I pinched the nape of my neck, my headache spreading and tensing in my shoulders. I strongly suspected the flowers had found their way to Longbourn. I could not fathom why Richard would believe that was a good idea, and my mood had suffered too many extremes to risk asking for his explanation.
With nothing left to do except that which was under my control, I set out to search for Elizabeth’s gift using the information I had gathered. I begged the powers in heaven that this next gesture of my affection, for once, would not leave me humiliated. Unfortunately, the Lord did not see fit to prevent Richard and Bingley from accompanying me.
Ever since Elizabeth’s beloved horse had been sold the year before, nobody had kept the animal for longer than a month. Persephone had changed owners so many times that I began to doubt it would be possible to find her. However, Elizabeth had spoken of her devotion to the creature as well as its faithfulness to her, so I discredited the warnings sounding in my mind.
Thankfully—or perhaps detrimentally—the mare’s recalcitrant habits had not allowed her to go far. I discovered Persephone grazing in a paddock on Mr. Gray’s property not five miles from Longbourn. One look explained why so many locals had attempted to add her to their stables.
Richard whistled softly. “Superb lines.”
“She is a beauty,” Bingley whispered in reverential awe.
The mare was as perfect in proportion and appearance as any I had ever seen.
Mr. Gray soon joined us along with his groom. After the initial polite exchanges, he nodded at the horse. “Are you interested in taking her off my hands?”
Either he wished to be rid of her, or he was testing my interest so he could increase his price.
Leaning against the rail, he added, “She will not let any of my stallions near her, and she is impossible to ride. She is worthless to me, and it would please me to be rid of her… if you are capable of taking her away.”
Such brutal honesty against the man’s self-interest could not be doubted. It was as admirable as it was discouraging. Richard was stunned silent. Even Bingley had difficulty summoning a response to this forthright admission. Elizabeth had spoken with so much love about this beautiful creature, I had been confident my proven skill with horses would inspire similar loyalty in the beast, but Mr. Gray’s description of Persephone’s contrary nature gave me pause.
Once again, I questioned the soundness of my plan. Would this be like the time my sister fell in love with a baby rat she found in her grate? She had nursed the motherless creature to health and let it live in our mother’s doll house until half of the servants in my household threatened to quit if I did not get rid of the pet only Georgiana could love. I had paid a boy to care for her rat and came home with a fluffy kitten to appease her.
Would Elizabeth appreciate a kitten?
“Is she so difficult?” I asked.
Mr. Gray guffawed. “Difficult is putting it lightly.” He addressed his groom. “Show the gentlemen what she does.”
With a smirk, the groom retreated to the tack room, emerging minutes later with a saddle. As soon as the mare saw him, she went still, her ears turning in his direction. When he entered the paddock, she dropped to her knees and lay on the ground. He moved close enough to touch her, and she wheezed.
“Is she snoring?” gasped Bingley.
Mr. Gray snorted disgustedly. “She ispretendingto sleep. She will lay there for hours to avoid being ridden. If by some miracle my daughter does get in the saddle, the cantankerous beast will ram her legs into every obstacle and will walk under low branches to scrape her off.”
He then motioned at his groom, who carried the saddle away and closed the paddock behind him. Persephone immediately rose to her feet but watched him suspiciously, poised to drop again at his slightest shift in her direction. Just like that, the demonstration was finished.
I imagined Elizabeth’s delighted smile and promptly made my decision. Extracting an apple from my pocket, I clucked my tongue to get Persephone’s attention. “Is tomorrow soon enough?”
Richard looked at me askance, no doubt questioning my soundness of mind. I could not blame him.
Mr. Gray looked at me, amazed at his good fortune. “You truly want her?”
“I do.”
Now it only remained to me to figure out how to convince the mare to trust me so I could return her to Longbourn on the morrow.
CHAPTER 16
Three days later, I slipped my knife into my boot and Elizabeth’s handkerchief into my coat pocket, then opened my bedchamber door and peeked down the hall. Seeing no one, I padded softly down the carpet, watching for movement and holding my breath until I reached the stairwell and gained the lower floor. The doorman saw me, and I held my finger up to my lips, greeting him silently and bidding him to do the same lest he alert anyone in the household.
After so many failures, I was determined this plan should succeed. No Richard. No Bingley. No surprises. I would stoop to desperate lows if Persephone required it, and I would rather have no audience to observe my humiliation.
Rounding the stairwell, I went to the kitchen. The cook was happy to hand me two apples, as she had done the previous two days. These I slipped into my greatcoat pockets. The good woman asked no questions, and I offered no explanation.
From the stables, I borrowed a halter. I continued on foot down the drive to the path leading to the Gray estate—a mere two miles, an easy distance. It felt odd to walk over the fields, but I was about to have my hands full and would need to work quickly.
The ease with which I had departed from the house troubled me. It had been too easy. Every unexpected sound made me flinch and look over my shoulder. Had Richard or Bingley seen me leave from their windows? Would they follow me?
