A copper bay mare was standing in the yard behind the townhouse, ears pricked as they approached. What a stunning steed. The horse’s flowing black mane shone in the glowing sunlight as it flicked in the soft breeze. Her eyes were sharp, and her thick, arched neck set the tone of her solid but graceful body.
“I won her in a card game from the former German ambassador last year. While fine to look at, she does nothing but cost me for her keep. It is a pity she would not suit you, my Lady,” the earl said, rather sadly.
Nellie looked up at Thomas and he smiled. “Father mentioned to the earl I was seeking a horse, but he did not mention it was for my wife, not me. The earl thinks she is too wild to be a lady’s hack,” Thomas said with amusement. He saw understanding in her expression.
“Well, then, there is no harm in my looking since you took the trouble to bring her over,” Nellie said to the earl, releasing the arm she had on Thomas and moving towards the animal. Thomas and the earl followed. “What is her name?”
“Her papers say Teufel Tochter,” the earl said in a very poor tongue. “Though I believe the ambassador called her Karla.”
Nellie looked amused. “Her name is the Devil’s Daughter?”
The earl appeared as confused as Thomas felt. “Pardon?” the earl asked.
She shook her head, removing her glove as she walked up beside the mare, then allowing the horse to sniff her naked palm. “Teufel Tochter means ‘the devil’s daughter’ in German.”
“Your knowledge of the language still amazes me, wife. How well versed are you really?” he asked, not sure whether to be amused, pleased or envious.
She chuckled as the horse warily sniffed her palm. “Enough to get me by,” she said, before cooing to the horse and speaking in a foreign tongue, no doubt German. The horse’s ears perked up. Then, without hesitation, she nuzzled Nellie’s palm before taking a step forward and nudging her affectionately in the chest.
“Well, I never,” the groom holding the horse muttered.
Nellie patted the horse’s forehead and looked to the man. “Have you been her groom then?”
“Yes, me Lady,” the man said, in a thick Irish accent. “Since ‘ze Lordship’s had ‘im, anyway.”
“What can you tell me about her? Is she sound?”
The earl scoffed. “Should you not be asking me such questions, my Lady?”
Nellie looked surprised, though Thomas suspected it was feigned. “I am sorry, my Lord. I got the impression you do not ride her, and I would assume that her groom does so to keep her in good health and would therefore know her better. You ride her, then?” she asked the earl.
He frowned. “No, her groom does.”
Thomas was amused by the earl’s sudden sunken expression as Nellie turned her attention back to the groom and awaited his answer.
“She be a fine steed, me Lady. Bar she be a feisty miss when she wants it, too.”
Nellie nodded. “How is she to ride around town? Does movement or loud noise startle her?”
“She be a fun ride, me Lady. She don’t shy away at all. Ze Ambassador’s groom told me she was from Hamburg and I been told it, too, be a loud city, like here, me Lady.”
Nellie nodded and proceeded to speak to the mare while she looked the animal over. She looked past him and smiled. Thomas turned to see Geoff, the footman, standing at the door. Nellie called for him. Geoff looked startled for a moment before he walked over at a fast clip.
“She is a warmblood breed, is she not?” Nellie asked the earl.
“Her papers list her as an Oldenburg Warmblood,” the earl confirmed reluctantly.
“Geoff, I would like your opinion,” Nellie said to the footman. “She looks in fine condition, but she is chewing on the bit.” Nellie indicated the horse’s mouth. “Could you check her teeth? Perhaps she is merely anxious at being around strangers…” she said, then broke off as the horse nuzzled into her affectionately, causing her to laugh. “Or perhaps she has teeth issues,” she added with a chuckle, rubbing the horse’s nose.
The earl laughed. “You are asking a footman’s advice on horsemanship?”
Nellie’s eyes narrowed. “No, I am asking the advice of the son of the Duke of Sterling’s horse-master, my Lord.”
Thomas then recalled Geoff was indeed that, but wondered how Nellie knew it.
Geoff moved forward while she spoke to the horse again in German. The earl’s groom warned Geoff he could be bitten. However, the warning seemed unnecessary. The horse became as docile as a lamb at Nellie’s soft words, while Geoff checked her mouth.
“She has a wire bit on,” the footman said, clear disapproval in his tone.
The groom looked wearily to the earl, who stiffened and spat, “You can’t control the beast without it!”
The groom turned back to the horse, nodding, but as Nellie’s eyes flicked to him Thomas was sure she and the groom were communicating, even though he could no longer see the man’s face. Her eyes suddenly lit with understanding and she turned to Geoff.
“You think that the cause for the action? Her teeth are fine?” she asked.
“Her teeth are in good health, but her gums and lips are cut and bleeding from the bit. It is impossible to handle a horse with a wire bit and not cause it,” he said.
She looked over to the stables to see the Sterling grooms standing around, watching. “Can I have his Lordship’s horse’s bridle, please?” she asked.
After they overcame their shock, O’Malley jumped up and nodded. He ran into the tack room, returning moments later with the bridle.
“You are not attempting to ride the horse?” the earl asked, shocked. “You, my Lady, will not be strong enough to handle her.”
“I beg to differ,” was all she chose to say as the groom swapped the horse’s bridle, adjusting Thomas’ stallion’s to fit the mare.
“She’s not been ridden before in a side-saddle, me Lady,” the groom said worriedly.
Nellie only nodded and moved to the horse’s side. Geoff assisted her to mount. She placed her legs astride the horse, seeming unconcerned or mindful of how her skirts bunched above her ankles. She spoke to the horse constantly in German, and the horse’s ears turned as though to listen to her every word. They moved calmly into a walk, then a trot, then broke into a controlled canter. The horse seemed very well schooled and controlled. Judging by both the groom’s and the earl’s slack jaw, this behaviour was unusual from the animal.
Nellie did not ride for long, instead returning and dismounting without assistance. She patted the horse once and walked over to them, her expression completely blank.
“What price are you asking for her, my Lord?” she asked the earl.
The man seemed to come out of his shock and shook his head slightly. He named a price that caused Nellie’s lips to twitch. Thomas, too, thought it was rather steep knowing the horse’s apparent wild nature, regardless of her beauty.
“My Lord, I thought you said you were friends with the Duke of Sterling?” Nellie prompted.
The earl stiffened at her tone. “I am.”
“Then why are you attempting to rob his son? The horse is worth half that. She has injuries to her mouth that will take weeks to heal correctly before she can be ridden again, even with a light hand. She has not been in work, apart from the groom’s weekly ride to curb her boredom, and is therefore certainly not fit and could handle nothing more than a short ride around the city. She is not a young horse either, and consider the fact that, while I can certainly handle her as a steed, she is not trained for the side-saddle and I will need her retrained before I can ride her in public.” She paused and shook her head. “I am sorry, my Lord, while I like her well enough, I do not think the price you name is fair.”
The earl’s eyes bulged as she spoke, and he turned to Thomas. “You will allow your wife to discuss matters of business when it is not her place?”
Thomas saw Nellie stiffen out of the corner of his eye. “Who says it is not her place to do so? It is to be her horse,
and therefore she has every right to decide what we are willing to pay for it.”
“We?” The earl laughed.
Thomas’ eyes narrowed. “Yes—we.”
The earl’s large belly rose and fell with his harsh and heavy breathing, shock covering his features. He continued to look to Thomas for clarification.
“You have heard my wife’s offer—half the amount you named. If you do not think it a fair price, we wish you all the best in seeking another buyer for the steed.”
Nellie had to concentrate on not allowing her jaw to drop, matching the earl’s. Her husband had defended her and agreed with her? While she stood firmly by her words, she had not for a moment believed that Thomas would as well.
He raised his arm for her to take. “Come, my dear. I believe I need to write some further letters. I think I might know of an estate in Sussex that breeds good horseflesh. Perhaps they might have a horse for you?” Thomas said, and turned her towards the house.
They had taken perhaps two steps when the earl called out, “Fine. You can have the beast. I care little for the sport of finding another buyer,” he said, before he caught himself. “Though I am sure there would be many who would be happy to pay the price I named. I hope you have room for her now,” he added, and called to the groom, who smiled apologetically at Geoff, and left him holding the horse as he followed the earl.
Once he was gone, Nellie turned to her husband. “Thank you.”
“For what, my dear?”
“For standing up for me, agreeing with me and buying me this wonderful horse,” she said, reaching up onto her tiptoes and kissing his cheek. “I will repay you.”
His eyes darkened at the insinuation her words carried. “I know you will,” he added huskily.
Nellie smiled, but forced herself to look away—otherwise Geoff and the grooms would see more than could be deemed proper. “Geoff, thank you so much for looking at her,” she said as they walked back towards the mare, who tossed her head in Nellie’s direction eagerly, her ears pricked up.
“I admire your way with horses, wife. I noticed Geist acts the same as this mare. You clearly have a way of making those around you feel at ease.”
“Perhaps the earl would not agree.”
Thomas laughed. “Perhaps I should amend that and say, those you wish to be relaxed around you.”
She felt heat rise to her cheeks upon his praise but shook it off, looking towards the grooms. “Would one of you mind taking care of our newest horse? I am sure Geoff has work he must be getting back to.”
O’Malley, a young boy perhaps on the cusp of manhood and groom to Thomas’ stallion, hurried forward. Nellie spoke to the mare in German, telling her the boy would care for her. It was perhaps silly to think the horse understood, but Karla relaxed and went to the boy willingly, just as she had with Geoff before.
She reached out and touched Geoff’s arm. “Thank you again.”
“It was my pleasure, my Lady,” he said with a nod before walking back towards the house. It was then that Nellie noticed there was more than one curious face peering from the windows.
Chapter Seven
Thomas sat through lunch with the burning need to ravish his wife weighing upon his groin. The knowing looks she sent him, showing her own desire for him, did not help matters in the least. With plans to retire to her room and feast on his delectable wife, he almost wanted to strangle his man of business when he arrived for a meeting that Thomas had forgotten. It was only once they were done that he found Nellie already in her room, preparing for that evening’s dinner at Lady Elizabeth’s. He sighed and moved on to his own room, where his valet waited to assist him to prepare for an evening of formality. It was odd how this time last year this type of event had not bothered him, but recently he had realised how artificial life was when you mingled with those who thought too much of their own stations in life. Though, their host tonight was not that kind of woman.
A short time later, resplendent in evening dress and waiting for Nellie, who was still not ready, Thomas walked to his study and poured a brandy. The dimming skyline outside the south-facing window did not help in the slightest to distract him from the memory of his wife’s charm and beauty, nor how much pleasure it would be to remain in the house—better yet, in bed—for the evening.
The sound of footsteps, followed by the murmur of voices, captured his attention and drew him from his reverie moments later. After walking towards the door, Thomas was rewarded with the enchanting sight of his wife descending the stairs in a golden gown that looked to wrap graciously around her body, mapping every contour and curve. Her maid hovered, adding what looked like jewels to Nellie’s hair.
“Anne, please cease in your attempt to beautify me. I am sure I will present quite well.” Nellie’s irritated, yet slightly amused voice filtered down to him.
Her maid scoffed, “My Lady, you are a marchioness now. You must look the part.”
“And tell me, Anne, what difference does it make to become a marchioness from being a Lady, other than that I am able to enter the dining room sooner than before?”
The girl glared at Nellie’s back. “You may pretend to not care, but I know you do. You would not have allowed me this much grace to prepare you before. I know you do it for his Lordship.”
Thomas watched Nellie roll her eyes in an unladylike fashion as she descended the last step, pulling on her gloves.
“Oh, your rings!” Anne fretted.
“I do not need them,” Nellie sighed. “You have placed enough gems on me for the evening. My poor husband will need a guard to protect me from thieves. His mother’s safe is now surely empty.”
Thomas smiled at their easy banter. The two were clearly friends.
Nellie looked up and saw him leaning against the archway. She smiled at him. “I am sorry I kept you waiting.”
“It is all right,” he said, pushing off and walking over to her. He handed Parker his glass on the way as the man appeared by the door.
He could not help but look deep into her intelligent blue eyes, and she let them travel down the length of him. She nodded in approval at his dress then smiled at Geoff, who helped her into her coat.
“Are we ready, husband?” she asked.
Thomas nodded, holding his arm out for her. She slid her delicate, silk-covered hand though his arm and leaned against him. Although several layers of clothing separated them, a burning pulse of need flowed though him. They might as well have been naked. Curse it. This was going to be a long evening.
* * * *
Nellie took a deep and much needed breath. She was not nervous. I’m not, she tried to convince herself over and over, in time with the clatter of horses’ hooves on the cobblestones, as the carriage moved through London. But it didn’t work. She was terrified of embarrassing Thomas. He had proved to be nothing but a wonderful and caring husband. She would not embarrass him tonight! Or at least, she would try her very best not to. He deserved a proper wife, or at least the illusion of one. Who was she trying to fool? She was nothing of the kind. An imposter and a criminal—that was what she was.
A caring hand settled on her thigh. She glanced to her side to see Thomas’ concerned face. “Are you well?” he asked.
She tried to smile. “Of course.”
He raised an eyebrow, his doubt obvious.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to find him mere inches away from her face. He moved to close the distance. As he touched his warm mouth to her own, Nellie sighed, sinking into him, sliding her hands around his neck, pulling him closer. She tried to deepen the kiss and while he allowed her tongue to glide across his soft lips, he did not open for her.
Pulling back, he cupped her face in his hands and looked firmly into her eyes. “Tell me what is wrong.”
She leaned into him and settled against his chest, the gentle sway of the carriage sending a wave of reassurance through her. “I am concerned about tonight.” Tonight, and perhaps every night to follow. What if the Lady Mar
y was in attendance, or perhaps Lady Mary’s father? Would he recognise her? Thomas had yet to, so perhaps her widow’s disguise had truly safeguarded her identity.
“How so?”
She closed her eyes, ashamed to be admitting this. “I am worried I will embarrass you.” Even if he does not know he has married a criminal, a woman who sold stories and pictures exposing others’ shame, he will at least be embarrassed by a wife who cannot hold her tongue.
He stiffened slightly before shifting her way to look down at her. Nellie looked up into his hard, determined features. “Why are you worried about such a daft thing? How could you embarrass me?”
In so many ways. “I do not know who will be in attendance tonight, my Lord,” she said, irritated with his gruff tone. “But most of the gentlemen I have met in the past seem to care little for me and my thoughts. While I do try to keep my opinions quiet, I sometimes cannot control myself.”
Thomas’ face changed, displaying slight amusement. “I do not want you to control yourself. I like your fire, your spark,” he whispered, leaning down to bite playfully at the soft skin below her ear. “I like how you manage to dress your insults in compliments. I adore how you are not afraid to speak of your feelings, needs and desires.” She whimpered as he travelled his tongue over her ear, then gave a last playful nip as his words registered in her suddenly muddled brain. “Do not worry, wife. I will be by your side. I will not let any harm come to you.”
The carriage suddenly stopped and he muttered a curse before looking down into her eyes in the dim light of the carriage. “You bring out a desire in me, wife. One that I struggle to control.”
“I am glad I am not alone in that regard then, my Lord.”
He grinned and kissed her hard. The door to the carriage opened and they disembarked.
Moments later, the urge to turn and run after the carriage, calling at the top of her lungs to the driver as he drove down the street to park, was Nellie’s primary desire. Thomas’ gentle squeeze on her arm was reminder enough of her new place in society. She might once have been a lord’s daughter, but she was now a marchioness, among one of the highest ranks in society. A smile graced her lips as she lifted her chin. I will be fine, she soothed herself.
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