Read Online The Grace of a Duke by Linda Rae Sande - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Rae Sande
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pushing her husband hard enough that he stumbled sideways. He fell hard, his head impacting the edge of his desk. The pool of blood ...
“Well, this perfect duke will need to take an early morning ride to discover what damage this storm may have caused,” Joshua said, the right side of his mouth quirking up as he repeated her word for him. He expected Garrett would plan to make the ride himself, but there was a lot of land to cover; better that both of them ride and cover as much ground as possible. “And I must ask that you return to your bedchamber now,” or you’ll be losing your maidenhood, he almost added, and then thought perhaps she would not find that as undesirable an outcome as she should.
Relieved to have had her gruesome recollection interrupted, Charlotte nodded her understanding. “I heard a tree ... break,” she said then, remembering the sound of splintering wood as she entered his room, thinking it was so close the limbs might crash through his bedchamber window. “And glass breaking.”
“I heard that, too,” he answered, reluctantly pulling his fingers from her hair and turning onto his back, sure his erection was causing the counterpane to form a tent over him. He saw a wince cross her face as she moved to wrap her dressing gown around her middle and wondered if she’d caught sight of his face. “So ... you were truly one of my nursemaids?” he asked then, realizing she had probably seen him – all of him – at his worst.
“I was,” she answered with a nod, her expression not indicating if she felt ill from thinking about it. “May I join you on your morning ride, Your Grace?” she asked then, knowing her still healing wound would probably cause her pain the entire time. But she wanted the opportunity to see the lands of the duchy. And she wanted desperately to ride a horse again. It had been far too long since her last ride in Hyde Park.
“You can ride?” Joshua asked, doubt evident in his voice.
“Of course,” Charlotte replied with a grin, getting out from under the covers without exposing Joshua’s nakedness. “I have been training to be a duchess my entire life,” she reminded him.
Joshua caught sight of one of her long, bare legs before the dressing gown fell around her and covered it. He struggled to keep a growl from escaping his throat. “I plan to leave at nine. Can you be ready by then?” he asked, thinking she was probably used to waking at noon as most of the ladies of the ton were wont to do.
“Of course, Your Grace,” she said in a whisper that held humor. She moved to straighten the bed linens and counterpane, smoothing the fabric where her body had been. “Thank you ... for enduring my time as a watering pot,” she said then, giving him a curtsy.
“You are most welcome,” Joshua replied with a grin as he watched her move to the door. Vixen, he thought as he rolled his eyes.
Charlotte pulled her dressing gown closed, crossing her arms in front of her as she peeked out the duke’s bedchamber door. Sure no one was about, she stepped out and closed the door behind her, careful to make sure the latch didn’t click too loudly.
Padding softly down the hall to her room, she contemplated what had just happened. She’d gone to Joshua’s room with the intention of pretending to be a frightened chit – scared of lightning and thunder – in the hopes of making herself seem vulnerable to the man. Their earlier argument in the study had probably left him thinking she was too willful, too stubborn to be a suitable wife. If she could somehow convince him she needed him (as much as he needed her), he might reconsider their betrothal and ask for her hand.
And then, just as she entered his room, the windows had filled with white-orange light and the sound of a huge explosion, followed by the crackling and splintering of wood and breaking glass. Startled, she’d let out a yelp that had the affect of waking the duke (if the loud boom hadn’t of its own
“Well, this perfect duke will need to take an early morning ride to discover what damage this storm may have caused,” Joshua said, the right side of his mouth quirking up as he repeated her word for him. He expected Garrett would plan to make the ride himself, but there was a lot of land to cover; better that both of them ride and cover as much ground as possible. “And I must ask that you return to your bedchamber now,” or you’ll be losing your maidenhood, he almost added, and then thought perhaps she would not find that as undesirable an outcome as she should.
Relieved to have had her gruesome recollection interrupted, Charlotte nodded her understanding. “I heard a tree ... break,” she said then, remembering the sound of splintering wood as she entered his room, thinking it was so close the limbs might crash through his bedchamber window. “And glass breaking.”
“I heard that, too,” he answered, reluctantly pulling his fingers from her hair and turning onto his back, sure his erection was causing the counterpane to form a tent over him. He saw a wince cross her face as she moved to wrap her dressing gown around her middle and wondered if she’d caught sight of his face. “So ... you were truly one of my nursemaids?” he asked then, realizing she had probably seen him – all of him – at his worst.
“I was,” she answered with a nod, her expression not indicating if she felt ill from thinking about it. “May I join you on your morning ride, Your Grace?” she asked then, knowing her still healing wound would probably cause her pain the entire time. But she wanted the opportunity to see the lands of the duchy. And she wanted desperately to ride a horse again. It had been far too long since her last ride in Hyde Park.
“You can ride?” Joshua asked, doubt evident in his voice.
“Of course,” Charlotte replied with a grin, getting out from under the covers without exposing Joshua’s nakedness. “I have been training to be a duchess my entire life,” she reminded him.
Joshua caught sight of one of her long, bare legs before the dressing gown fell around her and covered it. He struggled to keep a growl from escaping his throat. “I plan to leave at nine. Can you be ready by then?” he asked, thinking she was probably used to waking at noon as most of the ladies of the ton were wont to do.
“Of course, Your Grace,” she said in a whisper that held humor. She moved to straighten the bed linens and counterpane, smoothing the fabric where her body had been. “Thank you ... for enduring my time as a watering pot,” she said then, giving him a curtsy.
“You are most welcome,” Joshua replied with a grin as he watched her move to the door. Vixen, he thought as he rolled his eyes.
Charlotte pulled her dressing gown closed, crossing her arms in front of her as she peeked out the duke’s bedchamber door. Sure no one was about, she stepped out and closed the door behind her, careful to make sure the latch didn’t click too loudly.
Padding softly down the hall to her room, she contemplated what had just happened. She’d gone to Joshua’s room with the intention of pretending to be a frightened chit – scared of lightning and thunder – in the hopes of making herself seem vulnerable to the man. Their earlier argument in the study had probably left him thinking she was too willful, too stubborn to be a suitable wife. If she could somehow convince him she needed him (as much as he needed her), he might reconsider their betrothal and ask for her hand.
And then, just as she entered his room, the windows had filled with white-orange light and the sound of a huge explosion, followed by the crackling and splintering of wood and breaking glass. Startled, she’d let out a yelp that had the affect of waking the duke (if the loud boom hadn’t of its own
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