The Duke's Alliance: A Soldier's Bride(47)

'I'm delighted to meet you. This is Zorro, he was given to Perry when he was blind, but now he has transferred his affection to me. Do you not keep dogs here? I've yet to see any wandering about.'

'Beau is not overfond of them, but the others have several. Is your animal aggressive?'

'Not at all, although he is very protective of me. I must go, the first carriage is approaching.'

By the time she had rushed upstairs and Polly had brushed down her skirts she was sure the first arrivals would be there. Why hadn't Perry come to fetch her? She would feel more confident with him at her side.

When she approached the large gallery she could hear laughter, the shrill sound of children in the grand hall below. She was hesitating when her husband arrived at her side.

'There you are, I just went to your room to find you.' He took her hand and led her to the balustrade and leaned over and shouted at the people below. 'Good morning, I cannot tell you how glad I am to be able to see you all.'

There was a tall, dark man very similar to Beau, he must be Bennett who had returned from London, the lovely red-headed young woman holding an infant must be his wife. A toddling child was clinging onto Bennett's leg and babbling nonsense.

'This is my wife, Sofia, I shall bring her down to meet you.'

She was hugged and kissed and welcomed into the family with as much affection as she could have wished. Before they moved to the drawing room the remainder of the family, and their children, trooped in.

Eventually things were a little calmer and she was able to sit quietly with a sleeping child in her lap and observe without being obliged to participate. She recalled that Perry had said he came from a family of attractive individuals and he had not been exaggerating.

Beau joined her on the sofa. 'We are an exhausting lot when altogether, I do not blame you for taking a break from us.'

'It is Perry they have come to see, I am just…'

'You are just what?' The duke was looking at her seriously.

'I was going to say that I am just an unfortunate extra.'

'You are neither of those things, my dear. You are one of the family, as important a member as anyone else. Are you not happy to be Perry's wife?'

'I love him, but I'm not sure that will be enough. I can never be the sort of wife he needs. I feel claustrophobic here, hemmed in, unable to behave naturally. We should never have got married.'

'My brother fell in love with you almost immediately – did you not do the same with him?'

'I should never have done so if I had known who he was.' The child began to stir giving her an excuse to end this awkward conversation. 'Please excuse me, I must return the baby to his mama.'



The house was empty again by two o'clock and she was glad of it. She needed to get out in the fresh air, pretend she was back in Spain, and gallop around the countryside. There must be a suitable mount in the stables she could take.

Polly was elsewhere which was fortuitous as she had decided she would put on her breeches and ride astride. She would not be foolish enough to go out of the park, but today a side-saddle would just not do. She was about to pull them on but hesitated. She was sure that Mama had included a riding skirt, one that was divided into two, this would be a compromise and would surely not offend anyone.

There was a long glass in her dressing room and she viewed herself from all sides. She was satisfied she looked perfectly respectable. The secondary stairs were closer and meant she was unlikely to be seen by her husband or her brother-in-law who must be downstairs somewhere.

After the flurry of visitors the house was quiet and had resumed its gloomy feel. The stables were empty of grooms, which was odd, she must suppose that they were allowed a short break mid-afternoon. This meant she had the pick of the horses.

As always Zorro was beside her and Billy's large head appeared and he whickered a greeting. 'I shall take you, there can be no objection to that as you belong to Perry.'

His saddle and bridle were hanging neatly on the pegs outside his stall and he made no objection to her tacking him up. There was an entrance at both ends of the large building and she led him to the far end in the hope that it would emerge somewhere less public than the stable yard.

'Good, a mounting block, that will make things easier for me.' The horse flicked his ears as if listening to her nonsense. Once settled in the saddle, her feet firmly in the irons, the reins in her hands, she squeezed him gently and he moved away without hesitation.

Billy was a stallion, more than sixteen hands high, and must be considered quite unsuitable for a lady to ride. But a lady would not ride astride which was far safer on a horse of this size. Her lips curved. She had never thought of herself as a lady, but now she was Lady Peregrine Sheldon and part of one of the most prestigious families in the country.

She had noticed on her walk that morning a wide path leading into the wood that surrounded the park. This would be ideal as it was unlikely she would be seen by anyone who happened to be looking out of the windows. Neither Perry nor Beau would be impressed by her behaviour, but if she was to be happy here she must be allowed a certain amount of freedom.

*

Perry had spoken to Sofia's maid first thing so the girl had been aware before his wife of the change of plans. The girl had been told not to speak of it to her mistress. His valet had packed what he would need for two nights in a saddle bag and then his man would follow in the carriage with his trunk.