Page 38 of The Wrong Duke

“Think nothing of it,” Lord Lindstone said proudly. “Truth be told, I’ve been wanting to get out myself. Times were, I used to go every week. Nothing like a good hunt to clear the mind.”

“Same here. This is what summer is all about!”

The two lords walked ahead of where Evan and David were strolling. Both overweight, both already out of breath, the way they stumbled and tripped through the shrubbery made it appear as if they were walking on stilts. And as to how they held their rifles, suggestive that they didn’t know one end from the other, somehow Evan doubted that either of them could be classed as able hunters. Or even serviceable, for that matter.

“What do you think?” Evan nudged David and indicated to the fat lords’ rearends. “Should we take the easy shot? I dare say there’s enough meat there to feed the rest of us well into the winter months.”

David suppressed a chuckle. “Too easy, Evan. Far too easy.”

“For me, maybe. But you have always been a terrible shot.”

“I meant the joke,” he corrected. “What’s that expression about swatting at low hanging fruit?”

“That it’s a sin to waste?” David grinned as Evan propped up his rifle and pretended to take aim at Lord Winstead’s wide buttocks. “Speaking of fruit, these rumps would pair lovely with a fresh serving —”

“Stop it!” David was quick to push the rifle back down, doing what he could to feign seriousness but unable to keep himself from laughing. “You’re going to get someone shot.”

“Me?” Evan cocked an eyebrow at the two lords walking before him. “Let us be honest here, David. If anyone is going to misfire their rifle and shoot someone...” He indicated with a nod of his head. “Although seeing as Lord Basser has decided to wander so far ahead, maybe it will be a blessing, and he’ll be taken out? Do us all a favor.”

David shook his head and gave a derisive roll of his eyes. “Behave,” he then commanded jokingly.

Evan grinned but knew to keep his mouth shut. Even if it was all in good fun, he didn’t want to risk being overheard or for Lord Lindstone or one of the others to see him playing about with his rifle. They were deadly weapons, after all, and it only took one second of not paying attention for somebody to get hurt. And even Evan wasn’t so callous that he wished for that to happen.

So, rather than offering a retort or scathing reply, he hung his rifle by his side and fell back in beside his friend, happy to walk in silence for a while as the rest of their party became swept up in the thrill of hunting. Evan never was much for hunting, even if he’d always had a knack for it. He supposed that was because, at the end of the day, hunting wasn’t really about tracking one’s prey, outsmarting it, and then putting a bullet between its eyes so that they might sup on its dressed and roasted carcass rather than going hungry. It had nothing to do with that at all.

Hunting was a social engagement and nothing more. Worse than that, it was a social engagement exclusive to the gentry, for they were the only ones who could afford to do it. One needed to own land, so they might hunt on it which meant that only the rich and privileged could partake. And although it didn’t need to be said, it applied exclusively to men.

There were nine of them stalking the forest in total. Two groups: one of four and one of five. The other group, comprising Lord Wexley, his son the Honorable James Knight, Lord Brundel, and Lord Chalmers, were headed east through the forest while the group Evan found himself lucky to be a part of was headed west.

“The truth is, I thought you might have preferred to stay indoors today,” David mused as the two men walked.

“And why is that?” Evan asked.

A sly smile spread up the side of his friend’s face. “Oh, I just assumed you might have found the company there more interesting. More to your taste,” he chuckled.

Evan frowned at the comment, not entirely sure what his friend meant. Was he just joking about, or was there a hidden meaning? Surely, he wasn’t referring to Miss Baker? Evan was certain he’d been careful enough to avoid any chances the two of them might be seen as more than enemies.

“I don’t know what you’re –"

“Lord Malnor!” Lord Lindstone cut him off as he spun about, caring nothing for the rifle tucked to his side — the muzzle pointed directly at Evan who had to duck out of the way in case it fired. “What are you doing back there?”

“Keeping an eye out,” David said cheerfully, “in case one of these pheasants decides to stampede us from the rear.”

“We’re perfectly fine,” Lord Lindstone waved him down, missing the joke entirely. “You’ll see nothing back there. Here is where the action is.” He indicated for David to join him.

“If you say so.” David winked at Evan and then hurried through the brush so that he was walking beside Lord Lindstone.

Once he was beside Lord Lindstone, the two began speaking in hushed tones, broken by bouts of laughter from Lord Lindstone who slapped David on the back as if he’d said something highly amusing.

Evan eyed the exchange with a sense of wary frustration. When the hunting parties were being organized earlier this morning, a part of him had wondered if it was even worth going. Two groups of four were much cleaner, and the last thing Evan wanted was to spend the day trudging through dense forest in search of pheasants that he was certain knew better than to flutter in front of a group of noisy, trigger-happy hunters. And with the weather turning sour, a day spent indoors felt like an infinitely better option.

Alas, it was an option that he could not take. It was just as the discussion began that Miss Baker wandered into the drawing room, double checking with her father that they had everything they’d need for the day. At the sight of the luscious young woman, memories from the previous evening flooded through Evan. Them alone in the hallway... pressed against the wall... his mouth at her neck and his hand around her waist. And the way her body shuddered at his touch...

It was all too much. Miss Baker seemed to be purposefully not looking at Evan, but he stared obviously as his arousal peaked. And then, suddenly realizing was he was doing, he very nearly fled the room, only to stop himself because he knew how odd that would look.

When David asked Evan if he was coming along, he told him that he wouldn’t miss it. On the surface, his excuse was the same that he’d been using all weekend — to keep an eye on his friend. Now that David and Miss Baker were seen to be getting along, he couldn’t very well leave David and Lord Lindstone alone all day. Who knew what they would speak of. Likely, the repugnant lord would use the time alone to press his daughter on David and all but confirm the pending courtship. No, Evan had to join them.

But if he was to dig a little deeper, to really consider, Evan knew that to stay home while the other men were out would only leave him open to being alone again with Miss Baker. After what had happened last night, how little self-control he possessed, that was too dangerous a situation to risk putting himself in.

---