Page 26 of An Unwanted Spinster for the Duke

“You know what?” Marianne blurted, straightening up. “The weather seems clear. The sky is blue, and the stables should be mostly empty by now because of the gentlemen’s ride.”

“So?” Elizabeth asked, confused.

“So, I’m going for a ride,” Marianne declared, grinning.

“B-But Father said that you?—”

“I am aware of what he said,” Marianne replied, her tone steady. “He ordered me to avoid the other ladies, but he never mentioned that I could not explore the forests or ride across the hills. I need to feel some sense of freedom, or else I fear I will truly lose my sanity.”

She rose and went straight to her wardrobe to pull out her riding habit.

“Someone might notice, Marianne. You sound like Victoria now!” Elizabeth warned, chewing on her bottom lip.

“I will be careful. You know I always am. Yesterday, Father did not catch Victoria and me,” Marianne reminded her while quickly getting dressed.

“What if you get caught?”

“I simply won’t. And If I do, I’d at least be doing what I love, instead of hiding away here like a fugitive. Keep an eye on the girls for me, Lizzie. Please?”

“Of course. Anything for you, Sister,” Elizabeth said.

“If anyone asks about me, tell them I had a fainting spell or two from the scandal with Serafina,” Marianne said with a big grin.

Elizabeth giggled, and her sister winked at her conspiratorially.

Marianne called for Helena to help her style her hair.

“I won’t be long,” she promised.

She wondered then, with a lump in her throat, if she was going to keep her promise.

Chapter Fourteen

“Little doe,” Dominic called as he pulled up beside her, “running from the world again?”

A ride had been just what he needed—space, silence, and a moment of peace.

He had steered his stallion off the main trail, seeking solitude, the noise of the lords still echoing in his mind. The horse had moved easily over the soft earth, its hooves quiet on the carpet of fallen leaves.

The moment he’d begun to settle into the rhythm, a movement in the distance had caught his eye.

A rider.

He’d watched the rider, noting the ease with which they guided their horse. Then, he’d seen the fluttering blue fabric.

Skirts—it was a lady.

And so he’d urged his horse forward, curiosity driving him. Once he’d drawn closer, he recognized her.

Lady Marianne.

Her brown curls escaped from beneath her riding hat, her posture confident. One hand gripped the reins, the other steady at her side. No side-saddle, no trembling limbs—this was someone who knew how to ride and wasn’t afraid to prove it.

He could not help but tease her, a grin already forming on his lips when he felt an overwhelming relief to see her looking healthy after her father said she was ‘indisposed.’ There was certainly more to the story and more to this lady.

Marianne glanced sideways, not the least bit surprised to see him.

“I am not running,” she said, arching an eyebrow. “Merely escaping the confines of the house.”