Waking Up With the Duke Read Online Free PDF Page A

her heart to see him reduced thus, and yet each man acted as though nothing were amiss as they both struggled with equal determination to recapture what had been lost.
    Eventually, Jayne couldn’t help herself. She slapped her gloved hand over her mouth, refusing to laugh at their antics—quite beneath men with such esteemed titles. “Chester, perhaps you should lend a hand.”
    “Yes, m’lady.”
    He dismounted and was rushing forward when Ainsley held the fish aloft. “I’ve got it!”
    And promptly lost his balance and landed in the stream. She almost released her laughter then, but refused to be entertained by him—when she didn’t even like him.
    She watched as he tried to regain his footing while maintaining his hold on the fish. If Chester had not waded in to help, Ainsley would have had to let it go. A shame when Walfort was so frightfully proud of catching the silly thing.
    He must not have realized she was there until Chester arrived to help Ainsley, because only then did he twist around to find her. His smile was certain to be causing his jaw to ache. “Do you see, Jayne? Do you see what I caught?”
    The tears stinging her eyes moved down to clog her throat. He was lying there, raised up on an elbow, and for the first time in so long, he didn’t look pitiful or sad. He appeared triumphant and so very happy. She smiled. “Yes, darling.”
    “I want him prepared for supper.”
    Nodding, she realized then as she watched Chester help Ainsley to his feet that the duke would have never released his hold on the fish. Never. He’d have not let Walfort’s small victory escape him. She watched now as Ainsley staggered to the shore and dropped the fish into the wicker basket.
    Walfort straightened as best he could. “What are you doing here, Jayne?”
    “Searching for you. Our guests will begin arriving at any moment.”
    “Blast it all! I’d forgotten about that. Wouldn’t do for the host to be absent, would it?” She didn’t think he was truly expecting an answer, then he added, “Have you seen what Ainsley brought me?”
    Only then did she notice the saddle with a high back and sides on the horse the duke led toward Walfort. It looked almost like a chair. She’d never seen anything quite like it. She eased her own horse forward.
    “Ainsley’s brother raises horses now,” Walfort said. “And the saddle.”
    “His brother raises saddles?” she asked, not certain why she wanted to tease him when she hadn’t in so long.
    Walfort laughed. “See there, Ainsley? My wife has quite the sense of humor. No, darling. He raises only horses, but he designed the saddle. It holds me in.”
    Ainsley gave a command and the horse knelt. With some effort, Ainsley and Chester finally got Walfort situated in the saddle. She wondered how they would have managed if she and her groom hadn’t happened along. Somehow, she suspected her husband and Ainsley would have persevered. With leather straps and buckles, Ainsley belted him in, and with another command had the horse rise. Her breath backing up into her chest, she waited for her husband to flop over onto the ground just as the fish had, but he stayed seated, his feet latched in the stirrups. When Ainsley patted the beast on the hindquarters, it lumbered toward her, Walfort holding the reins.
    Ainsley strode to his horse and mounted with a graceful ease. He joined them quickly enough and surreptitiously reached down, grabbing the tether to her husband’s gelding. Chester remained to gather up all they’d left behind, including the fish in the wicker basket.
    As the three of them wended their way through the woods, Walfort said, “Did you ever expect to see me riding again, Jayne?”
    She glanced over at him. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him look so confident. “No.”
    “I think I could jolly well go on the hunt tomorrow.”
    “You don’t want to rush it,” Ainsley said quietly. “You’re not completely in charge of the horse, you