Dare to Love (3 page)

If she had ever doubted her aversion for riding, today solidified it. How could anyone enjoy being bounced around on such an ungainly beast? Every inch of her felt bumped and bruised. Thank goodness, she would never have to go through that again.

The water was starting to get cold when there was a knock on the door.

“Supper is ready, miss,” the maid called out. “I will help you get dressed so you can join his lordship.”

Nivea was too tired to eat, but spending time in Dare’s presence was tempting enough to drag her from the bath. She let the maid help her into her least rumpled gown and then headed across the hall.

Dare was standing by the window with his snuffbox in hand. Even without a valet, he looked impeccable. It was so unfair.

She gingerly took her place at the table, her posterior so sore, she wasn’t certain she could sit through the meal. It was evident that Dare was not experiencing a similar sensation. Without offering a word of conversation, he sat across from her, his posture erect, his movements precise, as formal as he would at Court. This time, Nivea was too tired to care.

She picked at the roast turkey and forced down a few potatoes, before giving in to exhaustion. Laying her fork aside, she asked, “May I assume we will wait here for the carriage tomorrow?”

“I am afraid not.”

What?
“But I thought you said we would be more comfortable.”

“Yes, we will. Mr. Ludlow has acquired two passable horses for us…with saddles. It will ease our ride considerably. The carriage will no doubt catch up with us by mid-day, but it would not be prudent to wait.”

The news sapped the last of Nivea’s energy. “Please excuse me. I would like to retire now,” she mumbled.

“Yes, of course.” Dare stood and walked her to the door. “We will leave at eight o’clock, so don’t dawdle getting ready.” He bowed as she passed through the doorway, missing her blazing glare of contempt.

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.

“Nivea, may I have a word with you?”

At the sound of tapping, Nivea jerked out of a sound sleep and yanked the covers up under her chin.

They had arrived at the small posting house just after dusk. Once again posing as brother and sister, they acquired adjoining rooms. Nivea had managed to stumble through supper before falling asleep on the bed before the maid had even left the room. If it weren’t for the sun streaming through the window, she would have guessed she’d been resting for an hour or so.

Another rap. “Nivea, are you awake?” Dare whispered through the door.

‘Ummm, yes?” she squeaked, terrified he would come in and see her disheveled from sleep.

“I need to speak with you. Please make yourself presentable and join me in the sitting room.”

Apparently, their appalling mode of travel was not having a negative effect on Dare. He was up and ready to go. She listened to his boots stride away before swinging her feet from the bed. She flinched as her throbbing muscles reacted to the sudden movement. Slowly rising, she staggered to the dresser to drag a brush through her hair and throw on the clothes that had been laid out the night before. After a few tugs, her cobalt-striped dress fell into place.

She then flopped on the bed and leaned over to tie her boots. And stopped.

Hmm, that was interesting.
She could easily reach her feet without forcing the breath out of her lungs.

She sat up, then bent down again. And giggled.

Standing up, she wiggled. Yes, there was definitely a little more room around her waist. She pulled on a blue Spencer that matched her gown and buttoned it under her breasts. Even that was easier, causing less strain on the buttonhole. How marvelous!

Granted, she still felt like she’d been mauled by a bear, but it appeared all the exercise was doing her some good. Maybe all this horse riding wasn’t so bad.

Oh, good lord
. Surely, after twenty-five years of living with the most nutty of all equestrians, she wasn’t going to become a horse fan simply because she dropped a pound or two. No doubt her exhaustion over the past few days had just curtailed her appetite. She’d practically landed facedown into her stew last night, after all.

Whatever the cause, she was grateful for the change. Giving a satisfied glance in the mirror, she danced across the hallway. Dare was seated at the table, set with a hearty breakfast. He stood when she entered, but he did not look directly at her. She plopped down into the chair and stared at him.

He indicated toward the food. “Please, have some of the breakfast cakes. They are quite tasty.”

“No, thank you,” she answered. She knew she was being silly, but couldn’t suppress a flash of irritation that he hadn’t noticed her slight physical change. Crossing her hands in her lap, she stilled. He’d said he needed to speak with her and she had a sneaking suspicion it would not be good news.