“It wasn’t meant to be an insult.You’ve only been shaving for a year, and yet you’ve taken on so much.”
Defensiveness crawled up Trent’s neck.“I’m nearly twenty-one.I’m not a child.”
“Easy, Trent.I’m not mocking you.It’s a compliment.Not yet twenty-one, and managing this entire estate.”He gestured at all the land that surrounded them.“Raising a young child.Not to mention whatever else Ash asks of you on a whim.And you do it all with grace and humility, in spite of the hardships you’ve had to overcome.”Brennan patted his shoulder.“Crying doesn’t make you a child.Sometimes, it makes you a man.”
Trent looked down at the reins in his hands.“Does that mean you cry?”
Brennan chuckled.“Not often, but when I do, I blubber like a baby.”
Trent laughed.It was hard to imagine that of a man his size.“Thank you, Brennan.”
“Let’s get back, shall we?”
Brennan kicked his horse into motion and Trent followed.How did Ash find these people?Every person in his circle was kind and carried themselves with integrity.At least all the ones Trent had met.
As they approached the stables, shouting sounded from the other side of the long building.Brennan didn’t hesitate.Throwing the reins to a waiting groom, he jumped out the saddle at a run and disappeared.
By the time Trent found him, he was gripping the collars of two young men, like puppies held up by the scruff of their neck.One of them was Anthony and he was still shouting and sputtering.Trent waited for Brennan to deal with them, but he shook his head and held them out toward him.
“This is your purview.I just do the labor.”
Brennan let them go and nudged them toward Trent.
“What did I say about causing grief, Anthony?”
“I didn’t!”he argued.“I didn’t start it, at least.”
Trent shook his head.“Do you see that post all the way at the end there?”The boy nodded.“Walk down there, place your hand on top of it, and don’t move from that spot.Do you understand?”
“But I didn’t do any?—”
“Would you rather I let your mother deal with you?”
Closing his mouth, he plodded down to place his hand on top of the post.
“What happened, Lucas?”
“He attacked me for no reason.I was just defending myself.”
“And when I walk down there and ask for his side of the story, will he tell me the same thing?”
“Probably not.He won’t want to get into trouble.”
“And what about when I ask Gareth?What will he tell me?”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.
“Stay here, and I’ll go find out.But if you’re lying, today will be your last day here.”
“Wait.”He huffed frustratedly.“He attacked me because I talked to two maids when they walked past.”
“What, exactly, did you say to the maids?”
He shrugged.“I just told them how pretty they were.”
Trent turned and strode toward the stables, but Lucas ran in front and stopped him.“I might have suggested that their legs are probably pretty too, and perhaps they should raise their skirts so I could see.”
Trent shook his head.“That sort of thing might have been tolerated by Mr.Warwick, but not by me, and not by Lord Ashdown.Would you prefer to find employment elsewhere so that you may harass women?”
