What is... riding clothes?
“I thought I would observe today,” he said. “There’s no reason to rush matters.”
No reason except ten short days to win Miss Harper’s approval.
“Very well.” She dipped her hand into a bucket and withdrew a handful of carrots. “Follow me.”
God help him. So it began.
Horses were her heaven and his hell, but Miss Harper was clearly upholding her half of the ten-day bargain. Eli’s thoughts on thevalidityof the bargain notwithstanding.
He filled his pockets with carrot bits and followed her out into the cold.
Everything was covered with a fine layer of snow. The only hints of color were the hills of evergreens, sparkling as the sun made their frost-tipped needles glisten.
It was a far cry from Eli’s usual days spent in Chelsea Physic Garden and the lush surrounding nurseries. Cressmouth in the dead of winter was not where a botanist would choose to take a holiday.
Frozen blades of grass crackled beneath their boots as they set a path toward the stables.
Normally, Eli’s heart would be pounding alarmingly—and it was—but, this time, not solely due to his increasing proximity to horseflesh.
Miss Harper’s curves were not the least bit hidden in her soft, supple buckskins. Her tall form and muscular legs were displayed to full advantage. The swing of her hips made the effect very feminine indeed.
It almost made him forget where they were headed.
Eli swallowed hard. He had bigger imminent concerns than whether he’d eventually win Miss Harper’s approval.
First came Duke.
Duke was not just a champion stud horse. He wasthehorse. Everyone wanted him. No one but Miss Harper could even get close.
On this topic, Duke and Eli were of one mind.
Eli preferred not to get close toanyhorses. The old familiar terror infused his muscles with torpor, whilst his heart fluttered fast enough to take flight.
Duke was not in the stables.
The stallion was standing just on the other side of a very ordinary, very jumpable fence. Although he would not be kept with other stallions, three intimidating geldings stood in a loose huddle behind him.
Duke was the tallest by three hands and weighed several stone more.
Miss Harper’s eyes shone. “Beautiful, isn’t he?”
“Glorious.” The word cracked in Eli’s too-dry throat. The stallion looked like danger personified.
She wouldn’t lead him out here to be trampled to death, he assured himself. Miss Harper hated him, but she didn’t want him dead.
Probably.
He hoped.
“Well?” she prompted. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”
“Someone else should introduce us,” he muttered. “Duke outranks me.”
She smirked. “All horses do.”
Very well. Eli could see he was going to have to dosomething.
