Dare to Love Read Online Free PDF

for inspiration, she began with an ode to nature.
     
    Birds soar overhead
    on a gentle breeze,
    looping, swirling, without care.
     
    Gliding through the soft blue sky,
    over the lush green leaves
    of the forest below.
     
    Through the trees,
    flowers burst a show of colors,
    enhancing the beauty of the day.
     
    That was certainly not one of her best efforts. Maybe she should consider a new subject. Pondering a moment, she settled on a subject who’d figured prominently in most of her writings.
     
    Who would have thought
    I would appear
    at Vincent Hall
    astride a horse?
     
    Who would have believed
    as the sun warms my skin,
    and the ride thins my waist
    that I would find cheer
    astride a horse?
     
    Who would have guessed
    that despite all my work,
    the man whom I love
    would remain so remote
    astride his horse?
     
    Why would I think, dream,
    believe, guess, or pray
    that a man such as he
    would…
     
    Hmmm, would what? Fall madly in love? No. Be enthralled by my form? Not likely. Drop to his knee and pledge undying devotion? Ugh, that was too much to hope for.
    Fall in love would do for now. Especially since no one else would ever hear it. With a contented nod, she continued her verse.

    Dare was bored. Bored, bored, bored. There was nothing to look at except trees and sky and the nodding of his horse’s head as it meandered down the road. Clop, clop, clop, bored, bored, bored.
    Lord, how he hated the country.
    There was always something in London to keep him entertained, to keep his thoughts at bay. But not here. Surely Nivea could exert some energy to entertain him, instead of bobbing along, smiling to herself. Ignoring him.
    “ Women are here for a man’s pleasure ,” his father had always said. “Their happiness should be solely dependent upon making you happy.” While he did not see eye to eye with the marquess on most things—hell, on scarcely anything—Dare had always been partial to that sentiment.
    He spotted a large oak tree up ahead, split in half long ago by a bolt of lightning. Oh, yes , this would make things interesting.
    He pulled his horse alongside Nivea’s. “We’ll stop here for a brief meal.”
    Startled by his sudden pronouncement, Nivea jerked, causing her horse to dance.
    He flashed her an innocent smile as she got her mare under control. It served her right. If she had been paying attention to him, it wouldn’t have happened.
    “Where do you propose we eat? There’s nothing around for miles.”
    “ Au contraire , I know a charming little spot, just up ahead.”
    As they passed the charred oak, he turned his horse down a narrow trail. The trees were overgrown, but the path was still distinguishable. It wasn’t long before the brush gave way to a clearing. Sunlight filtered through the trees, giving the spot a magical appearance. A grassy area sloped down to a babbling stream, dotted with moss-covered rocks. Tiny white, yellow, and pink flowers bloomed riotously along the banks. In the center of the clearing stood two large L-shaped stones, with a third flat rock between them, forming a table and chairs.
    He had stumbled across the path once when staying with William, and since then, had taken advantage of this inspired location with a number of young ladies. Surely, a brief flirtation with Nivea couldn’t hurt.
    Pulling his horse to a stop in the sundrenched center of the field, he announced, “The innkeeper packed us a lunch. There is bread, cheese, and a jug of cider in my saddlebag. Why don’t you lay out the meal while I take care of the horses?”
    He handed her the bag and led their mounts to the stream for a drink. Tethering them to a stump, he returned to the field to watch Nivea arrange the food on the stone table. Now, the game would begin.
    As she sliced off a sliver of cheese, he removed his gloves and ran his hands through his hair before refastening it back into a neat queue. Women loved his hair—said the sunlight turned it inky blue. And once they had touched