Page 409 of From Rakes to Riches

He gave a half smile that made him look so handsome.

“Go to sleep, Victoria. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The urge to call him back was strong. But was she ready for everything marriage entailed? She thought of his patience that morning and knew he would be gentle with her. Yet she could not place her trust in him, not when there seemed to be secrets in this house—secrets between the two of them.

“You’ve been practicing,”David said.

Secure on her mare in the yard next to the stables, Victoria felt very pleased with herself. “I practiced for several hours yesterday.”

“Then you don’t need me to give you another lesson,” he said, guiding his horse ahead of her.

His words dealt a blow she hadn’t anticipated. But then he looked over his shoulder at her and smiled, and she realized he’d been teasing her.

“So you’re ready to take your first ride away from the grounds?” he asked.

Something deep inside her eased, and she smiled at him. “I would enjoy that.”

Though the hour was still early, there were many men, and a few women, exercising their horses along Rotten Row. He guided her through the paths beneath the trees, giving her occasional instructions. It was a peaceful moment she cherished.

Someone called his name from behind, and he wheeled his horse about. Victoria concentrated on steadying her mount, and it was a moment before she felt confident enough to look up.A couple had ridden up to them, and Victoria admired the woman’s grace and ease in the saddle.

“Thurlow, how good to see you about,” the man said, tipping his hat. “Lately I only see you in the chambers. Are you defending the factory bill today?”

David nodded. “I’m certain my speech would bore you, Your Grace.”

Victoria looked between them with interest. The other woman—his duchess?—watched the men, but sent Victoria an occasional curious glance. Victoria kept waiting for David to introduce her, but once again he seemed to have forgotten.

“Thurlow, you never bore me. I keep telling my wife that you would make an interesting dinner guest.”

The woman smiled. “And I keep inviting him, Your Grace, but he continues to refuse to attend.”

Victoria knew that it wasn’t good for David, who would one day be in the House of Lords, to ignore socializing with a duke.

David pulled back on Apollo’s reins to bring him in line with her. “Forgive me, Your Grace, for not introducing my wife, Victoria, Lady Thurlow. My lady, this is the Duke and Duchess of Sutterly.”

The duchess smiled. “Lady Thurlow, perhaps you can convince your husband to attend our ball.”

Victoria didn’t know what to say. How could she explain that her husband didn’t consult her on his social engagements?

“We have a previous engagement, Duchess,” David said.

The men spoke for several minutes on the bill before Parliament, leaving Victoria to feel concerned rather than angry. She’d tried to talk to her husband about his evasion of theton, but he’d made it clear he wasn’t going to discuss it. Was he holding his peers at bay out of guilt over his railway business? Or was he angry that he’d been included under the umbrella of his father’s scandals? She was ignorant of so much that hadhappened to him. He should want to prove that his father’s sins weren’t his own. Surely there was a way to make him see that he couldn’t make a problem go away by ignoring it.

She was finished hoping he’d confide in her. It was obvious he’d been ignoring his emotions for a long time. She would take matters into her own hands.

She would be the kind of wife he needed, and create the marriage they both deserved, giving him back the eagerness with which he’d once approached life. She would help him be at ease inanysociety and find the boy inside the man.

As they approached the Banstead stables, David looked over his shoulder at her. “Victoria, I’ve been thinking about our dinner party.”

“You don’t need to worry, David. I’ve discussed everything with your steward. It’s only a day away and the preparations are almost finished.”

He helped her down from the horse. “I wasn’t worried about that. Things are going so smoothly in our talks with the railway companies we want to buy. This last meeting at our house is almost a formality, a celebration. So perhaps we should have dancing after dinner.”

He was consulting her just as she had wanted. So why did her stomach tighten? “Dancing?”

“Yes. Do you think that would be a good idea?”

“Of course. I’m certain the women would appreciate it.” She waited until the groom had led their horses away. “Do you like to dance?”

---