The Irish Trilogy by Nora Roberts

by Nora Roberts

  ***

  The sky was overcast on the day of the Bluegrass Stakes. The air was heavy. Lead-gray clouds lay thick as a blanket overhead. Tension seemed to start at Adelia’s brow and spread down to her toes; the stillness of the air weighed like a stone at the nape of her neck. To take her thoughts off the coming race she kept both hands and mind busy. Glancing up, she saw Travis enter the building. She smiled as he approached.

  “I believe that, if you could, you’d get into the silks and ride him today.”

  “The truth of it is,” she began, finding the ease of his smile soothing, “I think I’d be less terrified that way. But I don’t think Steve would care for it.”

  “No.” The syllable was accompanied by a slow, grave nod. “I don’t think he would. Come up to the stands with me. Paddy’ll take over now.”

  “Oh, but—” Her objection was neatly cut off as he captured her arm and propelled her to the door. “Wait!” she cried and pivoted to run swiftly back to Majesty, throwing her arms around his neck and whispering in his ear.

  When she rejoined Travis, he stared down at her, both amused and frankly curious. “What did you tell him?”

  She gave him a mysterious smile for an answer. As they approached the stands, she dug into her back pocket and thrust some bills into his hands. “Will you place a wager for me? I don’t know how to go about it.”

  “A wager?” he repeated, looking down at the two dollars in his hand. Looking up, his features were entirely too serious. “Who do you want to bet on?”

  “Majesty, of course.” She frowned at the question, her expression lightening as she recalled some of the terms she had heard tossed around the stables. “To win . . . on the nose.”

  To his credit, Travis’s features remained grave. “I see. Well, let’s see . . . his odds are five to two at the moment.” Brows drawn, he studied the odds board. “Now, number three there is ten to one, but that’s not too long for a gambler. Number six is two to one; that’s rather conservative.”

  “I don’t know about all that,” she interrupted with a frustrated wave of her hand. “It’s just all a bunch of numbers.”

  “Adelia.” He said her name slowly, giving her a small pat on the shoulder. “One must never bet unless one knows the odds.” Ignoring her, he glanced back up at the flashing numbers. “It’s three to one on number two, a nice safe choice for win, place, or show. It’s eight to five on number one.”

  “Travis, you’re making my head spin with all of this. I just want to—”

  “And fifteen to one on number five.” He looked down at the two crumpled bills. “You could amass a small fortune if that one came in.”

  “It’s not for the money.” Her breath came out in one impatient huff. “It’s for the luck.”

  “Ah, I see,” he returned with a solemn nod before the grin escaped and spread. “Irish luck is not to be scoffed at.”

  Though she scowled quite fiercely for a moment, he slipped his arm over her shoulders and led her to the two-dollar window.

  Before long, she was standing next to him and gaping openly at the masses of people filling the stands. The enormous stadium would hold one hundred and twenty-five thousand, Travis had informed her, and to her astonished eyes there seemed to be no less than that. Several people greeted Travis, and she felt an occasional twinge of discomfort as eyes often passed over her in speculation. Embarrassment was soon eclipsed by excitement as post time approached. She watched the horses step onto the track, her eyes immediately focusing on Majesty and the rider in brilliant red and gold silks on his back. As Majesty’s name was announced, Adelia closed her eyes, finding the combination of excitement and nerves nearly overpowering.

  “He looked ready,” Travis commented casually, then laughed as she jolted at his words. “Relax, Dee, it’s just another race.”

  “I’ll never be easy about it if I see a hundred,” she vowed. “Oh, here comes Uncle Paddy. Is it going to start?”

  For answer, he pointed, and she watched the horses being loaded into the starting gate. Her hand clutched at the cross at her neck, and she felt Travis’s arm slip over her shoulder as the bell sounded and ten powerful forms lunged forward.

  It seemed to her a mass of flying hooves and thunderous noise, the pack clinging together in one speeding block. Still, her eyes were glued on Majesty as though he were racing alone. Her hand reached up of its own accord to grasp the one on her shoulder, tightening as she urged the colt to greater speed. Steadily he moved forward, as if following her remote-control command, persistently passing one, then another, until he emerged alone from the field. Suddenly the long legs increased their stride, streaking across the dirt track until his competitors were left with the sight of his massive hindquarters as he lunged under the wire.

  Travis’s arm encircled her, and Adelia found herself crushed to his hard chest, sandwiched between his lean body and her uncle’s stocky frame. It was like being caught fast between two unmoving, loving walls, and she found the sensation torturously wonderful, a heady mixture of scents and textures. Her uncle’s voice was raised in excitement in her ear, and her head was snuggled, as if it belonged, against Travis’s chest. Majesty’s win, she decided, closing her eyes, was the best present she had ever had.

  ***

  Every man, woman, and child in Louisville ate, slept, and breathed the Kentucky Derby. As the days dwindled, the very air seemed to shimmer with anticipation. Adelia saw Travis sporadically. Their conversations revolved around the colt, the only personal aspect of their relationship being the abstracted pat on the head he would give her from time to time. She began to think that quarreling with him had had its advantages, and she relieved her frustrations by spending more time with Majesty.

  “You’re a fine, great horse,” she told him, holding his muzzle and looking into his intelligent eyes. “But you mustn’t let all of this go to your head. You’ve a job to do come Saturday, and it’s a big one. Now, I’m going out for a few minutes, and I want you to rest yourself, then perhaps we’ll see about a currying.”

  Satisfied with Majesty’s silent agreement, Adelia stepped out of the stables into the bright May sun and found herself surrounded by reporters.

  “Are you the groom in charge of Royal Meadows’ Majesty?” The question was fired out by one of the people who suddenly cut her off from the rest of the world with a wall of bodies. The sensation was disconcerting, and she was thinking wistfully of the dim solitude of the stables when she heard another voice.

  “You don’t see many grooms that look like this one.”

  She rounded on the man who had spoken, squinting against the sun to see more clearly. “Is that the truth, now?” she demanded, discomfort replaced by annoyance. “I thought red hair was common enough in America.”

  The group roared with laughter, and the man at whom her remark had been directed responded with a good-natured grin. Questions were fired at her, and for a few moments she surrendered to the pressure and answered, valiantly attempting to keep one query separate from the next.

  “By the saints!” She threw up her hands in dismay, shaking her head. “You’re all speaking in a muddle.” Pushing the brim of her cap back from her head, she took a deep breath. “If it’s more information you’re wanting, you’d best ask Mr. Grant or Majesty’s trainer.” She pushed through them with determination, turning when she felt a hand on her arm and finding herself facing the reporter who had made the personal observation.

  “Miss Cunnane, sorry if we were a little rough on you.” He smiled with considerable charm, and Adelia found herself smiling back.

  “No harm was done.”

  “I’m Jack Gordon. Maybe you’d let me make it up to you by taking you out to dinner tonight.”

  She was both surprised and flattered by the invitation, gaining the pure feminine pleasure of having an attractive man pay her specifi
c attention. He was, however, a stranger, and she was opening her mouth to decline when a voicé sounded behind her.

  “Sorry, my groom’s off limits.”

  She whirled around to see Travis watching them, blue eyes cool and direct. Fury bubbled inside her, reflecting plainly in her flashing eyes.

  “Don’t you have some work to do, Adelia?” he asked with an imperial lift of brows. The eyes that met his told him without words what she thought of his question before she wheeled around and stalked to the stables.

  Some fifteen minutes later, Travis disengaged himself from the avid reporters and joined her. She watched as he strode toward her, hands carelessly thrust in the pockets of slim-fitting jeans.

  “Don’t you know better than to make dates with strange men, Adelia?” His tone was deliberate, superior, and infuriating.

  “My personal life is my own affair,” she raged at him. “You’ve no right to interfere.”

  “As long as you’re in my employ and responsible for my horses, your life is my affair.”

  “Aye, Master Grant,” she tossed back, undaunted by the narrowing of his eyes. “I’ll be certain to ask your permission before I take my next breath.” Her foot stomped in temper. “I didn’t arrive on this earth yesterday. I can take care of myself.”

  “Were you taking care of yourself in the stables a couple of weeks ago?” She paled at this and turned away. With a muttered curse, he turned her around to face him. “Dee, I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” She jerked away, eyes bright with angry tears. “But it doesn’t surprise me you’d be saying it. You’ve a habit of putting me in my place, Master Grant, and I’ve been reminded there’s work to be done. So be off with you and let me be about it.” Removing her cap, she dropped a curtsy. “If it please Your Honor.”

  “I’ve had just about enough, you green-eyed witch,” he muttered, taking a step toward her. “I’d like to haul you over my knee for the spanking you deserve, but I’ll get more out of this sort of punishment.”

  He had her crushed against him with a speed that allowed her only a short gasp of protest before his mouth descended, hard, then demanding, then possessing, in rapid succession. When he lifted his mouth, she felt him drawing her soul through her eyes.

  “I’m not going to make a habit of this,” he muttered, and took her lips again, his fingers tangling in her hair, then moving over her back until she thought she would perish from the heat.

  Featherlight tremors followed the trail of his hand along her spine, touching her with an exquisite fear. She felt the pressure of his arms bending her back, his mouth hard on hers, demanding not response but submission. She became aware of her own slightness, a fragility she had never known was part of her, as his strength overpowered even the thought of struggle. Lucidity drifted from her, leaving only the feel of a hard body and a demanding mouth which took from her until even breathing was impossible.

  Drawing away, Travis held Dee steady as she staggered. He stood a moment, looking down thoughtfully into her flushed face. “You know, Dee,” he said at length, his voice as calm and unperturbed as she was ruffled and confused, “you’re too little to possess such a dangerous temper.”

  Flicking a friendly finger down her nose, he strode out into the sunshine.

  ***

  The day of the Derby was an advertisement for spring, warm with a soft, scented breeze under a clear, cloudless sky. The perfection of the weather meant nothing to Adelia, whose nerves were so tightly coiled that it could have easily been midwinter. Seeing Travis several times during the morning and early afternoon, she was both envious and annoyed by his calm, easygoing manner while she remained a massive bundle of quivering nerves. Between the lingering sensation of her last encounter with him and the prospect of the race, she found functioning at even borderline normality an effort. Waiting through the preliminary races was sheer torture.

  She found herself beside Travis in the stands, thinking that if the race did not begin soon she would have to be carted away and locked up until it was over.

  “Here.” Adelia glanced down at the glass he offered before raising her eyes to his.

  “What is it?”

  “A mint julep.” Taking her hand, he placed the glass in it and curled her fingers around it. “Drink it,” he commanded, then smiled at the frown she gave it. “The purpose is twofold. One, it’s traditional, and you can keep the glass to remember your first Derby. And two,” he continued, grinning, “you need something to calm your nerves; I’m afraid you’re going to keel over.”

  “So am I,” she admitted and sipped gingerly from the glass. “Travis, I would swear there are more people here than the last time. Where do they all come from?”

  “Everywhere,” he returned easily, following her fascinated gaze. “The Run for the Roses is the most important race of the season.”

  “Why do they call it that?” she asked, finding the combination of conversation and mint julep soothing.

  “The winner’s draped with a blanket of red roses in the Winner’s Circle, and the jockey gets an armful. So,” he concluded and lifted his own glass, “it’s the Run for the Roses.”

  “That’s nice,” she approved, lifting the brim of her cap further on her head. “Majesty will like red roses.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be crazy about them,” Travis agreed with suspicious sobriety, and Adelia’s dignified retort was interrupted by the first strains of “My Old Kentucky Home.”

  “Oh, Travis, the parade’s starting!” She fastened her eyes on Majesty and the small man on his back, clad in colorful red and gold silks. The others with their brilliant contrasts of blues and greens and yellows paled before her eyes. To her there was not another animal to compare in power and beauty with Travis’s Thoroughbred colt—and, judging by the way Majesty pranced, he agreed completely.

  “Saints preserve us, Uncle Paddy,” she murmured as he appeared at her side. “My heart’s pounding so I’m sure it’ll burst. I don’t think I’m made for this.”

  Her eyes never left Majesty’s form as he was loaded into the gate. Her senses swam with the blare of the trumpets and the roar of the crowd. With a swiftness that took her breath away, the doors were released and the horses sprang forward in a turbulent herd.

  Her eyes followed the colt as he galloped with steady assurance around the track. She was not even aware that as the bell had rung she had grabbed Travis’s hand in a viselike grip, squeezing tighter as each heart-pounding second passed. The air shivered with the voice of the crowd, individual calls and shouts melding into one trembling roar. She rode every inch of the track on Majesty’s back, feeling the rush of wind on her face and the strong rhythm of the colt’s gait under her.

  As they rounded the second turn, Steve brought Majesty to the inside rail, and the colt took his head and left the field with long, smooth strides. The gap between the chestnut and his nearest competitor widened with what appeared to be effortless ease as he streaked down the back stretch into the home stretch and under the wire more than four lengths in the lead.

  Without hesitation, Adelia threw herself into Travis’s arms, clinging with a joy which she could only express physically by babbling incoherent and self-interrupted sentences to both him and her uncle, who was improvising an enthusiastic jig beside her.

  “Come on.” Travis tossed an arm around Paddy’s shoulders. “We’ve got to get down to the Winner’s Circle before the crowd’s too thick.”

  “I’ll wait for you.” Adelia pulled back, stooping to retrieve her dislodged cap. “I don’t like all those reporters staring and snapping and jumping all over me with their questions. I’ll wait on the outside and take Majesty along when it’s over.”

  “All right,” Travis agreed. “But tonight, we celebrate. What do you say, Paddy?”

  “I say I’ve just acquired a stron
g yearning for champagne.” The two men grinned at each other.

  ***

  That evening, Adelia stared at the reflection in the full-length mirror of her room. Her hair lay full and lush on her shoulders, shining like newly minted copper against the muted greens of her dress.

  “Well, Adelia Cunnane, look at you.” She smiled with satisfaction into the mirror. “There’s not a one back in Skibbereen who’d be knowing you in such a dress, and that’s the truth of it.” A knock sounded at her door, and she plucked her key from the dresser. “I’m coming, Uncle Paddy.”

  Opening the door with a dazzling smile, she was not greeted by her merry-faced uncle but by an incredibly attractive Travis in a dark dinner suit, the white silk of his shirt startling against his deep tan. They stood silently for a moment as his gaze roamed over her, from shining hair and deep green eyes to the soft, rounded curves outlined by the clinging jersey. His gaze rose to her face again, but still he did not smile.

  “Well, Adelia, you’re astonishingly beautiful.”

  Her eyes widened at the compliment, and she searched for something suitable to say. “Thank you,” she finally managed. “I thought you’d be Uncle Paddy.”

  His eyes continued to hold her in the doorway, and she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue in an innocently inviting gesture. “Paddy’s meeting us downstairs with Steve.”

  The single-minded intensity with which she was being studied was rapidly stripping her of all composure, and her words tumbled out quickly. “We’d best be joining them—they’ll be waiting.”

  Travis merely nodded, a slight inclination of his head, and she took a step toward him, only to stop nervously when he made no move to let her pass. Raising her eyes from his shirtfront to his face, she opened her mouth to speak, only to find her mind a vacuum. He gazed down at her for another unnerving moment, then held up a single red rose, placing it in her hand.

  “Majesty sent it. He says you’re fond of red roses.”