Dominic by Hazel Statham Read Free Book Online Page B

direction. Over the years he had established a well-respected bloodline, the founder stallion of which had been brought from France at the ti m e of his wedding.
    Vale would send for W roxh a m, but not until he had established the groundwork of her schooling and standing now in the center of the paddock he started to lunge her at a steady, e v en, pace.
    Beco m i ng impatient of the groo m ’s delay he looked in the dire c tion of the s tables and in so doing beca m e aware that he was the object of scrutiny. Turning, he espied a lone horseman sitting on the rise some distance away , however he paid no heed, his m i nd being occupied with the groo m ’s tar d iness. A f ter only a short while, the groom eventually arri v ed, red faced and full of apologie s , explai n ing that the reas o n for the delay was that the saddle had been in the process of being cleaned.
    Sonnet accepted the saddle a f ter an initial s h ow of reluctance when she sidled a nd atte m pted to kick at her sto m ach to rid her s elf of the girth , bucking occasionally to add weight to her protest, b u t his lords h ip was patie n t and worked with her u ntil she c al m ed and went f orward well on the lunge. It was not until he had decided that she had worked long enough and tur n ed toward the gate that he re m e m bered his spectator and caught sight of him just as he was riding away f rom the rise. Giving his presence no m ore than a m o m en t ’s thought, Vale returned to m ore pressing m atters and ret u rned Sonnet to her stable .
    However, on several occasions over the next few days he beca m e aware of the onlo o ker’s presence as he schooled t h e filly, usually at t h e sa m e t i m e of day, his mornings being occupied with either shooting or fishing on the estate. Finally, he decided on f i nding out w hom his watcher m ay be and instead of going to the paddock with Sonnet, he sent a groom of like height and weight in his place, hoping to engage the spectat o r’s atte n tion long enough for him to be intercepted.
    Taking a circular route so as not to be observed, he rode to the f urther end o f the ri s e a n d atte m pted to ri d e its length in the cover of the trees that lined it. It was not long before he perceived the hors e m an sitting with his gaze riveted on the paddock, watching Sonnet being led around by the groom. Leaving the cover of the trees, he began his approach. A s he neared, the r i der t u rned in the saddle a t so m e sound. Why, ‘tis o nly a boy, thought Vale to hi m self and would have hailed him good-naturedly if the boy had not beco m e aware of his app r oach and swinging his horse about, urged it to a gallop and sped away.
    A m u s ed by the incide n t Vale r e turned to Stovely, c on f ir m ed that the b o y was but showing an interest in the schooling of the horses, for had he not done the self-sa m e thing when he was of such an age? Indeed, h e would have no objections to the boy co m i ng down to the stables if he so wished and he decided on sending a groom to tell him so when next he appeared.
     
    *****
     
    The opportunity to speak to the boy arose earlier than Vale had anti c ipated. W hilst out shooting early the next morning , his three spaniels bounding before him, he espied the boy riding on the boundaries of his land and atte m pted to att r act hi s att e ntion by rai s ing his arm in salute. Unfortunately the boy, appearing deep in thought, did not immediately perceive him and instead allowed his horse to a m ble along, the reins hanging slack on its neck, its head hanging low.
    The dogs raced before him toward the rider, putting up two pheasa n ts in th e ir h a ste. Seeing the birds rise from the corner of its eye, the horse took exception and reared in prote s t of t h eir flight, depo s iting its rider none too gently onto the t urf . Seeing t h e ac c ident, Vale t h rew aside the brace of birds which were strung o ver his sh o ulder and started forward at a run, reac h ing the boy