Page 28 of A Duchess Mistaken
“Miss Agnes, perhaps we could?—”
“I fear I will not be an enjoyable partner during your ride, Christopher,” she said, cutting into his attempt. “I am not very fond of horses, you see. Perhaps it would be best if you rode with Caroline. She adores them and would be far less likely to screech in your ear if we go too fast.”
Christopher frowned at that and she thought for a moment that he would insist. But then he nodded and turned to Caroline, who was watching the entire interaction in surprised silence.
“Allow me, Miss Caroline,” he said politely, taking her by the hand.
Caroline, ever proper, gave him a small smile as she took his hand. He guided her to one of the horses before helping her onto its back. Agnes felt a bite of pride at how well that went.
“Up you go.”
She let out a gasp as she was suddenly plucked up and put atop the horse’s hind. The duke swung in front of her with ease, as if putting her side-saddle had taken no energy at all. The lingering touch on her waist seemed to burn.
“We shall go on ahead,” Christopher said to them. “I think Paul is waiting rather impatiently for us.”
Agnes could only manage a nod and a smile at Caroline before the two of them trotted off.
“You won’t screech in my ear, will you?” the duke asked her, turning his head slightly to the side.
All of a sudden, Agnes was glad to be behind him. She would hate for him to see the horrifying blush currently creeping up her neck. “I only said that to convince Christopher to let Caroline ride with him,” she said softly so that the maid, lingering behind on the last horse, did not hear them.
Agnes caught the end of the duke’s grin. “If you say so.”
She wasn’t given much of a chance to argue as he squeezed his legs together and the horse took off.
She clung to his waist, the wind whipping through the meticulously done hairdo that had taken her far too long, undoing it in seconds.
“Your Grace!” she screamed as he tore the horse past the others. Agnes thought she might have heard Christopher or Paul call out to them but she couldn’t be sure. Not with the rush of wind in her ears.
Suddenly, the duke slowed. He glanced back at her with a look of innocence. “Oh pardon me. Was that too fast for you?”
Agnes tried scowling at him in between catching her breath. “I will ensure that you regret doing that,” she grumbled.
“How will you do that?”
“You needn’t know the details, Your Grace. Only be aware that I will not forget your transgressions for as long as I live.”
To her annoyance, he chuckled. “Now I wonder if it was worth it at all.”
“It was not,” she grumbled.
He said nothing as the others caught up to them. Agnes tried to pretend her heart still wasn’t in her throat but it was difficult, especially since most of her hair was not teasing the nape of her neck.
“Are you all right, Agnes?” Caroline asked in genuine alarm.
Agnes nodded, still a little breathless. “I am fine…surprisingly.”
“Good,” Christopher said with a grin. “Because the pace we’re going will have us arriving at the lake closer to sundown. We should pick it up a bit. Are you ready?”
Everyone was looking at her. Agnes steeled her nerves, knowing she was going to regret her next words. “I’m ready.”
Christopher nodded at that and wasted no time sending his horse into a full race across the meadow, Paul right on his heels. Agnes couldn’t help but cling to the duke a bit tighter, bracing for when he would do the same.
“Any tighter and I might prevent your lungs from working, Your Grace,” she murmured in the hopes that jesting might help settled her nerves.
“I do not think it is the tightness of your grip that is causing it, Miss Agnes.”
She frowned, trying to look at him. “What do you?—”
