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"You must be tired," Albert said, stroking the mare's silken crest before moving his hand up to her forehead. He felt proud of his new acquisition.
"A day or two of rest should do her some good," he addressed Rufus now. “She has come a long way, after all. We shall test her on the terrain, get her acclimatized with the new environs."
"She will be good and ready when we add her to the stud, Your Grace." Rufus’ grin was wide.
"No," Albert said.
"No?" Rufus echoed, his excitement turning to surprise with a little bit of puzzlement.
"I have different plans for this one," Albert explained. "I shall send for another that will be added to the stud. In the meantime, just see that she is settled well. And have the farrier take a look at her hooves, too."
"At once, Your Grace." The sound of footsteps drew their attention to the entrance. Framed by the stable doorway and decked in her riding habit was Roxanne. There was a small smile on her face, but the look in her eyes told Albert she was anything but cheerful.
"Still fond of your beasts, I see, Your Grace," she observed, walking to where he stood and looking the mare over. "An impressive one you have here," she added even though she lacked the critical eye or the knowledge to properly determine the quality of the horse. He knew it was only a comment.
"Miss Perkins," Albert acknowledged her curtly. Something that looked like a grimace passed fleetingly over her features at his formality. "Going riding, I see."
"I thought I should take advantage of the fine weather," she replied, giving the groom a sideways glance. "I have yet to explore your fields and the party is drawing to an end."
"I shall have a horse saddled for you right away, My Lady," Rufus interjected before exiting that part of the stables to the neighboring part that sheltered their riding horses.
"I would politely counter that the party is just starting," Albert said. "We appear to have a wedding on the way."
"Yes." she inclined her head now, her inscrutable gaze boring through his, almost as though she was searching for something in there. "A wedding which you so readily agreed to host."
"If I did not know better, I would think you sound displeased, accusing even." Albert returned his attention to the mare, hoping her horse was saddled soon so she could leave him alone.
"Perhaps Iamaccusing you," she said. "For throwing away our years of memories like they mean nothing to you."
He thought carefully about what he was going to say. “You are right, Miss Perkins. They mean nothing to me. You speak so freely of the past as if it was not you who broke my trust. Whatever had existed between us ceased to be the moment you went for another man after promising yourself to me."
Albert had asked Roxanne to marry him at the time and she had agreed. Then he had discovered her in the arms of another man. Their engagement was never known to the public before it was broken off, and thus, only Roxanne, Steven, and he knew about it.
"You were never supposed to find out," she said shamelessly. "I was not so foolish as to throw away the opportunity of being a Duchess for anything less. It was just unfortunate that you happened to be at the wrong place. I suppose I grew too complacent and careless."
Her lack of concern astounded him. To think that there had been a time he thought he could give his heart to such a woman. There were things he should be eternally grateful for, and escaping her clutches and scheming ways was one of them. "Why?" he asked her. "Why did you do it?"
"I loved him, Albert,” she replied, “but I wanted more, and he was not capable of giving me that. Love was all that he could afford, and it was not enough. You on the other hand—"
"Came with the promise of a very high seat in Society? More wealth than you could possibly spend in a lifetime?"
"Is ambition a crime, Albert?" she defended, bristling.
"It is if one has to step on others to attain their goal."
"I did not follow you here to have you talk down at me."
He almost laughed at her shameless audacity. "Now you are stalking me?"
"You made attaining some privacy with you nearly impossible so I had to make your daily agenda my business, I am afraid."
"Why am I not surprised?" He shook his head.
"It does not have to be like this." She took a step closer to him.
"Yes, it does not," he said. "It is over, and to be honest, I do not think there ever was anything there, to begin with. We do not have to be enemies, because you are going to marry my fiancée’s brother and our families will be joined.”
With a smile, he walked past her and out of the stables. His last words to her were never intended to spite. No, it was the simple truth he had discovered after finding something real.
