Betsey had loved riding with Lady Paulina so much that she often suggested it on days when Lady Paulina had no particular plans. She felt certain that if she had access to horses like these since she was a little girl she could have ridden as well as her mistress, or perhaps even better.
So, when Betsey approached Lucky, she felt confident and excited. She reached out a hand and allowed the gelding to smell it before stroking his mane. Lucky sniffed her hand briefly and lowered his head, allowing Betsey to pet him.
“Thank you, Mr. Jameson,” she said politely.
“You’re welcome, Miss,” Jameson said, before walking off to attend to some of his other charges.
“Hello, Lucky,” Betsey said to the horse, as she continued to stroke its mane. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope that you and I shall be good friends.”
She smiled at Lucky as he nuzzled her hand. “I see you are not a talkative one. That is all right, I am sure we shall get along just fine,” Betsey said, laughing to herself briefly. As she pulled herself up into the saddle, she heard a chuckle from behind her.
Turning to look, Betsey saw Lady Paulina and the Viscount of Somerwich sitting astride their mounts, side by side. The Viscount was laughing at her talking to a horse. Betsey felt momentarily embarrassed, but she could see from the Viscount’s face that he did not find her talk foolish. If she had not known any better, she might have thought he was charmed by it.
Betsey smiled self-consciously, and looked away from the aristocrats. They made a handsome couple sitting next to each other on a pair of handsome horses. Betsey almost felt it was a shame that Lady Paulina felt no romantic feelings for the Viscount.
Betsey cared little for the Earl’s political aspirations, but she did care for Lady Paulina’s happiness, and she could not help but care for the Viscount of Somerwich’s happiness as well. If Lady Paulina could manage to convince her father to allow her to marry for love, then the Viscount would be disappointed, possibly even heartbroken. If Lady Paulina could not convince her father, then she and the Viscount would end up in a loveless marriage that was unlikely to make either of them happy.
Betsey reflected on all of this as she rode through the grounds of the Hillfield estate. She stayed dutifully several feet behind Lady Paulina and the Viscount, so that she never lost sight of them, but could not overhear their conversation. Though I doubt there would be much to hear. As far as Betsey could tell, Lady Paulina and the Viscount barely spoke to one another during their ride.
“The Marquess of Portam did not exaggerate, I see,” Michael said.
“What do you mean, My Lord?” Lady Paulina asked.
“Oh,” he responded, sounding unsure of himself, “Just that you really are a very good rider.”
“Oh, um, thank you, My Lord.”
Lady Paulina continued to ride in silence. Michael had been trying to make conversation for a quarter of an hour and having little success. Lady Paulina provided polite, but short answers. Perhaps it would be easier if we just rode in silence.
Michael chose to follow this path, and continued to ride in silence. It was a fine day, and the grounds at Hillfield estate were beautiful. Michael often rode through them alone, enjoying the beauty around him, and contemplating any number of subjects in silence. After a few moments he decided to pretend that he was alone today, and once he did, he enjoyed the ride much more.
Michael did not know what to make of Lady Paulina. It was as though she was going out of her way to hide the best parts of herself. When he had complimented her riding skills she had seemed surprised and embarrassed, but there could be no question that she was a good rider, and she must know that.
Still, false modesty, and being overly reserved, were hardly reasons to refuse marriage to a beautiful, well-mannered, and socially well-connected lady. Michael would have a difficult time convincing his parents that Lady Paulina would not make an ideal wife.
Perhaps if they were married, their life together would be something like this ride through the grounds. They would make a handsome pair, travelling through the world, side by side, but in truth they would each be alone. I suppose that is better than making each other miserable, as so many couples do.
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Thank you very much!
Also by Scarlett Osborne
Thank you for reading Addicted to a Rascal Duke!
I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean the world to me. Reviews are very important and allow me to keep writing the books that you love to read! ♥
Some other stories of mine:
The Viscount Who Seduced Her
Devilish Games of a Virtuous Lady
Bewitching the Forbidden Duke
Tamed by the Marquess
Rescued by a Wicked Baron
A Fiery Escort for the Roguish Marquess
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Scarlett Osborne
About the Author
Born in the Sunshine State of Florida, but of both British and Nordic descent, Scarlett Osborne grew up reading historical romances from the land of her ancestors. Fascinated with the British society of the 1800s and armed with a wild imagination, she obtained a degree in Creative Writing and immediately started her career as a Regency romance author.
A daydreamer extraordinaire, Scarlett likes to jump in the shoes of her heroines, immersing herself in her own stories, living the adventures that she wished she had experienced as a child. An avid reader and fan of the outdoors, Scarlett spends her free time either reading or going on long horseback rides along with her two sons.
Get lost in a land of enchantment, where adventure and love await around every corner...Scarlett hopes that through her heroes, you too will get to live a whirlwind romance in the Regency era, when fairytales were real and all dreams possible!
Addicted to a Rascal Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 31
