Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
He turned and resumed walking. “Come along Lady Janice. It is not far from here, your home, is it?”
* * *
She scrambled forward, rushing a bit to catch up to him. “No, it is not.”
* * *
“Good. You can tell me what you were possibly thinking, going out dressed like that.”
* * *
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment at his tone. She was not used to being spoken to in that way. Most of the villagers greeted her quite pleasantly, used to her eccentric ways. She realized that she did not interact much with the other gentry unless in some formal setting. Still, she was taken aback by his directness.
* * *
“I usually manage to get away with it,” she said in a small voice.
* * *
“Hmm,” he cast her a skeptical glance, “your father just lets you run wild?”
* * *
She flicked an irritated look at him. “I am not some dangerous animal you know. I can make up my own mind.”
* * *
His eyes shone with amusement as his gaze lingered on her shirt. “Of course. My apologies again. I…do not know how to speak to you, dressed as you are. I feel as if I might be speaking to one of my grooms except none of them are as fetching as you.”
* * *
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you usually so rude to your grooms?”
* * *
“Au contraire, my dear, I make sure to always mind my p’s and q’s.”
* * *
She just knew he was practicing upon her.
* * *
She did not know how they’d gotten here, speaking so familiarly with each other as if they’d known each other for much longer than an afternoon’s acquaintance. He kept catching her wrong-footed with his amused glances, his large hand gently caressing the puppy, to soothe it, not to mention the way he slowed down, so she did not have to stumble on her own feet trying to keep up with him…
* * *
He was a different man than the one she’d heard about. That duke was the very devil – he drank too much, went into rages, and shouted at his household indiscriminately. He kicked puppies, he did not allow them to snuggle against his shirt when muddy. Janice wondered which version of the Duke of Hampton was the truth.
* * *
He piqued her curiosity.
* * *
At least what they say of his appearance is true.
* * *
Devilish was certainly the word that came to mind. He walked as if he was stalking some prey, all quiet and graceful, loping almost. His hair and beard hid most of his face from view, except those piercing gray eyes that gleamed with almost preternatural light – like a frozen lake on a rare sunny day in winter. When their eyes met, she had to resist the urge to shiver.
* * *
He is an enigma for sure.
CHAPTER 2
When he left the house that afternoon, in search of the dog that had caused his horse to shy and almost break its ankle, he had not expected to end the day walking home with his bizarrely dressed neighbor. The dog had appeared suddenly in the middle of the lane as they made for home in the downpour. One of the horses tethered to the carriage had shied, almost sending them all into the ditch. Lucky for the dog, it had disappeared into the brush.
* * *
But Arthur wasn’t about to let that go.
* * *
As soon as he arrived at his manor, he collected a groom and a whip and set out in the direction he’d seen the dog go. It also gave him a chance to walk the perimeter of his property. He hadn’t been to this particular manor in a while. He was gratified to see that everything was neglected and overgrown.
* * *
Avebury Manor had been his father’s favorite abode – the place he spent most of his time when he was not in London. In spite of not seeming to like them very much, Percy Weasley dragged his family with him everywhere. As a result, Arthur and his mother had spent many miserable nights at Avebury, trying their best not to get noticed.
* * *
Arthur had come here to burn it all to the ground.
* * *
By the time they’d slipped and slid their way to the edge of the property, he was in a foul mood. But seeing the puppy fighting for its life in the mud had dissipated his bad mood in a moment. Such a tiny thing, facing insurmountable odds, yet still fighting so hard…it brought a lump to his throat.
* * *
“Get it out of there,” he barked at his groom who with utter reluctance went forward and pulled the puppy out. The mud tried its best to hold on to its prize but finally, his groom was successful in his rescue attempt.