Duke Looks Like a Groomsman - Valerie Bowman Page 0,40
the head. Whisper stamped her hoof and continued to crunch her apple.
Mary retracted her hand, laughing softly. “She’s lovely.”
The horse pushed her muzzle under Mary’s hand and Mary’s delighted squeal made Julianna’s heart clench.
“She likes you,” Rhys said to Mary with a kind smile. “And I don’t blame her.”
“I don’t blame her either,” Henry added.
Mary blushed and glanced away from the young groomsman.
Julianna smiled. Whatever problems she’d had with Rhys in the past, he was being kind and patient with her sister and that made her throat tight. He might be Detestable, but even she had to admit he wasn’t entirely detestable. Not today at least. Not if he was being so good to Mary. Mary didn’t deserve his ire, of course, but a lesser man would have taken his anger at Julianna out on her sister.
“You’re not so bad at all,” Mary said encouragingly to Whisper.
“Would ye like ta give her an apple, milady?” Henry asked Mary.
Mary glanced back at Julianna as if to ask for guidance.
Julianna nodded encouragingly. “Go ahead.”
“As long as you’re certain she won’t bite me,” Mary replied to Henry.
Henry placed a small apple in Mary’s hand, and she squeezed her eyes shut and held her hand toward Whisper’s mouth.
“It’s all right,” Rhys said, guiding Mary’s hand closer. “She won’t bite, I promise. Which is more than I can say for your sister.”
Mary was obviously too worried about a potential bite from the horse to hear that little dig. She kept her eyes closed and her hand out. But Julianna heard it and she waited for Rhys to glance back at her before she gave him a smile that said Just wait till I get done with you.
Whisper nibbled the apple out of Mary’s hand and Mary’s joyful laugh further delighted Julianna. She clasped her hands together. “You’re not frightened, are you, Mary?” she called.
“Not at all,” Mary replied, opening her eyes and staring in awe at the horse’s large head. “It’s a bit ticklish, if I’m honest.”
Rhys laughed again. “It is, isn’t it? Whisper loves apples. She’s certain to favor you for giving her one.”
“Good,” Mary replied. “I can use all the goodwill I can get.”
The horse finished with the apple and Mary dusted her gloves together before expelling her breath. “Must I climb up now?” she asked, pure dread apparent on her features.
Rhys chuckled. “No. No. We’re not quite ready for that yet. First, it’s important that you learn how to look after a horse before you attempt to ride one.”
“Look after?” A frown wrinkled Mary’s brow.
“That’s right,” Rhys replied. He took the reins from Henry and nodded at the groom to return to the stables.
Henry tipped his hat to Mary before he left. She blushed beautifully once again.
“He’s a terrific one ta be teaching ‘er, milady,” Henry said to Julianna as he passed her on his way back into the stables.
Julianna shook her head. Yet another sycophant at the altar of the Duke of Worthington? Honestly, the man had to be paying these people to pretend they liked him as much as they did.
But when Julianna glanced back at Rhys, she had to admit that the way he continued to treat her sister was about to make her a proponent of a man she’d been calling Detestable for over a year.
“Before you can properly learn to ride,” Rhys was saying to Mary in a steady, certain voice, “you must learn how horses behave. You must build a relationship with the animal.”
“Is that why you had me pet her and feed her an apple, Mr. Worthy?” Mary asked, blinking up at him.
“Precisely,” Rhys replied with a nod.
Julianna moved closer and watched as Rhys gestured to a small wooden table near the barn door. It had been laid with a variety of items that he obviously meant to use to teach Mary. “Taking care of a horse is every bit as important as riding,” Rhys said. “It begins with grooming.”
“I agree,” Julianna added from behind them. “Some people even tend to take better care of horse’s feelings than people’s feelings. Isn’t that right, Mr. Worthy?”
“Perhaps that’s because horses never give one a reason to be mistrustful, my lady,” he replied without missing a beat.
Mary glanced back and forth between the two of them, frowning.
Next, Rhys picked up the comb. After showing Mary how to gently stroke through Whisper’s mane, he let her try.
Mary’s first attempt was a bit awkward but after a few moments, she dared a step closer to the horse and was able