Chapter 10

CHAPTER10

“Some of it.”

Henry’s voice was deep. He could not understand half of what he had just overheard. The thuds of furniture falling over, the shouting of voices, it had been a long time since his house had been privy to such arguments.

Not since Gregory died.

Henry had emerged from his study in time to see Isabella’s father taking his leave. She was trembling a little, though she was clearly trying to hide it with a hand to her stomach.

“Oh God,” she murmured and hurried past him, returning to the drawing room as quickly as she could.

Unable to let it go, Henry followed her.

“What exactly just happened?”

“If you heard something of what he said, then I am sure you can guess well enough.”

She walked into the drawing room and dropped to the floor.

Henry nearly tripped over her in his rush to follow her and jumped back. She was picking up pieces of a sample that had been torn into two pieces.

“This was the one I liked,” she murmured, talking to herself. She took just one piece and held it up against the wall, clearly trying to resume her redecorating plans, though her breath was still jittery. “What do you think? Mrs. Walters likes it.”

“Is this what you do to handle things like this? Carry on regardless?”

“What other way is there?” She shrugged and moved the sample against the wall.

Henry wasn’t sure what took over him. All he knew was that he couldn’t return to his study, not now. He crossed the room towards her, took the torn paper out of her hand and tossed it over his shoulder.

“Oi,” she said, her voice put out.

“You can decorate this place any way you like, I told you that,” he assured her in a rush. “What I wish to know is why your father is tossing over our furniture?”

He did a double take when he saw the tipped chair and moved towards it. He righted it quickly.

“Because he’s an odious man!” The sudden rant caught his attention. Flicking his head towards Isabella, he saw her clench her hands at her sides. She was trembling. “You cannot have been blind to what it is he wants. When you came to say you would marry me, I do not doubt he gave something of his character away.”

“You mean the want of money?” Henry asked calmly and leaned on the back of the armchair.

“A want? Ha!” Isabella tipped her head back and laughed derisively. “He wants money the way an ant craves sugar, or a bee wants honey. He has to have it. If he could die tomorrow drowning in cash, just for that money I think he might do it.”

“Irony or seriousness?” he asked. Isabella didn’t answer but raised a single eyebrow. “You frighten me.” He pretended to shudder out of fear.

Her angry face cracked into the briefest of smiles, and he smiled with her.

That’s better. It is how she should always be.

“He asked for help” She gestured towards the door her father had just walked through. “Do not think me hard-hearted for refusing to help him.”

“Believe me, I wasn’t going to.”

Henry knew what uneasy relationships with fathers were like. He wouldn’t judge another for something that was so complicated.

“From the day my mother died, I saw him for who he really was.” She stepped forwards, her eyes glistening wet. Henry released the armchair and slowly walked towards her, yet she didn’t let those tears fall down her cheeks. “I saw at such a young age what a gambler he was. He was disloyal too. He brought courtesans into our home. Can you imagine that? My youngest sister was a baby. Even the nights when she cried and wanted attention, he would be busying himself with the courtesans.”

Henry was horrified at the idea. He held himself still, waiting for Isabella to go on.

“He got himself into debt with his courtesans and gambling. He borrowed money from family and friends to pay off those debts, then never paid it off, and just made his situation worse.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If I gave him anything, it would all go the same way. It doesn’t help.”

“I see.”

Henry’s simple words seemed to take the wind out of her. She moved forwards and picked up the scrap that had been tossed to the floor. With one sniff, she showed she wasn’t going to cry, then she returned to the wall and pressed the scrap flat against it.

“I like this one,” she muttered quietly.

“Then have it.” Henry’s words were quiet and deep.

Nothing passed between them for a few seconds. There was only silence.

Henry felt as if he had glimpsed more of Isabella’s heart at that moment. There was a fierce protectiveness for her sisters there, and good intentions too.

She’s a good woman.

Sighing, he walked forwards, coming to lean against the wall beside her.

“Bella, I know something of what awful fathers are like.” His words made her attention snap towards him, and her lips parted. “I do not blame you in the slightest for what has just happened.”

“He’s going to keep coming here, isn’t he?” she whispered. “Asking for more money.”

“Perhaps, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.” Henry shook his head as an idea occurred to him. “Shall I remind you that you are a duchess now? It is certainly higher standing than an earl. You have power when it comes to society. For the sake of your sisters, use it if you wish to.”

His words prompted a great smile to appear on her face.

Now that is the smile I have been waiting for.

* * *

“Oh.” The surprised tone had Henry turning around.

Isabella was standing a short distance away from him on the threshold of the stable.

After their discussion about her father the day before, Henry had avoided her. He hadn’t really been able to explain why he had felt the need to be apart from her, he just knew it had to happen. His plan to go on an early morning ride before she could rise this morning was now thwarted.

“You have come for a ride?” he asked in surprise, noting the riding habit she was wearing.

The dark green riding habit was the same one he had seen her in at her father’s house the day he had come to propose. The high cinching of the waist had his eyes drifting down her body in such a way that she blushed.

“Are you waiting for my answer? Or did you need me to perform the answer instead?” She waved her arms in the air, showing she knew what he was doing.

Offering a mischievous smile, he looked away, seeking out his horse. The stable boy brought the black steed forwards a few seconds later.

“Thank you, Thomas.”

“Your Grace,” The boy turned to Isabella, “did you wish to go riding too?”

“Well, I…” she trailed off, her eyes darting to Henry.

“Do not let my intention to ride stop you.”

Henry was rather curious to see her ride again. When he had glimpsed her through the window of her house atop a horse, she’d looked athletic indeed, in command of the animal.

“Very well. Then, yes, please.” She moved towards the stable boy as he prepared a grey mare for her. Once they were prepared, Henry led the way out of the stable, with Isabella following behind on her mare. “Are we to ride alone or together?” she asked as their horses ambled alongside each other.

They ambled down the driveway, the gravel audibly crunched beneath the horses’ hooves.

“Together?” Henry offered, seeing the surprise on her face. “What is it?”

“I could have sworn you were avoiding me,” she remarked quietly.

“Perhaps I was.” His confession had her head flicking towards him and her green eyes widening. “I’m not always good around temptation, Bella. I’ve told you that you tempt me well enough.”

Isabella smiled a little, and he had to look away from her, or he’d be tempted too far by her.

Ah, to see her smile in a different way.

“Come on then, let’s see just how good a rider you really are.”

Twisting the reins of the horse, Henry urged the animal to gallop down the driveway. Glancing back a few seconds later, he found Isabella riding with ease after him. She may have been riding side-saddle, yet she rode as well as any man did riding with his legs straddling the horse.

She followed him with ease as he tested her. First, he drew her into the forest, so she had to traverse the heavy tree roots and the thick low-lying branches. Next, he rode down a path up a hill. The steep climb had his steed snorting beneath him, yet the grey mare followed with such speed that she soon overtook him. Henry was forced to fall back, watching as Isabella rode out in front.

When she reached the top of the hill, she slowed the animal and turned to face him with a victorious smile.

“Was that a race?” she asked happily. “If it was, I think you’ll find I won.”

“I wish to say it wasn’t.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, usually, I win such races.”

He urged the horse to circle her own, just as she mirrored him, so they were circling around one another.

“Well, at least you have a true challenger now.”

At her words, he tipped his head back and laughed. There was something bold about Isabella he liked very much. She had never shied away from arguing with him, challenging him on all scores. It was nice to have someone with such strength.

“Let us have a true race then,” he challenged confidently. “What do you say?”

“You just want a chance to beat me this time,” she accused with narrowed eyes. “You will cheat, I know it.”

“I promise not to.”

“You think I can believe such a promise?”

“Do I need to ask you to trust me again?”

“Hmm.” She lifted one of her hands from the reins and tapped her chin, as if deep in thought. “You are asking me once more to trust a rake. Goodness, that is like asking a gambler to hold onto some money for you!”

“Oh, harsh indeed,” he said sardonically and clutched his chest as if she had wounded him with her words. “I will struggle to pick up my hurt feelings now.”

“I daresay you’ll do well enough alone.” She laughed at him, then brought her horse to a halt, facing the path they had just taken to come up the hill.

Henry stopped beside her, moving so close that his leg nearly brushed hers as she maintained the side-saddle position.

Isabella did not comment on it, yet her eyes flicked towards their legs, and she raised her eyebrow, showing she had seen what he had done.

“Ready for that race?”

“Tell me where we are going then.” She motioned towards the trees.

“If you follow this path, a turning will appear on the left.” He gestured towards the tree line. “Take that path and ride all the way to the bottom of the hill. Our finish line will be the river that borders the house lawn. What do you say?”

Isabella chewed her lip in thought.

Henry’s eyes darted towards her lip, finding it stirred all sorts of imaginings in him. Her flushed and breathless appearance thanks to the ride wasn’t helping him, neither was picturing how her legs were slung around the pommel of the saddle.

Behave!

He was beginning to think his resolution to stay away from her might have been too harsh on them both. They were clearly tempted by one another.

What if we had just one night of pleasure? Maybe it would work us out of one another’s systems.

“Very well.” She stopped biting her lip and wrapped the reins around one of her gloved hands. “On the count of three?”

“One,” he began, nudging the horse forwards a single step.

“Two,” she said, taking another step forwards.

“Three.” At his count, they both shot ahead, making the horses gallop fast.

One second, they had been standing calmly at the top of the hill, but now, everything was a rushed blur to Henry. He could see out of the corner of his eyes Isabella racing at his side, but he had to focus ahead on what he was doing.

Urging the steed to jump over a fallen tree trunk, he continued on, with the horse snorting once in complaint beneath him. Isabella jumped over the same tree a mere second later, and her mare did not protest in response.

Henry took the turning he’d described to her, and they shot down the steep incline, heading back towards the lawn and the river that surrounded it. There were just a few bridges along the river, but he knew from having had this ride before that his horse could jump across the gap well enough and land on the other side. He just had to be prepared for that jump.

When they emerged from the trees, Isabella caught up to him. They were riding neck and neck, with neither one of them out in front. Glancing at his side, Henry felt a huge thrill. He could not remember feeling this sort of happiness on this estate for a long time. Isabella looked equally happy, her face spread into a large smile.

“Get ready to jump!” he called as he reached the river and made the horse leap.

“What—Oh!” Isabella’s words panicked him.

Landing on the other side of the river, he twisted in his saddle, looking back as he pulled harshly on the reins. The horse whinnied as he turned round.

Isabella had plainly not expected the river to be so near. Rather than jumping across the river, the mare ran straight into the water. But the river was deeper than it looked. The horse’s legs disappeared beneath the water, then she panicked and reared backwards.

“Bella!” Henry called in fear, standing up in the stirrups.

Isabella was tipped backwards in her saddle. She clung to the reins for so long, but it was impossible to stay there forever. Her side-saddle position gave her less purchase on the leather, and she slipped off, falling towards the water.

“No! Bella!”

Isabella splashed loudly into the water, creating such a fountain of droplets that it even coated Henry.