Page 58 of Her Duke By Accident
“Of course, my lady,” he said with a chuckle. “They are just finicky.”
Alicia walked through the stable. “How long have you been a stable hand, Mr. Monroe?”
“Since I could walk,” he replied, a little startled at the conversation, “I come from a family of animal-handlers.”
“And how long have you called Garvey home?”
Lucy gave Alicia a funny look as she squeezed her hand through one of the compartments to graze her fingertips across a horse’s mane.
“My family have lived in the duke’s duchy for generations, Your Grace,” he explained with pride lacing his voice. “And the duke has never failed to hire a member of my family to take care of his livestock.”
Alicia faced the young man. “So, you are familiar with the duke and his family?”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“Did you know the late duchess?”
Lucy bristled beside her, irritation plain on her face. “I want to ride,” she snapped.
“Saddle up two horses, Mr. Monroe,” Alicia commanded.
The stable hand nodded, grabbing his tools and opening up some of the gates that led into the horse’s compartments.
“And,” Alicia called out, “you were saying, Mr. Monroe? Of the late duchess?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” he replied, talking louder now, “she visited the stables quite often in the earlier years when my father hadme on as his apprentice. The late duchess was a lady of the outdoors, as my father would say.”
Mr. Monroe began to lead a spotted horse out of its little home.
Lucy clapped and almost jumped with excitement.
“This was her horse, Periwinkle,” he said.
The spotted mare trotted in place, shaking her head and huffing. Mr. Monroe threw the saddle over her, tightening it beneath her belly. When he was satisfied, he turned to the compartment that was beside Periwinkle’s, and disappeared inside.
“Did you speak to the late duchess often, Mr. Monroe?” Alicia loudly asked.
“As much as I was allowed, Your Grace,” he replied as he led another horse out into the open. “This is Ginger, Periwinkle’s firstborn. The late duchess came here often when the duke was still a babe. She cared for the beasts as much as a stable hand would.”
Alicia smiled. “How kind,” she mused. When she turned to look at Lucy, the girl stared down at the ground angrily. “I’m sure you and the late duchess were close with how much she came down here, Mr. Monroe.”
The stable hand frowned and fidgeted. “I–I wouldn’t go that far as to say that, Your Grace.”
“Why not?”
He seemed to grow uncomfortable under her stare. “The duchess only came down here for a year or two when I took over my father’s position.”
“Did something happen then?”
Mr. Monroe glanced skittishly at Lucy. “Nothing I could possibly speak on, Your Grace.”
“What does that mean?”
Lucy grabbed onto Ginger’s reins and began to steer the smaller horse out the shed. She stuck her tongue out at Alicia. “I’m going to go riding,” she said, “and you two can stay here chatting.”
“Lucy,” Alicia called out after her with a laugh.
Mr. Monroe handed her Periwinkle’s reins. “Your Grace,” he began as though there was something more for him to say.
