Page 21 of A Bride for the Cruel Duke (Claimed by Regency Devils #1)

Chapter Twenty-One

“Y ou are allowed to smile,” Caroline said from beside Anthony. She was riding sidesaddle on her horse, seated so that she was facing him. On her face was a glorious smile that spoke of how pleased she must have been feeling with herself.

“Who says I wish to smile?” Anthony responded coolly, making sure to keep his expression flat.

“You do know, how, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Curious...” Her smile grew. “All this time, I might have assumed you had never learned. I can teach you, if that is the case.”

He looked at her flatly. “I know how to smile. The trick is doing something which causes such a reaction. So far, I am yet to see a reason.”

“So far...” She let the phrase dangle between them, the suggestion being that there was more to come from this most random outing. “I will remember that.”

“Do not get ahead of yourself,” Anthony responded. “You act as if I have never ridden a horse before.”

“And if this is all I had planned, I would not expect it.”

“And I suppose there is no chance of you telling me where it is that we are going?”

She winked. “I told you, it is a surprise. And it would not be much of one if I revealed said surprise too soon.”

“I could just turn around, you know.”

“You could.”

“After all, you are the one who has hijacked the afternoon. Who is to say that I did not have some glorious evening planned for us? An evening which has been stolen.”

“And I weep for it.” She could not have looked more pleased with herself. “Let us just hope that this matches whatever it is that you had planned.”

“And if it does not?”

She shrugged, her smile growing. “I will just have to learn to live with it.”

Anthony eyed her curiously, still not certain what to make of this most random little adventure he found himself on.

It had come from nowhere, this ride on horseback. Just an hour ago, Anthony had been planning a fourth evening spent with Caroline, one which was to end in a moonlit walk through the gardens together as hired violinists played for them in a way that could only be regarded as the height of romance. He had wanted to impress her. More than that, he had wanted to prove to himself that this marriage was on the right path.

This whole charade of theirs, the five chances, was beginning to feel redundant. It was so clear that they enjoyed one another’s company. It was so obvious that this had become about more than whether or not Caroline would agree to give him an heir. They were past that now.

For Anthony, it was about confirming once and for all, in Caroline’s eyes, that he was more than she had once thought, and that her fears about him were misplaced entirely.

She had come to him only a few hours ago, asking—no, demanding. She demanded that he cancel whatever plans he had made, as she had taken the initiative herself and organized a horseback ride across the estate, to end with a surprise that she could not wait to show him.

“A surprise?” Anthony has asked, not sure what to make of this request, or how he felt about it. “Remind me, am I not the one who is meant to be seducing you?”

“You will have your chance,” she had said with a coy smile. “But first, say yes. And I promise, you will not regret it.”

It suggested to Anthony that she was the one trying to prove to him how much she cared for him—and to prove it to herself, for that matter. Gone were the days of distrust. Gone were the days of not being sure. It was time to start admitting what this marriage was, because both parties could so clearly sense it.

That of course raised the question about tonight, and where it might lead. Sensing now that Caroline was falling for him as he was for her, was Anthony ready to give in to his amorous desires and take her fully, if she allowed it? Or did he still wish to hold off until their final night? I suppose time will tell…

“Tell me we are nearly there,” he asked.

“What’s the matter? Growing bored?”

“Concerned for you,” he corrected. “I do not want you to bruise or chafe from riding your horse for too long.”

She chuckled. “I will be fine. Do not fear for me, when this is supposed to be about you.”

“I will remind you that I am the husband and you are my wife,” he continued haughtily. “I am the one who is meant to be wooing you. This is unheard of.”

“Then why are you enjoying yourself so much?”

“Who says that I am?”

Her eyes flashed delight. “Perhaps I know you better than you think?”

“Perhaps the man you think you know is all a lie,” he countered. “A mask I’ve worn this entire time.”

“Well, you’ve done a terrible job so far.”

“The evening is still young.”

She laughed and shook her head, that smile still very much there. “We are close, do not fear. See there...” She nodded her head across the field, toward the tree line. “Just beyond those trees.”

Anthony frowned as he followed her gaze, trying to piece together where she was taking him. This was his estate, so he knew the landscape better than anyone.

It was an hour or so before sunset; the sky just now was painted in dark pinks and warm oranges as the sun began to drift toward the horizon. They had been cantering across the estate for fifteen minutes, mostly through the verdant paddocks which surrounded the manor and farmland. Their destination was a small forest which lined the border, beyond which was nothing particularly interesting that he could recall. Where on earth is she taking me?

The answer became apparent ten minutes later.

They reached the tree line where Caroline instructed Anthony to tie their horses. She was brimming with excitement, her entire body shaking, and he found it so adorable he couldn’t help but follow her instruction.

From there, she led him through the forest. It was a sparsely packed, so they walked it with ease, and all the while Anthony searched for whatever this surprise was. That was when they came upon a small clearing.

“Here we are...” She stepped into it then turned back to face him, her eyes wide, her smile splitting her face in two. “What do you think?”

Anthony frowned. “And what is it that I am supposed to be...” He trailed off as he looked past her, spying finally what could only be this so—called surprise.

It was a picnic, set in the middle of the glade. There was a soft blanket at the center, on which were plates already set with foodstuffs; mostly snacks, such as breads and dips and cheeses, nothing too hearty from what Anthony could see. There was a bottle of wine with two empty glasses. While set around the blanket were four lamps, burning low. It was too early for their fire to be needed, but with the sun quickly setting, soon they would be the only source of light.

“What do you think?” Caroline asked, for the first time sounding nervous. “Do you... do you like it?”

Anthony didn’t know what to say, or how to react for that matter. That she had gone through all this effort, and for no other reason than to impress him… it was more than he could comprehend. Nobody had ever done anything like this for him before. There was nobody in his world who would. Or rather, there hadn’t been.

“I love it,” he said with a smile.

“There it is,” she said with a smile to match. “The smile. Just what I was looking for.”

He laughed. “Like I said, I can, when it is worth it. And this...” He gestured to the scene. “I think this qualifies.”

“So, you like it?” Caroline could not have looked happier; her eyes glimmered and her smile shone brightly. That had Anthony’s chest tightening because he loved seeing her so happy. It has been so long since I’ve had that effect on anyone, forgetting too how it makes me feel to know that I do.

“It is perfect,” Anthony said to her, still smiling. “You are perfect.”

To that, she said nothing. Rather, she walked up to him and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before then leading him to the blanket. There they sat, all pretenses dropped, no need to mention this as Anthony’s ‘fourth chance,’ or whatever they were calling it. That was a thing of the past.

This marriage wasn’t what it once had been. Both knew it now, and both seemed ready to take it to the next level. As to what that might be? From the look in Caroline’s eyes, the hunger on her lips, and the way it made Anthony’s heart beat, he didn’t need to guess too hard to figure it out.