Winning the Gentleman (Hearts on the Heath #2) - Kristi Ann Hunter Page 0,28

haze at the edge of her vision turned into a horse and rider. He passed the edge of the weigh house with Sophia and Poseidon right on his tail but most definitely behind.

They eased the horses down slowly, until both were plodding along, sides heaving, heads slightly drooped.

She’d lost the impromptu race, but what did that mean? She was proud of her first run. Had she done well enough to impress him?

What if she saw disappointment when she turned to look at him? What if his mouth was pressed into a thin line and his face was covered in resignation, knowing she was going to lose the race and take both of their reputations down with her?

She knew she didn’t exactly belong here, but she desperately wanted the reason to be because she was female and not because she lacked ability. Her riding skills were all she had. If he wasn’t impressed with those . . .

Mr. Whitworth cleared his throat and pulled his horse in front of hers before stopping.

Poseidon stopped as well, giving Sophia no choice but to look up into Mr. Whitworth’s stony visage.

His expression seemed much the same as it had when he’d grudgingly agreed to honor her employment, but there was something different about it now, something she couldn’t put into words. Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part, but despite the fact that the man clearly knew how to keep his emotions a secret from his face, she thought maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t quite so resentful of her presence.

Or was he?

She dearly hoped he learned how to speak at some point in this endeavor. She also hoped she’d become immune to the urge to squirm under his quiet, steady gaze. The way he seemed to know things just by looking at her, as if he could see beneath the surface, made her feel vulnerable.

Clearing her throat, she looked over her shoulder at the stretch of land they’d just run across. “I’ve never done anything like that before.” As she swung her face back toward Mr. Whitworth, she couldn’t suppress a wide grin. “It was incredible.”

His eyes softened at the corners. If she hadn’t been staring at him, trying to read him the way he seemed to be reading her, she’d have missed it.

He nodded and turned his horse to start walking again. This time he kept up a running, if dry, commentary. They rode past the training yards that bordered the Heath, with their small stables and individual training rings. He pointed out landmarks as the horses plodded closer to the town. Grass gave way to lanes and buildings. Taller roofs indicating the main street of town could be seen to her left.

When there were no more horse-related areas to indicate, he lapsed into silence.

Sophia soon broke it. “I’ve never been to Newmarket.”

“This will be a new experience for you, then.”

Her subtle attempt to get him talking about what they were passing or the unique idiosyncrasies of the town hadn’t worked, and she bit her tongue to keep from asking directly. The man was her employer, not her friend. He’d offered a job, not a holiday.

A couple of people tipped their hats in his direction, their speculative eyes taking in both the lathered horses and Sophia, but he offered no introductions or explanations.

They rode in silence down a street leading out of town. The homes couldn’t hold her interest without tales of the people who lived within them, so she gave her attention to the man at her side. He rode the horse as if he’d been born in the saddle, with an easy grace that she couldn’t help but admire.

He was handsome too, though Sophia had to admit it wouldn’t be hard to surpass most of the men she’d been in contact with over the past two years. Traveling performers weren’t well known for their cleanliness. When they had to choose between adequate sleep and another futile fight against the collected road dust, it wasn’t much of a battle.

They turned off the road and onto a drive that cut through a tree-dotted lawn to a large estate house. Was this where she was to be staying? She’d never set foot in a home so grand, not even the servants’ quarters.

Mr. Whitworth rode past the house, though, and down to a stable tucked away from the house behind a large walled garden. Three stable boys rushed out to greet them.

Sophia kicked her foot free of the stirrup and mentally measured the distance