The Lady Tamed by Boyd, Heather (urban books to read TXT) 📗

And even before any future of that sort could happen, Jeremy would have to forgive her and she’d have to convince him somehow that money was not all that mattered to her. He needed to know that he mattered more.

Chapter 16

“Have you heard the news that Laughton repaired his fortunes on the ’change? He’ll probably have his pick of next year’s beauties on the marriage mart,” Samuel said, riding along beside Jeremy with a loose-limbed confidence Jeremy utterly lacked.

Jeremy had no time to question how anyone made money on the bloody ’change. He was too busy clinging to the horse rolling about alarmingly under him.

“I wish him good hunting,” Milo murmured sounding utterly bored of the topic already. Milo was on Jeremy’s other side, riding one-handed with apparent disinterest for his horse’s prancing antics or their destination.

Jeremy was utterly terrified and trying not to show his fear. Both men knew he’d no experience on a horse but had convinced him to come out with them anyway.

“Keep your heels down,” Milo reminded him.

“And don’t hold the reins so tightly,” Samuel added. “You’re on the estate’s oldest plodding horse, and she’ll go where we direct our horses and nowhere else.”

“You say that, but I saw her roll her eyes,” Jeremy warned. “That’s bad, isn’t it?”

Milo clapped Jeremy’s horse on the rump. To his relief, the old mare didn’t even flinch. “Molly is the perfect horse to learn upon. She’ll look after you.”

“I don’t know why I need to start everything at once.”

“You’re on the horse because Father’s note said you needed to be away from the manor for a while and you should start lessons with us.”

Jeremy grumbled under his breath. “Stapleton’s great plan to turn me into a gentleman is doomed to fail if I break my neck first.”

“You’re doing well,” Samuel promised. “Just try not to think about falling off so much.”

Milo chuckled. “Not far now.”

Jeremy looked ahead and his mood brightened considerably to see the stables in sight again. “Thank God.”

“Brother, I’d like to wish you good hunting, too,” Samuel announced, returning to their earlier topic of conversation. “If you had any interest in making a match, I’d be there to support you. You do know it’s time to marry again, don’t you?”

“Was there a date set that I didn’t know about,” Milo asked, unsmiling. “It took Father years to replace mother.”

“But he had all of us children to distract him when she died, so the succession was never in any serious doubt.”

Milo shook his head. “I have no reason to remarry yet. The first marriage was quite enough trouble, thank you very much.”

“But you need an heir,” his brother shot back. “We all want to know the Stapleton estate and tenants will be looked after properly.”

“You could always inherit.”

Samuel seemed to choke. “I would love to oblige you but what a mess my boys would make of Stapleton if left to roam these pristine grounds forever.”

“They’ll grow out of their wild ways by the time they come of age,” Milo promised, half smiling. “We did.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Brother, you are too old for pretending your wild days are not far behind you.”

“They don’t have to be,” Samuel replied mulishly. “All I’m saying is that you could go to London next season and take a look around. Run your eye over the ladies and see if anyone takes your fancy. If not, leave again and go back another year. It would please Father immensely to know you’re thinking about the future. There’s no need to be alone all your days just because your first marriage wasn’t ideal.”

“Ideal? No, it certainly was not even close to that. That is why I have no son.” A bitter laugh escaped Milo. Clearly his marriage hadn’t been good at all. But then a ghost of a smile flashed over his features. “I’m content with my life as it is, brother.”

Jeremy, curious to know what made him smile so, spotted a maid wandering through the gardens.

“What do you say, Mr. Dawes? Are you in favor of marriage or remaining a bachelor forever? There’s nothing wrong with keeping a regular woman in our beds, outside of marriage, eh?”

“I hadn’t given it much thought,” he replied. Well, he hadn’t thought of marriage until yesterday’s surprising conversation with the Duke of Stapleton. He didn’t think marriage was in his future but kept that to himself. “What exactly is a regular woman? How do you find them?”

Milo laughed at his question. “A regular woman is one who doesn’t ask when you will marry them.”

“Don’t listen to him, Dawes. All women wait for a marriage proposal,” Samuel warned. “Some might even spring them on us poor bastards when you least expect it.”

“I know what women want,” Milo declared.

Jeremy shook his head quickly. “Not me. I find myself constantly surprised.”

The pair laughed and clapped Jeremy on the back. Caught off guard, Jeremy nearly flew over the neck of his horse to be trampled. Jeremy quickly righted himself and tightened his legs around the horse’s middle as he’d been warned to do.

“Poor fellow. You’ll learn soon enough that that’s how they like to keep us all the time,” Milo warned. “Companionship can always be found if you know where to look for it, though. We can even buy it for ourselves, if we must. Marriage is not needed to ensure satisfaction.”

Jeremy looked at the pair curiously. “Is that how everyone in your family views matrimony? Like something to avoid rather than embrace?”

“It is a requirement for women if they wish to be considered respectable and for gentlemen who wish for legitimate heirs,” Milo explained. “But most of my friends view it as something to avoid for as long as possible. I certainly should have.”

They were approaching the stable block now and Samuel drew his mount closer. “Pull back on the reins slowly, that’s it, and relax. The groom will hold Molly’s head, so she won’t wander off while you dismount. Now, wriggle your right