“I think she went riding with the duke this morning. This way, we’ll get those pots put away.”
As Caroline followed her out of the room, her thoughts shifted from the handsome stable keeper to Alaina. Spending so much time in the duke’s company unaccompanied could be no wise thing.
What if my plan were to compromise Alaina? What if she falls for the duke so much that she was actually to give herself to him?
Caroline resolved to talk to Alaina again and ward her off from being so alone with the duke. She had seen well enough last night as they spoke together that Alaina was quite taken by the duke, though she had vehemently denied it.
Whatever is happening between them, it cannot last. He is only being kind to her because he thinks she has a dowry, and when he discovers the truth, all semblance of affection between them will vanish. Poor Alaina. Her heart will be broken!
“Psst.” Marianne suddenly took the tray of crockery from her. “If you wish to have a chance to talk to David, then I suggest you take this opportunity now.”
“I beg your pardon? Who said I wish to talk to him?”
Rather than answering her, Marianne just nodded at the window beside them. Caroline turned to see it overlooked the stables. All the young stable boys were walking away from the courtyard, clearly heading towards the kitchen door, ready for their lunch. They left David behind, who was slinging off a waistcoat as he approached the stable building with a pitchfork in his hand, clearly about to muck out the stables.
Caroline’s eyes traced the tall and athletic figure in the heat of the day. He wiped his brow, then stepped inside, out of view. Her heart fluttered so much in her chest that she was so busy thinking about the sensation she neglected to notice Marianne walking off with the tea tray until she was a good distance along the corridor.
“Marianne!” Caroline hissed and raced after her. “I can’t do that.” She shot down the corridor, catching up to Marianne. “Besides, I need to help with Al – with Lady Caroline’s laundry.” Fortunately for her, Marianne didn’t seem to notice the slip she had made.
“I’ll cover you,” Marianne assured her, refusing to give the tray back to her. “Go. Now. Then give me all the gossip this evening.”
Caroline hesitated. She knew it was a bad idea. In fact, it was a very bad idea indeed. Was she not protesting in her head how bad it was for Alaina to spend time alone with a man, and now she was considering doing it herself?
“Go!” Marianne called as she hastened down the corridor again. “We both know you want to.”
“Goodness, I do,” Caroline muttered to herself. She waited until Marianne disappeared at the end of the corridor, then Caroline shot towards the nearest door. She waited for the stable boys to head into the kitchen, muttering loudly between them about how hungry they were. None of them seemed to notice her standing in the shadow of the doorway.
As they passed her, she smiled. It was something she had increasingly discovered while being a maid – it was the ability to disappear and be unseen. There was freedom in the shadows of the room. A freedom she had never known when she had to play the part of Lady Caroline, daughter of an earl.
Once the stable boys had gone, she crept out of the door and into the courtyard. She looked around the grounds, but all was quiet. She could only hear the horses from the stable, a few of them neighing because of the heat of the day.
“Oh, stop overthinking this,” Caroline murmured and crossed the courtyard fast. She balled her hands into her apron, hastening towards the open doorway of the stable. As she stepped into the relatively cool shade, crunching loose straw underfoot, the sight made her fall stock still.
Before her, David had removed his shirt. He was cleaning out the stables, throwing fresh straw and matting into one of the boxes. He hadn’t noticed her at first, leaving her to stare at him in bewilderment.
She had seen drawings of bare men before. They had been in Somerset House, where they were considered art, and in medicinal illustrations she had read in books, but she had never in her life seen the bare torso of a real man before. David’s chest gleamed with sweat from working hard in the middle of the day. His arms, the muscles flexing back and forth, moved fast as he lifted the pitchfork over his head and dumped another loud of straw behind him.
As he did so, he must have caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye, for he flicked his head around to face her.
Those hazel eyes zeroed in on her. Caroline hastily closed her jaw that she realized a beat too late had been hanging open.
“Good day, Miss Alaina.” He bowed to her quite flamboyantly despite the roughness and readiness of his appearance.
Caroline was so stunned that she couldn’t summon any words at all. This was a far cry from the stiff high collars of the shirts and tailcoats worn in the ballrooms and assembly rooms of London.
“Were you looking for me?” he asked, a certain smile on his lips as he stood straight again. “Or enjoying the view?”
Caroline’s breath hitched. No one had ever teased her in such a way before. She was used to men complimenting her and asking for polite dances.
“You can join me if you like.” David gestured to the hay bales. “I might just have to find my shirt first.” He looked around for the shirt, though he seemed to make no great effort to discover it.
“I … I came to find you because the housekeeper is looking for you,” she said hastily. It was a complete invention, a pure lie, but she did not know what else to say. “She needs to speak to you about … about giving the stable boys longer for lunch.”
“She’s right, they should get longer for lunch.” David nodded. “I’ll be sure to send them sooner for dinner in the future.” He leaned against the pitchfork, his smile broad, lighting up those hazel eyes as he stared at her. “Shame, I thought for a minute you had wanted to come and see me yourself.”
“Do not flatter yourself, Mr Barton,” she said tartly. He chuckled deeply.
“No one calls me that, Alaina. Call me David.” He winked at her.
