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“Certainly, Your Grace. But would you wish to race me fairly, or shall I be a dutiful worker and give you the chance to win?” Mr. Post teased.
“We race like men,” Crispin replied.
“Very well.”
With that, he took off, leaving Crispin behind to race after him and make every effort to trail closely. The gap was respectable, but Crispin knew that it was hopeless, and he did not mind. He simply enjoyed the chance to be out and to race as quickly as he was able, hopeful that the day would come when he knew how to ride the way Mr. Post did.
Before long, they made it back to the stables and Crispin followed behind for just a moment. Mr. Post was already dismounted and had just begun removing the saddle from his horse.
“That was certainly a close call,” Mr. Post remarked.
Crispin laughed, shaking his head. It was not close at all, but he had known that it would not be.
“You know, I think if you had not been so distracted by that young woman out there, you could have easily beaten me,” Mr. Post said.
“Perhaps. I would have been delighted by winning, but I think I delighted more in her laugh and her smile today,” he confessed.
“Indeed, you did meet a belle out there today,” Mr. Post replied.
Crispin blushed, but he shrugged off the remark. It was true, but he had no desire to make anything more of it than it was. Not yet, at least. Not until he knew how he felt.
“And you won the race, Mr. Post. But now, you must get these beasts in their stalls and let that be all,” Crispin said, turning away and leaving Mr. Post behind.
He thought back to his conversation with Harry after the night of the ball. Harry had urged him to pay a call to Lady Mary right away, but Crispin was still trying to decide how he felt about her and about the entire situation.
If he was going to try and court someone, he needed to be sure that he was ready. He needed to be sure that he was able to be the best man he could possibly be for her.
He also wanted to see what more he could learn about Lady Charlotte and her reason for being rude to Lady Mary. He had seen similar interactions with young ladies towards his sister when they were jealous of her. But Beatrice had always had such a grand attitude about it that she was hardly ever worried.
Thinking about her, Crispin missed his sister. He was eager to see her again soon, after she had been gone for the past few months. He thought back to how often they were apart during her adolescence—their father had insisted she be taught and trained away from the home and Crispin had been off at school at times as well.
But more often lately, they were able to see one another, and he looked forward to visiting her again.
He knew that there was a chance she might be able to help him. She could find out things that were difficult for him and she could help him understand the mind of a young woman. If he was lucky, she would provide answers for him that he could not get elsewhere. He might even know how to proceed with Lady Mary.
It was when Crispin returned to his home that he found a letter from Harry that answered one of the most pressing issues, however.
Dear Crispin,
I hope this letter finds you well. I shall try to come and pay a call soon enough, but I wished to tell you that I spoke with Miss Lambton, and I learned the reason behind the strangeness you sensed with Lady Goldfield and Lady Bolton.
It would appear that Lady Rachel is married to Lord Comstead. Lady Goldfield and Lady Bolton are stepsisters. I expect that there is some rivalry between them as they are both out in society.
I hope that answers the concerns you had previously raised.
Your Friend,
Lord Harry Brown, Baron of Woodhall
Crispin sighed, realising now just how complicated the situation was. As it turned out, things were going to be more difficult than he had expected.
But now he knew. And that was only the beginning.
