Page 19 of Courting Scandal With The Duke
‘Then there is nothing to worry about. No one would assume such a strait-laced gentleman as yourself would get up to mischief. Therefore I see no reason to concern myself with such nonsense.’
Her words irritated him for some reason. He was perfectly capable of ‘getting up to mischief.’ He simply did not choose to do so. His position made it beneath him.
And nor was he a Johnny Raw. He knew better than to spend the day alone with an unmarried lady. That problem he could easily solve.
‘The stables are this way. Unless you need to freshen up after your journey.’
‘Three miles is hardly a journey,’ she said, smiling. ‘Let us be off. I haven’t ridden out in the country for weeks and weeks. I cannot wait. I hope you have a decent mount for me and not some sluggard that likes to dawdle.’
He gritted his teeth. He was known for the quality of his horseflesh.
‘I do not think you will be disappointed.’ He took her arm and escorted her around to the stables.
As they entered the courtyard in front of the stable block a few yards from the main house, two groomsemerged from the barn with three of the most beautiful animals Barbara had ever seen.
Two with ladies’ saddles and one for riding astride.
‘We will not require Galahad, Paul,’ the Duke said. ‘One of our guests has not arrived.’
The groom called to a lad who took the smallest of the three horses back inside.
Another man took the other with a side-saddle to a mounting block.
‘This is Kemp, my stable master and Lucky Lady.’
‘Mr Kemp,’ Barbara said, and greeted her horse with a stroke of her nose. ‘She is lovely.’
‘I am glad you think so,’ the Duke said in his usual grim tones. ‘Allow me to assist you.’
She stepped up, and he easily boosted her into the saddle. Unlike most men, he did not struggle to lift her somewhat large frame—and his fingers did not dig into the flesh of her waist. Indeed, he hoisted her up without effort.
His firm strength made her feel as light as a feather. A unique and rather breathtaking sensation.
Lovely, in fact. An odd sort of weak feeling took her by surprise. And right at that moment, despite some earlier reservations before she left home, she knew she would enjoy the day.
As she settled into the saddle, he guided her foot into the stirrup and glanced up. ‘How is that?’
‘Perfect.’ And it was. The saddle needed not the slightest adjustment, which was unusual as most times there was a lot of fiddling about to lengthenthe stirrup. Once they had even had to change the saddle because she was too tall. Talk about embarrassing.
Today, it was if he had somehow taken her measure and judged her needs and passed them along to his staff. Did that make him too fussy or just caring?
Maybe the former. What need had he to care?
He made a slight adjustment to the girth.
She forced herself not to be taken in by his solicitude. ‘I assume you have some grass over which we can gallop and streams we can jump, to make my journey worthwhile.’
A look of satisfaction crossed his face. ‘I will do better.’
Such arrogance. But before she could ask what he meant, he left her side and went to speak to Kemp, who had joined the groom holding the Duke’s horse. There was some muttered conversation between the two men.
The stable master glanced her way with raised eyebrows then bustled off on some errand.
What was that all about?
The Duke mounted up.
Barbara could not help but admire his athleticism as he swung up on to the large gelding, seemingly without effort. Or how manly he looked on horseback. As if he and the horse were one.
