Moments later, Reilly, Eversham Hall's head groom, led out the gentle mare Will had chosen for the boy's lesson. Charles backed away sharply, as soon as the horse came near. He knocked a rail off the fence, and caused the horse to rear up.
Terror gripped Will at the sight of pounding hooves. He dove forward and pulled his nephew out of harm's way. “Think before you act, for God's sake!” he shouted. “That horse could have squashed you like a bug.”
“I—” the boy choked out.
“What were you thinking?” Will demanded, gripping the boy's arms with two hands.
“Thinking? The beast did not behave as he ought, Chadbourn,” the boy said. His voice quivered.
“Don't blame the horse for your careless behavior.”
“They are foul beasts, no matter what you say!” The pale face looked ready to crumple.
He's waiting for me to give him a verbal lashing—or worse, Will thought. He dropped his hands. “I'm not angry with you, Charles,”he said, when he had control of his voice. “I'm sorry I shouted. Fear made me cry out.”
“Horses don't like me,"”the boy blurted, in a voice that just missed being a whine.
“Nonsense!” Will squeezed his eyes shut. It isn't his fault. “You lack experience, that's all.” And this episode will not help.
“But His Grace, my father, said?—”
“He said a great many things that were less than correct, Charles. We've talked about that.”
The boy nodded but didn't look convinced. In the end, the lesson was postponed for another day, so horse, rider, and uncle could calm down.
Charles bolted toward the house. The earl ran his hand through his hair and pounded the fence rail in frustration. The sound of a throat being cleared caught his attention.
“Respectfully, my lord, you might be wanting to know about the boy and horses,” Reilly said, pulling his forelock.
“Tell me,” the earl said curtly. He took a deep breath and tried again. “Tell me, please. I will be grateful for anything that may help.”
“Th' boy took a bad spill when he were a wee lad.”
“Go on.”
“T'ain't my place to say, but the mount His Grace chose may have been a bit too large and spirited for one that small.”
“How small was he?”
“It were his third summer, my lord.”
“What did His Grace do when he fell?” Will asked, with a sinking heart.
The groom looked uneasy. He rubbed a line in the dirt with his toe.
“Don't hold back now. I need to know. His Grace is gone.”
“Shouted at the boy. Told him a duke's son did not fall. Told him?—”
“I see,” the earl said through clenched teeth. “Did he try again?”
“Once more that summer, but the lad raised a fuss. Terrified, he was. His Grace had him…” The groom looked away.
“Flogged?”
“I heard caned, but I don't know myself.”
“Did he try again?”
