She dipped into a quick curtsey, wanting to curse the fluttering in her stomach, nay, they were everywhere in her body. Thankfully upon rousing a couple hours ago she had been alone in the room with only an eager Molly to render assistance.
“It is a perfectly wonderful morning for riding. I fancy I can smell the sea air from here.”
The damnable curiosity, or awareness should have died away, instead it had multiplied. The dark green riding habit was one specially made with breeches replacing the pleated skirts. It molded to her figure leaving little to the imagination. To Theo’s mind, it was perfectly freeing and wonderful. She sauntered toward him, nodded gracefully, and went around to the horse.
“What a beauty,” she crooned, touching the horse’s nose before pushing her foot through the stirrup, grabbing the pommel, and hauling herself with perfect ease onto the saddle without calling for the mounting blocks.
She cast him a sidelong glance and tossed her head. “What men can do…women can do.”
Sebastian turned away but she spied the barely there smile before it vanished from her sight.
“I’ve sent the carriages ahead. I hope to reach Brighton by noon,” he said, turning his horse down the driveway, turning him into a trot.
Theo followed suit, easily keeping pace with the duke. Tension radiated from his frame, the hands gripping the reins were stiff, his top hat shadowing his face so Theo could not even hazard a guess as to what he might be feeling.
“Your Grace…” Theo began, only to stop when he looked at her.
The duke might be silent, but his eyes shone with his private agony. Last night he had been a scoundrel, and she’d done her best to sleep without thinking of how close he slept or what he wanted from her. He hadn’t taken up her offer to speak, and she had thought this morning of any way she could relieve his worry. A part of her questioned why she was so concerned about a man she hardly knew, but it was also against her nature to see someone’s worry and ignore their distress.
The gentle breeze lifted the tendrils of hair from her forehead. “I know you are very worried about Perdie, Sebastian,” she murmured.
The duke did not reply but remained silent. Theo could not take offense, unable to imagine the fear he and his mother must currently endure.
He drew his horse to a halt suddenly. “Rakes are notorious for preying on young, inexperienced girls.”
Theo slowed her mount to a stop. “Is that what you’ve been thinking? That a bounder has seduced Perdie into running away?”
Piercing blue eyes swung back to her. “It is a possibility.”
“If I might put forth an opinion, Your Grace, I do not believe your sister to be a lady of such easy persuasion. She loves Lord Owen very much and was quite pained in imagining a life without him. If she had another admirer, I would be most surprised.”
A frown split the duke’s brow. “Would you have believed her capable of running away from home?”
“No.”
“Then how can you trust anything she had ever told you in the past?”
From the low throb in his voice, she understood then how much Perdie’s actions had hurt their brotherly and sisterly bond. The duke possibly now distrusted every moment that had passed between himself and Perdie. A sadness pierced Theo’s heart. “I believe your sister felt trapped…”
A tic jerked in his jaw. “Trapped? She got everything she has ever asked for! Even when I thought her too young to be engaged, she cried and pled for weeks until I relented and agreed to the betrothal. And perhaps that was my grave mistake. I indulged and spoilt her, and she has repaid that love and care to her family with selfish disregard of how they might worry. She also disregarded any thoughts for her reputation and her family’s position within society.” Urging his mount forward, he calmly said, “Forgive my outburst. It is nonsensical to speak of what could have been done differently.”
Theo was almost impressed how easily he controlled that raw bust of emotion, smoothing his face into a mask of implacable politeness. They trotted for a few more paces, and she noted the tension still held his shoulders rigid. The imagination could be a cruel thing indeed, and as older protective brothers were wont to do, he would not be thinking that she was safe and happy somewhere. It was easier to imagine the worse, facing the horror of it to prepare oneself.
“Your Grace…Sebastian…”
He slowed his horse, glancing at her at the intimate use of his name.
“Would you like to race?”
He stared at her, clearly surprised. Of course, she wouldn’t tell him she wanted to save his mind from the worry he was endured.
“Race you?”
“Yes.”
“I am an incomparable rider, Theodosia. You’ve already lost.”
She scoffed. “Your arrogance truly knows no bounds.”