Page 45 of Betting on a Duke
Her brother? All the sounds in the room disappeared, and so did all the faces except for Samuel and Lord and Lady Kendall. They were vivid and overwhelming; she thought she might swoon. She closed her eyes briefly, inhaled and exhaled, and pulled herself together. She would not embarrass herself or Samuel by fainting dead away onto the floor. Why had Chesterfield never mentioned having a sister? He had been an enigma. A holder of many secrets.
“Lady Kendall,” Clarice managed to find her voice. “I apologize. Your brother never told me about you.”
Lady Kendall smiled, and her face softened, making her appear younger. “I should be the one apologizing for my brother. You poor thing, being married to that man. Oh, forgive me for speaking plainly, but Chesterfield distanced himself from his family when he inherited the title from my father. Besides occasionally seeing him in public, my family never spoke to him again. It was what he requested, and we abided by it. Sadly, I’m the only one left from my family. But when Iheard word that you were attending this event, I had to approach you.”
“I’m so glad you did,” Clarice said as she smiled and began to get her bearings back.
“Pardon the interruption,” Samuel said, and added, “I didn’t realize you were related to Chesterfield.”
“Yes, well,” Lady Kendall said, “I hardly ever went around admitting to being related to a curmudgeon who didn’t acknowledge his own family.”
Lord Kendall grinned. “I hope it wasn’t too forward of us to approach, but my dear wife just had to speak with you, Lady Chesterfield. Perhaps you would indulge us with a visit. We are staying at the Red Lion Inn.”
Samuel met Clarice’s eyes, smiled and nodded his head, giving her confidence. “Yes. I would like that very much. Lady Rutherford and I are staying there as well. We could meet for tea tomorrow afternoon.”
“Wonderful,” Lady Kendall said. “Will you be joining us, Your Grace?”
“I would enjoy that very much,” Samuel said. “It’s been a while, Lord Kendall, since you entertained me with your tales of when you had a filly racing.”
He laughed. “Yes, my Queenie. She was a beauty. Won the 1000 Guineas as a three-year-old filly. Best race of her life and mine.” He nodded his head. “Until tomorrow.”
Her feet wouldn’t move as she watched the couple walk away, looking happier than they had when they’d first approached. She had a sister-in-law she’d never known about. Life was full of surprises.
“Come,” Samuel said, “let’s get refreshments. I suddenly find myself in need of a glass of wine.”
“I could use one, too,” Clarice said as she took his arm. “I can’t believe Chesterfield had a sister. That man had more secrets than the king’s confidant. How do you know them?”
Samuel plucked two glasses of wine from a servant’s tray. “I met the Earl of Kendall two years ago at Tattersall’s. He has a love of horses as strong as mine. I learned a lot from our conversations there. His filly, Quennie, won the 1000 Guineas Stakes that year. Several weeks later, right before another race, she became sick and died. Kendall believes she was poisoned but couldn’t prove it. His heart was broken, and he’s yet to enter another horse in the races. Perhaps in time, he will.”
“The poor man.” She wasn’t ignorant of the fact that thoroughbred racing was a business where people made fortunes and lost them just as easily. There were dishonest individuals willing to do anything to get ahead or become rich by eliminating the competition. Poisoning racehorses was nothing new. “Do you worry about that happening to you?”
Samuel’s step faltered, and she had her answer. “Yes. I have a stablehand sleeping outside Zeus and Clover’s side-by-side stalls. And during the day, they are never alone. I’m not risking someone poisoning them just because they are fast racehorses. I don’t want to have to deal with what Kendall dealt with.”
“I’m sorry you have this to contend with.”
“Don’t be. I knew when I got into this business that there were bad people. But there are a lot more good people than bad. I try to remember that when I worry about the lives of my horses.” He paused and asked, “Would you care to sit outside in the gardens?”
She smiled and blushed. “Didn’t we already spend time there?”
He chuckled. “Yes, but this time I truly want to sip my wine, resting on a bench with you by my side. I promise to behave.”
She giggled. “Promise me you won’t.”
“Clarice,” he groaned close to her ear, “Are you offering yourself up to me?” The low, deep timbre of his voice made her whole body come alive.
“Samuel,” she said breathlessly. “I would do just about anything tobe held in your arms.”
“Then I will make it my duty to ensure we have enough time alone, away from prying eyes and rumormongering ladies, to hold you close to my heart.” Again with that tone. “And I will make it my goal in life to please you. Pleasure you. Worship your body. Love you every single day until my last breath.”
She fanned her face with her free hand. “You have such a way with words. And when your voice gets all deep and throaty?” She shivered. “It does things to me.”
“It does?” He wiggled his brows up and down, and his nearly-black eyes smoldered. She swore she saw red flames in his irises.
Before she could stop herself, she burst into laughter, then covered her mouth as several people frowned at her. “Perhaps we should head to the gardens before I embarrass myself further with any more laughing outbursts.”
He extended his arm, “Perhaps we should.”
Linking her arm with his, they made their way back out to the gardens. Clarice felt bad about leaving Letitia again, but she was in good hands, standing across the ballroom with Greyson and his sisters. She was quite positive that Letitia was where she wanted to be. Watching her in conversation with them and the way she looked at Greyson with adoration made her wonder if that was how she looked at Samuel. Most likely, since she had loved Samuel most of her life.
