Page 25 of Good Duke Gone Rogue

“Whoa, that’s a good girl.” She reached for the mane, chiding herself, “I best not get too cocky.”

And slowly, she pulled one knee out from under her weight and then the other. With a bit more maneuvering, she placed each foot in the stirrups.

“Vi, you are a doll!”

And then she remembered the pet pony she had ridden as a girl. The laughter and joy she had experienced with…Jasmine? Had that been her name? She couldn’t remember. And suddenly, it was crucial to remember. To capture innocence and joy.

She prompted Vi into a trot. The rhythm felt foreign, and more than once she felt as though she was going to fall off. Reggie’s words echoed in her mind,Nothing is too hard for you.

Invigorated, she pushed Vi into a canter. The change was sudden, and she clung tightly to the reigns, even knowing it wasn’t natural to do so. Slowly her grip loosened and she found the familiar pattern she had once known. Jasmine. That had been the name of her pony. Her adorable little pony. They had spent countless afternoons together. That pony had been her introduction to riding. Eventually she had other horses upon which she ran with the wind.

Power engulfed her. The wind. The horse. The sun. And she wanted to feel some of that power within her. It was a risk to ask Vi to gallop. She hadn’t galloped with a horse for ages. Would she even remember?

But there was an urgency to feel this power. To know that she could do it. To know that if she wanted something, she could have it. Just as Reggie had said. Just as she wanted to believe.

“Let’s go for it, girl.” Bernadette pressed her knees gently into Vi’s side, and the horse jolted into a gallop. Like she had been waiting for the opportunity. As if she had been waiting for theright rider. As if this was the moment to remind herself of who she was. What she had been. What she could still be.

Chapter 11

BERNADETTE DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE the tears streaming down her face as she galloped away with Vi. Not until they slowed back down to a walk did she feel them cleansing her. This was a chance for a fresh start.

Her previous marriage had been dry. Hollow. Numb. From their very first meal together as a married couple, when he decided to take dinner at his club, she had known what kind of relationship they would have. Her first birthday as a wife passed much in the same way. Alone. He was out somewhere. Not with her. Hindsight would suggest that at least several of those nights at his club he had been gambling. In fact, for him to accumulate enough debts to deplete his coffers within two years of his passing indicated he probably spent more time gambling than eating.

Little had she known…

She thought she knew enough about him. At least, she thought her family did. He was her father’s friend, the only man that would take her without a dowry and provide for her and her parents. So she had thought. He was never cruel. He was never…nothing. They simply existed in the same space. That was no way to live a life. It had all been arranged so that she would be secure and he would have his heir. And though she had been secure for a while, it was meant to last forever. Now she knew that nothing lasted forever. It lasted as long as it was meant to last, and a person better be resourceful enough to make new plans when needed. Hence now making new plans.

Her options were bleak. But there was a thread of hope. The note she held in her possession was a lifeline. She could dig in, borrow money, and learn everything she could possibly absorb about horses. She could stud the racehorse. Train the horse. Well, have someone train him. And she could wait it out and pray that her horse would win races. It was a high risk high reward option. But it required a few things she was low on: time, money, and risk tolerance.

Perhaps if she had the time to wait it out and see if the horse was a winner, the prospect would excite her. And just the propensity for excitement delighted her. She hadn’t felt such wonder for far too long. If there was a way to share that excitement, that thrill, that delight with other young girls to give them hope…well, that was a dream she wasn’t sure she could dream.

But she did feel like a new woman. A woman who could start to believe in herself again. A woman willing to try. Not just for her son, but herself as well. Maybe one day she could share that belief beyond her and her son. For now, she had newfound strength and vigor to live a life worthy of her soul.

Determined to find the resources for her and Jacob, Bernadette focused on the note and its claim.

If there was a way she could make money on the note rather than use it, that would solve her immediate problems. She didn’t know who to sell it to though. Where would she start? She could ask around, or put an advert in one of the news sheets. She could see if the owner wanted to buy it back. First, she was going to confirm that the note was valid. Assuming that it was, what were her options? Who would buy it? And how could she ensure she was getting the highest possible price for it?

And then she knew what she was going to do with it. She was going to auction it off to the highest bidder.

Potentially she could earn a few thousand pounds. If the racehorse was indeed as famous as he seemed. That would take care of her and Jacob for a while so that she could sort out the rest. In the core of her being, she knew that if she were ever forced to make decisions out of desperation, she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice the next years of her life for much needed security. She would rather do that than be a burden to anyone. But before desperation could strike, she would strike first.

She patted Vi’s neck in admiration and together they walked the rest of the way back to the stables.

Despite feeling revitalized from the ride, she had perspired more than she anticipated and most certainly needed to freshen herself up. She was making a beeline to her room when a prickling sensation caught her unaware.

She really needed just five—fifteen—minutes to clean up. Only, it was not to be because she ran into Reggie before she could make it back to her chambers.

He was in the foyer greeting a solemn-looking physician. It must be for his father. She noticed Reggie’s brows furrowed. But before she could ask him about it, his eyes cleared taking her in.

“You look like you just had the ride of your life, if your smile is saying anything.” Reggie observed.

“I did. But how did you know I went for a ride?”

“Charlotte told me.”

“It would seem there are very few secrets in this house,” she raised a brow.

He answered with a wink. “You’d be surprised.” He leaned toward her. “But Kat surely surprised us all.”

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