Maurice sucked in a sharp breath between pinched lips.The air whistled.“The Prince Regent refused to sell Smolensk to me.”
“It was always going to be difficult to buy a Derby winner for any money, and he doesn’t really need the money.”Wildgoose repeated what he’d said before Maurice had gone on this mission.It wasn’t true that Prinny didn’t need the money, only that Prinny was good enough at pretending he wasn’t skint.Maurice sat in the House of Lords and had access to discussions about the royal budget, and when Wildgoose had mentioned that Smolensk had the pedigree and type to be a great match for Maurice’s broodmares, Maurice couldn’t help but wonder if there was an opportunity to buy the Derby winner for Wildgoose, given Prinny’s need for funds.He shook his head; the horse was for Pewett Downs, not his stable master.One throwaway comment, and Maurice’s desire to give Wildgoose what he wanted—horse-wise—had led him here ...to a paddock filled with four zebras and the world’s most ridiculous wager.
Chapter 2
Sebastian had the perfectjob, and four zebras weren’t going to get in the way of that.Sebastian spent all day with horses, and his boss, the Duke of Edenwick, listened to his recommendations on matings for their broodmares every year.He spent his evenings pouring over his pedigree books, living in the same house on the farm where he’d arrived as a twelve-year-old boy, adopted to help Mr Wildgoose with his farm duties.For a child raised in a city orphanage, moving to the Duke’s estate, Pewett Downs, had been incredible.At the orphanage, he’d learned all the skills to be a stable boy, gravitating towards horses for as long as he could remember, but it wasn’t until he came to the Duke’s estate that a whole new world opened up to him.
Life had been perfect until four bloody zebras turned up, delivered from His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent, and causing his staff to forget their discipline.The zebras were squat little equines that reminded him of a pit pony crossed with a mule, but hopefully less stubborn.
“If he didn’t sell you Smolensk, how have you ended up with four zebras?”Sebastian’s curiosity got the better of him.He really didn’t want to know ...except he was human like his staff, and he needed to know.It wasn’t every day that something unusual like this occurred.The Duke cleared his throat.A slash of colour across his cheeks piqued Sebastian’s interest.
“We can send them back.”
“But?”He knew his boss well enough to know when he was withholding information.“Your Grace...”
“Fine.”The Duke reminded Sebastian of a petulant toddler in moments like this, as if he didn’t like having to explain himself, or perhaps the Duke was merely upset that he wasn’t quite the top ranked person in the entire world.Only nearly.Most of the time, Sebastian forgot the huge gap in class between them because when they talked about horses, class didn’t matter.
“I assume that even a Duke can’t say no to a Prince.”And then sometimes, class was so obvious, it was the only thing that mattered.
The Duke’s nostrils flared.“It’s not about rank.Prinny is a drunken fool.”
Sebastian nodded.He’d read the newssheets too, but he wouldn’t dare to speak of royalty like that.There was that notion of class and privilege again.He saw how the upper classes ignored him at the races, deferring to the Duke when talking about his horses.The Duke’s horses.It was his lot in life that he cared for these horses as if they were his own, but he’d never have the status in society to actually own any of them.They were his emotionally but never truly his.
“The Earl of Milnes-Wilkes offered an obscene salary for you this week.”If the Duke was reminding Sebastian of his worth, then the reason for these zebras must be something that would annoy Sebastian.How interesting.
“He hasn’t the funds to upgrade his broodmare band to the quality that might tempt me.”
The Duke’s nostrils flared again.“Wildgoose, damn it.You know how valuable you are to ...the estate.”To him?Only in his dreams did he ever let himself think the Duke cared for him beyond his skills as a horseman.Handsome Dukes didn’t marry orphan girls, and they certainly didn’t kiss men; thus providing two very good reasons why Sebastian’s dreams of kisses were pointless.He was realistic enough to know that even if the bachelor Duke was that way inclined, it would be temporary.A diversion.
“What has this to do with the Prince Regent’s gift?”Sebastian had things to do.There must be a stable in need of sweeping, or something, anything.He didn’t need to waste time on this prevarication of the conversation, or the annoying way it reminded him of everything he could never have.
“He has made a wager with me.”The Duke’s voice was tight.
“Oh?”Damn it.A wager made this much more interesting.Sebastian leaned against the fence to disguise how much he wanted to step closer to his boss.
“If I can train these zebras to become a four-in-hand team, then he will give me Smolensk.”
