Page 102 of Winning Her Duke

“I still can’t believe no one knows where she might have gone,” Graham said as he stuffed another biscuit in his mouth.

The thought Hale had struggled to grasp hold of through the night came back to him with a snap.

“No one in the house knows. But I know who might.” With that he left them to go find the information he needed.

The normal peace Hale felt when surrounded by the sweet smell of hay, leather, and horses did not come when he entered the stables this time.

He found Owen easily, brushing out one of the mares. The man greeted Hale with his normal frown and grunt.

“Where is she?” Hale asked, or rather demanded.

“Second stall on the left,” Owen answered.

“No. Not Arabella. Where is Gia? I must see her.”

His frown deepened. “I canna say.” The words were deliberate. He didn’t say he didn’t know.

“But you know where she is. She asked you not to tell anyone. She wouldn’t have left without telling you where she was going.”

Owen shrugged. “She’s given you what you wanted. Now, leave the lass in peace.”

“You don’t understand. I don’t want the horses. I only want her.” He paused.

He’d rather not tell the groom something Gia had not heard yet herself, but it was clear the man would not budge.

“I love her, Owen. Dowry or no, I just want her. Need her. She… She’s my best friend.” Hale put everything into those words. “Please help me find her. She’s under a misapprehension that I only want the horses and she must know the truth. If she still doesn’t want to marry me, I promise I will respect her decision, but she can’t decide based on a misunderstanding.”

Owen’s face had not changed, and Hale wasn’t sure if it was because he only owned the one expression.

“Are you saying you would refuse the dowry? The value of those horses is quite a large sum.”

“Aye. Aye, I refuse the dowry. Please help me, man.”

“I don’t understand why you dinna say ye loved her so this doubt wouldn’t ha kicked up such a fuss.” He crossed his arms impassively.

“You’re right. I should have told her. I got caught up in the moment and missed saying the most important thing. But you must have noticed how much I care about her.” Hale stopped pacing to look the Scotsman in the eye. “You had to have seen how much she means to me. You know I don’t give a bloody damn about any dowry.”

Owen’s mouth lifted on just the one side the smallest fraction. Even that tiny hint of a smile caused Hale to worry the man’s face might splinter and crack.

“Aye. I did think you were true with her, but needed to hear you say it and watch ye answer before offering to help.”

“Now you have the truth. Will you tell me where she is so I can go find the woman I love and tell her?”

“Waverly has a hunting box in Scotland. Right near the border. It’s not rough since the lord spent more of his time there hosting house parties than hunting, but she knew her father wouldna expect her to go there because she’d never gone there before. The stable is quite small.”

“She’s in Scotland?”

“Aye.”

“Thank you, Owen. Thank you.”

With a slap on the man’s back, Hale swept out of the stable and headed to his own mews to ready a carriage.

The last thing he wanted to do after weeks of traveling to and from Scotland was to set off for his homeland yet again, but he would journey to the ends of the Earth if it meant finding Gia and convincing her to marry him.

Chapter Thirty

Gia frowned at the blank canvas in front of her, then squinted at the beautiful valley spread out before her. Everything was lush and green. The stream cut deep curves into the land as it traced a path as old as time.