“As soon as possible.” The only thing was, he wasn’t sure how soon that could be. The small, blonde-haired lady now staying in his manor popped into his mind and William felt himself hesitate. “I shall tell you of my plans when I have determined them.”
“Ah, yes, Your Grace. I understand.”
“If that is all that you have come here to say, you may leave. I’m certain there are other matters that needs taking care of.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Please, enjoy the rest of your day.” Samuel was already retreating by the time he finished his sentence. William faced the horse again, listening to his steward’s hasty departure, trying—and failing—to tamper down the anger shrouding him.
“William?”
He tensed. Turning slowly, he saw Elizabeth standing at the entrance of the stables, dressed in a blue riding habit that gripped her slender frame perfectly. Without thinking, he drank her in, noticing the fact that even though nearly every inch of her body was covered, she was a vision that threatened to bring him to his knees.
She inched closer, her eyes filled with concern and just the slightest twinge of fear. Elizabeth came to a halt with a few feet of distance remaining between them. William realized suddenly that his anger was still written across his face and he wiped it away.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, her voice soft.
Temptation drew his eyes to her lips, suddenly wanting nothing more than to taste them again. He nearly put another foot of distance between them when he realized his thoughts were turning inappropriate—were picturing her in her sheer nightgown once more with the outline of her body glowing under the candlelight of his fencing room.
He quickly looked away, gritting his teeth. “Everything is fine,” he pushed out.
“Who was that man just now? He seemed to be quite distressed.”
“He is my steward. You need not mind him. He is always distressed. I believe he is only afraid of me.” Hoping for a distraction, William busied himself by saddling the horse. He tried to ignore the fact that she’d stepped a little closer, but then her gentle lavender scent drifted around him. During their brief time together at breakfast, the scent had nearly driven him insane.
“You could stand to be a little less terrifying,” she murmured under her breath. William paused and looked at her. When she caught his eyes, her cheeks went pink, but she lifted her chin, even as she clasped her hands together. “Like you are right now. Truly, are you trying to scare me?”
“I am not trying to do anything.”
“Then surely there is no reason for you to scowl like that. I know we are not as friendly as we once were, but I am not your enemy. And your steward is not, either.”
“You surely have much to say this morning,” he said. The saddle in place, he faced her fully, crossing his arms. He didn’t bother to hide the fact that he was drinking her in this time, enjoying the way her cheeks grew red and her eyes slid away.
“You cannot be the only one with an opinion,” she mumbled, licking her lips. “It’s time you learned that.”
Without waiting for him to respond, she made her way over to the horse, taking care to position herself so that the horse stood between them. A sliver of mirth raced through him at the sight. “We will not get anything done, Beth, if you are so hell-bent on bickering with me.”
“I am not bickering with you. I am simply not sitting back and allowing you to push me around.”
“You have not allowed me to push you around since you came here,” he pointed out, his tone casual enough to incite more frustration in her.
Elizabeth lifted her eyes to him, somewhat glaring at him from over the horse’s back. “Enough,” she said. “I do not want to talk about it anymore."
"You do not want to talk about what exactly?” William probed. In a slow saunter, he went around the horse, a part of him amused by the way she stiffened. “The way you shouted at me earlier or the kiss we shared last night?”
“Neither!” she said breathless.
William hid his smile. It was one thing to have her upset with him. It was another thing entirely to watch her breathing grow labored, and her cheeks redden, when she was flustered. Much like last night.
The memory made his groin grow tight, and standing next to her now, William wanted nothing more than to finish what he started. He wanted to cup her chin in his hand, to tilt her head towards his and watch as longing spread through those brown eyes. He wanted to taste her lips again and feel the press of her bosom against his chest, to hear her whisper his name on her lips.
Above all, he wanted to ask her what had made her run, so he could make sure nothing like that happened again.
No. He almost shook his head at himself. I shouldn’t ask. If I do, I’ll only grow more entangled with her, and she with me. That is the very last thing that should happen.
“Shall we get started?” he asked her.
Elizabeth swallowed and nodded jerkily. “Very well. What should I do?”
“You’ll be riding the horse today.” William couldn’t stop himself from putting his hands on her small waist and lifting her up onto the back of the horse. Elizabeth gasped.
“William!”
“I told you, did I not? You would have to mount the horse today.”
“I did not think you would toss me up here on your own!” She sounded exasperated and horrified, which surprised him.
William took two steps back, taking in her rigid posture. If the horse moved, she would surely fall off. “If I didn’t do that, you would not have been able to mount the horse on your own. You should say thank you.”
“I should pinch you right now is what I should do!” she exclaimed.
William’s brows shot upwards in shock. Elizabeth seemed too preoccupied by her fear to have noticed what she’d just said. When they were younger, she would say that all the time, constantly acting on her anger or frustrations without thinking things through. As a result, they would butt heads often, and when caught by her parents, she would often be punished for her unladylike behavior.
The shock seized every inch of his body, his heart thudding so madly that William couldn’t move. He could only stare at her, watching the way she trembled as she sat as still as she could on the back of the horse. The way she looked around as if searching for a way off. The way her words hung in the air with as much passion as before.
What is…what is happening to me? He didn’t simply feel tense with need, a constant underlying yearning to touch her, to taste her, to feel her. He felt a rush of warmth spreading throughout him as well, a lightheaded feeling that suddenly made the world seem brighter. Samuel’s earlier visit, the many matters that he needed to take care of, even the ever-present reality that Elizabeth’s father or betrothed might come here in search of her…they all faded to nothing. It was as if only the two of them belonged in this little world of theirs, as if no one else mattered.
“William?” Her voice brought him back to reality. William blinked, realizing that she was staring at him. “Why are you just standing there? Surely, you have a plan?”
William shook his head slowly, still trying to make sense of his odd reaction. “I do not.”
Elizabeth’s shoulders sagged, despondency filling her face. “Surely, you jest?”
“No, unfortunately. I do not. I’m afraid you will have to sit there for some time until you feel comfortable.”
“I’m sure there must be a better way to do this.”
“If there is, I certainly cannot think of any.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her, couldn’t stop the questions that were filling the back of his mind even as he spoke as if nothing was amiss. “Think of it like learning how to swim. You were always quite adept at that, were you not?”
“Riding a horse is nothing like swimming, William, and you know it.” Elizabeth was losing the color in her face. Her voice was breathless. He watched her closely, suddenly realizing the very true fear that she might faint again.
He approached the hors
e, who seemed quite unaware of the distress of its rider. “I’m sure you remember that afternoon in Brighton when our families visited the seaside resort?” he asked. He resisted the urge to lay a hand on her leg, deciding to be content with the fact that she was at least looking at him. “I believe we were growing out of our childhood by then, and you had been quite adamant to go to the beach.”
“I remember,” she murmured. She held his gaze, but her hand was shaking now. Her eyes fluttered and William tensed, preparing to catch her if he needed to. He hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that.
“Lady Gillet told you to be wary, to not venture too far. But you were fourteen at the time and believed that you could do anything you pleased. I quite believed you would have taken on any challenge that came your way if given the opportunity.”
Elizabeth swallowed harshly, not responding. At least she didn’t look away from him. She seemed to be concentrating with all her might to focus on him.
William found himself being lost in her brown eyes, even as he went on, “You didn’t heed her warning, of course, and you ventured too far out into the water. I remember the fear I felt that day when I’d learned that you’d almost drowned.”
“But I didn’t,” she whispered. “I learned how to swim.”
“That you did. Even though it would have been quite normal for you to panic, for you to flail and call for help, you didn’t let yourself give in to it. Just as you did the night we crossed paths again. Even though that man had you pressed against a wall, you didn’t think to scream or to tremble in fear, but you were oddly calm.”
“I was terrified,” Elizabeth murmured. “Both times, I thought I might die.”
“It only goes to show, Beth, that you can do anything you set your mind to.”
For a few moments, they said nothing. Elizabeth stared down into his eyes, and William found he didn’t have the power to look away. He could lose himself in this moment, forget everything else and simply be here with her. The thought scared him.
Forcing himself to break eye contact, he cleared his throat. “That should be enough for today. Do you think you can dismount on your own?”
“I think my legs have turned to jelly.”
William felt far too much pleasure reaching for her waist once more and picking her up off the horse as if she weighed nothing. Just as she’d said, her legs buckled beneath her, forcing William to wrap an arm around her waist to keep her from sinking to the stable floor. Elizabeth laid a hand on his chest, steadying herself.
He made the wrong move. As soon as she was in his arms, as soon as she lifted her head to look up at him, William knew that. He shouldn’t have put himself in such a position, because now he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull away. Even under the layers of her riding habit, he could feel the heat of her body, felt her breath brushing his cheek. The rise and fall of her chest threatened to drive him mad with lust and Elizabeth parted her lips, an invitation.
He was tempted to take it. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her right there, to feel the parts of her body he hadn’t gotten a chance to before. He didn’t care that it was still morning and he had a feeling that neither did she. Similar sparks of heat flashed within her eyes and he had a feeling that if he didn’t lean in, she just might.
Except, there was still one thing keeping him from taking the plunge.
“What happened last night, Beth?” he whispered. Even though he’d told himself he wasn’t going to task, that he was simply going to take the disruption as a sign and send her away without looking back, he couldn’t help himself. “Why did you run away?”
Elizabeth licked her lips. Her lashes lowered as her gaze drifted to his lips. William waited with bated breath for her response.
Elizabeth met his gaze again and opened her lips to speak. At that moment, a voice sounded behind him. “Pardon the interruption, Your Grace.”
She gasped and pulled out of his arms, hiding herself next to the horse. William resisted the urge to frown in frustration and only turned to face Harold, who was standing at the very edge of the stables entrance, almost out of sight.
“What is it?” William sighed.
“You have a very…urgent visitor, Your Grace.”
Harold’s slight pause told William all he needed to know. His guard shot back up and he looked over at Elizabeth to see that she was burying her face into her hands. “Very well,” he told the butler. “Show him to the parlor. I shall be with him shortly.”
“As you wish, Your Grace.” Harold swiveled on his heels and walked away.
The moment he was gone, Elizabeth peeked up, as if checking to make sure. William spotted the telltale signs of her embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Regret lanced him now that he had to leave her side.
“It’s all right,” she said before he could say anything. “You don’t have to worry about me. Go on and greet your guest. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you certain?” he asked without thinking.
She nodded, waving at him to go. She still hid her face, as if she couldn’t bear to look him in the eye. William felt a twinge of amusement rise within him, which only bolstered his reluctance to leave her side.
But, his guest was not one to stay still. William knew that if he didn’t go to greet him soon, he would surely regret it. So, he nodded and stepped away, leaving her in the stables.
Perhaps it is a good thing that she is so embarrassed. That way, it is likely that we will not even cross paths.
Knowing very well that it was Nelson who had come to see him, William hoped he would have little to worry about.
Chapter 15
Elizabeth didn’t leave the stables until long after William, trying and failing to pull herself together. She was still shaking, though she wasn’t certain it was from her time atop the horse or the question he’d asked right before he left. She had a feeling it was an uncomfortable mixture of both.
As she made her way to her bedchamber, intending to change out of the riding habit she’d borrowed from the late Duchess’ armoire, she couldn’t help thinking about how he’d stared at her when he’d asked the question. His voice had been filled with genuine curiosity, his need to know tinged with what had sounded like desperation. It was that vulnerability in his tone that had brought the answer to the tip of her tongue before she could think about it.
“Oh, Elizabeth, you fool,” she chastised herself, coming to a sudden halt in the center of a hallway. “What if you had told him? Then what would he have thought of you?”
The very thought made her trembling worsen. She sighed deeply, continuing her trek to the bedchamber. Upon her arrival, she saw that Minnie was inside, putting a few more gowns that had arrived into the armoire. Elizabeth drew to a halt in surprise.
“There are more of them?” she asked.
Minnie stopped what she was doing to face her, clasping her hands and nodding. “Yes, My Lady. It appears His Grace had requested your armoire to be full.”
“But…” Elizabeth drew closer, utterly confused. “Why?”
Minnie blinked. Elizabeth realized suddenly that the lady’s maid would certainly try to search for a suitable answer. “It’s fine,” Elizabeth told her quickly. “I’m certain you are as unaware of His Grace’s intentions as I am.”
“Yes, My Lady, but perhaps…”
Elizabeth perked up. “Perhaps?” she probed.
Minnie’s lips tightened in a brief moment of hesitation, but she’d warmed up to her in the time they’d been together. Once the moment disappeared, she said, “It appears as if His Grace plans on having you stay here for a while longer.”
“That cannot be it,” Elizabeth responded instantly, shaking her head. She went to sit on the hassock at the base of her bed. “The Duke would much rather I leave as soon as possible than have me stay here.”
“Are you certain, My Lady?” Minnie resumed her task, but she moved much slower now, at more comfortable pace. She glanced over her shoulder at Elizabeth as she spoke.
“Y
es, quite so. In fact, he asked that I return home.” Remembering it only made her feel her lingering embarrassment from earlier and brought out her frustration.
“Then perhaps he wishes to have you return with all these gowns in tow,” Minnie suggested, but Elizabeth was already shaking her head.
She frowned, realizing that it didn’t quite make sense to her, either. “If I were to return with so many things in tow, it would only raise suspicion.” She ignored Minnie’s confused look, not willing to elaborate. Instead, she looked at the trunk of gowns that was still quite full, even though Minnie had put quite a few of them away.
What Desire Demands, My Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 15
