The Duke Hadn’t Laughed Since the War

slightly lower than the left as always. “The Wetmores arrive tomorrow,” he said.

“I know, and I still need—”

He stopped. He looked at the horse, then looked back at her, and for the first time there was something in his expression that was not controlled or assessed, not the look of a man deciding how much to show.

“Miss Prior,” he said, “I am about to continue reading …