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“Might I ask what makes you think I’m involved in the horse trade?”
The question made Alex blink. The duke’s tone and emphasis implied that he wasn’t, in fact, involved in breeding excellent and expensive horse flesh.
“Is it not common knowledge, Your Grace?”
“No, it is not,” Rathnelly replied curtly, making Alex frown and stare.
“I thought it was. I cannot say I’ve heard it discussed often, but I was sure I had heard of it from more than one source. To be sure, the man I bought my last horse from mentioned it.”
Rathnelly’s stare was even more glacial. “And who might that have been?”
“Roy Smith, a contact I made when I was touring Tattersalls. Do you know him?”
“It isn’t exactly a name that stands out, is it?”
His stomach churned, and his palms started to sweat as Alex suddenly felt as though he ought to defend himself. Against what, he wasn’t sure.
“Did you go to this man’s stables?”
“No, he described the horses he had and when I expressed an interest in one, he brought it to me.”
“In London, at your country seat, or your property near here?”
“He brought the horse to Oakwood.”
The silence stretched between them again before the duke asked, “Did you buy the horse?”
Alex felt his first smile in what felt an age. “I did, Your Grace, and such a charming little mare, she is.”
“Is this one of the horses you thought you could offer for my use?”
Alex laughed slightly. “I might not know much, but even I know that isn’t likely to be a good idea. Unless you thought so, and then, absolutely, I would be willing to do so.”
Rathnelly frowned, and Alex quailed.
“Why are you that eager to join me in this alleged enterprise you think I’m involved in? Surely, you know it’s exceedingly vulgar.”
Alex stared at his host. “Why would you say it’s vulgar, Your Grace? And why are you so evasive on the subject? Either you are or you aren’t in the business.”
“Everyone knows that going into trade is vulgar, Sterling. Surely, your father taught you that.”
Alex refused to give in to the embarrassment the other man’s words caused him.
“I am my own man, Rathnelly. I am sufficiently well placed in Society that I care very little what others may think. It is for me to decide what is vulgar behaviour for myself, not Society in general.”
“You might find that you are quite misled in your thoughts, my lord, I am afraid. Many in our Society are not so liberal in their thinking.”
“Have you truly found that to be so?” Alex couldn’t imagine anyone having the nerve to censor the duke for anything, let alone for going into business.
“I have. I’m surprised that you have not.”
Alex shrugged. “Well, I haven’t yet indulged in my desire to go into trade.”
“And just what exactly inspired such a desire? If I understand it correctly, your pockets are sufficiently deep and full that you shouldn’t need to bother.”
Alex shrugged again. “I inherited a surprisingly well run estate, despite my father’s incompetence, and have managed to improve upon what I received. I haven’t paid as close attention to some of my other properties as perhaps I ought to have, but I find that there is only so much you can do with our traditional sources of income. I don’t want to be restricted to what has been or what our fathers did. There are so many new and wonderful things, surely they must be taken advantage of.”
“You sound a little bit like my wife, Sterling.”
