Portrait of a Scandal (11 page)

“No, my Lady. Geoff will arrive with your meal directly, but I am afraid Roger has come down with a slight cold and I did not want him around the family.”

“Oh, of course. Please ensure you call for a doctor if he becomes worse and send him my regards. I am like a bear with a thorn in my paw when I am ill. He has my sympathies.”

The man’s lips twitched again when he nodded. “I will indeed inform him,” he said, as he returned the pot of tea to its silver tray. “The morning post for you, my lady. His Lordship left what he anticipated to be further invitations.”

Nellie stiffened slightly at the mention of mail, but forced herself to relax. “How kind of him,” she said with feigned enthusiasm, picking up the stack of letters and preparing to open the first one.

Geoff entered with a broad grin on his face, but schooled his features at the disapproving glare the butler sent him. He placed the plate down before her and while it smelt very appetising, Nellie’s attention was instead on the footman.

“What had you smiling like a boy smitten by his first crush?” she asked Geoff.

He opened his mouth to comment but paused and cast Parker a worried look. “Nothing, my Lady.”

“Oh do not try to fool me, young man,” she said, amused by her own schoolmistress tone. The boy was likely older than she was. “You cannot dismiss my interest with that poor attempt at foolery.”

His lips broadened into a smile. “I cannot tell you, my Lady. It is a surprise.”

That gave her pause. “A surprise? For whom?”

“You, my Lady.”

She blinked. “Me? From whom?”

He laughed once, but sobered as Parker coughed and looked meaningfully towards the servant’s door. Nellie waved at the butler with a dismissive hand and focused on the footman.

“From whom?”

“His Lordship, of course.”

Nellie sat back in her chair and pondered this, her mind running along several possibilities. Excitement sat at the forefront of her mind.

“Off with you, Geoff, or I am likely to ask more questions if you stay,” she said, amused, but as he reached the door she called to him. “Will I like this surprise?”

His lips broadened. “I believe so, my Lady.”

She gave him an answering smile and waved him off.

As the door closed, she looked back to the frowning butler. “Be careful, Parker. The wind could change and then your face would be fixed like that,” she said lightly as she lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth.

* * * *

The Earl of Combleton, with his greying hair, tobacco-stained teeth and protruding waistline, still had the dishevelled air about him that Thomas recalled from his youth. The Earl and Thomas’ father had been friends since their infancy and just as he had as a child, Thomas was quickly growing weary of the man’s presence.

“So, chap, your father tells me you are seeking a horse, and even went on to say ‘the friskier the better’.” The older man chuckled. “I believe I have just the beast for you.”

Thomas forced a smile. “Indeed I am. Though the horse will not be for me, but for my new wife.”

“Wife?” The man looked puzzled. “You wish to be rid of her already?”

“Hardly,” Thomas said with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

“Then why did your father say it needed to have fire in its blood? I recall him speaking favourably of the girl, so why do you wish to put her in harm’s way?”

“I do not wish anything of the sort,” Thomas said. “She is simply a very skilled horsewoman and I believe she will prefer a horse that will be a challenge to her. Lady Sterling has a stallion at her father’s estate, which is one of the finest beasts I have ever seen, but she fears he will not cope well with London life and seeks another.”

“Ah, well. Regardless, I am sorry to hear that it is not you who is seeking the horse, as this mare is not suitable as a lady’s steed,” the earl went on to say, as though he had not heard Thomas.

“Well, as you have ridden the horse all this way,” Thomas said, as he rose from his seat, “you may as well show it to me.”

“Oh, I did not ride,” the earl scoffed. “No, I had a groom bring it over.”

Yes, Thomas imagined the man would have a hard time riding, and would prefer to sit in the confinement of a carriage. He pitied the horse that would have to carry such a burden.

As they walked through the lobby, Thomas noted a footman was standing at the dining room door, which signalled that Nellie was still in attendance. Parker was clearing away her plate as he entered the room.

“Good morning, wife.”

She looked up and smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Good morning,” she said, and rose.

“Please allow me to introduce the Earl of Combleton. He is a dear friend of my father’s. My Lord—my wife, Lady Sterling.”

Nellie curtsied and the earl allowed his eyes to move over her in quick perusal. Thomas ground his teeth in irritation at the foetid old man.

“A pleasure, Lady Sterling. However, I feel my visit may be in vain,” the earl said with a sigh.

“Really, my Lord? Why is that?” she asked, as she cast Thomas an eager smile.

“Come and see for yourself,” Thomas offered, holding out his hand, which she instantly slid hers through. She pulled herself close to him, her lush breast pillowing against his arm. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to control his cock. He did not want his lust for his wife viewed by all.

As they walked through the house and towards the stables, the earl and Nellie politely conversing along the way, Thomas realised how much he enjoyed having a wife. Certainly, it had been only a few days—two, in fact—but already he relished her company and her presence in his home. Not to mention his bed. For a maiden, she had learnt very quickly.

A copper bay mare was standing in the yard behind the townhouse, ears pricked as they approached.
What a stunning steed.
The horse’s flowing black mane shone in the glowing sunlight as it flicked in the soft breeze. Her eyes were sharp, and her thick, arched neck set the tone of her solid but graceful body.

“I won her in a card game from the former German ambassador last year. While fine to look at, she does nothing but cost me for her keep. It is a pity she would not suit you, my Lady,” the earl said, rather sadly.

Nellie looked up at Thomas and he smiled. “Father mentioned to the earl I was seeking a horse, but he did not mention it was for my wife, not me. The earl thinks she is too wild to be a lady’s hack,” Thomas said with amusement. He saw understanding in her expression.

“Well, then, there is no harm in my looking since you took the trouble to bring her over,” Nellie said to the earl, releasing the arm she had on Thomas and moving towards the animal. Thomas and the earl followed. “What is her name?”

“Her papers say
Teufel Tochter
,” the earl said in a very poor tongue. “Though I believe the ambassador called her Karla.”

Nellie looked amused. “Her name is the Devil’s Daughter?”

The earl appeared as confused as Thomas felt. “Pardon?” the earl asked.

She shook her head, removing her glove as she walked up beside the mare, then allowing the horse to sniff her naked palm. “
Teufel Tochter
means ‘the devil’s daughter’ in German.”

“Your knowledge of the language still amazes me, wife. How well versed are you really?” he asked, not sure whether to be amused, pleased or envious.

She chuckled as the horse warily sniffed her palm. “Enough to get me by,” she said, before cooing to the horse and speaking in a foreign tongue, no doubt German. The horse’s ears perked up. Then, without hesitation, she nuzzled Nellie’s palm before taking a step forward and nudging her affectionately in the chest.

“Well, I never,” the groom holding the horse muttered.

Nellie patted the horse’s forehead and looked to the man. “Have you been her groom then?”

“Yes, me Lady,” the man said, in a thick Irish accent. “Since ‘ze Lordship’s had ‘im, anyway.”

“What can you tell me about her? Is she sound?”

The earl scoffed. “Should you not be asking me such questions, my Lady?”

Nellie looked surprised, though Thomas suspected it was feigned. “I am sorry, my Lord. I got the impression you do not ride her, and I would assume that her groom does so to keep her in good health and would therefore know her better. You ride her, then?” she asked the earl.

He frowned. “No, her groom does.”

Thomas was amused by the earl’s sudden sunken expression as Nellie turned her attention back to the groom and awaited his answer.

“She be a fine steed, me Lady. Bar she be a feisty miss when she wants it, too.”

Nellie nodded. “How is she to ride around town? Does movement or loud noise startle her?”

“She be a fun ride, me Lady. She don’t shy away at all. Ze Ambassador’s groom told me she was from Hamburg and I been told it, too, be a loud city, like here, me Lady.”

Nellie nodded and proceeded to speak to the mare while she looked the animal over. She looked past him and smiled. Thomas turned to see Geoff, the footman, standing at the door. Nellie called for him. Geoff looked startled for a moment before he walked over at a fast clip.

“She is a warmblood breed, is she not?” Nellie asked the earl.

“Her papers list her as an Oldenburg Warmblood,” the earl confirmed reluctantly.

“Geoff, I would like your opinion,” Nellie said to the footman. “She looks in fine condition, but she is chewing on the bit.” Nellie indicated the horse’s mouth. “Could you check her teeth? Perhaps she is merely anxious at being around strangers…” she said, then broke off as the horse nuzzled into her affectionately, causing her to laugh. “Or perhaps she has teeth issues,” she added with a chuckle, rubbing the horse’s nose.

The earl laughed. “You are asking a footman’s advice on horsemanship?”

Nellie’s eyes narrowed. “No, I am asking the advice of the son of the Duke of Sterling’s horse-master, my Lord.”

Thomas then recalled Geoff was indeed that, but wondered how Nellie knew it.

Geoff moved forward while she spoke to the horse again in German. The earl’s groom warned Geoff he could be bitten. However, the warning seemed unnecessary. The horse became as docile as a lamb at Nellie’s soft words, while Geoff checked her mouth.

“She has a wire bit on,” the footman said, clear disapproval in his tone.

The groom looked wearily to the earl, who stiffened and spat, “You can’t control the beast without it!”

The groom turned back to the horse, nodding, but as Nellie’s eyes flicked to him Thomas was sure she and the groom were communicating, even though he could no longer see the man’s face. Her eyes suddenly lit with understanding and she turned to Geoff.

“You think that the cause for the action? Her teeth are fine?” she asked.

“Her teeth are in good health, but her gums and lips are cut and bleeding from the bit. It is impossible to handle a horse with a wire bit and not cause it,” he said.

She looked over to the stables to see the Sterling grooms standing around, watching. “Can I have his Lordship’s horse’s bridle, please?” she asked.

After they overcame their shock, O’Malley jumped up and nodded. He ran into the tack room, returning moments later with the bridle.

“You are not attempting to ride the horse?” the earl asked, shocked. “You, my Lady, will not be strong enough to handle her.”

“I beg to differ,” was all she chose to say as the groom swapped the horse’s bridle, adjusting Thomas’ stallion’s to fit the mare.

“She’s not been ridden before in a side-saddle, me Lady,” the groom said worriedly.

Nellie only nodded and moved to the horse’s side. Geoff assisted her to mount. She placed her legs astride the horse, seeming unconcerned or mindful of how her skirts bunched above her ankles. She spoke to the horse constantly in German, and the horse’s ears turned as though to listen to her every word. They moved calmly into a walk, then a trot, then broke into a controlled canter. The horse seemed very well schooled and controlled. Judging by both the groom’s and the earl’s slack jaw, this behaviour was unusual from the animal.

Nellie did not ride for long, instead returning and dismounting without assistance. She patted the horse once and walked over to them, her expression completely blank.

“What price are you asking for her, my Lord?” she asked the earl.

The man seemed to come out of his shock and shook his head slightly. He named a price that caused Nellie’s lips to twitch. Thomas, too, thought it was rather steep knowing the horse’s apparent wild nature, regardless of her beauty.

“My Lord, I thought you said you were friends with the Duke of Sterling?” Nellie prompted.

The earl stiffened at her tone. “I am.”

“Then why are you attempting to rob his son? The horse is worth half that. She has injuries to her mouth that will take weeks to heal correctly before she can be ridden again, even with a light hand. She has not been in work, apart from the groom’s weekly ride to curb her boredom, and is therefore certainly not fit and could handle nothing more than a short ride around the city. She is not a young horse either, and consider the fact that, while I can certainly handle her as a steed, she is not trained for the side-saddle and I will need her retrained before I can ride her in public.” She paused and shook her head. “I am sorry, my Lord, while I like her well enough, I do not think the price you name is fair.”

The earl’s eyes bulged as she spoke, and he turned to Thomas. “You will allow your wife to discuss matters of business when it is not her place?”

Thomas saw Nellie stiffen out of the corner of his eye. “Who says it is not her place to do so? It is to be her horse, and therefore she has every right to decide what we are willing to pay for it.”

“We?” The earl laughed.

Thomas’ eyes narrowed. “Yes—
we
.”

The earl’s large belly rose and fell with his harsh and heavy breathing, shock covering his features. He continued to look to Thomas for clarification.

“You have heard my wife’s offer—half the amount you named. If you do not think it a fair price, we wish you all the best in seeking another buyer for the steed.”