More Than a Mistress by Ann Lethbridge Read Free Book Online Page B

mixture of warm mash and liniment around the injured foreleg. ‘How bad do you think it is?’
    ‘No more’n a strain, I reckon.’
    ‘He got hooked up in the traces,’ Miss Draycott said. ‘I hope he didn’t do any permanent damage.’
    So, she’d followed him back. That was going to make his questioning of the head groom difficult.
    ‘Have you tried packing it with snow?’ Charlie asked.
    Jed scratched at the grey stubble on his chin. ‘Never heard of that for a strain.’
    Charlie grinned. ‘Nor I. My groom discovered it takes the swelling down faster than warm mash, if you want to try it. Little else to be done apart from plenty of rest.’
    ‘It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it, Jed?’ Merry said quietly. ‘I feel so badly. Not once in my life have I ever injured one of my horses.’
    She sounded dreadfully guilty. Charlie wanted to put an arm around her shoulders and offer her comfort, then press her up against the stable wall and offer a bit more than that, she looked so starkly beautiful with her hair tucked up under her ridiculous hat.
    ”T’was my fault,’ Jed said. ‘I should have seen somat were up wi’carriage. I should never have let you drive alone.’
    ‘No, you should not,’ Charlie said. ‘The carriage could have turned over. The horse’s legs might have been broken rather than strained. Not to mention Miss Draycott’s safety.’
    The groom’s wrinkled face looked grim. ‘Aye.’
    ‘It was not Jed’s fault,’ Miss Draycott said. ‘And it is beside the point. That poor creature is in pain.’
    ‘Nowt to worry your head about, missy.’
    ‘I’ll check again later,’ she said, rubbing her upper arms.
    He hadn’t thought her so sentimental a woman. Yet on their drive she had kept turning back to look at the injured beast. Perhaps, beneath her hard brittle shell, she’d a soft centre. Hopefully, the head groom wouldn’t let her rampage around the countryside alone in future. He’d have a word with him in private. Later. When Merry left.
    ‘You’d be better off staying warm by the fire,’ the groom said.
    ‘I’ll take a look at my cattle while I’m here, Jed.’
    ‘Sixteen mile an hour tits, I’m thinkin’, my lord,’ Jed said.
    ‘On a smooth road downhill.’ Charlie patted the injured horse’s rump and exited the stall. He exited further along the stable block.
    ‘I was going too fast,’ Merry said, following him. ‘I was angry and hurrying because of the weather. I must have hit a rut.’
    He’d seen no signs of a rut large enough to damage an axle. ‘Fretting won’t change it.’
    Her chin quivered. ‘No. It won’t. But that horse is in pain. I can see it in his eyes.’
    Charlie didn’t quite know what to say, so said nothing. He strode along the block until he found his team. They huffed a greeting. He spent a moment or two going over their hooves and their limbs. Someone had brushed them and their brown coats shone.
    ‘You have a good man in Jed,’ he said.
    ‘He worked for my grandfather.’ She spoke as if the words answered all.
    They walked side by side along the alley in front of the stalls.
    ‘It seems you are to be burdened by my company for a while longer,’ he said.
    ‘It is no burden,’ she said absently as if she had something else on her mind. ‘It won’t be the first time we are snowed in for a few days.’
    ‘Thank you for your hospitality.’
    His voice must have sounded just a little dry, because her head turned, her eyes meeting his gaze.
    She gave a rueful smile. ‘Did I sound dreadfully rude? I apologise. I meant to say that it will be an honour to have you stay as long as you wish.’
    Somehow he preferred the earlier offhand invitation to this lavish courtesy, because the first was pure Merry and the second pro forma .
    ‘You must allow me to perform some service for you while I am here,’ he said just a little mischievously, thinking to test the waters.
    Her eyes widened just a fraction as she considered his words.