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‘I think...’ Beatrice took a breath, remembering the burning she had felt in her soul that night. ‘I think I might have messed up.’
‘Then get to the stables!’ Jordan snapped. ‘After the flower festival, believe me, he is in no mood for puppies!’
Beatrice had never run in her life, and refused to do so now, but she did walkreallyfast along the lane, as Jordan barked instructions in her ear.
Normally, she dealt with real crisises with ease, and now she was panicking over some silly puppies.
She was turning into Jordan.
‘It’s fine.’ Beatrice smiled at the bemused woman holding a pale Labrador puppy, and waved at the groomsman, trying to ignore Julius who was on top of his huge black—she glanced down—stallion.
Both man and beast were lathered up, as if they’d been working hard. The horse’s tail was up and he was prancing about and stomping.
The back of the van was open and there were the pups, all in cages, barking and yapping. Of course she’d dealt with it, but it would take more than a few deep breaths to get herself under control.
‘If you could take the puppies to the lodge?’ Beatrice was all efficient smiles. ‘There should be someone to...’ To do whatever Jordan could come up with.
‘I’ll direct them,’ one of the stableboys said.
‘Do you know how aggressive this horse is?’ Julius glared down as he pulled back on the reins. ‘What the hell were you thinking?’
‘I thought dogs and horses got on...’
Not always, it would seem.
Beatrice stood there, watching as he calmed his excitable horse, with the help of a couple of stable hands, enough that he could finally dismount.
‘It was an error,’ Beatrice said.
‘Oh, and I know when that error occurred.’ He glared. ‘He would have kicked your puppies across the yard.’ He left Beatrice with that horrible vision and addressed the stallion as if he were a toddler. ‘And then whose fault would that be, hey?’ he asked him, oh, so nicely. ‘It would be the same as those irresponsible owners who let their dogs off the leash and then blame you, my poor baby.’
‘I’ll go,’ Beatrice said. ‘I’m very—’
‘No, no,’ he said, with subtle warning. ‘You shall wait.’
She stood there, trying to deny her own tension, until finally the stable hands led the beast away, and then he turned and his black eyes were a mix of anger and desire.
‘In here,’ he said, and marched her into a stable—a very large, airy one that was as immaculate as her newly tidied lounge, but a stable no less.
‘Won’t they think it odd—?’
‘No.’
She swallowed.
‘Anything you have to say?’ he demanded.
‘About the puppies?’
‘No, no.’ He shook his head. ‘For calling me a bastard at a public event.’
‘Nobody heard.’
‘Iheard!’ He pointed his finger at her and stomped towards her. ‘You wanted discretion and for me to ignore you.’
‘I did.’
It was dark and very cool in the stable, but he was not.
