Page 54 of Her Bear of a Duke

"You seemed scared. You asked me what I thought of you when we first met, and it was exactly that. You seemed terrified."

"I suppose I was," she laughed. "I knew that life as I knew it would soon change, and though it was never perfect it was at least mine. It was known and predictable. A husband was not."

"It was more than that. You seemed frightened of making a mistake, even though it was what you wanted."

"It was the only time that I have ever done something like that. I thought that if I was going to be chained to a gentleman of my father's choosing for the rest of my life, I ought to do something for myself first. I do not regret it."

"Could you have said the same if it were not me in the gardens?"

She thought for a moment.

"Morgan, I do not think I would have done what I did if it were not you in the garden. I do not think I could have made myself do it."

"Then, if I may ask, why me?"

"Another excellent question," she sighed, "one that I do not know the answer to myself. You were charming, I know that much. You also listened to me, and other than my friends nobody has ever done that before. I suppose I knew that, if I was going to disgrace myself, it had to be with a gentleman that I would not mind being forced into marriage with."

"That is to say you do not mind being forced into this one?"

"I believe you know my answer to that."

"Perhaps, but I should very much like to hear you tell me."

He was standing close to her, and she was uncertain of when that happened. She was looking up at him, and she tried to conceal the hunger in her eyes. He was a wonderful man, and excellent with Catherine, and after everything that had happened he was trying to be a good husband. She could not have asked for more.

"I was never forced into this marriage," she reminded him. "You gave me the choice to walk away, and I chose not to. I wanted this marriage, and I still do."

"As do I. You know, I never expected you to be so lovely when we met."

The word echoed. Lovely, lovely, lovely. She had been called many names before, sometimes by her father and sometimes by the ladies in theton,but never anything as nice as that. She was always nice and kind, if she was called something good at least. Morgan, however, thought that she was lovely, even if he seemed uncomfortable with the fact that he had said it.

"I have an idea," he said suddenly. "Do you ride horses?"

"I have before, but I was never any good at it."

"Tomorrow, we shall do that. We have vast lands, and we might as well make use of them. I shall have two prepared for us in the morning."

"That sounds wonderful, though again I must say that I am not a skilled rider."

"You do not need to be. So long as you do not come flying off of it, it will be sufficient."

He laughed as he said it, but Dorothy was not as certain.

Regardless, morning came and as promised there were two horses that Dorothy could see from the window of her bedchambers. The work had been completed in the household and at last her room was a place that brought her peace. She adored it, and had she not been so eager to please her husband she might have remained there a few minutes more.

Stepping out into the gardens, she saw her husband preparing them. She thought it was strange, as the stablehands were nowhere to be seen, but only for a moment because she then looked at him properly.

He was skilled, guiding them to where they needed to be, and neither one objected in any way. He had large hands, but he was gentle with them. Dorothy froze in place as she watched, unable to take her eyes from him.

"Are you going to join me?" he called over, and she turned scarlet.

She had every right to look at her husband, yet it made her feel things that she did not wish to acknowledge. She did not want to think he was attractive, not when she knew that he could never feel such things for her.

"Of course," she called back, steadying herself.

She made her way to him, growing more and more timid as she saw how large the horses were. They were stallions, and it was clear to her that they had been expensive, and while notthreatening they were certainly intimidating. They towered over her.

"I brought the smallest one I had for you," he explained, "but even so he is…"

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