Page 36 of A Duke's Wicked Secret
“Please do not mention it! Here, put your arm around my shoulder, and I will help you onto my horse.”
Theo helped the viscount up and onto General’s back, then took the reins and led them back towards his estate. It would be a long walk back, not only because they had ventured so far into the forest for their hunt, but also because they had to go slowly to ensure the viscount did not fall off his mount.
They spoke of different topics to make the time pass more quickly. After a long pause, the viscount broke it with a question.
“Your Grace, may I ask you a more personal question? Or rather, more of an observation? I noticed before we saw the buck that you looked pained at the mention of your father. I am sorry if I brought up painful memories. That was not my intention.”
“Not at all. To be entirely truthful, yes, I was pained, but not because it was a painful memory, but rather a happy one. And recalling that time hurts.”
“I have lost both of my parents, and I know how much that can cause pain when you remember life when they were there with you.”
“It is just that my parents were so happy and loved each other so deeply. When my father lost my mother, it was more than he could bear.” Theo reflected on the memory.
“I am so sorry for your pain and the experiences revolving around that time.”
Again, both men were silent for the rest of the slow walk home. Theo thought how the day had not gone at all as he and Alexander had planned, but that he still felt like he and the viscount had become closer. He also wondered if the viscount still considered him to be mad. Finally, they arrived back at The duke’s estate. The servants saw them from the distance and hurried to see what had gone awry.
“I am fine, truly I am. It was not more than a scratch.”
“I am very glad that you were not injured more seriously. I will have a chaise readied to take you home. May I offer you anything else for your injuries?” Theo asked.
“No, I will be all right. What actually was wounded the most was my pride, but I am sure I will recover and perhaps you and I can keep this between us. If my wife finds out that the mare threw me, she will want the poor beast sold, and she does not deserve such ill treatment.”
“I would never dream of it, though I imagine your mare has long since beat you home, so you may need to tell your stable boy to be mum about it,” Theo suggested. The viscount threw his head back laughing.
“Damn, if you are not right! I had not thought of that, yet I will be sure to do so. Well, Your Grace, thank you for an eventful morning, and perhaps we can try this again sometime and have better luck then!”
“Agreed. That will be a hunt I look forward to!”
“Well, how about you come over tomorrow morning, and we can hunt on my land, and if Mr Davenport is feeling recovered, he can join us?”
“I am sure he would love that, and I will,” Theo said. “I will be there bright and early ready to hunt, most assuredly!” Theo waved goodbye to the viscount and watched as the chaise pulled away. He felt good about the fact that even with the mishap of this hunt, the viscount still wished to go hunting with him once again. Hopefully, this next hunt would not have any mishaps!
Chapter 15
Penelope spent the entire course of her morning ride thinking of Theo’s hunt with her father, worried about how it was going. She hated that she could not just rush up to her father when he returned and badger him with an onslaught of enquiries about it so that she could know if it had been successful.
How would she get the answers she sought without letting on to the true intention of her interest in his hunt? Penelope was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed that she was now back at her and Theo’s magical glen.
Penelope slid off Phoenix’s saddle and sat for a while by the creek, but this only made her think of the times she had spent there with Theo, and this just made her miss him and worry all the more about how things were going with him and her father.If he cannot gain my father’s favour, how will we ever be together? I could not bear it to lose him. My heart is set on him!
Later in the hour, she finally turned back towards home, and when she arrived there, Penelope saw that Theo’s chaise had just left and her father was about to walk into the stables.
Penelope rode over to the stables, dismounted, and handed Phoenix’s reins to George, the stable hand.
“Good morning, Papa! I am surprised to see you back so soon from your hunt. Why was The duke’s chaise here?” Penelope enquired.
Usually, her father would have lectured her for riding alone in the morning (and more importantly letting him see her return), but this morning, he seemed to forget the family rules on the matter and just said, “Ahh, I took Ruby this morning, and the silly girl decided to end her hunt earlier than planned. Mention nothing of this to your mother, and I will do the same about you.”
“All right, Papa,” Penelope agreed, smiling as she kissed him on the cheek. “Well, other than that, how was your time this morning?”
“It honestly was quite enjoyable. We are going to hunt here tomorrow morning, and if luck is with us, we will have a kill by the end of it.”
“Oh, that is nice. I am sure you all will have good fortune tomorrow. Well, I must go and change before breakfast. I will see you in a bit, Papa,” Penelope said.
“I am about to do the same, my girl, see you then.”
Penelope turned and forced herself to keep a completely calm composure until she reached the safety of her chambers where she broke out in a huge smile of joy and twirled around as she giggled and landed on her bed, laying on her back with her arms spread out. After a few moments of taking it all in, she got up and pulled her journal out so that she could share all that had transpired.
