Page 33 of His Scarred Duchess
Even as she spoke the words, Adeline knew they were a lie. The memory of that long-ago garden party flashed unbidden through her mind—the skittish horse, her father’s insistence that she ride it, the sickening sensation of falling…
She shook her head forcefully, trying to dispel the images. “Focus, Adeline,” she chided herself. “Find the acorn and get out of here.”
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to approach the stable block. The building was impressive, all gleaming wood and polished brass fittings. In any other circumstance, she might have admired its beauty. Now, it loomed before her like a fortress of her worst fears.
As she drew closer, the sounds and smells of the stables enveloped her. The soft nickering of horses, the rustle of hay, the pungent scent of leather and horseflesh—it all combined to make her heart rate quicken.
“Just a quick look,” Adeline promised herself. “The acorn might be hanging from one of the beams. In and out, that’s all.”
She had just reached the stable door when a movement caught her eye. Before she could react, a large bay horse emerged from one of the stalls, its powerful frame filling the doorway.
Adeline froze, her breath catching in her throat. The horse tossed its head, dark eyes rolling as it regarded her. For a moment, neither moved.
Then, as if in slow motion, the horse took a step forward.
A strangled yelp escaped Adeline’s lips before she could stop it. The sound seemed to startle the horse, which snorted and pawed at the ground nervously.
“N-nice horse,” Adeline stammered, her voice high-pitched and trembling. “Good horse. Stay there. Please, just stay there.”
But her words seemed to have the opposite effect. The horse, agitated by her obvious fear, took another step towards her. Its ears were pinned back now, nostrils flaring as it sensed her distress.
Adeline’s mind screamed at her to run, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. Her vision narrowed until all she could see was the massive animal before her, its hot breath visible in the cool air.
The horse reared up suddenly, its front hooves pawing at the air. Adeline stumbled backward, tripping over her skirts in her haste to escape. She hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of her.
As she lay there, gasping for breath, the world seemed to move in slow motion. She saw the horse coming down, its hooves descending towards her in a terrible arc. At that moment, she was certain she was about to die.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
Chapter Fourteen
“Whoa there! Easy, boy!”
Edmund’s commanding voice rang out as he sprinted towards the stables, his heart pounding in his chest.
He had been following Lady Adeline at a discreet distance, curious about her determination despite her obvious discomfort with the scavenger hunt. But when he heard her terrified yelp, followed by the unmistakable sound of a horse in distress, he knew something was terribly wrong.
As he rounded the corner of the stable block, he quickly took in the scene before him. Lady Adeline was sprawled on the ground, her face pale with terror, as a large bay stallion reared above her, its hooves flailing dangerously close to her supine form.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Edmund lunged forward. He wrapped one strong arm around her waist, pulling her swiftlyout of harm’s way just as the horse’s hooves came crashing down where she had been lying seconds before.
“It’s all right, you’re safe now,” he murmured, his breath coming in quick gasps as he held her trembling form against his chest.
He could feel her heart racing, matching the frantic tempo of his own.
For a moment, they stayed like that, both too shaken to move. Then, as the reality of what had just happened sank in, Edmund felt a surge of anger mixed with relief.
“What on earth were you thinking?” he demanded, loosening his grip on her but not letting go entirely. “Don’t you know how easily horses are spooked? You could have been killed!”
Lady Adeline stiffened in his arms, her green eyes flashing as she pulled away to face him. “I didn’t do it on purpose!” she retorted, her voice still shaky but gaining strength. “I was looking for that ridiculous golden acorn when the horse came out of nowhere. I didn’t mean to startle it!”
“Didn’t mean to—” Edmund broke off, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Lady Adeline, surely you must know better than to approach a strange horse without?—”
But his words died on his lips as he truly looked at her for the first time since the rescue. Her honey-brown hair had come loose from its elegant updo, falling in soft waves around herflushed face. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with each breath, drawing his attention to the delicate curve of her collarbone, just visible above the neckline of her gown.
Lady Adeline seemed equally affected by his proximity. Her eyes, wide with lingering fear and indignation, now held a different kind of intensity as they met his. Edmund became acutely aware of how close they were standing, of the warmth radiating from her body.
“I…” Lady Adeline began, her voice barely above a whisper. “I should thank you, Your Grace. For saving me.”
