His powerful black stallion moved effortlessly beneath him, racing through the tall grass with elegant strength. The setting sun illuminated him in gold and bronze, catching the broadlines of his shoulders and the dark wind-tossed hair that refused to remain perfectly neat. He sat his horse with complete confidence, as though horse and rider belonged together. The sight was unexpectedly breathtaking. Amelia had seen handsome men before, but somehow, Gabriel seemed carved from the landscape itself.
The horse surged forward. Gabriel leaned slightly into the movement. Amelia felt an entirely inappropriate flutter low in her stomach. This was becoming a problem.
A very serious problem.
Because she was no longer merely noticing that Gabriel was attractive. She was noticing everything. The way he moved. The way he looked at people when he thought they were not paying attention. The rare smiles that transformed his face completely. Even his ridiculous habit of pretending not to care while secretly caring far too much.
“Oh dear,” Amelia murmured.
The horse carried him closer. For one alarming moment, she thought he might have seen her. The possibility sent a rush of heat straight to her cheeks.
Amelia turned around. That seemed like the safest possible solution. If she could not see Gabriel, perhaps her heart would stop behaving absurdly. She gathered her skirts and headed briskly back towards the house. The entire walk, she resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder.
By the time she reached the manor doors, she was thoroughly annoyed with herself. Because the truth was becoming impossible to ignore.
She had come to Anderton Manor determined to build an independent future.
Finding a stubborn duke with trust issues to be the most attractive man I have ever known definitely was not part of the plan.
Chapter Seventeen
Gabriel had intended to spend the day in the village alone, a decision that had seemed sensible when he made it at breakfast and increasingly necessary as the morning progressed. There were tenant disputes to settle, repairs to approve, and accounts to inspect, all of which he could have handled through correspondence if he had chosen to remain at the estate.
Yet remaining at the estate now felt like an entirely different kind of problem, one that involved Amelia Shirley moving through his corridors, distracting him. He told himself this was the reason for his departure as he stepped toward the front hall, gloves in hand and patience already thinning. The household was quieter than usual, which only made the thought of her presence more distracting than it should have been.
He had barely reached the door when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by three voices speaking at once. Gabriel turned to find David, Valerie, and Amelia approaching with the kind of determined energy that suggested he was about to be outnumbered.
David looked hopeful, Valerie composed but watchful, and Amelia entirely too certain of herself for someone who should have learned restraint by now.
“Your Grace, Mrs. Jacobs mentioned you were going into the village? We would like to accompany you,” Amelia announced before he could speak, folding her hands neatly as though the matter were already settled.
Gabriel stared at her for a moment, then at the children, before responding in a tone designed to end discussion.
“No,” he said simply, adjusting his gloves as though that single word should suffice.
Valerie stiffened at his refusal, though she said nothing while David shifted from foot to foot with visible disappointment.
Amelia, however, did not retreat as expected, instead stepping slightly closer with the calm persistence that had begun to irritate and intrigue him in equal measure.
“It would be good for Valerie,” she said quietly, tilting her head as though offering him a reasonable suggestion rather than a challenge, “and for David as well. Fresh air, people, normality.”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes slightly, recognizing that she had chosen her words carefully.
“This is not a social excursion,” he replied, glancing toward the carriage outside, already anticipating complications he had not invited.
Amelia lowered her voice further, leaning just enough that only he could hear, “It will help with her debut anxiety.”
That, unfortunately, was a weak point she had learned to exploit with irritating accuracy. Gabriel exhaled slowly through his nose, already regretting the direction of this conversation. Valerie looked between them, clearly aware that her future was being used as leverage though she made no move to object. David tugged lightly at Amelia’s sleeve as if silently supporting her argument, which Gabriel found even more concerning than the argument itself. After a moment of silence, he gave a short, resigned gesture toward the carriage.
“Fine,” he said at last, though the word sounded more like surrender than agreement, “but this is unnecessary.”
Moments later, the journey began in uneasy silence, but Gabriel quickly found that silence was not what he had been granted. Amelia sat opposite him, composed yet noticeably more aware of him than she attempted to show, while Valerie and David occupied the seats beside her.
Gabriel kept his gaze fixed outside the window for as long as possible, though he was uncomfortably aware of every small movement Amelia made. When he finally glanced at her, he noticed the new dress, the one she had been given that he hadn’t intended to make a point of interest.
“You are wearing it,” he remarked without thinking, immediately wishing he had not spoken at all.
Amelia looked down briefly, smoothing the fabric as if suddenly conscious of it.
