Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
But if you were in London, you would not have met Lady Janice.
* * *
He had to allow that despite his words to her, she had been a breath of fresh air in his otherwise very stale life. Her directness enchanted him, while her naivete refreshed him. He sincerely wished that he could get to know her better, but he wasn’t going to. While he freely admitted to being dishonorable, he was not going to ruin an innocent just to satisfy his baser urges. It would serve no purpose other than to hurt her.
* * *
He tried to put her out of his mind, but she stayed, long black hair blowing in the wind, blue eyes intent on him, daring him to ignore her. She had a distinctly otherworldly mien that fascinated him, and he pulled out a book, any book, burying his head in it in an effort to think about something other than Lady Janice Raven.
Janice decided to go for a ride early the next morning.
* * *
“If I keep to the path, I should be alright. And the sun has come out, to wash away the wet. I want to bask in it before the clouds return.” She pouted prettily at her father who stood with his arms crossed, trying to dissuade her from going out.
* * *
“But the ground is slippery my dear, muddy too. Should you fall, you shall look a right mess. Why risk it?”
* * *
Janice laughed. “I shan’t fall, father. And if I do, I shall keep my embarrassment to myself. Do not fear that I shall share it with you.”
* * *
Lord Benjamin sighed. “Very well my dear. But be careful.”
* * *
“I always am, father. And so is Daffodil. Such a sweet horse, are you not my girl?” She kissed her brown and white dappled mare on the nose while the groom finished fixing the saddle.
* * *
Her father sighed. “Well alright, have a good ride.” He waved, heading off towards the pigs. He liked to conduct an inspection of all animals early in the morning to make sure they were milked and watered, brushed down, or had their eggs collected in a timely manner. With goats, chickens, cows, pigs, and horses, it was an intensive exercise that he enjoyed immensely. He’d found Janice in the process of wiping down her horse, in preparation for a ride, and had stopped to air his opinion on the matter.
* * *
Janice smiled at the groom, nodding in thanks as she got on the horse dressed in her brown leather riding breeches and black boots. She wore a matching riding coat with a white chemisette and a black hat atop her plaited hair.
* * *
Spurring the horse to a brisk trot she drew a deep breath, enjoying the crisp morning air after a night of tossing and turning and strange dreams she couldn’t quite remember. Being on horseback was just what she needed to start her day off properly. Despite her promise, she did stray off the path once or twice to canter along a field of grass and enjoy the wind in her face.
* * *
As she cantered past Avebury Manor, she could not help peering inside, hoping for a glimpse of the duke. He had left so abruptly the night before, that she’d been left feeling wrong-footed and unsettled. She needed to see him again if only to ascertain that he was not angry with her.
* * *
Why she should care was something she was not ready to examine too closely.
* * *
She came across a tinker selling trinkets such as ribbons and pins and decided to buy some since her hair was coming loose from her plait. She alighted her horse and set about to bargain with the tinker, whose prices were suspiciously high.
* * *
“Do you always argue with the help in such a manner?”
* * *
She jumped, turning to see the duke. Today he was dressed all in black, his hands clasped decorously behind his back as he regarded her with amusement.
* * *
“We are not arguing but bargaining. Have you never bought anything for yourself?” she cocked an eyebrow at him, challengingly.
* * *
He laughed, taking a step closer. “Please allow me.” He tossed a coin in the air and the tinker caught it. “There. Your bargains are done. You may take the ribbons and let the man be on his way.”
* * *
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I cannot take them. It would not be proper.”
* * *
He waved a hand dismissively. “I thought you’d be the last person to care about what is ‘proper’.” His eyes fell to her breeches, and he lowered his voice, “Especially as you do not care that several eyes are tracing the shapeliness of your legs as we speak.”