So, if one of them invoked privilege, it ensured freedom from interrogation. It was juvenile, but theyhadcome up with it when they were in their early twenties. It had stuck.
Sam opened his mouth as he shoved a boot on Ash’s foot, but Ash glared at him, and he snapped it shut. Ash could not discuss this. Could not voice his forbidden attraction to his son’s betrothed, nor the reasons for her presence here.
He fled his room to the stables and, though his friend didn’t say anything, Ash could still hear the unsaid words:I will wear you down.
But Sam wouldn’t wear Ash down. Because then Sam might meddle. And Ash couldn’t risk giving Lady Felicity an ally.
She had enough power as it was.
8
Felicity
Felicityapproachedthethree-railfence surrounding the outdoor training arena by the Devonford Castle stables. It was covered, its large roof held up by colossal Greek-inspired columns, protecting itself from the downpour of the prior night. The Duke stood in the center of the arena with a dappled-gray horse attached to a lead, saddled and bridled, circling him.
Felicity wrapped her moss green shawl tighter around her nearly bare shoulders. One problem with wearing scantily clad dresses: there wasn’t much fabric, and it was cold as a witch’s tit in April. But needs must.
When packing her wardrobe, she and Maribeth had settled on dresses from her initial come out back when Felicity had been twenty. Felicity’s bosom had since become much more…abundant, and Maribeth had clapped and hopped with glee at how Felicity’s breasts nearly toppled out of the dresses. A few minor alterations—where even more fabric was removed—and Felicity was equipped with dresses that wouldbring a Duke to his knees. Mare’s words, not Felicity’s.
Two boys, one tall and gangly, the other short and—bouncing animatedly on a fence rail—stood at the three rail-fence surrounding the arena. A short man, nearly as wide as he was tall, stood next to the boys. That would be the stable master. Felicity hadn’t had much interaction with him during her visits to the castle, but his size and shape made him hard to forget. The shorter boy flipped a plait over his shoulder. Ah, not a boy—Lady Pandora. The bouncing made more sense now.
She bit her lip, a smile threatening to break free. The girl was a gem. Thank goodness Felicity had her shawl for coverage around the young girl. Trying to seduce a girl’s father could be bloody awkward business.
Especially when one liked said daughter so much. Lady Pandora seemed to enjoy life so much more thoroughly than anyone else Felicity knew. Which was in stark contrast to the reserved, always-frowning Duke.
She sidled up to the pair. “Lady Pandora, I’m glad to have stumbled upon you again.” She turned to the stable master. “Mr. Barrow.”
He doffed his hat and bowed. “My lady.”
She turned to the tall, gangly youth who looked like he couldn’t be much older than Lady Pandora. “And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” She smiled at the boy, and his cheeks tinted pink.
He hastily scrambled to doff his hat, revealing a wild mop of brown hair, and bowed. “My lady.”
“That there is Mr. Billy Foster. He’s our new farrier, brought on just this month,” Mr. Barrow said.
Felicity double-blinked. Farrier? But the man was…well, he was aboy. “You must be incredibly talented, Mr. Foster. You are quite young to be a farrier.” Usually farriers were much, much older, having years of apprenticeship in their possession.
His blush washed across his cheeks, darkening to a deep pink, and he fiddled with his cap. “I will be apprenticing under their current farrier for a year. But as he is gettin’ on in years, His Grace was needin’ someone who could handle the more wild horses he works with.”
“Don’t let that modesty fool ya, my lady. Billy here is nearly as good with the horses as the Duke is himself. And that is saying something.”
The boy toed the ground, his mouth pulled in a smile that looked much more like a grimace of discomfort.
Fortunately for the young man, Lady Pandora saved the poor boy from the uncomfortable attention. “I am so grateful the roads flooded, Lady Felicity.” The girl beamed at Felicity and swayed back and forth on the fence rail. “I hope they stay impassible long enough that you cannot leave until after my party.”
Felicity chuckled. “I hope so, too.”
And she meant it. More than just because ofThe Plan. Felicity could imagine it was quite isolating out here in the country for a young, exuberant girl like Pandora. She turned back to the Duke, who now stood with his horse, patting the animal down, pulling and tugging on the stirrups.
“What is your father doing out there?”
Mr. Barrow jerked his chin toward the arena. “This is a new horse, been here just nigh a month. His Grace is going to try for the first time in the saddle with her today.”
The Duke stepped onto a mounting block and put his foot in the stirrup, the fabric of his fawn riding breeches stretching tight over muscled thighs. He bounced up and down, similar to his daughter standing beside Felicity. Then he stepped down and patted the horse some more.
Felicity frowned. “Why did he stop?”
But just as the words left her mouth, he stepped back into the stirrup and draped himself over the horse’s back. Breath fled Felicity on awhoosh.
