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Since she had opened her mind to finding a match, she had been considering giving him a chance. He seemed acceptable enough. For one, he was not a bore, and they had one thing in common. His fortunes were decent, too, although that did not matter to her as much as his manner. As long as he was not in debt or a gambling man, she did not mind whether he was wealthy or not.
"I suppose my stud would be of no interest to you then, Strutfield," Albert said. His smile had faded and he was watching her intently.
"You breed horses?" William asked, his eyes lighting up.
"I breed racehorses, yes,” Albert answered proudly. "And the crossing of Andalusians is not ruled out of my practices, I would have you know.”
"Well, one can always make an exception. I would definitely like a look at them," he admitted almost sheepishly before asking Edwina, “Have you seen the horses, Lady Edwina? I suspect you would be curious, considering your stand with crossbreeding of the exotics.”
"I have not had the pleasure, I am afraid. The house party has left little room for personal exploration," Edwina excused. She had injured her ankle and then other problems had come up.
Until now, she'd had no idea that Albert bred racehorses and she suspected he had been unaware of her knowledge about them until now. "My next venture is to try crossing the Andalusians with the Arabs," Albert said, his eyes on her. “What do you think, My Dear?”
“They are both exotic breeds and they are fierce. While I maintain that I do not agree with crossing them, I can imagine the magnificent creature that will result from the crossing.”
His eyes gleamed and he smiled. “I am a fortunate man, Strutfield.”
"Indeed. My personal opinions aside, I think that should make for a fine racehorse," William agreed with Edwina.
"I suppose the Andalusian's high stepping gait and the Arabian's floating trot would make for an interesting competitor if combined," Edwina said in spite of herself. She had not wished to get involved in their conversation but it was too interesting not to.
"There is hope for you yet. I shall change your opinion on crossbreeding." His gaze seared her and she looked away, blushing. She and William agreed on opinions about horses while Albert’s contradicted hers. Being with William was much safer than being with Albert.
"You three are quite the entertaining lot," Kitty yawned, regarding them all accusingly. Edwina had briefly forgotten about her friend's presence. She gave Kitty a sheepish smile, suspecting that her complaint was more to remind them of the company than anything else.
"You could not choose a more foreign topic to discuss. What is so special about horses anyway?" she asked.
Kitty’s words eased the building tension between Edwina and Albert and she silently thanked her for it. It would be improper to have one gentleman make her flush while she was considering the other for a husband.
"For one thing, they pull your carriages, Miss Matthews," William answered. The party arrived at the village and began to explore the shops. Albert kept Edwina at his side.
"Would you like to see my equine collection?" Albert asked her when they entered a store that sold ribbons, regarding her expectantly. Almost like a child waiting for a reward.
"What do you think of this red ribbon, Lady Edwina?" William asked before she could reply, inadvertently interrupting them.
Albert looked fleetingly displeased before schooling his features back to his cheerful mask. "I prefer the deep blue one," he answered for her in a rather obvious attempt at getting revenge on the man for his interruption. "I think it contrasts well with your eyes. Makes your very light blue even lighter, don't you agree, My Lady?"
The truth was that she had always been partial to midnight blue for that very reason. She did not betray this, though. It was no business of his what she liked and did not. "A Lady can never have too many ribbons."
She did not think that. In fact, she did not like ribbons and all the frills that women liked. She would rather walk beneath overcast skies, or rescue lost dogs, or even ride a very fast horse.
"You never cared for ribbons, Edwina!" Kitty spilled her secret and she grimaced. Edwina nudged her with a warning look.
“The red one is lovely, Mr. Strutfield.” Although she preferred the blue ribbon Albert had chosen, she accepted both out of courtesy to William.
As their morning progressed, she discovered that she was having a wonderful time and this was most welcome after the dreadful days she had endured. Albert was not dire company as she had feared and she liked William, quite well. He was kind and respectful. Although he was not what one would call a handsome man, he had some charms. If she married him, she could grow to love him, and even if she did not, they would be good friends. That was important in a life partner.
They stopped at the local bakery and sampled some goods. Liking what he tasted, Albert offered to purchase everything on display, much to the baker's delight. She did not want to acknowledge this but having him on the trip had been good. It reminded her of the early days of their engagement when all they’d had to contend with was saving her reputation.
When the skies darkened, heralding rain, they decided to find their way back to the Mansion. On the way, they talked about painting and music instead of horses which Kitty greatly appreciated. A bark greeted them when they arrived and Albert was helping her from the carriage. Then the most delightful creature bounded across the drive toward her.
Puppy circled Albert's legs in his excitement to reach her, then began to claw at his boots. He stepped around and away from him and Edwina laughed. They made quite the spectacle, the two of them.
The giant and the bouncing pup,she thought to herself.
Kitty and William joined in the laughter but Albert was scowling… at William.
Chapter Twenty
