Caught in the Storm of a Duke's - Abby Ayles Page 0,47

sweet moment, before Stephen remembered they had an audience. Mortified, he pulled away and cleared his throat.

“Is he healthy?”

Roy nodded. “And strong as ever. He has sired four foals in these past years. They’re all doing well. He will give you no trouble. He roams the fields daily when the weather allows. His limbs are ever ready to run.”

Stephen was happy to hear this.

Giving a curt nod, he said simply, “Thank you, Roy. You have done well.”

Saying nothing more, he mounted Eleazar easily, holding on to his reins as he sat atop.

He heaved a sigh of relief at that small success. Hoping he’d remember how to ride as well, he leaned in to Eleazar and whispered.

“Alright, boy. Keep us steady. Follow Enora.”

Eleazar needed no further command. He launched into a gallop, and soon, they were riding, farther away from the stables and closer to the woman who had left a permanent mark on his life.

Chapter 18

Eleazar led him easily.

As they rode, Stephen felt his fears and apprehension begin to slip away. Instead, he began to feel a new kind of strength.

He could feel Eleazar’s limbs move powerfully beneath him, and he thought back to the days when they moved as one, going almost everywhere together.

Countless times, they had roamed these fields, Nordame, and all of Sawbrook.

He had loved riding so much; it had been his favorite activity. It was a pity how much of himself he had given, how much he had let himself lose.

He was thankful to Lady Judith. For giving him the courage to ride again, to feel the wind against his face, to hear the birds chirp as they flew above his head. To see his fields in all their beauty and glory, to smell the freshness of air.

Who would have thought that it would come to this; that rainy morning when he had glimpsed two lost-looking women at his gate, seeking shelter?

Stephen was soon pulled from his thoughts, as Eleazar took a turn, taking them off the fields and into the woods.

In no time, he saw them; Lady Judith and Enora. They had stopped by the brook that ran through his land.

Lady Judith had tied the mare to a tree, and she was sitting beneath it.

The tree was familiar, awfully so. It had been Abigail’s favorite tree in Dunham. This had been her favorite place.

Fury fanned inside of him, and it took all his strength to keep himself from snapping as Eleazar came to a stop.

She wouldn’t look at him, wouldn’t acknowledge his presence. She seemed to be quite taken by the sight that lay around her. He could scarcely blame her; it was beautiful indeed.

Yet, she did not belong there.

Weeks ago, she had come into his home. Slowly, she had crept into his heart. Only the day before, she had entered his ballroom and now, she was…

It would appear that Lady Judith had a habit of taking things that belonged to another woman, yet he did not know how to feel about it.

He said nothing until he had dismounted and drawn closer to her. It was only then that he spoke.

“You shouldn’t ride alone, Lady Judith. I thought I made that clear the last time.”

As those words left his lips, he winced. He was doing it again; the very thing he had apologized for only days ago.

She turned to him then, eyes defiant. “I am not alone now, am I?”

His anger was suddenly forgotten. He had offended her yet again, and he must make amends.

“I suppose not,” he answered. He paused before continuing. “I have done it again, have I not? Displeased you.”

She seemed to ponder her response for a moment. Eventually, she sighed, shaking her head.

“I have no right to be displeased, Your Grace. It is your home, after all. I am to abide by your rules. I just wish you would not speak to me so … harshly. It makes things even more … confusing.”

His eyes narrowed. “How so?”

“Well, I do not know exactly what to think of you, or expect from you. One moment you are cold, and dare I say, untoward. Another, you are warm and kind, saying all the right words. Whatever am I to do with you?”

She had her back turned to him, and he wished he could see her face as she spoke, watch the emotions that would flash in her eyes, and convince himself that he was not the only fool here.

The crack he heard in her voice, the words she left unsaid, all pointed to the