“She’s beautiful,” she said softly.
The duke smiled. “She is one of the only horses who has been here since my father’s time.” He swallowed. “I remember her from when I was a boy.”
“How old is she?”
The duke shrugged. “She must be more than ten—fifteen, perhaps?” he frowned. Rosalyn felt her eyes widen.
“That’s a considerable age for a horse.”
“It is,” the duke replied. “She’s an old dear.” He rubbed the horse’s nose again. “I am so glad she is better.”
Rosalyn smiled. “So am I.”
The duke walked down the aisle to the feed room and put his hand into a bag, then drew it out filled with rolled oats. Rosalyn watched as he fed half the handful to Buttercup and then went to Firelight’s stall and fed him. The big, red-coated horse gobbled the oats, lipping the duke’s fingers as he ate. Then he stamped, as if to ask why he was not getting more.
“Greedy thing,” the duke teased him. Firelight snorted.
Rosalyn’s heart twisted as she chuckled with mirth and pleasure. Seeing the two of them interacting was something special. The duke was vulnerable with his horses in ways she had never seen him be with people. He showed them a side that she had never seen before. He seemed to trust them more than he trusted others.
And yet he has shown care to me,she thought, drawing in a breath. When her horse had bolted, or even when she had been cold outside, he had shown a caring, gentle side.
“I shall need to come back here at a later hour,” the duke said, gesturing to the tack room. “Firelight needs a proper brushing. It is one thing for the stable hands to attend to him, but when I do it, it is different. We both need it. That connection.”
“I understand you completely,” Rosalyn said, nodding. “I groom Marmalade too.”
“It is not just about cleaning them and caring for them. It is a way of speaking to them,” the duke explained.
“Yes. I tell Marmalade I love her, but grooming is a way of showing it.”
The duke nodded. “Quite so.”
He held her gaze. Rosalyn stared up into his grey eyes. They were mesmerising, the colour like the snow-clouds that blanketed the sky. His skin was pale in the light from a lamp on the wall.
“Few people understand so well what I mean when I talk of my love of the horses,” the duke said softly. His gaze was soft, his expression serious.
“Few people understand how deep and meaningful the bond can be. Marmalade is like no other—she listens, and she does not judge.” Her eyes dampened as she thought about her beautiful horse, so many miles away in the south.
The duke nodded. “Quite so. Firelight knows so much about me.”
“I used to tell Marmalade all my secrets when I was a girl,” Rosalyn nodded. “She has been with me since I was sixteen.” She smiled, her eyes damp.
“That is a very special thing,” the duke said softly. His gaze held hers and Rosalyn smiled. His expression was intense buttender, and it made her flush with warmth. They had stepped back from Firelight’s stall towards the door, and she shivered. The draft that blew in from the snow outside was icy. The duke frowned.
“You’re cold,” he said softly. “You have no gloves! Miss Rothwell...you’ll give yourself a fever like that.” His tone reprimanded her gently.
Rosalyn smiled a little teasingly. “You, too, are bare-handed.”
He raised a brow. “I am not,” he said, and patted his pocket, where she could see the ends of leather gloves just under the flap. He grinned smugly.
Rosalyn laughed. “I see that I am wrong.”
“Quite so. Now, I am going to escort you to the house. I regret that I must stop at the kitchen...I must give some instructions to our stable master,” he explained. He gestured to the door that led out into the snow, and she stepped out, curling her hands into the sleeves of her coat.
The duke followed her. They walked down the pathway, their steps crunching on the snow. He reached the steps and bowed. “I shall see you upstairs in a few minutes,” he said gallantly.
She smiled and dropped a brief curtsey. She would have given a formal curtsey just days ago, but now—especially after their heartfelt talk about horses—it felt wrong somehow.
“I shall see you upstairs in a moment. I promise to leave some pastries and tea for you.”
