Page 55 of A Night of Passion with the Duke

“Are you ready, wife?” he asked, steadying Arabella on her feet.

“Y-yes.” She nodded.

“Good. Let’s go.”

“I do hope we’re taking a horse this time.”

“We are,” he assured her.

“And you checked the straps?”

“I did.” He frowned.

“Did you find out what happened with the other one?”

* * *

Edward wondered if he should tell her the truth about what he’d discovered.

As if reading his thoughts, she squeezed his arm. “You can tell me anything, you know.”

“The straps were cut,” he answered with a sigh.

“Cut?”

“Yes.” He frowned.

Arabella was supposed to ride that horse. If Emma hadn’t joked about trying to mount a horse, who knows what would have happened to her.

“But why?”

“I can’t say. It makes no sense because I saddled the horses myself, and it was fine before.”

Her eyes widened, and she paled. “Am I in danger?”

He squeezed her arm reassuringly. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She looked up at him.

“I promise.”

She nodded. “I’m excited to see this famous picnic spot.” She smiled, and his chest warmed at that.

“Did my mother tell you about the story of the picnic spot?”

“No. Is it as romantic as all her stories are?”

“Indeed.” He winked. “My great grandfather met his wife after they wrestled for ownership of a deer both of their arrows had shot.”

“Your great-grandmother hunted?”

“Indeed. She wasn’t noble born.”

“Oh.”

“And he wasn’t a duke at the time.” He smiled, remembering the story. “They wrestled, and she won, claiming a kiss as well, and the rest is history. So now it’s a tradition in my family for every newlywed to go there with their spouse.”

“Well, I’m excited to see it now.”

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