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“I also enjoy Mr. Shakespeare’s work. We will have to discuss it sometime. When it is a rainy day and we are stuck inside.”

“Ah, that is the most polite hint I have ever heard, my lady. Come. I will take you to the mill first.”

They spent a good three hours riding around the estate. Lord Martindale showed Dru some of the improvements that were being made on the property and told her of others in the works. She could tell he had a true love of the land.

“You are doing remarkable things at Beauville,” she praised, slipping from the saddle and holding the reins as she led her horse to a stream for some water.

He sighed, following her. “Some of these things should have been handled years ago, but my father was never interested in Beauville. He visited on rare occasions, preferring to remain in town to gamble and drink. When I tried to get him to agree to changes, however, he turned stubborn and refused to do so, even if it would have improved the yield of the land and guarantee him more income. As I mentioned, it was the main thing that prodded me to leave England and go to war.”

Impulsively, she reached for his hand, squeezing it.

“You did the best you could, my lord. If your father was not willing to listen, nothing you could have done would have changed his mind. While I thank you for your service to England, I am sorry you were driven to go to war, especially since you were heir to Beauville and the title.”

He clasped her fingers a bit tighter. “The war has stayed with me,” he admitted. “I dream of the battlefields. The carnage. I thought returning to the green fields of Surrey would help me escape, but I seem to constantly be taken back to the horrors I saw.”

She could see pain clouding his eyes, and her gaze met his. “We are becoming friends, are we not?”

“I believe we are.”

“Then if you ever wish to unburden yourself, I would be happy to listen. I know enough not to try and give you advice. I merely want you to know you do not have to be alone in your suffering.”

“You are most kind, my lady. While I would never speak of what I saw, just hearing that you are willing to listen to me is the kindest gesture I have ever experienced.”

He brought their joined hands to his lips and brushed a tender kiss upon her fingers. The oddest sensation rippled through her, making her lightheaded, even as her heart beat faster. Even her belly tightened in an unusual manner.

Lord Martindale released her hand. The feelings subsided, but she still felt a bit breathless.

“Drink, Zeus,” he urged his horse.

They met some of his tenants after that, and Dru could tell they liked their new lord very much.

The earl listened quietly to a few of their concerns before offering some solutions.

He even said he would speak to his steward, and the two of them would return tomorrow to discuss things with the tenants in greater detail.

“Shall we ride back to the house now?” he asked, tossing her into the saddle. “I could use something to eat.”

“Definitely. Riding always makes me hungry as a horse.” She laughed, feeling lighthearted. “Yet another idiom. We are full of them today, my lord.”

He led her toward the stables, asking the groom who met them to feed both horses. Then he offered his arm and she took it, allowing him to guide her to the house. The butler gave Dru a perplexed look, and she realized it was because she wore her breeches.

“Perhaps I should not have come inside,” she said quietly. When Martindale looked puzzled, she said, “My attire.”

“Nonsense,” the earl declared. “Foster, we are ravenous and in need of sustenance after several hours in the saddle. Have Cook make us something, including tea. We will be in the library.”

“Yes, my lord,” the butler said, leaving them in the foyer.

“He did look a bit judgmental,” Lord Martindale ventured once the servant was out of earshot. “I suppose others can be shocked by your attire.”

“I will admit that our servants in Somerset had to get used to it. I cannot recall when I started wearing breeches. It was that long ago.”

“Come to the library. We will have several minutes before the food and tea appear.”

They entered a large room with shelves filled with books covering three sides. Dru turned in a circle, taking it all in.

“This is amazing. Even better than Judson’s library at Huntsworth and certainly larger than ours at Marleyfield.”

“I have read every book on these shelves at one time or another,” he said proudly. “And I plan to add to this collection. A man can never have too many books.”

“Or a woman.”

He chuckled. “Or a woman. Hopefully, my wife will enjoy reading and our children will, too.”

“Are you eager to wed?” she asked.

The earl looked pained. “Not really, truth be told. I am a simple man. Before I left for the war, I had no thoughts of marriage. At war, marriage was the last thing on my mind. Now that I have returned and taken up my title, however, it is not a topic I can avoid.”

“Providing an heir is important. You will have many women to choose from next Season. That is, if you choose to go to town.”

He blew out a long breath. “I suppose I must. How I will get the attention of some lady has yet to be determined.”

“Why do you say that? You are most handsome, my lord. Intelligent. Thoughtful.”

“You think me handsome?” he asked, clearly not believing her.

“I think you incredibly handsome,” Dru asserted.

“Your moss green eyes draw a person in, making them want to confide in you. You have excellent bone structure and wonderfully thick, blond hair, the color of summer wheat in the fields. Your posture is that of the officer you once were, and you haven’t an ounce of fat on you.

Altogether, you are well made, my lord. I doubt you will have one whit of trouble finding a bride on the Marriage Mart. ”

Suddenly, the air about them seemed to change. His eyes turned greener, heat in them. Her own heart began to beat rapidly.

Lord Martindale stepped to her, his body so close that it brushed against hers, causing her breasts to tingle. His hand moved to cradle her nape.

“I should not do this,” he murmured.

And then he lowered his lips to hers.