Читать книгу Dare to Love - Alleigh Burrows - Страница 8

Dare neglected to tell Nivea that he had been given the option of a carriage, but turned it down for the freedom of riding on a well-bred horse. He had forgotten how pleasant it was riding unrestricted through the countryside. While Nivea wasn’t the trial he had expected, he preferred not being cooped up inside with her.

Aware she was uncomfortable, he stopped more often than he would have needed. No point in abusing the girl too much, since all she wanted was to see her sister’s wedding. A noble sentiment, considering her sister was five years younger than she, and her with no hint of a marriage prospect.

His sisters had all been married by the end of their first season. Not hard to do considering they were all reasonably attractive, well-mannered, and dowried. And, of course, their father wouldn’t have had it any other way. Whether they were happy or not, was not an issue. They had done their duty and continued to do so, breeding a son or two as expected.

No doubt, they had all assumed Dare would have done the same by now too, but marriage was something he was determined to avoid at all costs, at least for the next dozen years or so. Narrowly missing the parson’s trap with Constance Abbington had convinced him of that. And raising children was a nightmare he refused to contemplate. At some point, he would have to produce heirs, but once they arrived, they could stay buried in the country with their mother.

It was disheartening how many of his friends had already succumbed to marriage. Then again, they had never had the opportunity to enjoy the unmarried state as he did.

William Horsham, his closest friend, had little talent with women. He had a heart of gold and Dare loved him like a brother, but the man was no conversationalist. How his wife managed to pry any communication from him that did not involve horses, he could not fathom.

Then there was Joseph Duxbury. Charming and witty, he could be counted on to liven up any room. If only the man had an ounce of fashion sense. He had prided himself on being a dandy, but in truth was an overdone peacock. Fortunately, his wife had managed to tone down his abominable choice of colors, or at some point Dare’s eyes would have jumped out of their sockets and gone running down the street in agony.

Thomas Godwin, who was no means a friend, leg-shackled himself to Abby Abbington. He shuddered to think how she could bear to look upon his scarred visage day upon day. If Dare had married Constance, he would have been forced to associate with her brother-in-law on far too many occasions.

It still stung to know Constance had tossed him over for a crippled soldier, but fortunately, her foolishness freed him up to continue his rakish lifestyle.

And he enjoyed that lifestyle at every turn. After all, a man with his looks, wealth, and title had no trouble attracting women. His pool of prospects was expansive, helped in no small measure that he made no distinction when it came to class or social status. Kitchen help or countess, it did not matter as long as they were attractive and willing. And with the slightest effort on his part, they were always willing.

There was one category of women he excluded from his conquests. He had learned not to be too pleasant to debutantes and their ilk. Not only was their innocence bland and unappealing, but showing them interest led to dangerous situations. He’d almost been trapped by several young ladies who, dazzled by the allure of becoming a marchioness, were willing to risk their reputations with a known rake. Yes, he’d made a few foolish missteps in the past, but now he knew better.

That was why he exerted such little effort entertaining Nivea. A woman of her age? Ho, no, he was not stupid enough to risk building up her hopes.

She should be content he agreed to accompany her this week, instead of haranguing him like a fishwife. He couldn’t imagine what had gotten into her during their stop at Bunch of Grapes. She was usually such a biddable thing.

That’s why he had intended to issue her a proper set down, skewering her with his most insulting expression. She needed to understand her role—travel companion, nothing more.

But when he had given her his full attention, he’d made an unexpected discovery.

She was no beauty, that much was certain, but she wasn’t as plain as he remembered. Her outfit of dark green was quite stylish. The sunlight that had been streaming through the window had transformed her mousy brown hair to a golden chestnut. It had curled around her face, highlighting the soft pink tint of her cheeks. But it was her eyes that had caught his attention. Flashing with anger, they had sparkled a sapphire blue.

He had been surprised by the fire he’d spotted lurking behind her benign facade, and it had caused him a moment of speechlessness. A rare occurrence indeed. Fortunately, he had been able to recover and regain the upper hand by threatening the one thing women couldn’t abide—being abandoned by a man.

Now that he’d set her straight, she wouldn’t use such a tone with him again, of that he was certain. Content, he gave his horse a sharp tap of his boots.

* * * *

Nivea was horrified when Dare disappeared around the bend. Too tired and sore to even consider catching up to him, she let her horse plod along. That she was so undesirable he couldn’t even stay within shouting distance was just too much. It was not as though she wasn’t aware of it every second of the trip.

Her overwhelming frustration was more painful than the ride itself. She had planned so hard for this. She had suffered through dress fittings, had her hair yanked and tugged into fashionable coiffures designed to dazzle, and had even rehearsed engaging small talk in a desperate attempt to secure his affection.

As always, she wondered why she should be so steadfast in her desire for a man so completely out of her reach. But she only had to remember that day fifteen years ago when he first appeared at her house.

Her brother had invited him to stay with them during summer break from Harrow School. Having missed her brother tremendously while he was gone, she had jumped up from her desk when she heard him arrive and raced down the hall. She had halted at the top of the stairs and watched as William strode in, his face wreathed in smiles.

Switching her gaze to the boy next to him, her heart had stopped. Never had she seen a boy so beautiful. She had known it was not a word you were supposed to associate with the male gender, but no other description would fit. He had been tall, towering over her brother by about six inches. Where William was softly rounded, this boy had the lean form of a man. His dark hair had caught the rays of the sun coming through the windows and gave it the look of a sleek cat. His face was firm and strong, with full lips, a straight nose and the most striking black eyes she had ever seen.

She had frozen on the stairs, unable to descend. She hadn’t been a shy girl, but she certainly hadn’t been worldly enough to converse with this vision of manliness. She’d hurried back to the classroom, hoping by dinnertime she’d be composed enough to utter a coherent thought. Unfortunately, in the hours, days, and years to follow, that had never happened.

Instead, she had spent countless afternoons sitting near them, watching them play. Dare had been rather remote even then, but it made him all the more intriguing, like a hero in her penny-dreadful novels.

On a few fortunate occasions, William had invited her to join them. The boys had pretended to be knights, battling to free her from a hunter’s cabin in the forest. Dare had obviously enjoyed the swordplay much more than the rescuing, but inevitably, he’d break through the door and carry her to safety. Once outside, he had twirled her around, crowing in triumph. It had always made her feel so special, like a princess saved by a hero.

Then came the fateful day when he become her real-life hero, rescuing William from nearly drowning in the lake. That was the summer she had lost her heart to him completely.

Yet now, as adults, he barely acknowledged her existence.

She had hoped things would change when her father married Amelia Abbington. Once Amelia had heard Nivea had feelings for the elusive Lord Landis, she had been eager to play matchmaker. An odd twist, considering it was her own daughter who had nearly married Dare several years ago. But then Constance shocked the ton by marrying an old beau, and Nivea was once again free to dream.

When her sister’s wedding was announced, Lady Horsham saw it as the perfect opportunity for Nivea to catch Dare’s eye. She’d swept Nivea under her wing and transformed her into, if not a swan, at least a fairly attractive duck. She convinced the family to retire to their country home to prepare, leaving Nivea in London. It had only taken a brief conversation with William, suggesting that Dare would be an ideal escort to bring her home, and the plan had been set in motion.

“Voila! It is foolproof,” her stepmother had declared. “He is certain to fall for you by the time you reach Durham.”

Nivea had her doubts, but had been caught up in her enthusiasm. Then Dare’s fool carriage had broken down. And she had to ride a cursed horse for hour after painful hour. Her clothes were dusty and her hair bedraggled and her mood soured. She was so miserable, she could barely look Dare in the eye, let alone draw him into meaningful conversation. It was so unfair! The only thing that kept her going was the knowledge that she would be home soon, back with her family who loved her.