Page 113 of Outrageous

The stud she was bringing in, Clancy, was both wildly expensive and young. He’d be servicing four maidens—young mares who’d never been covered—and Eva suspected the procedure would be far different from that of the past few days.

Liberty, her father’s stud, was a stallion the marquess had won many years ago, along with the rest of some bankrupted lord’s stables. Her father had ridden Liberty quite regularly until the stallion had strained a tendon and never really been one hundred percent afterward.

A few years ago the marquess had spoken of selling Liberty, and Eva had exerted all her efforts to keep the old boy. He was a remarkably placid stallion who always seemed to have an expression of amusement.

Her father had given in but had wanted to geld him. Again she’d begged. And when James’s father had weighed in—arguing Liberty could earn back his fodder and more as a stud—the old stallion had been left intact. His offspring littered the area and were a fine infusion into the rural bloodlines.

Indeed, her father had kept several of Liberty’s foals, such as one by Meadow, which now pulled the gig Mel liked to use.

Thinking of Mel made Eva recall her sister’s odd behavior these past few weeks. Eva might be oblivious when it came to other people’s emotions, but she would wager a pony that her sister was sweet on Tommy.

Eva wasn’t sure what to think about that. On the one hand, it was probably normal—after all, Mel knew so few handsome young men. Although she was seventeen, she’d not gone away to school as Eva and Catherine had.

While it was true that Mel was active in their small neighborhood, her sister had been exposed to few men—certainly none with Tommy’s fine looks and polish. Unlike Eva, who hated social functions, Mel enjoyed attending the local assemblies, but she was so very, very shy that she rarely danced or—

“Here then, my lady. You awake?”

Eva’s head whipped up at the sound of James’s voice, and she recalled that she was hanging on to poor Meadow, who likely was wondering what was wrong with her.

“I’m awake, James. Go ahead and bring him in.” Eva didn’t bother with a twitch for the older mare. Instead she’d clipped a lead to her halter and stood off to one side as James brought Liberty closer.

They watched as Liberty and Meadow got reacquainted. The old stallion was a gentleman and didn’t rush broodmares, even ones he knew as well as Meadow.

“Are you sure you don’t want one of the lads here to help?” James asked with a huge yawn as Liberty politely sniffed Meadow’s raised tail.

Predictably, Eva yawned, too. “I’d rather not pull them away from their tasks, but what do you think?”

James eyed the two older horses, who seemed to be having a quiet conversation like friendly old acquaintances. “We shouldn’t make a habit of it, but I think we can let the lads be.”

She cut him a wry look. “That wouldn’t be because you have something you want to say to me, would it?”

James gave her an innocent look, but she wasn’t persuaded.

“I saw you hovering around earlier when Lord Byer came to the office.” By office she meant the stall where they kept the papers that had already started to add up, even though they’d only acquired the four mares. But they’d also managed Liberty this season, and she’d kept notes for all his mares, too. Organization was not her strong suit, but she was trying her hardest. “Tell me, how much of my conversation with his lordship did you hear?”

“I’d never Evasdrop.”

Meadow’s tail began to twitch and James gave Liberty more slack to allow the stallion to nuzzle the mare’s hindquarters.

Eva had to smirk at his use of Gabe’s term for her habit of lurking. “I saw you, James.”

James opened his mouth to answer, but then Meadow squatted and leaned back into the stallion, her position eager and receptive. Even a smallish stallion like Liberty could be dangerous to humans while covering a mare, so Eva didn’t distract James.

Liberty was experienced at his job and Meadow remained stationary, so the entire procedure took less than a minute.

Once the stallion uncoupled, James walked him back and forth in the large area to cool down while Eva guided Meadow into the adjacent stall, where her colt was eagerly awaiting her.

At first, she’d been unhappy that her father and Brewster had cautioned against taking on more than four broodmares this year, but now she was grateful. It would be hectic enough to move this many animals, especially when she wasn’t quite sure what the facilities at her new husband’s house would be like.

Husband.

Eva swallowed hard and latched the stall gate, leaving mother and child together and coming around to where James was stroking Liberty’s neck and crooning calming words.

“Hopefully that calmed him some for tomorrow.”

“Oh, aye,” James said in his silly horse voice. “Liberty’s a lad, ain’tcha?” he asked the stallion, who indeed appeared to nod his head. “And you’re kind to all the lasses, hmmm?” Again the horse seemed to know what he was asking.

“So, back to the question I asked you earlier,” Eva said. “What did you hear today and why were you frowning?”