then we’ll get away.”
“Oh, aye.” Gibson eyed his master askance. “Set the wheels in motion, have you?” When Nick again hesitated, Gibson guffawed. “She’s ain’t interested, is she?”
Nick was in the process of pulling his shirt over his head, affording him an excuse to avoid responding.
“Well, bugger me, it seems you’ve met your match at last. I knew that gal had spirit the moment I laid eyes on her. If I’m any judge, all yer wealth and superiority won’t cut any ice with her.”
“Nonsense! She’s no different to any of the others. She’s half in love with me already, even if she doesn’t realise it yet. She won’t hold out for long.”
“My God, just listen to yerself. Anyway, I ain’t so sure about her being able to resist you. I reckon she’s got yer measure. If you’re that set on getting away, I’m still willing to release you from our wager.”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you.”
“Pride goes before a fall, guv’nor, just remember that.”
“Did you find out anything interesting about the stud?” Nick changed the subject.
“Yes and no. The grooms are very careful wot they say but I got the impression that some of ’em—the older ones who were here during Miss Woodley’s father’s time—aren’t too happy about the way things are run now.”
“In what respect?”
“Well, that’s just it, they won’t say. It seems a bit odd. You know how grooms usually like to gossip. There’s obviously a big demand for Hanoverians, given the number that were slaughtered on the battlefields, and that stallion of theirs is supposed to be the best around.”
“True. The thought of seeing him has kept me sane this whole evening.” Well, that and the prospect of bedding Alicia Woodley, but Gibson didn’t need to know quite how fixated Nick was becoming in that respect. “Is he covering all the mares sent to him?”
“Aye, apparently so. That don’t seem to be the problem.”
“Then what is?”
“I don’t know.” Gibson’s expression turned reflective. “Maybe there ain’t anything wrong. It’s just an impression I’ve formed.”
“I see.” Gibson’s impressions were usually pinpoint accurate and Nick didn’t push him for a more rational explanation. “Gibson, why don’t we pre-empt our host and have a look round by ourselves tomorrow morning?”
“When the grooms are attending to their early-morning duties and won’t be expecting us?”
“Yes, if they’re hiding something, we stand a better chance of finding out what it is without our host there to distract us.”
“Fair enough. I’ll wake you at six then, shall I?”
Nick groaned and dismissed Gibson with an abrupt nod.
Chapter Four
“I can’t see anything wrong with the setup,” Nick said when they’d been walking round the barns for over half an hour the following morning.
“Well, nothing’s immediately apparent. But if they’re covering something up, it’s hardly likely to be on open display.”
“I suppose not. Mind you, we haven’t seen the stallion yet.”
“He’s in that barn over there.”
The two men headed in that direction, still alert for anomalies. They passed a large paddock with a series of obstacles dotted round its perimeter. A lad was jumping a superb black horse over them. He was riding bareback but his control of the large animal was intuitive. Nick knew an exceptional horseman when he saw one and stopped to admire the exhibition. Only as horse and rider passed their position did Nick realise with a jolt that it wasn’t a lad on the horse’s back.
It was Alicia Woodley.
She halted beside them and slid elegantly to the ground before Nick could offer to assist her. She was unkempt, slightly breathless, her green eyes sparkling as a result of the vigorous exercise. A strange sensation assailed him. She wasn’t trying to impress him—which in itself was impressive—and made little effort to disguise her annoyance at his intrusion. Nick scowled at
“Oh, aye.” Gibson eyed his master askance. “Set the wheels in motion, have you?” When Nick again hesitated, Gibson guffawed. “She’s ain’t interested, is she?”
Nick was in the process of pulling his shirt over his head, affording him an excuse to avoid responding.
“Well, bugger me, it seems you’ve met your match at last. I knew that gal had spirit the moment I laid eyes on her. If I’m any judge, all yer wealth and superiority won’t cut any ice with her.”
“Nonsense! She’s no different to any of the others. She’s half in love with me already, even if she doesn’t realise it yet. She won’t hold out for long.”
“My God, just listen to yerself. Anyway, I ain’t so sure about her being able to resist you. I reckon she’s got yer measure. If you’re that set on getting away, I’m still willing to release you from our wager.”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you.”
“Pride goes before a fall, guv’nor, just remember that.”
“Did you find out anything interesting about the stud?” Nick changed the subject.
“Yes and no. The grooms are very careful wot they say but I got the impression that some of ’em—the older ones who were here during Miss Woodley’s father’s time—aren’t too happy about the way things are run now.”
“In what respect?”
“Well, that’s just it, they won’t say. It seems a bit odd. You know how grooms usually like to gossip. There’s obviously a big demand for Hanoverians, given the number that were slaughtered on the battlefields, and that stallion of theirs is supposed to be the best around.”
“True. The thought of seeing him has kept me sane this whole evening.” Well, that and the prospect of bedding Alicia Woodley, but Gibson didn’t need to know quite how fixated Nick was becoming in that respect. “Is he covering all the mares sent to him?”
“Aye, apparently so. That don’t seem to be the problem.”
“Then what is?”
“I don’t know.” Gibson’s expression turned reflective. “Maybe there ain’t anything wrong. It’s just an impression I’ve formed.”
“I see.” Gibson’s impressions were usually pinpoint accurate and Nick didn’t push him for a more rational explanation. “Gibson, why don’t we pre-empt our host and have a look round by ourselves tomorrow morning?”
“When the grooms are attending to their early-morning duties and won’t be expecting us?”
“Yes, if they’re hiding something, we stand a better chance of finding out what it is without our host there to distract us.”
“Fair enough. I’ll wake you at six then, shall I?”
Nick groaned and dismissed Gibson with an abrupt nod.
Chapter Four
“I can’t see anything wrong with the setup,” Nick said when they’d been walking round the barns for over half an hour the following morning.
“Well, nothing’s immediately apparent. But if they’re covering something up, it’s hardly likely to be on open display.”
“I suppose not. Mind you, we haven’t seen the stallion yet.”
“He’s in that barn over there.”
The two men headed in that direction, still alert for anomalies. They passed a large paddock with a series of obstacles dotted round its perimeter. A lad was jumping a superb black horse over them. He was riding bareback but his control of the large animal was intuitive. Nick knew an exceptional horseman when he saw one and stopped to admire the exhibition. Only as horse and rider passed their position did Nick realise with a jolt that it wasn’t a lad on the horse’s back.
It was Alicia Woodley.
She halted beside them and slid elegantly to the ground before Nick could offer to assist her. She was unkempt, slightly breathless, her green eyes sparkling as a result of the vigorous exercise. A strange sensation assailed him. She wasn’t trying to impress him—which in itself was impressive—and made little effort to disguise her annoyance at his intrusion. Nick scowled at
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