Unbefitting a Lady by Bronwyn Scott Read Free Book Online

She would not respect condescension. But she had to be made to
understand the enormity of her goal. ‘To take a colt like Warbourne all the way
to Epsom is a difficult task even if there was more time.’ Bram shook his head.
For all she knew, Warbourne was past his prime, ruined. ‘To do it in a single
spring borders on impossibility.’
    ‘But just borders,’ Phaedra said staunchly. Her gaze returned
out over the water, stubbornness etched in the tightness of her jaw.
    Bram let out a deep breath. He could add annoying and obstinate to the list of
adjectives describing Phaedra Montague. ‘I don’t think even I could do it.’
    That did bring her gaze back to him. She raised perfectly
arched eyebrow. ‘Not too proud, are we?’ She tossed his words back at him from
yesterday.
    Bram chuckled. He could play that game. ‘Not proud. Just
honest. Sound familiar?’
    ‘Honesty’s been quite the theme today,’ Phaedra said. Her hands
were on her hips, emphasising the slimness of her waist. Bram’s hands ached to
take their place. ‘While we’re being honest about
preferring shirts to no shirts, and who can or cannot train a colt in time for
Epsom, let me say this. I am not interested in whether you can train him in time. I am only interested in whether I can.’
    If there had been doubt about her seriousness, Bram would have
laughed, thinking her comment nothing more than sassy words from a spoiled young
miss. But she was in deadly earnest and she meant every last one of her sharp
words. Why shouldn’t she? She was the Duke of Rothermere’s daughter. To her, he
was nothing more than the latest in a string of temporary grooms.
    There wasn’t much he could tell her to change that without
giving himself away. But there was plenty he could show her. Maybe he couldn’t
read a horse’s mind but she wasn’t the only one who could train a champion or
ride like hell and he’d start showing her right now.
    ‘You say she’s the best jumper in the county?’ Bram eyed
Isolde, who’d finished drinking and had turned her attentions to cropping the
sparse tufts of grass.
    ‘Untouchable,’ Phaedra said with her customary confidence.
    ‘Merlin seems to be a prime goer. I’ll bet he can give her a
run for her money.’ Competition sparked in Phaedra’s eyes. Bram grinned. It
didn’t take much to stoke that particular fire. She rose to the bait all too
easily.
    Phaedra gave one of her shrugs. ‘He’s fast, tends to tire over
long distances, but he’ll jump any fence you find in the meanwhile.’
    ‘Then let’s go.’ Bram winked and tossed her up into the saddle
before swinging up into his own. He wheeled Merlin around. ‘One point for every
log, two points for every fence. First one back to the stables claims a prize.
On your mark, get set, go!’

Chapter Five
    P haedra pulled Isolde to a halt a
half-length behind Merlin in the stable quadrangle. ‘I win!’ she crowed
triumphantly, sliding off the horse’s back and loosening the girth. Isolde was
slick with sweat. She’d run hard and jumped harder, much harder, than Merlin.
    Bram dismounted and shot her a mischievous smile that boded
ill. ‘You can’t possibly think you won?’ Phaedra drew the reins over Isolde’s
head. ‘I counted fifteen points for me and only eight for you.’ It had been no
small feat to keep track of logs and fences for the two of them while flying
breakneck over the Castonbury lands.
    Bram fell in beside her, leading a lathered Merlin to the
stalls. ‘I believe the rule was first one back to the stables wins, not who accrues the most points.’
    ‘Then why jump anything at all?’ Phaedra retorted.
    ‘Yes, why indeed?’ Bram’s white-toothed grin was insufferable
in its arrogance and twice as enticing. It was almost impossible to be angry at
a smile like that.
    ‘Next you’ll be telling me you only jumped a few things to
humour me.’
    ‘No, I jumped a few things so you wouldn’t suspect anything. Once you told me Merlin