“Alexander and I were en route to town,” Ariana explained, averting her gaze to kiss her son’s brow. “We stopped at Tyreham first.”
“Ah.” Dustin tapped his chin. “Interesting, the last I recall, Surrey wasn’t a convenient stop when traveling from Sussex to London. Have they rerouted a few roads since last I visited Broddington?”
Ariana relaxed into a sheepish grin. “Very well. I used Alexander’s adoration for you as a ruse. Trenton said you seemed a bit preoccupied. He mentioned something about a woman. He thought I might be able to help.”
Dustin’s lips curved. “I see. So you’re here as my advisor.”
“If you recall, you’ve acted as mine,” she reminded him softly. “At a time when I most desperately needed one.”
“I remember.” Dustin nodded, sobering. “Although I sometimes lose sight of the fact that your marriage to Trent wasn’t always as harmonious as it is now.”
“Harmonious?” Ariana shot him an incredulous look. “Quite the opposite. At the onset, it was grim and mercurial, at best. But whenever I reached my lowest point, when I hadn’t a shred of strength or objectivity left, you were there.” She squeezed his forearm. “Let me offer you the same. Please.”
Affection and relief converged inside Dustin’s chest. “Truthfully, I could use some advice,” he conceded. “Lord knows, I’m not doing too well on my own.”
“Say no more.” Ariana gestured toward the window overlooking the drive. “Mrs. Hopkins is waiting in the carriage. Suppose I have her take Alexander to that wonderful playroom you built for him. That will give us time to talk.”
Another grin. “While giving Alexander time to demolish the new toys I’ve added.” Dustin caught Alexander’s fist in his own. “What do you say to that? You and Mrs. Hopkins can play for a bit, and then we’ll all go to the stables. To see the horses,” he added pointedly.
That had the desired effect.
Squealing, Alexander began to pump his arms and legs so vigorously that Ariana had to dodge to avoid his blows.
“I thought so,” Dustin teased. “We now get to the real reason you want to see ‘Un’l’—my thoroughbreds. Very well, you may do both. First toys, then horses.”
Ten minutes later, Alexander and Mrs. Hopkins were settled in the playroom, and Ariana and Dustin were comfortably seated in Tyreham’s green salon.
“Tell me about her,” Ariana began without preliminaries.
Dustin rubbed his palms together, considering the question carefully. “Ariana, this is a very complex situation. There’s a great deal I can’t say, simply because I’ve given my word not to. So I’ll answer what I can and defer what I cannot.”
“All right.” A spark of curiosity lit her turquoise eyes, but she didn’t question his odd conditions.
“I’ve never met anyone like her,” Dustin began quietly. “She’s the utter antithesis of every women I’ve ever been involved with—warmhearted, unaffected, and selfless. Quite frankly, I’d all but abandoned hope that such fineness of character, such inner beauty truly existed—at least for me.” Images of Nicole—astride Dagger’s back, gazing at the stars—flashed through his mind. “We have the same passions, the same dreams. We’d scarcely met, spoken, when I knew she was the one.” Awed, he shook his head. “I never imagined feeling such intense emotion. I think of her constantly, spend most of my waking hours—which, over the past fortnight, have become numerous—devising schemes to make her mine.” His fists knotted in his lap, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. “And, while I’m determined to succeed, I’m also terrified that I’ll fail.”
Tears glistened on Ariana’s lashes. “If what you’ve described isn’t love, I don’t know what is.” She rose, came to sit beside him. “Can you tell me her name?”
“No.”
“Where you met? Or when?”
A nostalgic smile. “Several days after I left Spraystone. I was in London. That particular night, I’d accepted invitations to numerous parties. The prospect of attending even a single one of them left me cold. So I delayed the inevitable as long as possible, strolling aimlessly about town, wishing I could do so forever. I spotted her immediately. One doesn’t miss the kind of beauty she emanates. She was stargazing on a bench alongside the embankment road. I joined her there. We spent only a quarter hour together that evening, but I felt as if I’d known her all my life.”
“That evening? Then you’ve seen her since?”
A nod. “But not often enough.”
“Dustin, is it that she doesn’t return your feelings?”
“To the contrary, I think she feels precisely as I do. And she’s fighting it every step of the way.”
“Why?”
Dustin inhaled, weighing his explanation so as not to reveal too much. “We’re from very different worlds. My world intimidates her. So does my reputation.”
Ariana’s brows rose. “She knows of your reputation and she hasn’t bolted? She must care for you a great deal.”
“Very amusing.”
“I wasn’t trying to be amusing.” A thoughtful pause. “Dustin, if I combine what little you’ve said with the fact that none of us, including yourself, has ever had occasion to meet this girl before now, I have to assume she’s not of noble birth.”
“Your assumption is correct. She lives a much simpler or, to use her words, more provincial life than we do.”
“In which case, how can you blame her for being intimidated? Were I she, I’d be quaking in my shoes. Lord alone knows what she’s heard about you. Most of which, I might add, is true—or have you forgotten?”
“I haven’t forgotten. But how can I convince her that all that’s behind me now? That she’s different, special? That I’m so bloody in love with her I can’t think straight?”
“That depends. Have you seduced her?”
Dustin started. “What kind of question is that?”
“A pertinent one. I infer from your description that the young lady in question is not experienced when it comes to men.”
“As naive as you were.”
Ariana grinned. “I’m not certain if that’s a compliment or a condemnation, but it is an answer. Is she young?”
“Your age.”
“But she’s been protected by her family, I’m guessing.”
“You can certainly say that, yes.”
“Then I repeat, have you seduced her?”
“You, of course, assume that I have.”
“Quite the opposite,” Ariana demurred in her customarily serene fashion. “I suspect you’re so eager to dispel her apprehensions that you’ve been unthinkably self-controlled—at least for you.”
Dustin shot her a look. “I sense a barb beneath that supposed commendation, but I’ll answer nonetheless. You’re right. I’m doing my best to convey my feelings without compromising her or her values.”
“I see.” A tiny pucker formed between Ariana’s brows. “Have you told her how you feel?”
“I’ve done all but utter the words. I’d gladly give her those, too, if I weren’t so afraid she’d bolt.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what more to do.”
“Have you considered giving her time?”
Silence.
Ariana sighed. “Honestly, you Kingsley men are so …”
“I know—intense, impatient, and perpetually in search of a challenge,” Dustin finished for her.
“Exactly. Well, Dustin, you’ve found the ultimate challenge, one that will change your whole life. But you can’t approach it with mule-headed intensity, nor with single-minded haste. Some treasures, like flowers, need time to unfurl. You plant them, water them, and wait. Otherwise you destroy a miracle too beautiful to recreate, too delicate to recapture.”
“A miracle.” Dustin’s features softened. “That’s what she believes in. And that’s what she is.” He gave a deep, resigned sigh. “Do you really think time will help?”
“I do. And not very much time either. It sounds to me as if you’ve
already made amazing headway. Just give her love a chance to overcome her misgivings. After which—” A twinkle. “I have a suspicion Tyreham will be hosting a wedding reception far more joyous than all your victory celebrations combined, including your anticipated taking of the Derby.”
Your anticipated taking of the Derby. Ariana’s particular choice of words struck home, although she could have no way of knowing why, and a warm glow pervaded Dustin’s heart. Some Derbys could be taken, others had to be won not by siege but by trust. And since bone-deep trust took time to build, and time required patience … then patience he would find.
“Very well.” With a decisive nod, he conceded to Ariana’s suggestion. “I shall try to employ some of that nonexistent Kingsley patience you’ve described.”
“You won’t regret it,” Ariana assured him.
Gratefully, Dustin brought Ariana’s fingers to his lips. “Thank you. You’re one hell of an advisor. Not to mention you didn’t once grill me about how such overwhelming feelings could develop so quickly.”
“I?” Ariana smoothed her skirts and rose. “I who fell instantly and totally in love with a man who did everything in his power to make me despise him?” A distant smile touched her lips. “Given my history with Trenton, I think it would be a bit unfair of me to denounce your feelings. After all, love is love, and strikes when and whom it chooses.” She squeezed Dustin’s forearm. “I’m so happy it’s chosen to strike you at last. No one deserves it more.” With keen insight, she studied his expression. “Your happiness shows, you know. You look—content. Tired and frustrated, to be sure,” she added teasingly, “but content.” A solemn note crept into her voice. “That restlessness that plagued you at Spraystone has vanished. Forever, I suspect. Yes.” She nodded. “I believe, Lord Tyreham, your wandering days are over.” With that, she glanced out the window. “Now, given what a lovely day it is, shall we collect Alexander and Mrs. Hopkins? The stables await and—” Breaking off, she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Dustin came to his feet.
“I’m not sure. Trenton has been acting so odd these past few days. This morning he very nearly forbid me to take Alexander to Tyreham with me. When I insisted, he commanded four additional footmen to accompany us. Look at them.” She gestured toward the drive. “They’re lined up outside the manor as if ready to do battle.”
Dustin followed her gaze, warning bells ringing loud and clear inside his head. “They’re probably waiting to accompany us to the stables.”
“Why?”
“Because, although Trent loves Alexander with all his heart, you’re his life. And, being that you’re not exactly a strapping, muscular woman, he worries about your endurance. Why, in less than a year, your son has all but worn you out. And Alexander is getting older, more physically demanding. Trent is probably just ensuring you have enough help to get along.”
Ariana planted her hands on her hips. “I’m slight, but I’m not exactly a weakling. Besides, four additional men? Plus the customary three, Mrs. Hopkins and myself, not to mention the staff at Tyreham? No child, energetic or not, requires an army to oversee him.”
An offhanded shrug. “Trent has been more overprotective than usual lately. He all but swooned when I implied that I’d fallen in love so quickly and deeply. If he’s fretting over me, he’s bound to be a nervous ninny when it comes to you. Remember, Ariana, my brother’s thoughts, like his love, run very deep. But that shouldn’t surprise you. After all, you know how”—a grin—“intense we Kingsley men are.”
“I suppose,” Ariana murmured, chewing her lip.
“Don’t give it another thought. Come. Let’s head for the stables. I have a new trainer starting today. You can meet him, and Alexander can proffer a few cubes of sugar to the horses.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Ariana’s somber mood lifted, precisely as Dustin had intended. “I’m also eager to meet this new jockey of yours, the one you’re training for the Derby. Incidentally, it goes without saying that Trenton and I will be in the stands on Derby Day. In fact, we’ll make a visit of it. We’ll stay at Tyreham for the duration of the Epsom races. How would that be?”
“Splendid,” Dustin heard himself say, feeling a frisson of apprehension as he realized that, simultaneous with Derby Day, Nicole would be exposed to the world’s scrutiny for the first time. Hundreds of onlookers would see her race. What if she were recognized not by Ariana and Trent, who were completely trustworthy, but by someone else—the wrong someone? Countless jockeys knew Nicole Aldridge. What if a particularly competitive or unscrupulous one saw through her disguise and reported it? The ensuing disqualification, even the scandal, meant not a whit to Dustin, but Nicole’s safety did. Was he endangering her life by permitting her to ride as a man?
Forcibly, he squelched his qualms, chastising himself for thinking with his heart, not his head. The truth was, there was nothing to fear. He’d known from the start that he needn’t shield Nicole from the world. Her disguise was flawless, allowing no one a glimpse of Alden Stoddard’s true identity. He was just overreacting—as Kingsley men apparently did when they were in love.
Nevertheless, just to be on the safe side, he’d implement the extra precautions he’d planned, not only on Derby Day but for the entire week the Epsom races were being run. The additional staff Poole was providing would ward off the reporters and the touts. Especially the touts, who’d be sniffing around Stoddard in an attempt to determine what odds to lay on Dagger’s Derby performance. If they got near enough to make that discernment. Which they wouldn’t, Dustin vowed silently, a muscle working in his jaw. In fact, as he’d promised Aldridge, Dagger and Stoddard wouldn’t be approachable until they paraded up to the starting gate and swept the Derby.
“Dustin?” Ariana’s expression was perplexed. “What is it? Will our visiting Tyreham during the Epsom races be too much for you? If that’s the case, say so. Trenton and I will understand. We’ll simply come another time and—”
“Nonsense.” Dustin’s composure reinstated itself. “I’d be insulted if you didn’t stay for the duration. I’m just preoccupied. Let’s gather Alexander and head for the stables.” He turned, striding toward the door. “I’m eager to see how Stoddard is faring.”
Stoddard was not faring at all well.
In fact, she was distinctly unhappy at the moment, and her unhappiness didn’t stem from the upcoming race or from Dagger. It stemmed from Raggert.
From the minute the lanky, arrogant trainer had sauntered into the stables, Nicole had taken an instant dislike to him. It was nothing tangible, nothing she could put her finger on. His knowledge was thorough, his loudly boasted credentials impressive. There was just something about him—a cockiness, an icy condescension, that disturbed her greatly. Plus, his attitude toward her was nothing short of appalling.
“So, you’re the fellow Lord Tyreham intends to sweep the Derby stakes,” he muttered, his dark eyes assessing her. “How old are you, boy? Fifteen?”
“Twenty.”
“That old, are you?” he taunted lightly, rubbing a blade of straw between his fingers. “Well, let’s see what you can do, especially on that impossible stallion Tyreham insists on entering.”
“You’re familiar with Dagger?”
“Yup. I was with Lord Lanston when he bought him. Never saw much hope of reforming him. He was too far gone. I was relieved as hell when Lanston sold him. Personally, I think Tyreham’s crazy for investing so much time and energy in a wild, reckless lunatic like that stallion. But—” A shrug. “That’s the marquis’s decision, not mine. In any case, let’s get a stableboy to tack him up.”
“He’s already tacked up,” Nicole replied, controlling her temper with the greatest of efforts. “I was about to take a trial run over the course when you arrived.”
“Good. I’ll oversee your practice.”
“There’s no need,” Nicole heard herself say, despite the fact that Dustin had specifically mentioned to her that Raggert would be doing just that. “Brackley ha
s arranged to time me.”
A glint of annoyance. “I’ll time you. Brackley can tend to the other horses.”
“Very well.” Nicole turned. “I’ll lead Dagger out and meet you at the course’s starting point. Are you familiar with the grounds?”
She could actually feel Raggert tense. “Don’t be insolent, boy. I’m familiar with everything to do with my job. I make it a point to be. Brackley showed me around the grounds, including the entire course, before I came to find you.”
“Fine. I won’t be more than a few minutes.”
Nicole stalked off, fury welling up inside her as she made her way into Dagger’s stall. Deliberately instigating Raggert had been a stupid thing to do, but at that particular moment, she didn’t give a damn. Who did the man think he was? Worse, what false veneer had he assumed to convince not only Dustin but Lord Lanston to hire him? Because, competent or not, no trainer could successfully relate to horses with an attitude like Raggert’s. He lacked humility and compassion, supplanted instead by an overabundant—and undeserved—feeling of self-worth.
Stroking Dagger’s velvet muzzle, she tried to bring herself under control and almost succeeded, until she glanced at the beautiful thoroughbred who was now nuzzling her palm. Raggert’s ugly, inaccurate condemnation of Dagger sprang to mind, enraging Nicole anew. Trainer? The fool was no judge of horses. She had half a mind to march into Tyreham and …
And what?
She drew herself up short. In the name of heaven, she was merely a jockey, and an inexperienced one at that. Without using the leverage of their personal relationship, how could she run to Dustin and inform him he’d made a huge mistake in hiring Raggert? What grounds did she have—that he’d spoken harshly to her? She was, after all, a mere novice, and he, a seasoned trainer.
No. Alden Stoddard was here on merit and on merit would remain. Until and unless Raggert did something truly wrong, Stoddard’s feelings would stay private.