The late Lord Standish had been a prudent man and the estate was in good financial order. His mother had a widow’s jointure and use of the dower house should she want it. His brothers and sisters were Alex’s responsibility, but there was ample money to fund the boys’ educations and the girls’ come-outs into society.
In fact, Alex was a very wealthy man.
Mr. Billings had a few pet projects—like a canal on the Derbyshire estate—that he had been trying to get the late earl to invest in, and he brought them up to Alex, who put him off, promising to think about them.
Alex drove over to Oxford and Eton to visit his two younger brothers, who each managed to cadge ten pounds off of him.
By the end of the week, the whole family was as comfortable with Alex as if he had never gone away. Everyone, that is, except Diana.
He had tried numerous times to be alone with her, but she had not cooperated. She didn’t want to take a ride with him; she didn’t want to take a walk out to the lake with him; she didn’t even want to go with him to look at a new pony for Maria.
It was very frustrating.
He even stooped to trying to stir up a little sympathy from her by remarking that the damp weather was bothering his wound. She simply gave him a brilliant, dark-eyed stare. “What a shame,” she said, and walked away.
It didn’t help that she was so beautiful, that every time he saw her he wanted to catch her in his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe. It was quite clear to him, however, that such an action would only alienate her further.
“Why are you so angry at Alex?” Sally asked Diana suddenly one afternoon as the girls were sitting side by side in the Yellow Drawing Room looking at magazines of the latest styles in clothing.
Diana felt a stab of alarm. “I’m not angry at him. Whatever gave you that idea?”
“Well, you’re very short with him, that’s for certain. And he is trying to be so nice to you. It’s not like you, Diana, not to be friendly. Especially to Alex.”
“I’m friendly,” Diana said defensively. She couldn’t meet Sally’s honest gaze so she kept her eyes on her magazine.
“No, you’re not. Look at me, Diana. What’s wrong?”
Diana looked up, her brown eyes meeting Sally’s sky-blue gaze. The two girls were very close, and it was difficult for Diana to fib.
“Nothing is wrong,” Diana said crisply. “You’re imagining things, Sally. It’s just that my mind is on things other than Alex right now. I’m very excited about our London come-out.”
Pretty color flushed into Sally’s cheeks. She was a lovely girl, the picture of innocent girlhood poised on the brink of becoming a woman. She had been allowed this last year to attend one or two local assemblies and house parties where she had encountered young men, but her experiences had not given her any hint of sophistication.
“I’m excited about it, too,” she said. “It will be so different from our usual life here at Standish Court.”
“I know,” Diana said. She tried to focus her mind on their upcoming London visit. “Cousin Amelia says that there are places to ride. Hyde Park is evidently a popular venue. We will need horses. I wonder if Alex knows which ones he is going to bring.”
“Ask him,” Sally urged. “You will be miserable if you can’t ride.”
“I know.”
“Then ask him. You know Mama is leaving the horses up to Alex. Find out from him what he is going to do.”
Later that afternoon, Diana had an opportunity to ask Alex this important question. They were both at the stable at the same time. Diana was lunging Candy when a carriage came in with a jet-black horse tied behind it. Shortening up the lunge line, Diana went over to look at the black horse, which was standing quietly looking around him.
He was a large animal, with a beautiful arched neck, short back and long, strong-looking legs.
Henley came out of the stable and went over to the carriage. “This must be his lordship’s horse from the Peninsula,” he said to the driver.
“That’s right,” the driver answered. “This is Black Bart. I’ve brought him all the way from Bordeaux.”
“I’ll send to the house to tell his lordship you are here,” Henley said.
While they waited for Alex, Diana introduced herself to Black Bart. He took the piece of carrot she offered and pricked his ears forward when she began to talk to him. Then, once they were acquainted, she proceed to run her hands down his legs and over his nicely sloping shoulders.
“Bart!” It was Alex’s voice. “How are you, fellow? I’ve missed you!”
The horse nickered when he heard the familiar voice. Alex went over to rub his forehead and scratch under his mane in a place he clearly liked.
Diana said, “He’s a beautiful horse, Alex.”
He turned his head to grin at her. “He saved my bacon a few times, I can tell you that. Unlike many cavalry horses who simply gallop forward out of control, Bart always listened to me.” He turned back to the gelding. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you fellow?”
Bart tossed his head in reply.
Alex turned to Henley. “Is his stall ready?”
“Aye, my lord. We’ve had it ready for several days now.”
The sun glinted off the black of the horse’s coat and the black of Alex’s hair as he took the rope that had tied the horse to the carriage, turned him and began to lead him toward the barn.
Diana followed.
Once Bart had been established in his stall with a bucket of fresh water and a pile of hay, Alex turned away from the door and for the first time seemed to notice Diana’s presence.
“So you like him, Dee?” he asked.
“Very much.” She began to walk out of the barn with him. “Have you decided what horses you are bringing to London with you?”
They had left the stable yard and followed the path back to the house. “I will have the carriage horses, of course, and I will bring horses for you and Sally to ride. And I’ll bring Bart for me.”
“Do you think you could bring Monty for me?” Diana asked a little breathlessly. “Annie is basically retired. She’s lame more often than she’s not.”
He frowned. “Monty’s all right in the country, but can you trust him in the city, with all the traffic? He’s never been in a city in his life.”
“I’m sure he’ll be all right,” Diana said.
“Perhaps we would be better off buying you a horse accustomed to London. I can always go to Tattersalls and pick you up a good riding horse.”
“I’d rather have Monty,” Diana insisted. “I have grown very fond of him since you left. I ride him almost every day.”
He stopped and regarded her with lifted black brows. “So you took over my horse, eh?”
“You left him,” she said, her beautiful lips set into a grim line. “You didn’t care what happened to him.”
He kept looking at her, then he turned and began to walk again. “I left him in my father’s stable, where no horse has ever been neglected. I had no worry that he would be mistreated. Moreover, I knew from Sally that you were riding him.”
It was stupid to alienate him, she thought. Not when she wanted this favor from him. “He’s like