Page 27 of Dueling with the Duke
“Nothing else?” the Duke asked.
“And you have made the morning thoroughly awful again. I appreciate the reminder of who you truly are—a rogue!”
“I shall take that as a compliment,” the Duke said.
“Take it however you will,” Bridget huffed. “Your fifteen minutes are up, and I do not wish to stay here a moment more. I shall see you back at the estate.”
She did not look at the Duke as she went back to her horse and untied the reins from the tree branch. She mounted her animal and offered only a curt nod in his direction before she started back toward home.
It infuriated her that she had been having a good time with him.
CHAPTER10
The Fall of Lady Bridget
Bridget rode away from the estuary, cursing herself for becoming caught up in a morning with the Duke and, worse, stoking his ego. It was an ego that certainly did not need to be stoked. Still, it was not as if she had succumbed to his charms or anything like that. She had sat in one of her favorite places with him and taken his compliments, and she had not been tempted to do anything.
Mostly.
When he was not saying things to get a rise out of her, he could be perfectly charming. Bridget corrected herself. He had beennice, not charming.
There was a flash to the left as a small animal darted out of one of the bushes. It zipped from side to side, a hare escaping from something. A moment later, a wildcat emerged, chasing the hare furiously. They were so fast that they passed by in a blur.
Bridget’s horse snorted in fear at the quick movement, and it stopped suddenly. Bridget was thrown forward, but she managed to hold onto the reins and grip her horse with her thighs. Then, the horse spun, trying to make sense of the situation, and the force was too much.
Bridget was tossed sideways from the horse, a branch breaking her fall. She stuck out her hands as she fell toward a bush and was able to protect her face for the most part, but she could feel the small branches scratching at her. She landed on one foot, but the force made her topple over. She hit the ground with her shoulder, and the wind was knocked out of her.
There was a ringing in her ears as she looked up through the trees toward the blue sky. She struggled to breathe for a second, but then was quickly able to inhale. She groaned and then sat up to get her bearings.
Her horse looked calm again, and it stood a few feet away, looking down at her as if nothing happened.
There was a noise from behind, and Bridget worried the wildcat had returned. She tried to turn, but a sharp pain shot through her side.
The wildcat grabbed her, and she gasped.
“It’s me,” the Duke said. “I have you.”
She leaned her head against his hand on her shoulder, comforted by his presence. Her body started to shake at the shock of being thrown off her horse. It was not the first time it had happened, but it never got any easier.
“Are you well?” the Duke asked.
“I don’t know. There was a wildcat, and it spooked my horse, and I was thrown off it. I didn’t fall very far, but my side hurts, and I think I scratched my face.”
Bridget brought a hand to her cheek and placed a finger where it felt most raw. When she brought it away, there was no blood there.
“Just take it easy,” the Duke instructed.
He moved around to her side and knelt on the ground. She knew he was getting his riding trousers dirty on the earth below and appreciated that he cared about her.
“Which side hurts?” he asked.
“My right side,” she said.
She didn’t expect him to touch her there, and she flinched when he did.
“It’s alright,” he soothed. “I can’t see any blood, but I want to check you haven’t broken a rib. Do you trust me?”
In most situations, she would not, but she did trust him to help her after her fall. She nodded.
