Free Ducal Encounters 01 - At the Duke's Discretion by Wendy Soliman

her thoughts returned to Lord Amos. They had done so with disturbing regularity since the previous day. His disarming smile, elegant manners, and animal vitality had had a profound effect upon her, much as she wished it could be otherwise. If she shared her worries with him, she felt sure he would be able to resolve them for her. She shook her head to dislodge such a whimsical notion. Even if he believed her and took up the cudgels on her behalf, she would have to admit to her culpability, and he would lose all respect for her, always supposing he entertained any. Somehow that thought was more painful than the terrifying prospect of challenging Reece alone.
    She left the honeysuckle and wandered on. No, confiding in anyone was out of the question, especially Lord Amos. Damnation, was that a horse she could hear approaching? She looked over her shoulder and gasped. She recognised the magnificent stallion being trotted along the path she had just walked. She also recognised the man on its back. It was as though her thoughts of Lord Amos had summoned the man himself. Like her, he was hatless, hair as black as his horse’s coat blowing in the wind. He was informally dressed in a white shirt and his habitual tight-fitting breeches, controlling the powerful horse with just one hand, shading his eyes with the other as he glanced around as though looking for someone. Eager not to be caught here alone she picked up her skirts and ran towards the trees. As she breeched their leafy canopy a hand shot out from behind a solid oak and caught her around the waist. She cried out before a second hand was clapped across her mouth, stifling all sound.
    “Miss Brooke,” said the voice she recognised, with a sinking heart, as belonging to Reece. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”
    ***
    Where the devil had Reece disappeared to, Amos wondered as he trotted Warrior across the common. He had kept well back for fear of being seen by him, even though it didn’t appear to occur to the man he might be followed. In any event, he strode along as though late for an appointment and had not once looked back. By the time Amos decided it would be safe to get closer, he had lost the fool. He must have taken the path through the trees, but Amos decided against following his example. There were low branches and rabbit holes everywhere. He would not risk Warrior’s or his own welfare for the sake of chasing shadows.
    “This is a rum affair, Warrior,” he said, shading his eyes against the lowering sun with one hand as he peered in the direction of the woods that separated the common from Sheridan land, thinking he had seen movement in the treeline. “What possible business could he have here?”
    Unless, of course, he had an assignation with a lady. God forbid he was here to meet with Miss Brooke. The thought was abhorrent to him, and Amos dismissed it at once, satisfied he would not be so attracted to her if she had such poor taste. He shook his head and again focused on the treeline, thinking he saw a flash of yellow. He halted Warrior and looked more closely, but there was nothing there. Then a scream rent the air−a scream that was abruptly cut off. Without hesitation, Amos spurred Warrior into a flat out gallop and headed for the trees.
    He arrived to find Miss Brooke lying on the ground, looking dazed. Her forehead was grazed and bleeding.
    “Lord Amos.” She blinked up at him, her eyes clouded, not with pain but fear. “What are you doing here?”

Chapter Six
    “You are perfectly safe now.” Amos slid from Warrior’s saddle and crouched beside Miss Brooke. “Your attacker is gone. Are you harmed? Can you stand?”
    “I was not attacked,” she said quickly, looking down at her torn and dirtied gown, not at him. “I caught my foot in a rabbit hole. It was careless of me.”
    Amos was disappointed she chose not to be honest with him. A simple fall would not occasion the terror evidenced in her eyes. Besides, he knew she had been