To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield Read Online Free PDF

first.”
      Harlow eyed the cards and prayed for faro. “How?”
    “Whoever draws the highest card gets to pick the first challenge, and so on.” Marcus spread the cards on the small side table, and indicated to Caitlin. “Ladies first.”
    She picked one and Harlow noted her lips turn up slightly. He could read her like a book.  
    At his turn he drew a card and, without looking, turned it face-up on the table. From the expression on Caitlin’s face, and Larissa’s sigh, he knew he’d drawn the higher card.  
    “I should have warned you, Lady Southall,” Larissa purred. “He always wins. It’s one of his most annoying traits.”  
    He let a hint of smugness enter his tone. “The game of faro will be the first challenge.”
    He watched Caitlin’s back straighten and her mouth firm into a grim line. “Then I demand a sennight to learn how to play.” She stared at him, animosity glittering in her eyes. “And I expect you to teach me. You boasted that you’re the best player. If that is true then I want to learn from the best. What’s more,”—she lifted her chin—“St. Giles can be there to ensure you are teaching me properly.”
    Henry nodded his head in acquiescence.
    Harlow gritted his teeth. A week in her company was likely to drive him insane. “Where do you propose we meet in order for me to teach you? You cannot come here. My mother returns tomorrow—”
    “Well, you can’t come to the Manor. My father would likely shoot you on sight. We don’t have to vacate the property for another four weeks.”
    “My hunting lodge,” Henry said. “It’s no more than three miles from here at the base of Clee Hills. I could stay there until this dreadful wager is complete, and you could conduct the lessons under my watchful eye.” He raised his eyebrow at Caitlin. “Would that be agreeable?”
    She nodded.  
    “Good,” Marcus said, sounding far too cheerful. “The first challenge has been accepted. A sennight from today we’ll adjourn to Henry’s hunting lodge for the Faro challenge.” He spread the cards across the table once more. “Perhaps you’ll be luckier this time, Lady Southall.”
    Caitlin selected a second card and her smile fled. Harlow chose a card from the top of the pile. The King of Hearts. He laid it face-up and thought he heard a very unladylike curse from Lady Southall’s direction. Once again he’d won.  
    “The cake baking.”  
    Marcus raised his eyebrows. “Not the horse race?”
    “No.” Harlow wanted to win before the race. Her horse was good. He’d seen her ride Ace of Spades . Not only was she highly competent, her weight gave her an advantage. Over the longer course he might lose. He needed to know before the race what was at stake. If he had to win the last challenge then he’d risk his finest three-year-old stallion. He’d pick a course that suited Hero . He’d been keeping the horse a secret, training him up for the Two Thousand Guinea’s race at Newmarket. The odds would be in his favor if no one realized just how good he was. But to win this confounded wager he’d let his secret out.
    If he had to. For Jeremy’s sake.
    He turned to Caitlin. “I’m granting you a week to learn faro, so I’m asking for a week to learn how to bake a cake.”
     
    Caitlin could hardly refuse. She’d need time to practice as well. She would get Mrs. Darcy to teach her. Mrs. Darcy had won the cake-baking contest at the village fete for the past five years.  
    All the same, there was no way she wanted Dangerfield to know she couldn’t cook either, so she took her time before she answered as though she were assessing his request. Slowly, she nodded. “I suppose that’s fair.”
    Marcus collected the cards. “Which leaves the mile long horse race for the following weekend. Perfect. Caitlin will know before the end of the month whether she and her father must vacate their home.” He put the cards back in the desk. “I shall organize the horse race.” He bowed