by Aileen Fish
Lady Joanna Hurst stood at the empty stall where she’d left her three-year-old colt, Patriot, a short while earlier. The groom’s uniform was missing along with her horse. “Robert,” she spat out as if it were a curse. She tossed aside the trousers she’d stolen from her brother’s room at the inn. Robert had followed through on his words and found someone to ride Patriot.
What an inopportune time for him to begin following through on anything! All her work training Patriot would be for naught if Robert prevented her from riding him in the race. She was certain she could pass herself off to the officials as a young lad. Her own mother had mistaken her for a stable boy often enough when she wore trousers to work with the horses.
Mama had barred her from entering the stables for a week after the first time she found her thus, but as Mama rarely ventured down there, she didn’t see Joanna return to work the next day. To train a horse properly, one must sit astride. There was no way around it. And wearing trousers was the only way to sit correctly.
None of that mattered at the moment, however. Patriot must win today. Her horse would do anything she asked of it, except be ridden by a groom he didn’t know. She searched her mind for something she could do to help her horse through the change in rider at this late hour, but came up empty.
Grateful the mud from recent rains had dried, Joanna rushed off as quickly as her boot heels would allow in the rough dirt. It was too late to convince Robert to let her ride, but perhaps talking to Patriot would calm him. Patriot always listened to her.
Unlike her brother, the horse had some sense.
As luck would have it, Robert was talking to a pair of men near the paddock. She bit back an indelicate curse she’d learned from the grooms. She had to keep her temper controlled. Schooling her features into a smile suitable for the most fashionable drawing room, she strolled up and slipped her hand around her brother’s arm. She spoke in a voice rich with treacle. “There you are, brother. I’ve been searching for you.”
The look he slanted warned her against causing a disruption. She batted her lashes in response. “I’m so excited to watch our horse compete. I couldn’t sit any longer. I had to come look for him.”
The other two gentlemen nodded. “The thrill of the race is undeniable,” one agreed.
She didn’t recognize them. They appeared to be a few years beyond her brother’s thirty years. The second man, a thin, dark-haired scarecrow with white side-whiskers, peered down his hawkish nose at her and lifted an imperial brow, but said nothing.
Robert patted her fingers with enough force to ring out like a slap. “A lady doesn’t belong here by the paddock. You might damage those lovely kidskin boots I bought you. Mother must be wondering where you are.”
He looked across the paddock toward the grandstands. Suddenly his features went slack and he cursed beneath his breath. Joanna followed his line of sight and spied two men who appeared to be watching their little group. She could make out their features, but didn’t recognize them. Turning to question Robert, she was interrupted before she had the chance to speak.
Her brother took her arm roughly and nodded to his companions. “Gentlemen, I’ll look for you after the event. If you will excuse me, I must make certain my mother does not want for anything. Come along, Joanna, dear.”
As if she had any choice. She took two steps for each of her brother’s strides and still she was being dragged. “Please slow down. Who were those men you were speaking with?”
“Business associates. No one you need know. You must at least make a pretense at behaving like a lady when we are in public, if you are ever to marry. I’ll tell Mother you are to remain at her side, or you won’t be allowed to attend any future race meetings.”
Allowed to attend…the very words made her blood boil. Just a few years ago, Robert was her playmate, or so he let her believe. The distance in their ages meant they hadn’t truly been close, with him away at school by the time she was old enough to remember. But when he was home, he’d taught her chess and various card games and made her feel important. He often rode the countryside with her and never once chastised her for riding astride.
Lately she felt more like an obligation, one he was searching to end. The pressure he put on her to marry was quite unbearable. And the restrictions he imposed on her time with their horses were her biggest concern. A life without horses was truly not to be borne.
“Robert, please let me catch my breath. Mama will assume I am ill if I appear before her flushed and breathless.” She tugged again on the arm he still gripped.
His hand relaxed. “I’m sorry. But I’m only looking out for your best interests.”
“My best interests would be met by having Patriot win today.”
“As would mine, but I’ll not allow you to ride him in the race, so this is the end of that discussion. A disqualification would be worse than a loss, going forward. Now, there is Mother in the coffee house, sitting at the window. Please humor me and stay with her until I come for you both at the end of the day. Wallis will escort you two to the grandstand when it’s time for Patriot’s match.”
Joanna bit her tongue on all the retorts that came to mind. Of course Robert would send his groom to take them to watch the race, and not be bothered to do so himself. Just more proof she was a burden and not a pleasant companion. She entered the crowded eating establishment and made her way to the small table where Mama sat with her maid. Letting go of the last of her frustrations, Joanna smiled at them. “How are the scones? Did you save me any?”
“Of course, dear girl.” Her mother’s sweet, round face looked pale in the morning light streaming through the window. Her blue eyes seemed as faded as the blonde hair showing beneath the edges of the black bonnet she’d continued to wear after her year of mourning had passed. “I admit, however, I was tempted to eat these last two if you hadn’t arrived soon.”
Mama poured tea for Joanna and handed her the cup. When they’d left the inn that morning, Joanna told her mother she would meet her shortly after checking on Patriot. Discovering Bruce was ill, followed by her muddled attempt to replace him as rider in the race, delayed her more than an hour. Mama must have requested a fresh pot of tea, as the drink was still quite warm, and it took away the chill of the morning air.
“How is your horse this morning?” Mama didn’t understand Joanna’s passion, but she humored it.
“He’s frisky and eager to run. But his groom isn’t. I fear Patriot won’t perform well with another boy on his back.”
“Oh, dear. And you’ve put so much time in his training. But this is only the first of many races. He’ll have his day.”
Yes, Patriot would do well in the future, but her main concern was whether Robert would continue to let her attend race meetings, or if she must wait to hear reports of his activities. She would simply expire from worry if she couldn’t watch Patriot compete. She glanced at the clock on the wall, then sighed. She still had hours to wait for the racing to begin.
Joanna contemplated her mother again. The dark circles beneath her eyes were not as prominent today. “I’m very pleased you came with me to the race meeting.”
“I always enjoyed the races with your father. I’m happy to chaperone you here.”
Her words sounded earnest enough, and her face didn’t contradict them, but given the weeks where Mother would not even join them for meals, Joanna wondered what had brought about this gay mood. She would not press the issue, however. She would simply enjoy her mother’s company for as long as she had it.
Other Books by Aileen Fish
Excerpts and buy links are available at https://aileenfish.com/books.html
Immortal Temptress
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
Enya's job is to escort the dying on their final journey, to make sure their souls get to heaven before a demon can steal their bodies. For centuries she has done this without emotion, until the body in question belongs to Kane Sullivan. Not only does
she desire his rock-hard body, she can't bear the thought of him dying. But she's not supposed to become emotionally involved in a death.
Kane's sudden run of near-fatal accidents always happen when Enya is present. She might be hot, but he's not willing to die to get to know her. Then he discovers she's fighting for his soul. That damned immortal temptress might be the death of him.
Renegade Wolf
When Stephanie shifts into wolf form for the first time on live TV, she flees to the one man who can protect her from were-hunters, Micah Salway. As attracted as she'd been to him four years ago when they'd met, she'd run scared at the changes he awakened in her after just one kiss. Was it possible he'd turned her into a werewolf?
Micah can hide Stephanie in the caves known as Devil's Promenade, but the dangers there are worse than facing down the hunter. His choices are few when faced with keeping Stephanie alive: fight the hunter alone or kiss the asses of his former pack-mates and ask for help. His wolf had claimed her the night they met. There was no way he would lose her again.
A Bride for CHristmas
When Nash Sinclair sees Lady Juliana holding their newborn nephew in her arms, he decides it is time he took a wife. Juliana, however, insists only a man who slays dragons would suit, and since dragons don't exist, neither does her ideal beau. Not one to turn away from a challenge, Nash enlists the aid of his nieces and nephews in a scheme sure to win Lady Juliana's heart.
The Mistletoe Mishap
When Robert Wilmot, Viscount Alderton, catches his intended betrothed, Lady Caroline Stone, under the mistletoe, he can't resist stealing a kiss. He's quite surprised to discover her cousin, Isabella Stone, in his arms. And more surprised at how much he enjoyed kissing her. Now he must decide if marriage to Lady Caroline is truly what he wants, or if he should go against their families' wishes and pursue Isabella.
The Viscount’s Sweet Temptation (In A Summons from Yorkshire anthology)
Lady Harriet Thornhill knows the summons from her grandfather means he's decided whom she must marry. Determined that she'd only marry a man of her choosing, she stows away in her friend's father's carriage, only to find herself alone with young Archibald Napier,Viscount Morley.
Morley's plans for a quiet Christmas vanish when he discovers the sweet young lady hiding under the blankets in his carriage. As she claims an acquaintance with his sister, he feels duty-bound to see her safely back to her family.
A broken carriage wheel leaves them stranded, and Harriet's reputation is at stake. Morley's not ready to take a wife, until he's told he wouldn't be a suitable husband for her. With memories of her sweet, tempting kiss filling his thoughts, he prepares to fight for the hand of the woman he believes he could love.
The Lives of Jon McCracken (print and ebook)
Reincarnation. A guardian angel on steroids. A woman who claims to be writing about his lives.
The minute he meets Gabi Peters, Jon McCracken seriously questions his decision to move to California. This isn't the change he was looking for; this is an E-ticket ride through Fantasyland. Gabi would be a hot catch if she wasn't crazy. But she spends her free time recapturing memories of a young woman who died decades before Gabi was born. She visits her past lives like most women read a favorite romance novel. How does a guy compete with the ghost of a small-town war hero who died for his country?
When his oversoul-the guardian angel on steroids-shows him the changes he has to make in his past lives in order to clear the karma affecting this one, he's forced to ask Gabi for help. Together they dig through a series of lives looking for answers, and for a chance at happily ever after.
A Grand Beginning (In Love Everlasting anthology)
A piano brings together two people with a common interest in old tunes. Widowed Mary Margaret is content on her own until she begins singing along with new neighbor Ed. Is it ever too late to start something new?
Passings in the Night (In Love Everlasting anthology)
A random meeting with a secret childhood crush brings startling revelations and the possibility of a new romance. Chrissy never expected her hard-earned self esteem to be challenged by still-hunky Jake, who asks her out.
The Incorrigible Mr. Lumley
Stubborn. Hard-headed. Single-minded. The qualities that make David Lumley a successful horse breeder are put to work befriending Lady Joanna Hurst with less than noble intentions. He’s tenacious in his pursuit of the answers he seeks.
Lady Joanna falls fast and hard for the handsome, witty and charming Mr. Lumley after her brother’s ultimatum to find a husband by the end of the Season. He is everything she imagined a husband could be, and more. Blissfully unaware of the conflict between their fathers, she believes he’ll declare his love soon. Then she overhears a conversation between Mr. Lumley and her brother, and all of Mr. Lumley’s tenacity will be needed if he’s to win back her heart.
A Pretense of Love
Blush sensuality level This is a sweet romance (kisses only, no sexual content).
Twenty-two-year-old Jean’s best chance of finding a husband is behind her. When her brother’s friend offers to pay for a Season in London in exchange for pretending to be his betrothed, she sees it as a miracle.
Ben needed a fiancée to convince his dying grandfather that he has settled down and is capable of inheriting and running his business and estate. But he didn’t consider how spending six weeks with Jane would make her necessary to his happiness. Now she’s in London and he’s in agony. A gentleman never reneges on an agreement…unless his heart is broken.
A Blush® Regency romance from Ellora’s Cave
About the Author
Aileen Fish is a multi-published author under several pen names, with stories ranging from historical to paranormal, or both, and heat levels from sweet to scorching. She is also an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren't enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her "to do" list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. When she has a spare moment she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and their families.
Stay up to date with book releases at her website https://aileenfish.com or on Facebook
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