Page 4 of Persuasions of an Earl's Daughter

He wanted to see more.

August forced his gaze to her face. A mere bit of leg wasn’t going to distract him from his mission. He wanted that horse. Needed it even. And not just for the huge amounts of money it earned in flat races.

“You’re no racer, my lady.”

She flashed a grin. “That, Lord Blackthorpe, is where you are wrong.”

She dug her heels into the horse and moved away with such speed it took him a moment to realize she was flying across the fields away from her home and he had no chance of catching up with her, even if he dashed back to the carriage awaiting him on the road.

It took him another minute for him to remember she wore his coat.

August shook his head and chuckled. Not only had he not negotiated the sale of his late-uncle’s horse, but he had also lost a much-loved coat. It seemed Lilly Musgrave intended to put up quite the fight.

And a rather large part of him looked forward to the battle.

Chapter Two

It was at times like this Lilly wished she had some genteel hobby to pass the time. Like knitting perhaps. But instead of creating something wonderful and useful like her twin Ivy would, Lilly inevitably dropped stitches and made something that looked like it had been attacked by a wild animal.

An elbow propped upon the arm of the carriage chair, her chin pressed to her knuckles, Lilly forced herself to admire the passing scenery, taking note of the way the trees arched over the road like the lychgate in front of the parish church.

The only trouble was, that was all that could be seen, and it had been like this for two miles. Endless trees covering a rutted road with no views of fields or sweet villages or pretty churches. There was only so long one could admire brown branches and thick green leaves.

Aunt Sarah cleared her throat at her next sigh. “You know you need not have come to collect the horse,” she reminded her. “We could have sent someone for him.”

Lilly shifted to meet her aunt’s gaze. Slight amusement crinkled around her eyes. She was not known for her patience when travelling and journeys more than a day were the absolute worst. She loathed staying at travelling inns which were inevitably noisy, cold, and furnished with hard beds. Even though she had smuggled her pillow in with her luggage, she had not slept more than a few hours and her eyes were gritty and her mouth dry.

However, this journey would be worth it.

Especially if it meant annoying that arrogant Lord Blackthorpe.

“I wanted Icarus to see me. He needs to know he is coming to a good home after the death of his owner.”

“I know you have a great softness for the animal—goodness knows, you are like Ivy there—but I wonder at your determination to collect it yourself and dare I say it, your obsession with this horse.”

Lilly blinked. “Obsession?”

“You have talked of nothing but this horse since we were informed of the terms of the will.”

“Icarus is one of the best racing horses in England. I should have expected you might be excited too, Aunt, to have it in the family.”

“I am not saddened to have such an animal in your care, and I know you shall look after him as well as Sir Henry would have hoped, but did you really need to decorate the stables with flowers before you left?” Her aunt quirked one grey eyebrow. “I love flowers as much as the next woman, but he is ahorse, Lilly.”

Very well, perhaps she had gone overboard. But there was a reason Sir Henry had willed the horse to her. She and Icarus had taken a shine to each other when Lilly stabled her own stallion at Cheltenham and Sir Henry invited her to watch his horse race on many occasions when Icarus partook in the flat races at Bath and Cheltenham.

The racecourse at Bath was still being developed and the facilities were meagre therefore it had turned into Icarus stabling at her father’s estate under Lilly’s watchful eye. Whilst it was common knowledge she and Ivy had a knack for animals, it was horses that really appealed to Lilly. Something about their majesty and their wonderful temperaments and willingness to aid others meant she tended to prefer horses to people.

“You know—” Her aunt paused.

“Yes?”

She fidgeted slightly in her seat. Lilly looked fully at her again to spy her throat bobbing. Odd for her aunt who was known for being outspoken at all times.

“Aunt Sarah?”

“Your mother and father I...” She gestured vaguely. “That is...”

She’d wondered at her aunt coming on this journey when a couple of footmen and the stablemaster would have done it. She was old enough to travel unaccompanied now really.

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