Winning the Gentleman (Hearts on the Heath #2) - Kristi Ann Hunter Page 0,62

when he was working, but he couldn’t get a good grasp on his thoughts with all the little distractions around him.

The way Miss Fitzroy’s shoulders were curving in as she hid behind the horse’s haunches.

The way Lord Gliddon, a usually amiable if self-important sort of fellow, was nearly red in the face.

The way Oliver frowned in return and neatly blocked the man from charging farther into the stable.

The way Lady Rebecca stomped up to her fiancé’s side as upset as Aaron had ever seen her. There was no sign of the serene smile that had seemed permanently affixed to her face.

“Where is she?” Lord Gliddon sputtered.

Miss Fitzroy tucked herself closer to the horse. Aaron took a step sideways. He was fairly certain the horse and the partial wall would block Lord Gliddon’s view of her skirt, but he wasn’t taking a chance. Not until he knew what was going on.

“Oliver,” Lady Rebecca said in a chilly voice, “kindly tell my father that if he persists in this nonsense, I’ll have you collect me in a carriage and we’ll elope to Scotland.”

Oliver sighed. “I don’t think that will be—”

“You’ll do no such thing!” Lord Gliddon turned toward his daughter, but Oliver adjusted to block him.

“Why don’t we all calm down?” Oliver extended one hand toward Lord Gliddon and took Lady Rebecca’s hand in the other. “This is simply a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? All week the Jockey Club has grumbled about this female jockey. She just won a registered challenge race. Does she have to go in the books now? There’s talk of revoking Mr. Barley’s license over this. If they learn she’s been staying in my house, they will not view that as a misunderstanding.”

Spittle flew from Lord Gliddon’s mouth as he ground out that last word. Oliver winced. Lady Rebecca stuck her nose farther in the air.

Aaron looked over the horse at Miss Fitzroy, who had gone entirely pale beneath her red hair. Was she going to faint? That would certainly lend more drama to this moment.

Lord Gliddon pointed at Aaron. “You know what they’re saying about you, don’t you?”

“Lord Gliddon,” Oliver said in a low, warning tone.

“Let him speak,” Aaron said, his voice calm, his eyes still glued to Miss Fitzroy’s. “I’ll hear it eventually.”

“It’s complimentary, if you look at it a certain way,” Oliver mused.

“It’s not a compliment at all,” Lord Gliddon ranted. “He’s trying to bring down the established powers in Newmarket. Some say you’ve been crafting this plan for years.”

Aaron paused his combing motions and half turned to stare at the earl with incredulity. “Years? Have I supposedly been lying in wait for a woman who could ride well enough to challenge the status quo?” He shook his head. “I could have put Miss Bianca Snowley on a thoroughbred and had one of their own shake things up if I’d been of that mind.”

He studiously avoided Miss Fitzroy’s gaze as he went back to caring for the horse. That people truly thought he would endanger a woman for a social statement burned a hole in his gut. His gentlemanly demeanor and business acumen should have spoken for themselves, but angry people rarely thought logically when declaring a verdict.

That was a lesson he’d learned at school. He’d gotten so good at avoiding people that he’d gone nearly a year without speaking privately with anyone other than Oliver and Graham.

“If we’re going to share ludicrous tales, Father, do include the one where someone asked if he’d dressed a boy up like a lady to make a point,” Lady Rebecca scoffed.

“I think it was the trousers that inspired that one,” Oliver added.

“If I’d been of that mind, I’d have dressed Miss Fitzroy as a lad, not the other way around,” Aaron said dryly.

“None of this matters,” Lord Gliddon said, getting himself worked up again. “The Jockey Club can make a rule no one in their right mind ever thought they’d need, and this nonsense will be done with. What I want to know is what she was doing in Hezekiah’s stall this morning. If I hadn’t found her, she’d have stolen away with my horse!”

Aaron snapped his attention to Miss Fitzroy, who was looking up at him with wide green eyes and shaking her head so hard her low knot came half undone.

She’d been in Hezekiah’s stall? Why even be in Lord Gliddon’s stable to begin with? He didn’t think she’d intended to steal the horse, but that she’d been there at all added another piece to the puzzle. Why