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Ariana sighed. “Honestly, you Kingsley men are so …”
“I know—intense, impatient, and perpetually in search of a challenge,” Dustin finished for her.
“Exactly. Well, Dustin, you’ve found the ultimate challenge, one that will change your whole life. But you can’t approach it with mule-headed intensity, nor with single-minded haste. Some treasures, like flowers, need time to unfurl. You plant them, water them, and wait. Otherwise you destroy a miracle too beautiful to recreate, too delicate to recapture.”
“A miracle.” Dustin’s features softened. “That’s what she believes in. And that’s what she is.” He gave a deep, resigned sigh. “Do you really think time will help?”
“I do. And not very much time either. It sounds to me as if you’ve
already made amazing headway. Just give her love a chance to overcome her misgivings. After which—” A twinkle. “I have a suspicion Tyreham will be hosting a wedding reception far more joyous than all your victory celebrations combined, including your anticipated taking of the Derby.”
Your anticipated taking of the Derby. Ariana’s particular choice of words struck home, although she could have no way of knowing why, and a warm glow pervaded Dustin’s heart. Some Derbys could be taken, others had to be won not by siege but by trust. And since bone-deep trust took time to build, and time required patience … then patience he would find.
“Very well.” With a decisive nod, he conceded to Ariana’s suggestion. “I shall try to employ some of that nonexistent Kingsley patience you’ve described.”
“You won’t regret it,” Ariana assured him.
Gratefully, Dustin brought Ariana’s fingers to his lips. “Thank you. You’re one hell of an advisor. Not to mention you didn’t once grill me about how such overwhelming feelings could develop so quickly.”
“I?” Ariana smoothed her skirts and rose. “I who fell instantly and totally in love with a man who did everything in his power to make me despise him?” A distant smile touched her lips. “Given my history with Trenton, I think it would be a bit unfair of me to denounce your feelings. After all, love is love, and strikes when and whom it chooses.” She squeezed Dustin’s forearm. “I’m so happy it’s chosen to strike you at last. No one deserves it more.” With keen insight, she studied his expression. “Your happiness shows, you know. You look—content. Tired and frustrated, to be sure,” she added teasingly, “but content.” A solemn note crept into her voice. “That restlessness that plagued you at Spraystone has vanished. Forever, I suspect. Yes.” She nodded. “I believe, Lord Tyreham, your wandering days are over.” With that, she glanced out the window. “Now, given what a lovely day it is, shall we collect Alexander and Mrs. Hopkins? The stables await and—” Breaking off, she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Dustin came to his feet.
“I’m not sure. Trenton has been acting so odd these past few days. This morning he very nearly forbid me to take Alexander to Tyreham with me. When I insisted, he commanded four additional footmen to accompany us. Look at them.” She gestured toward the drive. “They’re lined up outside the manor as if ready to do battle.”
Dustin followed her gaze, warning bells ringing loud and clear inside his head. “They’re probably waiting to accompany us to the stables.”
“Why?”
“Because, although Trent loves Alexander with all his heart, you’re his life. And, being that you’re not exactly a strapping, muscular woman, he worries about your endurance. Why, in less than a year, your son has all but worn you out. And Alexander is getting older, more physically demanding. Trent is probably just ensuring you have enough help to get along.”
Ariana planted her hands on her hips. “I’m slight, but I’m not exactly a weakling. Besides, four additional men? Plus the customary three, Mrs. Hopkins and myself, not to mention the staff at Tyreham? No child, energetic or not, requires an army to oversee him.”
An offhanded shrug. “Trent has been more overprotective than usual lately. He all but swooned when I implied that I’d fallen in love so quickly and deeply. If he’s fretting over me, he’s bound to be a nervous ninny when it comes to you. Remember, Ariana, my brother’s thoughts, like his love, run very deep. But that shouldn’t surprise you. After all, you know how”—a grin—“intense we Kingsley men are.”
“I suppose,” Ariana murmured, chewing her lip.
“Don’t give it another thought. Come. Let’s head for the stables. I have a new trainer starting today. You can meet him, and Alexander can proffer a few cubes of sugar to the horses.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Ariana’s somber mood lifted, precisely as Dustin had intended. “I’m also eager to meet this new jockey of yours, the one you’re training for the Derby. Incidentally, it goes without saying that Trenton and I will be in the stands on Derby Day. In fact, we’ll make a visit of it. We’ll stay at Tyreham for the duration of the Epsom races. How would that be?”
“Splendid,” Dustin heard himself say, feeling a frisson of apprehension as he realized that, simultaneous with Derby Day, Nicole would be exposed to the world’s scrutiny for the first time. Hundreds of onlookers would see her race. What if she were recognized not by Ariana and Trent, who were completely trustworthy, but by someone else—the wrong someone? Countless jockeys knew Nicole Aldridge. What if a particularly competitive or unscrupulous one saw through her disguise and reported it? The ensuing disqualification, even the scandal, meant not a whit to Dustin, but Nicole’s safety did. Was he endangering her life by permitting her to ride as a man?
Forcibly, he squelched his qualms, chastising himself for thinking with his heart, not his head. The truth was, there was nothing to fear. He’d known from the start that he needn’t shield Nicole from the world. Her disguise was flawless, allowing no one a glimpse of Alden Stoddard’s true identity. He was just overreacting—as Kingsley men apparently did when they were in love.
Nevertheless, just to be on the safe side, he’d implement the extra precautions he’d planned, not only on Derby Day but for the entire week the Epsom races were being run. The additional staff Poole was providing would ward off the reporters and the touts. Especially the touts, who’d be sniffing around Stoddard in an attempt to determine what odds to lay on Dagger’s Derby performance. If they got near enough to make that discernment. Which they wouldn’t, Dustin vowed silently, a muscle working in his jaw. In fact, as he’d promised Aldridge, Dagger and Stoddard wouldn’t be approachable until they paraded up to the starting gate and swept the Derby.
“Dustin?” Ariana’s expression was perplexed. “What is it? Will our visiting Tyreham during the Epsom races be too much for you? If that’s the case, say so. Trenton and I will understand. We’ll simply come another time and—”
“Nonsense.” Dustin’s composure reinstated itself. “I’d be insulted if you didn’t stay for the duration. I’m just preoccupied. Let’s gather Alexander and head for the stables.” He turned, striding toward the door. “I’m eager to see how Stoddard is faring.”
Stoddard was not faring at all well.
In fact, she was distinctly unhappy at the moment, and her unhappiness didn’t stem from the upcoming race or from Dagger. It stemmed from Raggert.
From the minute the lanky, arrogant trainer had sauntered into the stables, Nicole had taken an instant dislike to him. It was nothing tangible, nothing she could put her finger on. His knowledge was thorough, his loudly boasted credentials impressive. There was just something about him—a cockiness, an icy condescension, that disturbed her greatly. Plus, his attitude toward her was nothing short of appalling.
“So, you’re the fellow Lord Tyreham intends to sweep the Derby stakes,” he muttered, his dark eyes assessing her. “How old are you, boy? Fifteen?”
