Winning the Gentleman (Hearts on the Heath #2) - Kristi Ann Hunter Page 0,57

was obvious the horse was in distress. A coiled rope hung on a hook nearby, so she grabbed it to use as a lead to take the horse outside.

The grooms lived above the stable, but the noise didn’t seem to have woken them. There was no need for them to rise when Sophia was already awake. Her restlessness might as well be of some benefit. She took the horse to an open space on the side of the stable away from the house and started walking in circles.

The first fifteen minutes were exhausting as the animal kept trying to stop and lower himself to the ground. Each time she’d poke and prod and pull until the horse started walking again. Eventually, he was walking smoothly, plodding along without complaint as they circled and circled the little area. The drowsiness that had been eluding Sophia chose that moment to appear, and she laid her head against the horse’s neck as they walked, allowing her eyes to drift partly closed.

Finally, the horse found some relief, and Sophia led the animal back into the stable, stumbling over her own feet in her sleepy state. She sat in the corner of the horse’s stall. She would wait a few moments to ensure the horse was okay, then return to bed. Her new friend gave her a brief nuzzle before settling in to enjoy the rest of the night himself.

More banging against the stall startled her awake, but this time it wasn’t the horse. Whatever had cracked against the wood had done so inches from her head.

A very well-dressed, very angry man stood in the stall with her and the horse. The door behind him was open, and three wide-eyed stable boys filled the gap.

“You!” The man pointed his horse whip at her, likely what he’d hit the wall with a few moments before. “What are you doing in my stable?”

“I, er, sleeping?” Sophia rubbed a hand over her face, willing her brain to wake enough to extricate her from this situation.

“You’re that woman jockey, aren’t you? Was this your plan?” the man continued. “You distract us with your nonsense and then plot to steal our horses? You’ll not be making off with Hezekiah!”

The man turned so quickly his still-extended whip made a whizzing sound as it slashed through the air. “Fetch the magistrate!”

That got Sophia moving. Thankful she was already dressed, she sprang from the corner, ignoring the tingling sensation in her legs, and pushed past the stunned stable boys.

There would be no breakfast this morning, no visit to Jonas. She would find a place to hide until it was time to run the race. She couldn’t leave Mr. Whitworth without a jockey, even if it appeared he might be correct in his assessment of her chances of changing people’s minds.

After that, she would go to her brother and they could decide what to do.

If they had to start all over again, so be it. At least they’d be together.

HAD THIS BEEN any other race day, Aaron would be preparing the horse with the calm born of easy confidence. It hadn’t rained in over a week, so the track would be exactly the way Equinox preferred. The sun was rising in a clear sky, so the racers would have no trouble seeing the course. All Miss Fitzroy’s training the past week had gone better than he’d expected. Hudson’s deep frowns had softened to speculative scowls after signing the papers with Rigsby the day before. He’d even been excited enough not to push for more information on Aaron’s part of the exchange.

So why was he feeling so unsettled?

Oliver stood beside him in the training yard, waiting for Barley and a stable boy to prepare Equinox. After several quiet minutes, he turned to Aaron and asked, “Are we hoping to win today or not?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? And likely the source of his agitation. If Miss Fitzroy won, his challenge record would remain untainted and Oliver would be a thousand pounds richer. Convincing her to allow him to help her find another line of work would be more difficult, though.

If she didn’t win . . . well, his situation didn’t improve much. He still had to hope the other horses and jockeys made it back in time for the October Meeting, still had to find someone to ride Equinox, and still had to figure out where Miss Fitzroy could work. His only gain would be that she could no longer refuse to find a