Page 11 of Winning Her Duke

“Thirty racehorses?”

“Not all are capable of racing. Some are great hunters. Some are excellent for new riders. I don’t always know what they wish to be until they tell me.”

Though her skin was not pale, he saw it grow darker with a blush.

“They tell you?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“In their ways. Obviously not with actual words.” She laughed though her eyes held worry. Had others misunderstood and thought her mad? Is that why he hadn’t seen anyone ask her to dance last night? Not that he’d seen her long after the music had started.

To put her at ease he leaned closer and dropped his voice before saying, “I understand what you mean. Horses have always been my best friends.”

Her smile was stunning and nearly had him leaning closer. Fortunately, he caught himself before he could do something so foolish.

“Would you like to see my other horses?”

She’d said she only brought four to town and he’d already seen Arabella. He would be pleased to see the other three.

“Of course.” He stood when she did, expecting to be led out of the house to the mews. But instead, she held her hand out to stop him.

“Please excuse me a moment. I’ll be right back.”

A maid came in and set up their tea. He glanced around the very feminine room wondering where the countess had gone and why she had left him alone with her charge. Surely Lady Tomison knew of his reputation as a rake.

Unless this was some kind of trap to make the girl a duchess.

Gia returned a moment later and took her seat, helping herself to a biscuit from the tea tray. He did the same, relaxing slightly when he saw she’d left the door wide open.

“It will just be a moment.” She glanced toward the door expectantly. Then turned back to the tea. “Oh. I should pour.”

He watched as she managed to pour them each a cup of tea, though it seemed it was the first time she’d ever done such a task. He smiled as she added nearly as much sugar as he had. It seemed they both preferred sweetness.

She glanced at the door again.

He wasn’t certain what they were waiting for. Surely, she wasn’t going to have the horses paraded through the drawing room. Though that would make the visit quite exciting.

He realized then he wasn’t bored with the visit thus far. In fact, he was quite captivated by Miss Gia Landon.

Chapter Four

Gia couldn’t believe her good luck. That the man who had purchased her beloved Godspell was sitting before her and was interested in talking with her about horses rather than the weather or whatever else proper ladies were expected to talk about.

She recognized him instantly as the man she’d found intriguing at the ball the night before. And took comfort in his low brogue, so much like Owen, her stable master.

The duke was even more intriguing up close, but she pushed that thought aside. He wasn’t there to call on her. Well, not in the way Lydia had hoped at least.

Poor Lydia. Gia didn’t have the heart to tell her father’s friend she was destined to fail at finding Gia a husband.

Gia and the duke waited in comfortable silence for another minute until Bess rushed into the room carrying her paintings.

Gia had abandoned heavy canvases for stiff paper years ago for the sake of space, so her leather portfolio was stuffed with wavy pages. Each depicting one of her horses.

“Here we are. Let’s put them on the table, shall we?” she said pointing to the table with the chessboard laid out. Gia and the duke quickly cleared the game out of the way so Bess could dispense with her load.

“Did you wish me to stay?” Bess asked, as her gray eyes darted between Gia and a man who was not a relative.

“No. We’re fine. Thank you,” Gia dismissed her maid.

The man had come to inquire about a horse. He wasn’t there to see her specifically. He posed no threat.