Page 48 of The Duke and the Temporary Bride

“No, no,” Benedict sighed as he walked across the foyer, realizing he would need a change of clothes if he was to go horse riding. “I should be quite alright on my own.”

That, and he sensed that when he found Selina, he might need to offer an apology. Not a concept that he was familiar with. Not one that he even knew how to address. But she was clearly upset with him, and while he told himself that he should not care one little bit—for reasons that were becoming far too obvious to ignore—he did.

This friendship was becoming infinitely complex in ways that Benedict had not imagined. What was more, he sensed that it was only just getting started.

Benedict was no tracker, but it was easy enough to see which way Selina had ridden. Her tracks had flattened the grassy fields that spread north from the estate, heading toward the small forest that sat on its border. From there, he was able to follow a man-made path, conceivably the only way she would be able to steer her mount through the forest.

He reached the path and began to follow it. And as he did, he found his thoughts weighed down by confusion and a determination not to admit the obvious.

This friendship that he and Selina had decided upon was supposed to be an easy solution to their marriage. A way for them to live together without having to admit any real feelings or descend into constant bickering as was their way. What was more, it was only supposed to be temporary.

At least when we fought, it was simple. At least when we argued, we said what we meant and let fate decide the rest.

Benedict did not want to be upset with Selina for this. Technically, she had done nothing wrong. But he could not escape the feeling that there was a hidden message behind her little adventure this morning. While logic told him that when he found her, he needed to be cool and collected so they might discuss what happened civilly, he knew already that was unlikely to happen.

Already, Benedict could sense an argument brewing. And if he did not know any better, he would have said that she wanted it.

Dammit if I don’t want it too.

He followed the path until it reached a fork. One direction led deeper into the forest while the other led toward a hidden spring that he had not visited since he was a boy. For reasons he could not explain, as if he could sense the answer deep inside of him, he chose the spring…

It was as he came closer that he heard what he thought to be laughter. It was faint at first, but as he strained his ears, he realized that Selina was, in fact, screaming.

“Selina!” He kicked his feet into the flanks of his horse and took off.

The spring sat in a shallow ravine, snaking its way to the forest. He reached the edge of the ravine and cast his gaze over the spring, immediately spotting Selina. His heart leaped into his throat.

She was in the water.

She was kicking furiously against the current.

What was more, she was in danger!

“Hold on!” Selina cried out, even though she knew there was no point. “I’m coming!” She swam through the stream as fast as her arms could take her, kicking her feet, trying to keep her head above the water as she went. “I am almost there!”

The current was more powerful than she had thought. It was lucky that she’d had the foresight to strip down to a simple chemise. Otherwise, she was certain the weight of her dress would have dragged her down.

Still, it was tough going, and it was all she could do to keep herself from being thrown and battered against the rocks and sunken tree trunks that lurked in the deep. But she could not turn back now, not when she had a life to save.

“I am nearly there!”

The luck that she had decided to come here this morning! Feeling strangely chastised from the previous evening, a ride was what she needed to clear her head. It would likely annoy Benedict that she had left without telling him… but good!

The ride saw her arrive at the spring almost by accident. She had looked upon its gushing waters, feeling a strange sense of kinship with the directionless current. And that was when she had seen it—a puppy, stranded in the middle of the spring, struggling to keep its head above the water.

Selina did not stop to think. She hurried down the bank, stripped off, and dove into the water without delay. The puppy stood on a submerged trunk—the water up to its neck—shaking and freezing and terrified, by the looks of things.

“Almost there!” Selina shouted as she swam closer.

The current was strong, but her determination was stronger. She threw herself onto the submerged trunk and wrapped her arms around the shivering puppy. It went to her immediately, licking her face in desperation and gratitude.

“Oh, you poor thing.” She chuckled as she balanced herself on the trunk. “Now… how to get back.”

That was going to be difficult. It had been challenging enough to make her way through the strong current. But with a puppy in her arms…

Perhaps this was not such a smart idea, after all.

“Selina!” a voice cried out suddenly, rising over the sound of the water surging around her waist. “Selina!”

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