Page 15 of Her Beastly Duke
When they first met, the duke seemed gruff and intimidating, but today, he seemed more human, a gentler soul. Briar wondered what else lay beneath his stern, intractable, and tough exterior. A certain warmth radiated from him when he spoke about his brother, which made her forget that he relished solitude.
“If you do not mind me asking, where is your brother?”
He paused for a moment as if he was weighing up whether he should answer. “He is in Scotland with his wife and children. He tells me there is another on the way.”
“Oh, how delightful.”
They walked in silence for a moment, but it was hard for Briar to remain silent when so many questions swirled around in her head. She could not contain her curiosity, and this time, she halted the walk.
“Why do you wear the mask when I have already seen your scars?”
The duke spun around to face her. His eyes bore into her as if the answer to his question lay in the depths. His brows knitted together for a moment. “I can count on one hand the number of people that have seen my scars. I do not wish to bear the scarred flesh for all to see so that I will receive looks of distaste, disgust, and revulsion.”
Briar looked away from his piercing gaze. “I see you fear I will be repulsed by your face in the light of day, but I can assure you I will not. I feel the same way now as I did when I first saw you in the library.”
She watched the emotions play over his face. He seemed doubtful yet hopeful. He made no reply. For the first time, Briar wondered if he could ever abandon this life where he was cut off. They had come through the clearing to find a wide, gently flowing river. Sunlight broke through the clouds hanging in the sky, reflecting off the calm water.
Ripples radiated through the water where a small boat was secured.
“How delightful. Do you go rowing?”
The duke smiled, and Briar knew an answer was forthcoming. The conversation had returned to a topic that he was more comfortable talking about.
“I do. Would you like to try the boat?”
Briar gave a start. She wasn’t expecting the invitation, and her breath caught in her throat. They would be in close confines but clearly visible. She had not thought about taking her parasol, so she would have to make do without it.
“I would enjoy that.”
The duke held out his hand to Briar, and she took it. A jolt of awareness ran through her arm, and she found herself staring at his hand on hers for a moment too long. She looked up and met his penetrating gaze. A flush crept over her cheeks, and Briar dropped her gaze. Without a word, the duke guided her to the boat and assisted her to a seat. He loosed the rope needed to anchor it to the shore and jumped in, sitting across from her. Their knees did not touch, but they were mighty close.
The duke reached for the oars and began to row. Briar could not help but notice the ripple of his muscles under his white shirt. Suddenly, her mouth felt dry, and she swallowed. She was keenly aware of his strength and virility that shimmered under the surface. The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as if he knew what she was thinking. She quickly looked at the scene gently going by.
There was a flutter of wings, and Briar saw the ripples spreading across the river. “I have not seen these geese before. They are beautiful.”
“They are Barnacle geese, and these ones are distinct in their black-and-white color. I will get closer,” the duke said as he rowed further across the river.
The geese did not remain close to the bank. They seemed just as interested in Briar and the duke, so they fanned out, and a few made their way toward the boat. Briar was all too familiar with the grey geese, but the Barnacle geese captured her attention. She wanted to touch one of them, but they remained out of reach. She stood up, believing she could reach over a tad bit more. She lost her train of thought when she fell head-first into the river. She made a desperate grab, but she could only feel air before she parted the surface.
Splash!
Briar’s reality suddenly changed; one moment, she was warm and safe in the boat, and in an instant, she was covered in cold water and trying to survive. She could not swim! At first, she could not breathe, so it was difficult to understand what had happened to her, and she was in great fear for her life. In the rashness of the moment, she flung her arms and legs about, struggling to get to the surface. She was disoriented, unable to discern which way was even up. Powerfully built arms encircled her waist, and she was propelled to the surface.
She gasped for breath, inhaling the water-saturated air. She was ever so grateful to be snatched from the cold depths, but she was mortified too. It was only her first day, yet she managed to make a fool of herself. She brushed away the wet tendrils of hair that shielded her eyes only to find the duke’s furrowed brows mere inches away. Beads of water ran down his face to his lips, and Briar’s gaze followed the lazy trail. He licked his lips, and the simple movement caused Briar to forget that she was fightingfor her life only a moment ago. She shivered in reaction to the duke’s nearness, his strapping arms and warm breath.
“You do like to get yourself into scrapes, don’t you, Miss Walcot?”
“Whatever do you mean, Your Grace? I was hardly trying to drown myself.”
The duke grunted before he commanded her to remain still. He slowly moved behind Briar while keeping one hand around her waist. Briar could feel the full length of his muscular frame against her back. Thank goodness he could not see her face because she was sure it was bright red.
“Lean back against my chest and allow me to guide you.”
Against his chest, more so than she was doing already? The wet clothes clinging to his hardness were as close to naked as she had ever seen a man.
He sensed her hesitation. “The boat has drifted to the opposite side, Miss Walcot, so unless you have discovered you can swim, I suggest you lean back against my chest. You will be perfectly safe.”
Briar did as she was told. The duke’s arm left her waist and moved to her underarm. His hand brushed against her bosom, stirring a strange sense in her belly. Another flush worked itself over her cheeks. She had never felt anything like it. What did it mean? The duke slowly started swimming toward the river bank, to safety, or was it?
