“What? Yes, of course,” Tony returned.
“Good. That’s all settled, then.” Sera smiled triumphantly at Rayburn, who beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen.
Without giving it much thought, Tony had supposed when he got married that he would be allowed to read his Times undisturbed at the breakfast table, as his father had done. He wondered now if perhaps his father’s predilection for solitary reading was what had encouraged his mother to babble.
After a late night of cards, Tony was not much in the mood for conversation, anyway. But when he discovered one day that his monosyllabic replies to Sera’s breakfast sallies had given her permission to turn the largest downstairs room into her personal library, he began to listen with a little more attention, even though he was too proud to let her know this.
If only she asked for something as simple as a new hat. He had frequently to bite his lip to keep from laughing outright at some of her more ridiculous flights of fantasy. Behind his paper, he could exercise more control than Rayburn, who had to face Sera and voice an occasional reply.
Fortunately, Sera talked herself out of her sillier proposals, like the monkey, for she was not really a spoiled child, as he had once supposed. She was an inordinately inventive young woman who only wanted the smallest part of his attention. That he could not give her even that disturbed him more than he liked to admit. But he had to keep her at arm’s length until he was free of his debt to her. Once she no longer owned him, he could be a proper husband to her. It was only after Sera had gotten bored with her game and left on her errands for the day that Tony actually ate or studied the financial news for the day.
He knew that Rayburn no longer looked kindly on him, because of his supposed mistreatment of Sera, and he did not blame the man. He did not like himself much for how he had chosen to handle his problem. But he was making some small progress toward his goal of financial independence, and Sera seemed patient enough in most other matters.
If she truly had no female friends her own age, it might not occur to her what an odd marriage they had. But then he thought of Marie and those sharp French eyes looking daggers at him. No telling what she might confide to Sera.
Chapter Four
Not finding Chadwick about, Sera knew a chilling fear that Tony had dismissed him, and for a moment she forgot all about her plan. Jeffers merely said that Chadwick had been sent on an errand, and Sera was miffed. Tattersall’s sales were only held on Mondays at this time of year. If she did not get a horse today, she would have to wait a whole week.
“I know. You can go with me to buy a horse.”
“Me?” Jeffers asked.
“You’re the head groom. Tony said I could take Chadwick, but you must know as much about horses as him, perhaps more.”
“But Lord Cairnbrooke usually buys his own horses—”
“But this horse is for me. I feel sure you will be able to help me. Now saddle that ugly bay for me, and we’ll be on our way.”
“Where are we going?” asked Jeffers suspiciously as he sent the undergroom scurrying to saddle two horses.
“Tattersall’s.”
“But ladies don’t go there!” he blurted out.
“Well, I’m not going, of course—you are.”
“Why are you riding with me, then?”
“I want to try the horse out straightaway. We shall be near Hyde Park, anyway.”
When they reached Tattersall’s, Sera rode boldly into the courtyard and commanded a lounging groom to take her horse.
“But you said you were not coming,” Jeffers protested.
“Not to the sale, silly. That won’t start for an hour or more. I must at least look at what they have to know what I want.” She strode past the line of carriages under the portico and into the stables themselves. Jeffers looked about nervously, but there was no one to be seen except a few stable boys, who merely gawked at Sera as she wandered from one stall to another. She gave a blood chestnut a good deal of attention, commanding Jeffers to check the animal’s feet. This nearly got him kicked, and Sera spoke threateningly to the horse in a low, menacing voice that Jeffers could hardly credit as coming from her.
She had learned a trick or two in the theater, and was not above using them. The beast snapped to attention, as though he were trying to see where the new voice came from.
“Well?” she demanded.
“He looks sound enough, but you can’t be thinking about buying this one. Lord Cairnbrooke would have my head if I bought this beast for you to ride.”
“Let’s see what else they have.”
But Sera was not much interested in the rest of the stock, now that the chestnut had taken her fancy. She could remember Casius being so cresty and snorting proud in his youth. Ivy’s colt had possessed just such a temperament, she thought sadly. Tony was right about one thing. She did need a younger horse. She had forgotten what it was like to be challenged by a beast to a contest of wills.
“How long before he comes up to auction?”
“I don’t know. We could be here all day.”
“I told you, I don’t intend to stay. Here’s the money. You bid on him. Go up to two hundred. After that, use your own judgment. I’m going to trot around the park until you’ve done.”
“M’lady, I can’t leave you to ride alone!”
“What can possibly happen to me on this horse?” Sera demanded as he gave her a leg up. “Either you stay and bid on the chestnut, or I will. Those are your choices.”
Jeffers looked miserably torn and Sera took pity on him.
“Trust me, Jeffers. I know what I’m about.” Somehow this did not steady Jeffers’s nerves.
It was little more than an hour later when Sera saw Jeffers leading the chestnut toward the park.
“You got him! Switch my saddle over onto him.”
“I think I had best lead him home. You can try him tomorrow,” Jeffers suggested, knowing full well Lord Cairnbrooke would prevent such a disaster.
“Nonsense,” said Sera, guessing exactly what Jeffers was thinking. “That would give him another day to rest. Now is the time to best him, when he’s still tired from his travels. I do know how to saddle a horse myself, and I can get on one alone if I have to.” Sera said this in such a threatening way, Jeffers led the horses to a more secluded part of Hyde Park to make the switch.
“Lead the bay. I won’t get too far ahead of you,” she said, as he helped her mount the chestnut.
“But m’lady—” Jeffers gave up all hope then. The young Lady Cairnbrooke would surely be killed, and he would be to blame. It was not himself he was worried about. Even though he had served in the Cairnbrooke household since his youth, Sera’s pathetic situation had won over his sympathies, as well. He could see young Lord Cairnbrooke turning into just such a tyrant as his father had been, and he did not like it.
Sera kept the chestnut at a controlled canter to show Jeffers she could. “Now for a bit of a gallop to see what he’ll do,” she said over her shoulder.
“No, I beg of you!”
Sera let the horse gallop for a few minutes, until they were approaching a line of trees, then pulled him in with a series of determined tugs. The beast tried to grab the bit and wrestle control from her, but she persisted and, despite some head-thrashing and a few