The Scandalous Duke Takes a Bride (34 page)

“I would never raise a hand or fist in anger against you, Jess. Has our friendship not taught you that? Do you not feel as if you know the
real
me after nearly ten years of friendship? I have strength; you have a will stronger than anyone I know. I have to bring something to the table in our marriage.”

She turned enough that she could look at him over her shoulder. “Promise me you’ll never remind me of our differences in strength again. We will be partners, Hayden, not just man and wife.”

“I promise wholeheartedly that I wouldn’t dare hurt you. I never meant to make you uncomfortable. Believe me, that’s the last thing I ever want to do. I love you too much to betray the trust you have for me. And I’ve always said that we would be partners. Do you believe that?”

There was no denying that his words were sincere.

She leaned back against him; the hair speckled on his chest tickled her between her shoulder blades. He snaked his arms around her waist, sliding his hands over her stomach and giving rise to butterflies and a host of renewed desires.

“This is so new to me, Hayden. I think I’ve forgotten what it is to have dreams of a happier life, one that I have the ability to control. My freedom will take getting used to. Your constant kindness will take getting used to—my married life never offered that security.”

“The one thing I hope is that you can forget what it was like to be married to a cruel man. Just trust me to keep you safe.”

“I do.”

The now familiar sensation and tingling his touch caused swirled deep inside her. She turned enough that she could kiss his lips. Their tongues rolled around lazily, indulgently, as though they had all the time in the world. Though she supposed they did have forever ahead of them, they needed to be in bed and rested up for their early-morning ride to his estate.

Hayden’s hand slid higher to cup her breast and pluck gently at her nipple.

It was going to be a long night, one that wasn’t going to involve sleep of any kind.

Chapter 22

My younger, more impressionable readers will be disappointed in what I have to report today. The Duke of A—— has eloped. Eloped. And with that woman if you can believe it. At least that is what I assume when they boarded a train heading north yesterday afternoon. Another title to die out over time; as her first marriage wasn’t fruitful I assume much the same for this one.
My dear readers, what has society come to when three bachelors and society snubbers have taken to matrimony as a result of scandal?
Mayfair Chronicles,
August 1846 She noticed Hayden’s surprised expression the moment she approached him in the courtyard of the inn. She had donned her riding gear, something less ladylike that she could ride in with ease. They needed speed this morning, and skirts would be a bother riding over rough terrain while the sun had yet to rise. At least the rain had passed through Birmingham overnight and that wouldn’t be an impediment for them.

“I’m surprised you travel so light, Jez.” His voice was hoarse. The ensemble definitely had an effect on him if the trail of his gaze lingering at her breasts and hips was any indication of where his thoughts were. He turned away from her to address the boy who was suiting up the horses. “We’ll need another saddle.”

“You seem to have forgotten that I am a country girl at heart. I was born and raised in Yorkshire.” And her father had insisted that skirts hindered a woman riding. At least her trousers still fit from her younger years.

She turned in a circle for him to see just how well trousers molded her curves. It was a miracle she’d been able to shove the two dresses she’d brought along into the satchel Hayden had given her this morning.

“I’ll never forget that fact.” He pulled her into his arms, lifted her off the ground, crushing their bodies tightly together, and kissed her hard on the mouth. There was no one other than the stable boy to see them this early in the day, not that she’d protest anyway. “I’ve always found it odd that you wouldn’t leave Town once in a while to enjoy the country air you are so used to. London is absolutely putrid in the summer months.”

When he set her down she walked over to the mare she was to ride.

“I never wanted to return after my father’s death.” She put her hand out to the horse, introducing herself to the animal as the stable boy changed out her saddle.

“I’m sorry. It was unkind of me to mention it,” Hayden said.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It was long ago. The past doesn’t haunt me.” She stroked the horse’s muzzle. “And what is your name, my fine white beauty?” While her coat was white, the horse’s rump and face were ticked gray. Her coal-black gaze focused curiously on Jessica, and the mare’s ears pricked forward as she sniffed at Jessica with interest.

“I call her Bandit.”

“Without a marking to indicate such,” she mused with a laugh. “Dare I ask why?”

“You’ll find out soon enough on the trip. She’s a fine horse to ride. Perfectly spirited to suit you.”

“And yours?”

“This is Gusto.” Hayden ran his hands over the hindquarters of his solid black gelding. This one was a good deal larger than Jessica’s horse—not an Arabian, like hers—and his long mane was braided to one side.

“Help me up, Hayden. I’m anxious to try such a gorgeous horse. Wherever did you procure her from?”

“She’s one of mine.”

“I feel privileged to be riding one of your famous breeders, then.”

“They’ll be yours soon enough.” Hayden grasped her by the waist and lifted her enough that she could stick her foot in the stirrup and settle herself astride in the saddle. He followed suit, only he leaned forward to rub the gelding’s neck affectionately. The horse tossed his head back with a playful neigh.

“What type of horse is he? He’s a full three hands taller than Bandit.”

“One of the prized Andalusians my grandfather acquired from the Spaniards.” Hayden clucked his tongue, turning his horse around. “Let’s go so we have enough time for breakfast on the open road before I head out to Tristan’s estate.”

They both peeled out of the courtyard. She didn’t know the area, so she stayed behind Hayden, though her mare was champing at her bit to lead the race. The wind against Jessica’s face felt good as they rode out of town and onto a dirt road. Despite her having grown up with horses, it had been a long time since she’d been on one not hitched to a carriage of some sort. Her legs would feel this later, she was sure, but she enjoyed every moment sitting astride her mare.

Their pace slowed once they turned off the road to transverse tall, grassy fields. They rode abreast, though her mare was trying to pull forward. Feisty indeed.

“The sun is rising, so we’ve missed any potential rain.” Hayden tightened his grip on the reins, slowing his horse. “I had breakfast sandwiches packed, if you’d like to stop here for a while.”

“I’m famished after last night.” She smiled innocently as she brought her horse around to face his. “Do you have a blanket we can picnic on? I’m anxious to be off my horse, since I can barely feel my legs and I don’t think I have had any feeling in my thighs for the past half hour.”

Dismounting, Hayden opened up one of the satchels and pulled out a small blanket. “I think this will serve our purposes.” He fanned it out on the ground, then fetched the sandwiches that were neatly wrapped in thin pieces of white linen.

Jessica slid down the side of her horse. Her legs were a bit wobbly and her inner thighs sore, which was no surprise. She brushed her hands over the insides of her thighs. “It’s been so long since I’ve been on a horse. Perhaps too long.”

She walked over to Hayden, stretching her arms above her head, which tightened her shirt around her breasts. Hayden’s gaze was fixed on the tight fit of her clothes.

“I can think of a few things to help you practice riding.”

She pushed his arm away when he tried to grab her. She swiped one of the sandwiches from his hold and sat on the small blanket he’d put out on the grass. Biting into the thick slabs of bread with wedges of cheddar and ham made her groan in contentment. Apparently she was starved from their morning exercise.

“Should the horses be tied?” she asked after swallowing the first bite.

Hayden shook his head. “Bandit won’t wander far, and she comes when you whistle for her.”

Jessica raised a disbelieving eyebrow. To prove his words, he let out two high-pitched whistles in quick succession. Bandit threw her head with a neigh and turned, head bobbing as she walked toward Hayden and nuzzled his shoulder.

Impressed by the horse’s obedience, Jessica laughed and clapped her hands together.

“I’ve never seen the likes of that in all my life, Hayden. How did you ever teach her that? And why would you?”

He rubbed his hand over Bandit’s neck, praising her obedience. “She comes from a long line of horses that were all highly trainable. Her blood has been in our breeding line since the eighteenth century, so we’ve kept the best generation after generation, culling out those that had less desirable traits. Horses serve many purposes, but they are also companions when you are with them day in and day out.”

He gave Bandit a carrot from his satchel and called his other horse over by name, giving him a tasty treat in reward.

“I spent most of my days in the company of horses, since it was part of the family legacy I would take over from my father.”

She patted the blanket beside her when he faced her once again, hoping he’d join her for more than a bite to eat. “And Gusto? He’s a different breed. Is he as intelligent?”

“He is. Don’t worry”—Hayden grinned—“we won’t find ourselves horseless after an afternoon interlude in the woods.”

Hayden bit into his sandwich as he sat next to her. She did the same, truly famished, since they hadn’t had time for a bite to eat before they’d left the inn that morning.

He dusted the crumbs off his hands and took her half-finished sandwich and set it aside before leaning into her and pressing their foreheads together as he pulled the tie loose at the top of her shirt.

“What if someone should happen upon us?” Not that she expected any such thing to happen. It was just fun to tease Hayden. “It’s not as simple as tossing my skirts aside,” she said, nudging his shoulder.

“We’ve already hit the outer reaches of my land.” He bit playfully at her cambric-covered shoulder. “There’s no one for miles to interrupt us.”

He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her beneath him. They lay that way for a spell, staring into each other’s eyes. She traced her finger over his jaw, liking the feel of the rough stubble. He hadn’t shaved this morning, since they’d been preoccupied in bed well past the time they should have been breaking their fast. She suddenly imagined him rubbing his face along the sensitive parts of her inner thighs, wondering what precisely it would feel like.

“How long before we reach your estate?” she asked absently. She didn’t want today to end. It almost felt as though they were already married and had all the time in the world to lie idly about in each other’s arms. Was this what she could look forward to, marrying Hayden? Goodness, it was heavenly and she had to wonder why she hadn’t jumped at the opportunity the moment Hayden had asked for her hand in marriage.

“An hour at the most. Though I can still make Tristan’s by the afternoon if we find ourselves delayed.”

“I wish we had another day to ourselves.”

“You can still come with me.”

“No, I’ll come when it’s done. Tristan needs to be focused on the duel, not on us or anyone else.”

Hayden parted her lips with his thumb. “I’ll miss you while I’m away. I’ve wanted you for so long that I didn’t actually plan to spend any time away from you once you agreed to my mad plan.”

His comment had her grinning.

She pressed a light kiss against his mouth. “And I know I’ll be lost without you. But we’ve spent time apart before.”

“That was long before we had a taste for each other’s flesh.” Hayden hiked the shirt from her trousers and kissed her corset-bound breasts.

“If we start this, we’ll never leave this lea.”

He pulled her shirt down and reluctantly rolled over onto his back. She could see that his passions were fired and that he needed her. The evidence was pressed against the front of his trousers. She wanted to stay with him for the remainder of the day, but Tristan was in greater need of Hayden’s time than she. She tucked her shirt back in, picked up the remainder of her sandwich, and grasped Hayden’s hand to tug him to his feet. “I can eat the rest of this on our ride to your estate.”

His look was stern, as if he couldn’t decide whether they should stay on here or spend a few hours alone at his estate. “We’ll have some time to ourselves once there.” There was no mistaking the meaning behind his words.

After kissing him lightly on the mouth she smiled up at him. “Perfect.”

Hayden called the horses over without another word. After lifting her up onto her horse, he mounted his and they rode in what she assumed was the direction of his estate. The grounds were vast and well maintained. There was an old wood that stretched from his lands and flanked the borders of the surrounding estates and towns. Small gardens sprouted up the closer they drew to the main house. There was a grand fountain fed by a large pond in the valley before the house. Once they’d arrived, the sight nearly took her breath away. Sheer size alone made Hayden’s townhouse seem modest.