Page 6 of Tempting a Lonely Lord
Lord, he’s handsome.How in the world did this handsome stranger happen along and save her life? His golden, wavy hair and blue eyes made her wonder if he was an angel sent from Heaven.
“Are you real?”
He laughed. “Yes, Bella, I assure you, I am very real.”
That rumbling laugh made her heart do a million flip-flops in her chest.
“I have a suggestion,” he said.
“Yes?” She couldn’t stop gazing into his eyes.
“Perhaps we should get up and get back to sturdy ground?”
“Oh, y-yes… Yes, of course.”
“Let me help you,” he said as he gently lifted her off him.
She winced as her sore hands touched the ground beneath her.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Just my hands are a bit scraped.”
“We’ll get you some salve, but in the meantime, we need to get you back home.”
He helped her stand and kept his hands on her waist as she wobbled.
“I’ve always been in love with Dover, but this wasn’t the way I had envisioned seeing the White Cliffs.” It was a feeble attempt at humor, she realized, but it was what she did when she was nervous.
“Hopefully, the rest of your visit will be better.”
“Yes, hopefully.” She smiled.
“Allow me to introduce myself more formally. I am Viscount William Dudley. I have but recently inherited this estate and, quite truthfully, only just arrived. I was acquainting myself with the grounds when your dog approached with rather impressive urgency, compelling me to follow her.”
Lacey barked as though confirming what he’d said.
“I am grateful for what you did for me today,” Bella said, feeling his steadying hand as she trembled anew. “I am Lady Bella Connolly. My father… I mean, my family owns Bridgewater Manor, the pink stone and limestone manor next to your estate. My father recently died, and Uncle Stephen brought me and my grandmothers here… with Lacey, of course.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said, dipping his head in a subtle bow.
She sighed softly at the sound of his voice. It was rich and smooth, with a cadence that made her feel as though she were being invited to dance at a grand London ball during the height of the Season.
He pointed his chin at Lacey. “She’s a beautiful dog. Quite precocious and with a knack for getting into scrapes, it seems. I spotted her earlier sniffing at an animal trap someone had left ready to spring. Reacting, I threw a rock on the trap and sprang it before it could grab her.”
Lacey gave a soft woof and wagged her tail.
“Lacey,” Bella gently admonished her. She felt her face heat with a blush. “It’s not like her to get into scrapes, truly. But it was my fault. I shouldn’t have let her out on her own. She is a most curious, and I expect she was excited to explore.”
“Don’t be too hard on her. You’re fortunate to have such a clever dog. She found me as I was clearing part of a stone wall that had crumbled and frantically barked at me to follow her.” He reached down and petted the black dog, who responded by licking his hand. “I like you too, Lacey.”
“Lacey rarely likes men, except for my father—my late father,” Bella said, amazed at her dog’s affection for the stranger.
“Well, it wasn’t our first meeting,” he said. “A sudden rain shower forced me to seek shelter while walking my land yesterday, so I ran into an empty shed—probably an old groundskeeper’s shed. I thought I noticed her watching me from the cover of some trees, but I left her alone.”
“Interesting. That must have been in the morning. I ended up in our stables watching the rain. She must have heard you and slipped outside to have a peek,” Bella said, giving a slight smile.
He held her arm as he escorted her up the narrow path back to higher ground and to her manor house, with Lacey trotting in front, leading the way.
