grand total of five minutes. And that was stretching it. Despite the fact that he wasn’t even looking at her, or maybe because he was trying to ignore her, she couldn’t accept the silence between them. His mere presence demanded conversation. “So you came to rescue me?”

“Something like that.” He was staring out the window, large palms resting on even thicker thighs. God those thighs were thick. She wanted to feel them beneath her, wrapped around her–Question. Time for another question.

“What was the plan?”

She was sure he mumbled, “Not this.” But then he pulled on his ear and rested his head against the squabs, saying, “You have to go back.”

“I will go back.”

“Wonderful. As soon as the rain stops, we’ll take you back to Goodgreen Ha–”

“As soon as I finish with my business, I’ll return to Goodgreen Hall. Voluntarily.”

“And what, pray tell, is your business?”

“I think I said it clearly. It’smybusiness. As in, not yours.”

“So back to silence then?”

“It’s not a this or that choice. There are other options. No need to create a false dichotomy.”

“Yes, well it was that or have you sing us a tune.”

“I’ll not be singing anything.”

“Exactly.” A smirk tugged on his adorable lips. “Hence the false dichotomy.”

With great effort, Kat forced the hinges of her lips downward.

“What do you do when you’re not…Colonel-ing?”

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