Winning the Gentleman (Hearts on the Heath #2) - Kristi Ann Hunter Page 0,58

new position.

“Why don’t we wait and see?” Aaron shrugged. “We’ll act as if whatever outcome we get is the one we wanted.”

Oliver nodded and gave a good-natured chuckle. “You can’t lose with that plan.”

Or it was the plan of a man who’d seen losing as inevitable. One way or another, he was going to be worse off. Still, there wasn’t any point in speculating when neither option was good. He may as well want what he got.

Besides, he was too busy sorting through everything he knew about his little jockey. He couldn’t keep his mind off her, so he would make the obsession useful. Something was pressuring him, something he hadn’t quite put together. Her determination to be a jockey wasn’t fitting with what he knew—or thought he knew—about her.

If only he could put a finger on why it didn’t fit.

The object of his thoughts strode into the paddock. She was dressed in the same outfit she’d worn on her first day, with the silk shirt in Lord Trenting’s colors pulled over the top and tied at the waist to keep it from flopping about her legs. Barley must have given her the shirt as she came through the stable. Was it really only a week ago that he’d seen those wide-leg trousers for the first time?

He took in her face and frowned. While he’d grown accustomed to receiving a wide range of expressions from her, be it a tight-lipped smile accompanied by nervous lip licking, or impudent chatter and a head tilt of utter confidence, he’d never seen her look terrified. Her eyes were wide, her skin stark white against the red of her tousled hair. It had been pulled back into a low bun at some point, but then it had been thoroughly mussed. There was even a piece of straw sticking out of one side.

The reality of what she was about to do must have finally hit her this morning. Though that didn’t explain the straw.

She reached him just as Equinox was being led from the stable. He plucked the straw from her hair before helping her mount. There was nothing he could do about her fear now. They were both just going to have to see this through and deal with the consequences after.

Normally Aaron would have appreciated the fact that she’d yet to say a word, but instead he found it worrisome. Her fingers were gripping the reins hard enough to turn the knuckles white, and Equinox shifted restlessly as he absorbed her tension.

Aaron stepped closer to her side and laid a calming hand on the horse’s neck. He couldn’t reach any part of her aside from her legs, so he simply gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “Take a deep breath. You’re ready.”

She blinked down at him but still said nothing. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep, slow inhale that seemed to expand every part of her body. As she deflated, her grip loosened and her spine relaxed. She opened her eyes to stare at the horizon and leaned forward to pat the horse on the neck.

That was as good as it was going to get.

They headed toward the starting pole. A scattering of people on horseback lined the second half of the course, ready to race alongside the track and see all the action. In the distance, a large crowd gathered near the finish post.

Had everyone in Newmarket come out to see the race? It was as crowded as a meeting day. Carriages lined the small hill, while people on foot scattered down the slope. Even the duke’s stand had people in it. The small building was too far away to see faces clearly, but use of the stand had been granted to Lord Gliddon when the duke was away, so the man in the bright green waistcoat was likely him.

Aaron sent up a prayer of thanks that the first set of banns had been read this past Sunday. Even if Lord Gliddon’s opinion of his future son-in-law dipped because of this debacle, he couldn’t stop the wedding without creating an even larger scandal.

Aaron rolled his shoulders. He didn’t care much what Lord Gliddon thought, aside from the fact that his opinion had a good chance of reaching the ears of Oliver’s father. While the wedding was safe from an earl’s displeasure, Aaron’s job was not.

Lord Davers was already at the start with his horse, jockey, and trainer. He sneered at Aaron and Oliver but didn’t even