Page 18 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
***
They didn’t talk as Ara led the way towards the stables, located in the mews of the property. She was so excited she could barely breathe.
She felt tears prick behind her eyes. Papa had sent for Pem because he knew how much she missed him. It was such an unexpectedly thoughtful gesture from her father. She simply couldn’t believe that he had done it, just for her.
Her heart lurched. There he was, leaning his head over the stable gate.
“Pem!” she cried, running up to him.
He neighed gently, staring at her with his sweet brown eyes. She grabbed him around the neck, nuzzling his coat.
“I have missed you, boy,” she whispered, against his neck. “I have missed yousomuch.”
Everything seemed so wonderful in that moment. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she could never live without her horses. It was almost torture for her to be away from them. That was why she had been drawn to that horse auction, oblivious of everything else around her. That was why she had been completely unaware of the disapproval that had surrounded her, by her being there. Tears pricked behind her eyes again.
Suddenly, she felt a presence, just behind her. She turned around.
The Duke was standing there, gazing at her intently. Hastily, she tried to blink away the tears. She didn’t want him to see her like this, so emotional that she could barely contain it.
But he didn’t say anything to her. He gazed at the horse, softly stroking his flank.
“You are a beautiful one,” he said quietly, to Pem. “I can see why your mistress loves you so.” He kept stroking the horse gently.
Ara leaned her head against Pem, too overcome with emotion to speak. Slowly, the Duke’s stroking hand veered toward her own, resting gently on the horse’s neck. To her surprise, he put his hand over her own, pressing down on it.
Ara gasped, staring at him with wide eyes. A jolt of sensation surged through her, starting in her hand and coursing throughout her body at the feel of his hand over hers. It kind of felt like the tingling of blood started coursing back into a limb, when it had been asleep. But it was also very different from that as well.
It felt good. It felt alarmingly good. She didn’t understand it in the slightest.
Confused, she leapt back as if she had been scalded. The horse neighed again, feeling her unease, stomping his feet restlessly.
But the Duke didn’t turn to look at her. He merely took the horse’s reins, talking to him gently to try to settle him.
Ara felt a violent flush course through her. It seemed to enflame her face. She was suddenly so hot it was all that she could do to not grab some water and splash it indiscriminately on her face.
Ashamed of her reaction, she looked quickly at Ruth, who was standing back, watching. Had her cousin noticed what had happened? But Ruth merely looked back at her, smiling slightly.
She let out a silent sigh of relief. No, she hadn’t noticed.
She looked back at the Duke, who was still softly stroking the horse. It didn’t seem like he had noticed her strange reaction either. Ara almost sagged in relief.
She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of him. What would he think of her, if he noticed it? And why did she care so much what he thought about her anyway?
***
Back in the parlour, the Duke had another cup of tea and a cake before standing up, declaring that he must go and not impose on their hospitality any longer.
Ara could barely look at him as he departed. She felt her face burning again and her heart pounding in a strange, uncomfortable way.
“You were rather rude, Ara,” declared her mother, as soon as they heard his carriage draw away. “You barely looked at the Duke when he was leaving, and only mumbled a farewell.”
Ara sank down onto a chair. She was so very unsettled she didn’t know what to think anymore. Did she want to see the Duke again or not?
Her hand still burnt from where he had touched her. It almost felt like a brand of some kind.
She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. She turned to her father.
“Thank you for bringing Pem to me,” she said, in a slightly shaky voice. “It means the world to me that you have done this, at such inconvenience.”
