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Reins yanked from his grip, and pain tore through his arms as though they were being ripped from their sockets.

The world lurched.

Sky.

Horses.

Wood

Ground.

Everything spun.

And then it all went black.

37

Theo

Theo scrawled her signature on the update she’d just penned to Rafe—His Grace—regarding the estate. She’d kept it completely professional, no hint of inappropriate emotion despite quite a few of those emotions still running rampant through her.

Things were going very well. The quarries were up and running, and within a few months’ time royalties would start trickling in. In no time at all, it would be like the fire never happened. It would be like the Duke’s visit never happened. Which was perfect, really.

Upward and onwards. Chin held high.

Theo did not get weak over a man. That was preposterous. Did she hold some ire for how His Grace ran away like a coward after their argument? Perhaps.

Iron Duke, my arse. If he was an Iron Duke, why did he possess a spine made of tin?

She stood and placed her letter on Perry’s desk. “Please have this posted.”

Perry looked up. “Are you leaving?”

“I’m going to take some air. I’ll be back later.”

He nodded, and she grabbed her coat and left. She needed to walk. She was too twitchy to sit still. Her thoughts were too loud. Leo would be stopping by to see to Zephyr. Seeing a friend would be a perfect distraction.

You want your freedom. So when I leave you can slink right off to Mr. Turner’s bed.

And just like that, her blood was back to boiling. The audacity. She ground her teeth. And so what if she did? Men did that all the time. What did the man expect? After their arrangement was over, she was, what? Supposed to be celibate for the rest of her life? As though he wouldn’t have every other woman in London in his bed. Did he forget how he’d arrived here and immediately assumed he’d have her in his bed?

She was huffing by the time she approached her cottage, not having realized how fast a pace she’d been walking at. She slowed, attention falling on Leo’s large mount. A little of her turmoil eased.

Theo stepped into the open barn doorway and leaned against the frame. Zephyr was tied up in the open space, standing patiently, one foreleg squeezed between Leo’s knees.

Zephyr whinnied, stretching her neck toward Theo. Leo glanced over his shoulder from where he was hunched over, scraping away at the hoof. A smile split his face. “Miss Dawson.” He turned back and finished what he was doing, then gently released her horse’s leg.

He dusted his hands on his leather apron. “Just have the one hoof left. Wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“I needed some air. I appreciate you doing this for me.”

He shrugged. “Of course. You know I don’t mind. What are friends for?”

“I would say not typically for shoeing horses.”

Leo’s grin widened. “Touché. I must be an extra good chum.”

Theo snorted softly even as her heart panged. “You truly are,” she said softly, gaze dropping to her boots. “One of a kind, I think.”