Page 16 of Courting Scandal With The Duke
As he moved off, to her surprise, her horse followed.
And since there was no more to be gained from arguing, she allowed it. After all, she had, as he had pointed out, successfully made a cake of herself.
There were more carriages on the road now and progress was slow.
‘What did you mean when you said there are other places to exercise a horse?’ she asked. ‘And if there are, why do you not avail yourself?’
‘It is a matter of available time. I have to be in the House today.’
For a moment she was not sure what he meant. ‘Parliament?’
‘Of course.’
Did he have to sound so supercilious? ‘What is so important that it needs your presence?’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘As to that, I will have to check with my secretary.’
‘Your secretary? Don’t you know for yourself?’
‘There are a great many demands on my time. I rely on him to keep my schedule.’
Odious beast.
‘I beg your pardon?’
Oh. Had she said that aloud?
She must have.
His frown deepened.
And they had arrived at her aunt’s house, there was little more to be said. ‘Thank you for your escort.’
‘Come riding with me later in the week,’ he said, in a manner that was more a command than request.
She stared at him in astonishment.
‘I will provide the horse.’
‘Oh, but—’
‘I will send round an invitation to you and your aunt shortly.’
‘You will?’ she snapped. ‘Or your secretary will? Assuming you don’t have some other pressing engagement you have forgotten?’
‘My engagements can always be rearranged.’
He spoke with such assurednessshe immediately imagined the docket for Parliament being altered at his whim.
‘I believe I am otherwise engaged,’ she said. Dash it, she sounded missish, instead of chilly as she had intended.
He raised a brow. ‘You haven’t received the invitation yet, so how can you know?’ He bowed and, having handed her horse’s reins to Jack, rode off, no doubt with every expectation she would accept his invitation when it arrived.
Damn his arrogance.
She stopped on the doorstep staring at the footman who had opened the door. What a strange turn of events. What on earth was this duke about?
‘Milady?’ the footman said.
