Chapter 5

Even though she’d told herself repeatedly not to get excited over the idea of seeing Stratton again, Emily’s heart still skipped a beat when she saw him the following morning. Handsomely dressed in a dark-blue jacket, fawn-colored breeches, and black boots, he cast an imposing figure as she made her approach. They would not be alone of course. Peter was with him and she’d brought Georgina as well, but they would still talk and interact.

Their meeting yesterday had been full of surprises. She’d not expected to enjoy Stratton’s company quite as much as she had. He’d proven himself a fun and interesting conversationalist. There was no denying it had stung when she’d realized he’d not asked to see her for her sake alone.

But she’d forgiven the slight in a heartbeat. How could she not when the man was attempting to make his ward happy? Him reaching out to her, a woman he’d feared might reject the olive branch he tried to offer, proved he was kind, selfless, and brave.

Considerate too, she reflected, recalling the bouquet he’d brought her. He’d not only done as she’d asked and forgone the traditional bouquet of roses, he’d also pleased her with the vibrant and cheerful collection of flowers he’d offered in its place.

All in all, sitting down with him over tea had been a pleasant affair. Nothing disastrous had happened. He’d seemed a bit tense at first but then he’d relaxed and the afternoon together had progressed without any issue.

This gave her hope. It also made her wonder about things she probably ought not be wondering about. Like why she’d felt a spark of awareness when she touched his hand, or if he’d felt it too. Such questions could only lead to trouble, so she did her best to push them aside and to focus on her purpose. Today was about Peter.

“Good morning,” she said once she reached the pair. “I hope you’re ready for a long walk. Heidi enjoys her exercise.”

Peter had already dropped to a crouch so he could pet Heidi. He grinned when she licked at his chin with her tongue.

“Thank you.” Stratton mouthed the words when Emily’s gaze caught his. The smile that followed was filled with so much gratitude, her heart immediately tripled in size.

She gave a quick nod for the sake of maintaining her composure. Apparently, the duke could be rather charming when he wasn’t tripping her up. “I thought you might like to hold the leash, Peter.”

The boy instantly stood, his eyes bright with near disbelief. “May I?”

“Of course.” Emily handed the leash to Peter and showed him how to hold it. “Don’t lengthen it too much or you run the risk of its getting tangled.”

They entered the park and proceeded along the main path. Peter walked slightly ahead of Emily and Stratton, who strolled side by side while Georgina followed behind at a distance.

“Thank you again for doing this,” Stratton said after a while. He kept his voice low, so Peter wouldn’t hear, but added a sense of intimacy to his tone. The effect was rather potent. It warmed her cheeks and made her feel slightly breathless.

Pretending to admire the landscape so he wouldn’t notice, she said, “I’m happy to help.”

He said nothing else for a while afterward and that, she decided, wasn’t bad either. She didn’t feel a pressing need to fill the silence as she sometimes did with other people. With Stratton, she realized she found it rather pleasant, as though them simply being there together, was enough.

It was most peculiar and very unexpected.

“Shall we purchase some treats?” Stratton asked when a vendor came into view.

Peter glanced back at him with a happy nod. “Yes, please.”

Emily looked at Stratton. His face was more severe in profile, but the smile he sent Peter softened the edges. Disturbed that she’d even notice such a thing, she clasped her hands behind her back and agreed that a treat would be lovely.

“Here you are,” said Stratton once the vendor had finished preparing four portions of sweetmeats. They’d been wrapped in brown paper cones so they could be easily carried.

Stratton handed the first one to Emily, the second to Georgina, whom he’d been thoughtful enough to consider, and the third one to Peter.

“That’ll be sixpence,” said the vendor.

Emily pulled on the strings of her reticule.

Stratton frowned at her. “What are you doing?”

“Searching for the right coins.”

“Absolutely not.” He’d placed his hand over hers to stop her movements. Their eyes met and her stomach instantly tightened while everything else slid into the background. His voice when next he spoke was firm. “I’ll pay.”

“But—”

“I insist.” He removed his hand from hers and collected some coins from his pocket, then counted them out quickly and gave them to the vendor.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” said Georgina. She peered at her cone with utter delight.

Emily stared at Stratton in wonder, then remembered to thank him as well. His touch had left her a bit lightheaded. Or maybe she’d simply not eaten enough for breakfast?

Puzzled, she followed Peter who’d just resumed walking, and selected a green piece of sweetmeat from her cone. She popped it into her mouth and savored the tangy flavor of lime dipped in sugar. They’d been lucky today with the weather, which could be so unpredictable this time of year. Instead of rain, the sun shone from a cloudless sky and the air was warm enough for her to be comfortable without having to wear a spencer, though she had brought a shawl.

The path curved up ahead as they approached the lake. A dog barked in the distance and someone started shouting. Emily turned and almost dropped her sweetmeats. The dog was massive and it was charging directly toward them with a young man in pursuit. Both barely managed to avoid a lady riding a horse. The horse reared, the lady screamed, and now she too was coming their way at a mad gallop.

Emily spun toward Peter who’d not yet realized he was about to get trampled. So was Heidi. The other dog was headed straight for her while the runaway horse bore down on Peter. Emily leapt forward while shouting his name. He turned and froze, so she did the only thing she could think of. Propelled by instinct, she tossed her sweetmeats aside and shoved Peter forward, placing herself in the horse’s path instead.

She prepared to get out of the way, but the massive dog arrived before she was able and blocked her escape. The horse’s breath landed upon her face and Emily said a quick prayer. Someone grabbed her upper arm and she flew backward, straight into a solid surface.

“I’ve got you,” a low voice murmured against her cheek.

Emily blinked and she realized she was wrapped in a strong embrace. Stratton was holding her from behind, one arm wound tightly around her waist, the other still gripping her arm. His chest rose and fell with rough movements against her back. For a second his hold tightened, as though he were hugging her to him, before he relaxed.

He slowly released her, and as he turned her to face him, she realized his hands were shaking. The depth of concern in his eyes nearly stole her breath.

“Are you all right?” Clutching her shoulders he swept his gaze over her body as though seeking proof that she was unharmed.

She nodded. “Yes. I am well. But what about Peter and Heidi?”

Stratton straightened and released her completely. “Georgina has them. Peter will be fine, thanks to you, and I believe Heidi avoided harm too. From what I’ve managed to gather these past few seconds, the larger dog simply wanted to come and greet her.”

“You ought to keep that dog on a leash,” said the lady riding the horse. Having finally managed to reign in her mount and circle back to join the group, she glared in anger at the young man.

“I’m terribly sorry,” the young man replied. He did look remorseful. “Hercules has a leash. See? He just managed to pull it out of my grasp. It was an accident.”

“One that could have ended in tragedy,” Stratton informed him, his voice suddenly hard and unyielding. “In the future, I’d ask you to make sure a stronger man walks your dog.”

“Of course.”

Stratton jerked his head to one side and the young man hurried away, pulling Hercules after him. The lady on the horse gave Stratton a curt nod before moving away at a trot. With tension still rippling off him, Stratton crossed to where Georgina waited together with Peter and Heidi. Oblivious to the danger that had occurred a few moments ago, the dog sat on the ground wagging her tail as if all of this had been wonderfully entertaining.

Emily went to her while Stratton checked on Peter.

“Are you unharmed?” Emily heard him ask of the boy.

She saw Peter nod out of the corner of her eye while she stroked Heidi’s back and proceeded to scratch her behind one ear.

“Lady Emily saved me,” Peter added, his voice filled with so much awe that it was impossible for Emily to keep from smiling. She was pleased to know the boy thought well of her.

“I saw,” Stratton said. “It was incredibly brave of her.”

Her smile wobbled in response to the strong emotion that suddenly gripped her. The way he said it, as though he’d never been more impressed by anyone in his life, completely undid her. After all the clashes they’d had, having his praise was immensely rewarding.

She gave Heidi’s head a final pat before rising.

“You got me out of harm’s way for once,” she told Stratton as soon as he’d straightened to stand beside her. “I’m grateful.”

He caught her gaze and the warmth she saw there heated her insides. “As am I.”

“Can we buy some more sweetmeats?’ asked Peter. “Most of mine fell to the ground.”

Emily chuckled while glancing about. The ground was littered with colorful bits of confection. She caught Stratton’s gaze and shrugged one shoulder. “What do you think?”

“I say we need a refill.” He grinned and so did she. They returned to the vendor together.

“Will you let me pay this time?”

“Absolutely not.” When she arched her brow and prepared to protest, he told her softly, “Perhaps when we have our next outing?”

He wanted to see her again? The knowledge delighted her beyond measure. So much, in fact, she immediately grinned.

How curious it was that she should be so thrilled to spend additional time with a man she’d dreaded running into a few days before. Getting to know him was proving to be not only enlightening but also highly enjoyable. Now that he’d saved her, she even felt safe around him, which was something she would have believed impossible until now.

“Would you like to rest for a while?” Stratton asked when they were heading back toward the park entrance later. “We can sit over there in the sun for a bit, on the edge of the lake.”

The spot he pointed toward looked very tempting. Plus, if she were being honest with herself, she had to admit that she was reluctant for them to part ways. “All right.”

They called for Peter to join them, then they stepped off the path while Georgina claimed a spot on a vacant bench. The area where they elected to sit was near the water. Worried she might get grass stains on her skirt, Emily took off her shawl and prepared to spread it across the ground.

“Allow me,” said Stratton.

“It’s all right. I can—” She blinked in response to the garment he’d laid out before her, then glanced at him. To her shock and dismay, he’d removed his jacket. She scanned her surroundings, hoping no one had taken notice. “You should put that back on, Your Grace. It’s really not decent for you to be out and about in a state of undress.”

“Do you see any more skin than usual?” She gaped at him. It was all she could do since his question had prompted all sorts of inappropriate musings. Most pressingly, would she like to see more?

Very much so. I’d like you to take off your shirt.

She averted her gaze on account of the heat she could feel in her cheeks. Whatever was the matter with her? This was Stratton for heaven’s sake, the very same man she’d always made sure to avoid at all cost. He’d been a bothersome nuisance for years and while she’d always found him handsome and rather attractive, she’d had the good sense not to let it affect her.

Yet here she was, getting all flushed and weak-kneed, wondering what he would look like naked. It was beyond the pale. It was…It was…

“My lady?”

“Yes?” She was so startled by the sudden sound of his voice, she snapped to attention.

“I was merely saying your shawl is very light-colored. Grass stains will show. The same won’t be true of my jacket.” He gestured toward it. “I’ve deliberately turned it inside out just in case, but you can’t do the same with your shawl.”

“True.” She sent him a hesitant glance and was instantly taken aback by how handsome he was with just a white shirt and ivory waistcoat. It accentuated his chest while affording him a very romantic, if not princely, appearance. Either way, he looked terribly dashing and she, apparently, was quite unable to turn away.

“Will you sit then?” He offered his hand to help her down and she hesitated only briefly before accepting his assistance. Strong fingers closed around hers, sending a charge up her arm. She gasped and he stilled. “Everything all right?”

“Quite so,” she managed, despite the sudden dryness in her throat.

“Glad to hear it.” He waited until she was comfortably seated before releasing her hand and taking a seat beside her on the grass.

“What of your breeches?” she asked. “They’re also light-colored.”

“No matter.” He propped his arms behind him and leaned back while glancing toward the spot where Peter had taken a seat next to Heidi. The boy was grinning while Heidi persistently pushed her nose up against him. “I’ve got others.”

“That’s hardly the point.”

“Isn’t it?” He turned to face her, his brown eyes meeting hers with such intense pleasure she lost herself for a moment. “I’m fairly certain I have several pairs for exactly this sort of reason. So I may sacrifice one or two for the most deserving lady of my acquaintance.”

She stared at him, unable to speak. Until he suddenly asked, “Why haven’t you married?”

His question broke the spell and Emily managed to tear her gaze away from his. “That’s a rather personal question.”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’m just curious since you did have your debut six years ago. It’s unusual for a lady to avoid the parson’s mousetrap for so long. Especially when her father’s an earl and she has an impressive dowry.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she admitted. “Something similar could be said about you. Dukes are the ultimate prize on the marriage mart since Prince George is already taken.”

Chuckling, Stratton plucked a piece of grass and fiddled with it between his fingers. “I’m beginning to understand why you kept getting in my way all the time.”

“I never—”

“Admit it. You were secretly trying to trap me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. You’ve caught me. I wonder how it took you so long to realize I’ve always been mad about you.”

“Had you torn part of your gown while falling at my feet, it might have worked.” He winked and gave her a playful smile. “You’re right though. Some ladies did go to great lengths in their effort to get me leg shackled, but none of their ploys met with success and none of the ladies appealed. Besides, I’m only four and twenty. I’ve got time.”

“True.” She brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

He said nothing further and she got the impression he was waiting to see if she’d open up about her own reason for not yet tying the knot.

She couldn’t. Not yet. Possibly never.

Their friendship was much too new for her to make herself that vulnerable to him.