before falling back down,
content to pass another hour
In slumber.
They clapped, their faces alight with joy.
“Another! Tell one about horses! We love horses.” Of course it was Abby’s little ones who shared their mother’s obsession for riding.
Nivea had attempted to write some, long ago, as it was the central theme in her upbringing, but had always found the subject challenging. After giving it some thought, she remembered one.
“How about this? I call it ‘Another Day at the Races.’”
Horses flash past,
all brown and frothy,
thunderous hooves and slaps of whips
kicking up clods of dirt.
Cheering crowds surround me
as the winner is announced.
No surprise,
as it is once again
a Horsham mount.
She was delighted when the women laughed.
“Too true! I didn’t know you had such talent, Nivea,” Abby said.
Before she could respond, Caroline said, “I used to love when our governess assigned writing projects. My attempts were always dreadful, but your poems, Niv, were always so imaginative. It has been so long since I’d heard them. Have you written anything lately?”
Nivea shook her head. While relating silly poems from her youth was fine, she didn’t wish to express her deeper thoughts with this crowd. Especially since most of them referred to her desperate yearnings for a certain black-haired rake.
“Nothing of importance. We’ll save my ramblings for another time.”
Seeing the children were beginning to drift off, she used them as an excuse to change the subject. “It appears Colin is not as fascinated with my poems as all of you. He’s fast asleep. Would you like me to carry him in for a nap?”
“Yes, please. I think it’s time for everyone to rest,” answered Colin’s mama.
Despite protests from the children, the mothers gathered up their drowsy darlings and escorted them inside.
Chapter 9
Dare had left for the hunt in high spirits, happy to enjoy the day with close friends and fine horseflesh. He was disappointed to find the earl had included his future son-in-law, as though he were a true member of the family, not only providing him with a superior mount, but including him in the conversation.
“Nicholas, my boy, I expect you will have a little more luck today. I remember the last time we went out for a hunt, you nearly got yourself killed. Surprising, since I’d always heard you were a steady sort of fellow.”
Nicholas went red around the ears. “Truth be told, sir, I was pretty damn intimidated riding with you. Never thought I’d be able to keep up, not on my little horse. Next to your stallion, he looked like a pony for criminy’s sake!”
“Nonsense. No need to be intimidated. We’re always happy to have new blood joining us. William here could never keep up with me, and Landis, well, he’s a moody sort. Not much for conversation, unless the fairer sex is around. I’m happy to have you with us.”
Dare ignored that comment, keeping his eyes straight ahead on the path. He could never quite accept the earl’s jovial manner around his family, even after all these years. It seemed unnatural, and Dare had maintained a wary distance. If the man saw that as moody, well, there was no help for it.
Nicholas did not display a similar affliction. With a wide smile, he gushed, “I appreciate that. This horse I’m riding is an absolute marvel. It’s almost like he knows where to go before I tell him.”
“So you like him, do you? Good. Consider him a wedding present.”
“What?” Nicholas’s jaw dropped, and he pulled the horse up short. “Oh, no, sir, I could not accept that. Just having your daughter is generous enough.”
“Don’t be silly. Can’t have you traipsing around the countryside on a half-breed. How would that look?”
“Besides,” William added, “it will give us a chance to spread the bloodline out and ensure our dominance in the county.”
“By the time my grandsons can ride, you’ll have your own mini-dynasty,” chortled the earl.
Dare snorted. The best thing about hunting with the Horshams had always been their complete focus on the pleasures at hand…horses and hunting. Now, he was forced into listening to all this inane babble about family.
In the hopes of salvaging the day, Dare decided to issue a challenge. “Now that the young pup has a proper mount, what say we have a contest? William and me against Nicholas and the earl. The first to score three birds wins.”
Confounding him, William announced an alternative. “How about I take Nicholas for a partner, and you and the earl can hunt together.”
In all their years together, Dare had always paired with William. They were the dominant team, always prevailing over the group. He tried to suppress the sting of abandonment as Nicholas, beaming with pride, nudged his horse to join William, but it annoyed him to hear the two men nattering away at each other as they branched off.
Brushing off the insult, Landis tugged on his reins, forcing his horse to rear slightly before prancing back towards the earl. He ignored the sharp look the earl shot him—after all there were few greater sins with the Horshams than mistreating a horse. Attempting to make the best of it, he spit out a brief apology, and they headed into the woods.
Determined to put young Nicholas in his place, Dare forged ahead, doing his utmost to win. Being a good host, the earl made several attempts at conversation that Dare rebuffed. His father had always made it painfully clear that hunting required absolute silence. He’d learned at a young age to follow that ironclad rule to avoid the consequences. He wasn’t going to change now to suit his congenial host.
By providing no more than one word answers, the earl soon learned conversation was unnecessary and, once quiet prevailed, the two men managed to bag a grouse within the first hour. They almost had a duck soon after, but it took flight behind a copse of trees. It was quite a while later that Dare had a quail in his sights when they heard the blast of a horn, startling the bird.
“Blast,” Dare growled. William and Junior had won.
“Huzzah,” crowed the earl. “My sons have bested us. Caroline will be quite pleased with her young man.”
Dare looked over, baffled. The earl seemed genuinely pleased that he had lost. How was that even possible? Wasn’t winning everything?
The only thing?
Anything less was…failure. And Dare could not abide by failure.
It was obvious that the earl was not burdened by the same sentiment. As the group reunited, and the victors displayed their kills, they all rambled on about who shot what and how well the other performed.
“We will have to serve these birds at the wedding tomorrow. It will bring luck to our table,” announced the earl.
Dare could do nothing more than shake his head in disbelief. The man truly did not care he’d lost to a lesser adversary. And William, he just rode alongside, acting as though he’d never had a better partner. As though all those times they’d been a team didn’t matter. It was infuriating.
By the time they reached the house, Dare’s mood was beyond surly. After handing over his horse to the stable boy, he strode into the entrance of the hall, determined to stew alone in his room. Everyone else could go to hell.
“Milord,”