“And I like him,” the Duke said. “I have always liked cats much more than dogs. They are more independent, and they remind me a lot of myself.”
“Do you also like to be scratched behind the ears?” Bridget teased.
The Duke laughed, his chuckle echoing in the night. The waves on the shore were receding, and the tide was going out. In the morning, the water would be very far out but returning. Bridget looked up when she noticed something flying through the air out of the corner of her eye—perhaps a bat.
“Do you need to return to the house?” the Duke asked. “I can walk you if you like, and we can return Mr. Peaches to safety.”
“Perhaps I can stay out here for a while longer,” Bridget replied. “There is something freeing about being out here when no one else is, and I feel safe with you here with me.”
“Mr. Peaches was walking along a short stone wall when I found him,” the Duke said. “You can see the reflection of the moon on the water when it peeks through clouds from there. Would you sit with me a while?”
“Of course,” Bridget replied.
She watched the Duke and Mr. Peaches out of the corner of her eye as they walked. She still could not get over how much the cat had taken to the Duke and how tender the Duke was with the small animal. He could tame a horse as he rode it and care for a cat in his arms. The scene was so adorable that Bridget wanted to giggle.
Do I misunderstand everyone I meet? I must remember not to have preconceptions when I don’t want people to have them about me.
The Duke took off his jacket when they reached the wall and placed it on the stone. “Sit here. The night does not have a chill.”
“Thank you,” Bridget said, staring at him.
It was dark, and the only light came from her lamp, but it was as if she could see him clearly for the first time. She sat on the wall, happy for a thin layer of warmth to cushion her.
“I must thank you again for my horse ride earlier today. I needed to rest, and I could not. The ride out to the estuary helped to clear my mind so I could think a little straighter. I feel much better for it.”
“You are welcome,” the Duke replied.
Even his voice sounded softer at night, as if dampened by the darkness.
“I want you to know that I shall not repeat our conversation to anyone,” the Duke continued. “I know it was hard for you to talk about your father, and I understand you did not mean to tell me so much, but I will not tell a soul. You have my word.”
Bridget felt her heart beat a little faster. She didn’t want to talk about what they had spoken about or even acknowledge it, but she took some comfort in his words.
“Did you manage to solve all the problems presented to you today?” the Duke asked, changing the subject.
Bridget felt less nervous talking about that compared to her father, even if he was one of the problems she had to solve.
“You have found Mr. Peaches, and that has solved one of the problems. Another was solved very quickly, and a third will have to be solved later.” Bridget did not have to think about the conversation with her father until he returned to the estate or they returned to London. “I do not wish to deal with so many problems, but I want to help people at the same time.”
“I can understand that,” the Duke replied.
Bridget looked out at the reflection of the horizon on the water, a pale zigzagging strip of grey on the rippling water, the moon coming out for a while. She had swum in the cold waters and ridden her horse at speed. Both were freeing in their own way. Now, sat on a wall with the Duke, in the darkness, she found some freedom in that too. It made her heart beat quicker at the thought they might get caught, but it was also something she wanted to do to challenge convention.
Why can a man and woman not sit together alone and not have it mean anything other than they enjoy each other’s company?
“What would people say if they caught us out here like this?” Bridget asked.
“I wouldn’t care,” the Duke admitted. “And I am sure you don’t care much about people’s opinions of you.”
“I don’t,” Bridget confirmed.
“Besides, we have Mr. Peaches as a chaperone. Nothing will happen as long as he has his beady eyes on us.”
Bridget laughed, and her titters echoed into the night.
“We have our freedom, and Mr. Peaches should have his, too,” the Duke announced. He let the cat down and placed him on the wall between them.
“No, he might run.” Bridget reached for the cat, but the Duke held up a hand to stop her.
