Page 17 of Mad Duke March

“Ah, Judas,” Tyrone said and took a swig of his whisky. “You’re the one who brought her here.”

“Yes,” Sutton answered unperturbed. “But I am doing it for your own good.”

“Of course.” Tyrone nodded. Sutton had been trying to keep him on the straight and narrow ever since he returned home.

“And I can’t stand idly by when a lady needs my assistance,” the traitor continued. “Tyrone, have a heart. She has no prospects because of our carelessness.”

“If you’re this worried about her, why don’t you marry her?” Tyrone winked and got on his horse. “Then you can lock her up at one of your estates and continue your carefree life. Oh… wait a moment. Didn’t you already do that?”

Sutton took a menacing step. “Don’t you dare—”

Tyrone waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, I would never stick my nose in your business; that’s your territory. Miss Fortune.” He tipped his hat. “It was a pleasure… Actually, it wasn’t. I hope we shall never meet again. Good day.”

“Mad Duke! Mad Duke! Mad Duke!” The air around him was filled with tension as every person in the stands chanted for his successful completion of the race.

He was not going to win, but despite some people’s predictions, he was going to finish the race unscathed. The exhilaration of the race, the wind in his face, and the sounds of cheering always made him feel alive.

Tyrone crossed the finish line and stretched out his arms in victory.

He stopped the horse and tried to concentrate on the crowd of onlookers, searching for Miss… whatever her name was. She wasn’t there and neither was Sutton.

So, they’d left. Good. That’s all he wanted.

“Mad Duke! Mad Duke! Mad Duke!”

His gaze stopped as he saw a gorgeous woman on the edge of the crowd. She was wearing a deep violet gown and her eyes, as green as his, were fixed on him. Her hair was collected atop her head, no hat in sight. And her features were so familiar… Just as he remembered her.

The sounds receded to the background and all went quiet for a long moment.

Was it a dream? Tyrone tried to walk toward her, completely forgetting that he was still atop a horse.

The world moved, and everything whirled around him. The next thing he knew, Tyrone was lying on the ground, as a few people ran toward him.

Tyrone frantically searched the stands for the woman he’d just seen, but his vision was blurry.

Had he truly seen her?

Was she truly there?

He feared he would never find out, for in the next moment, everything went black.

Chapter Six

Tyrone sat up sharply, water dripping down his face.

Why was water dripping down his face? He blinked and scrubbed his face with his hands. A man crouched before him with a flask.

“Are you well?”

Am I?

He looked around, searching for the woman in his vision, his pulse pounding at his temples.

It felt like a dream. It had to be. She wasn’t real. She couldn’t be.

Tyrone got up on shaky legs and scrubbed his face once more, his beard poking at his palms. He needed a shave. How long had it been since he’d shaved?

He didn’t remember. He’d never cared about shaving before. Now, everything aggravated him.