What Price Love? by Stephanie Laurens Read Free Book Online

can tell, it’s enormous, and has no finite boundary. It’s an area spreading out from the town, big enough for all the strings of horses to be exercised there twice a day.”
    â€œSo finding one stable isn’t going to be easy.”
    â€œNo. But if we ride around during the training sessions—early morning and late afternoon—we might sight Cromarty’s string. Rus said he assisted with the training sessions, or at least he did in Ireland.”
    Adelaide spoke from across the table. “Should we go this afternoon?”
    Pris wanted to, but shook her head. “Caxton’s suspicious, although I’m sure he doesn’t know what to be suspicious about. We told him we were looking for Irish stables to sate your”—she inclined her head to Eugenia—“avid curiosity. If he sees us out hunting this afternoon, we’ll appear too eager, too urgent to locate the Irish stables. I don’t want to invite his attention any more than I already have.”
    Looking up from her tatting, Eugenia bent a very direct look on Pris. “You fear him. Why?”
    Pris swallowed the denial that rose to her tongue; Eugenia, she’d learned, was exceedingly clear-sighted. Eventually, she offered, “I think it’s because he’s so very handsome—just like me.” She met Eugenia’s gaze. “And just like me, people look no further than his face and figure, and forget that there’s a very good brain at work behind the mouthwatering façade.”
    â€œHe’s certainly handsome,” Adelaide averred, “but he’s rather overwhelming. He’s very dark and hard and sharp. He may be beautiful, but he’s not comfortable.”
    Pris found nothing to argue with in that. Drumming her fingers on the tablecloth, she thought over all she’d learned, trying to find some way forward.
    â€œSo what are you planning to do next?” Eugenia asked.
    Pris looked up and met her eyes. “We can ride out early tomorrow morning and start searching through the strings exercising on the Heath. The ostler at the inn said all strings exercise there every morning, and Caxton won’t expect us to be out at such an hour. If he’s suspicious enough to think to look for us, he’ll look at the afternoon sessions. Meanwhile…”
    She frowned, then pushed back her chair. “If I could just get a look at that blasted register, I’d have a better idea what sort of scheme Harkness might be hatching. A better idea of what Rus will think to do.”
    Eugenia’s lips curved. “One benefit of being twins.”
    Rising to her feet, Pris managed a smile. “Indeed. If you’ll both excuse me, I’m going to take a turn about the gardens.”
    Â 
    I found her at the track midmorning, walking with a friend—a Miss Blake.” Sprawled in the chair behind his office desk, Dillon laced his fingers across his waistcoat. “Miss Dalling tried to learn more about the register, but that wasn’t why she was there. They were searching for someone. She said she was looking for the Irish crews, but I’m not sure if that was the truth or simply the most obvious answer to my question.”
    â€œDid you learn where they were staying?” Barnaby sat slumped in the armchair opposite the bookcase, long legs stretched out before him, ready to share the results of his day’s sleuthing.
    Dillon nodded. “I followed them home—she’d driven them into town in a gig. They’re staying at the old Carisbrook place. I asked around. There really is an aunt—a Lady Fowles—and she’s rentedthe house for several weeks.”
    â€œHmm.” Barnaby frowned at his boots. “How do you read her—Miss Dalling? Is her interest in the register really because of her eccentric aunt?”
    Dillon glanced out of the window at the gathering dusk. “I think she’s a consummate liar,