He swung down from his horse and handed the reins to a stable boy waiting outside the tavern. He arrived shortly after midday, grateful for the excuse to be away from the estate.
“Yes, Your Grace,” the lad replied eagerly.
Gabriel turned towards the tavern door before anyone else could stop him from attending to estate business.
The village street bustled with activity as farmers, merchants, and laborers moved between shops carrying baskets and parcels.
The warmth of the tavern greeted him as soon as he walked through the door. Thick wooden beams crossed the ceiling above rough plaster walls stained by decades of smoke from the hearth. The scent of roasting meat, ale, and wood smoke hung heavily inthe air, mingling with the murmur of conversations from local farmers crowded around scarred oak tables.
Several patrons glanced up as Gabriel entered, tipping their hats respectfully before returning to their meals. In one corner, a fiddler played quietly while a pair of elderly men argued over cards. The entire place felt wonderfully ordinary.
“Well, there you are.”
Gabriel turned at the familiar voice and found John Hunt seated at a table near the fireplace. The physician lifted his tankard in greeting, amusement already dancing in his eyes.
Gabriel crossed the room and settled into the chair opposite him. “You look disappointed to see me,” Gabriel observed dryly.
John grinned. “Not disappointed. Merely curious. Why did you wish to meet at the tavern?”
Before Gabriel could answer, a plump serving wench hurried over, wiping her hands on her apron.
“Your Grace,” she said with a curtsy, “what will it be?”
Gabriel glanced towards John. “Stew, bread, cheese, and ale.”
John nodded. “The same for me. If we’re dining with a duke, we may as well do it properly.”
The woman laughed and hurried away to place their order.
John folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. “Now answer the question.”
“I merely needed to get away from the house for a while.”
John’s eyebrows climbed. “From your own house?”
Gabriel shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”
John continued studying him in a way Gabriel found deeply irritating.
Unfortunately, the physician knew him too well.
I have no intention of admitting that the true reason involves a governess with a dangerous smile and entirely too much courage.
The mere thought of Amelia standing between him and a charging bull would not have surprised him in the slightest. Worse still, the image of her occupied his thoughts far more often than was appropriate. A man of his standing should not be contemplating kissing his governess.
“You are avoiding something,” John said knowingly.
“I should have been avoiding you.”
“No, that is merely a pleasant joke,” John said with an arched brow.
Gabriel sighed heavily while John looked entirely pleased with himself. There were moments when Gabriel questioned why they had remained friends.
“I’ve been cooped up too long, and that is all. I needed a good ride, some fresh air, and to see to some accounts,” Gabriel said finally. “Besides, I’ve invited you to dine here with me because I’ve come to extend an invitation.”
That captured John’s attention. “An invitation?”
“A ball.”
