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And by God, he was going to attain it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Albert decided that there was only one way around his current predicament. The little game of hiding that he had been playing with Edwina needed to stop, and he was determined to seek her out and make her talk to him. If he wished to marry this woman, then he must know who she truly was and what she was running from.
He knocked gently on her bedroom door, and when he heard her voice call out, he walked into the adjoining sitting room.
"I finally found the hairpin underneath Kitty's painting supplies chest, Danny,” she called out from the bedchamber. He glanced around the room, searching for her lady’s maid but there was no one there. She must think it was the maid in the sitting room. "I think Puppy pulled it under." Her soft laugh rang out, curling around him like a lovely ribbon.
"Is there anything that four-legged creature will not touch?” He called as he strode across the sitting room to the bedchamber. She appeared to be in the dressing room, and he ventured in, not caring about propriety. Such a thing did not exist between them.
A little gasp came out of her when she saw him fill the dressing room doorway. Their eyes met in the mirror. She was seated at the dressing table, her golden hair half cascading down her shoulders while she held the other half up with her hand, ostensibly trying to secure it in place with the hairpin she had been talking about.
She made quite the picture, he thought. Perfect beyond his imagination. He was suddenly overtaken by the urge to draw her into his arms, bury his hand in that glorious golden mass, tilt her head back, and trail kisses down the slender column of her neck.
"I thought you were Danny,” she said, her eyes wary.
He went to stand behind her, his eyes never leaving hers through the mirror. "May I?" He held out his hand for the hairpin. If he could not revel in its silken richness and the softness of her skin against his lips, then he would touch her in some other way, and the only option he had at the moment was to assist her with her hair. "The hairpin," he added when she raised her brows in question.
She hesitated for a second before giving it to him. He allowed his fingers to linger when they brushed hers as he took the pin, delighting in the lovely pink color that was staining her cheeks. It would be so easy to lock the doors and seduce her. But that was not what he had come here for. There would be time for seduction.
Taking the mass of hair from her hand, he deftly braided it before securing it next to the other half that she had already pinned. “There.”
"How are you so good at this?" She turned her head from side to side, admiring what he had done. Albert only gave her a lopsided smile. There had been many women in his life, and he was certain she did not wish to know what he had done with their hair. Neither would she believe him if he told her that hers was the one he liked the most.
“Where did you learn to braid hair like that?” she insisted, smiling at him through the mirror.
“Well, I used to grow my hair,” he replied. It was true, but not the real reason he had learned to braid.
“Why do I not believe you? Something tells me you are keeping most of this story to yourself.”
“What are you willing to pay to hear it?” he challenged her, a deliciously wicked thought coming to his mind.
“Must I pay?” She turned in her seat to look up at him.
“The best things in life often have a price, Darling.” He gently stroked her cheek. “If you would allow me to kiss you until you cannot breathe, then I shall tell you my secret.”
Her face reddened and she looked away. “That is quite a high price, don’t you think?”
He shrugged. “High, maybe, but not impossible. Perhaps we can discuss more on this at another time.” He offered her his hand, happy she was at ease around him once more even though there was still a little wariness in her eyes. He would not broach the topic of his rejected proposal. Today he would endeavor to draw her out, convince her that she could trust him again.
"Right now, there is somewhere I would like to take you,” he added.
"Where?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.
"I did promise to show you my stud, did I not? Perhaps I can still change your mind about interbreeding. I am willing to take that risk.”
A sly smile spread across her lovely face. "And how impressive is this stud that one look at them would change my mind?"
"Impressive enough to be a start," he said, pulling her to her feet and leading her out of the rooms.
"You are too confident, Your Grace. Such confidence cannot be healthy.” She laughed.
At the stables, Rufus was only too glad to do the bragging for his master, and he did his best to tell her everything she needed to know about the horses. Although not much needed to be said as the animals seemed to have spoken for themselves. Edwina appeared impressed from the start.
Albert found himself swelling with pride. Not at his herd, but at her knowledge when she began making intelligent observations and exchanging opinions with Rufus. He wanted such a woman in his life as his Duchess.
"Most race masters favor the Arab," Rufus announced, feeding the gray Arab stallion they were examining some sugar cubes while he ran a proud hand over the horse's back.
