Page 8 of A Duke's Scandalous Obsession
Dominic couldn’t resist interfering. “Lady Catherine, I trust you’ve experienced the exhilaration of a proper horseback ride through the countryside? It is a pursuit quite fitting for those of refined taste.”
He wondered if she would get upset over this question. Some ladies would be. Yet his own dirty mind conjured up a different sort of… horseback riding. He wondered how utterly ravishingshe would look, straddling him instead of that horse, as his own hands rested on her plump behind. He almost grinned, revealing himself, then her voice reminded him where he was.
“Your Grace,” she spoke softly and melodiously, “I have. And I also consider it a pleasure not reserved solely for the gentlemen of the ton, you know.”
He feigned surprise, leaning in with a teasing smirk. “Oh, forgive me, Lady Catherine. I didn’t mean to imply that such pleasures were exclusive. But surely… the nuances of proper horsemanship might escape the fairer sex?”
She raised her eyebrow in a playful challenge. “I assure you that I am no stranger to the art of riding. In fact, my brother can vouch for my skill.”
Dominic turned to Reginald, who was eagerly listening to the conversation. Reginald smiled before replying. “I have stopped racing with her a long time ago. It is no fun. She always wins!”
His answer caused an avalanche of laughter on part of the other guests, but Dominic didn’t laugh. He was merely smiling, his eyes locked with Lady Catherine’s. He wondered if he could make her blush again, like he did during their dance at the ball.
“You see, Your Grace?” she continued, almost victoriously. “The subtleties of guiding a horse are not lost on me. In fact, I do believe that sometimes, a woman has a gentler hand, and ananimal can sense that, giving itself more easily. A kind word opens more doors than an order, wouldn’t you agree?”
He wasn’t sure how much he agreed with that. Conducting business with gentlemen who believed they were all more knowledgeable than him sometimes required of him to put his foot down and issue an order, instead of reaching an agreement with everyone. However, he was certain that her kind words would open any doors.
“A point is proven through actions, not words, Lady Catherine,” he continued, delighting in the way he managed to capture her attention and keep it all to himself. He almost felt as if there were no other guests but her.
She chuckled. “You don’t mean to say that I need to prove my riding skills this very moment?”
He shook his head mischievously. “Not this very moment. Tomorrow is another day, and so is the day after tomorrow.”
He caught her there. He could see that she blushed, looking at her brother, then back at him. She didn’t know how to respond.
***
She should have known that he would try something like that. After all, wasn’t he equally smug and arrogant during theirdance? Their glances were charged beyond description, and Catherine found it difficult to navigate the conversation. She could not have foreseen that he would be a master of the verbal duel, who was obviously reveling in the challenge of making her blush.
“I am certain that a man such as yourself has each day already planned out for weeks in advance,” she finally came up with the right response, realizing much to her joy that her brother had started discussing some political issues with a gentleman seated next to him, and the other guests also seemed to have paired up in conversations. Unfortunately, that meant that she was paired up with the host.
“Yes, that is true,” he mused. “But a man must have some time for leisure. After all, that is why it rhymes with pleasure.” He chuckled at his own words.
She wanted to say that she was certain he knew much about pleasure, but she managed to bite her tongue in time and remain quiet.
“And I do find horseback riding to be quite the pleasure, for those who know how to do it properly,” he added, hinting at the conversation they had not been brought to an end.
That was where Catherine became aware of a different undercurrent. The duke, although a gracious host who had obviously gone to great lengths to assure that his guests werewelcome in his home and treated with the utmost grace, was now revealing more of his arrogance and poor attitude, grating on Catherine’s tender sensibilities.
“Well, it seems that you know best, Your Grace,” she smiled, taking a sip of her wine, in desperate need of some liquid courage. “I honestly do not see a point in proving something that could never be proven to someone.”
“Oh, my dear Lady Catherine,” he dared to wink at her. Her eyes widened in shock, quickly glancing around to make sure that no one else was paying attention to them. Fortunately, they were all still immersed in their own conversations, quite enjoying themselves, unlike her. “One must navigate the intricacies of life with a certain level of detachment. You should not take everything to heart.”
Her patience was wearing thin, so she was unable to hide her frustration. “Detachment, Your Grace, is not to be confused with indifference. A truly noble soul knows the two are nothing alike.”
“I never said I was noble, my dear lady,” he spoke more mischievously than before.
She was about to say that she could have easily guessed that, when Reginald interfered, most probably sensing the need to do so.
“How about we momentarily set aside this delightful duel of wits,” he spoke playfully. “You know, I recently came across a fascinating account of a scientific expedition to uncharted lands. Your Grace, have you been following the latest discoveries of intrepid explorers?”
For a moment, Catherine didn’t think that Dominic would respond seriously to this, but to her surprise, he played along with a most gracious nod.
“Ah, yes… the marvels of exploration,” the duke spoke. “I must confess that usually my attention is occupied with more terrestrial matters. Pray, enlighten us, Lord Stanhope.” He glanced at Catherine for a moment, then his focus was fully on Reginald. Catherine wondered if this was some sort of game he was playing, but before she could say anything, Reginald took over.
“The last fearless explorer I read about was Captain Amelia Hawthorne, whose adventures in the vastness of the South seas have become the stuff of legends…” Reginald started, but Catherine couldn’t keep quiet.
“I wonder if she was good at horseback riding.” She eyed the duke sharply as she spoke, but much to her chagrin, he seemed to be amused by her comment, instead of annoyed. “What do you think, Your Grace?”
