Page 25 of The Music of Love

“Teaser?”

“A stallion used to test a mare for receptiveness to breed. If the mare requires courtship, the teaser is used only until she proves ready. The breeding stallion is brought in at the last moment to do the actual covering.”

By the time he was finished Portia could feel every nerve ending in her body. He, on the other hand, looked as cool as ever.

“That seems rather, er, c-cruel. Um, to Lancelot, that is.” Her face was flaming, but she still couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

He grinned—actually grinned at her. “Never fear. Thompson brought one of his mares with him so Lancelot will have his own job to do.”

Thankfully Hawkins led in the magnificent stallion just then and Portia clamped her jaws shut. She would ask no more questions, perhaps for the rest of her life.

Geist reared when he saw Snezana, but the man holding his halter brought him back down, where he immediately began pawing the wooden floor to splinters, his dark eyes riveted on the beautiful mare.

Snezana’s tail had been wrapped in a long cloth and one man’s job seemed to be holding the end. Both horses were restless, pacing and side-stepping and keeping a total of six handlers busy. Even to an uninitiated person such as herself it was clear to see the mare was receptive when she squatted and backed up as they brought the stud closer.

What happened next was unlike anything she’d ever seen.

Portia had grown up in Rome, a city notorious for stray dogs, so she’d seen plenty of animals mating. But those had been dogs, while these were massive animals and the power expended in the process was impressive. Even with the men restraining him, Geist mounted the mare with alarming vigor. He heaved his enormous body off his forelegs and dropped heavily onto the mare’s back. The reason for Snezana’s wrapped tail was immediately evident as the man carefully but firmly held it to the side, out of the stallion’s way.

The room filled with whinnying and snorting as Geist clamped his powerful jaws on the blanket and began to thrust. Portia found it difficult to breathe evenly and thought she might melt into a puddle on the barn floor as Geist violently thrust into the snow-white mare, the muscles in the stallion’s hindquarters bunching and flexing.

Although the excruciatingly embarrassing encounter seemed to last a year, Portia doubted it was more than a minute before Snezana abruptly twisted her body and dislodged the stallion.

Geist shook his head and sent his white mane flying as two men led him to the opposite end of the room, where Hawkins carefully examined him from head to tail.

Meanwhile, Felix Thompson did something with the mare’s hindquarters, which Portia—thankfully—couldn’t see before turning toward Mr. Harrington.

“That took well, sir. Excellent for his first time.”

What about Snezana? Portia wanted to ask, but wisely did not.

“You’ll be back tomorrow, Felix?”

“Aye, sir. I’ll come earlier. I’m sorry ’bout bein’ so late this evenin’ but—”

“I think you had good reason to be late. Good night, Felix.”

The older man pulled his forelock and left.

Hawkins turned from the mare, which he’d also checked for injuries. “Everyone is as fit as a fiddle. I’ll have the lads give them both a good rub and some extra feed.”

“Very good, Hawkins.”

The older man left and Portia swiftly dropped her eyes and stared at Eustace Harrington’s glossy black boots as he turned to her.

“The reason we started so late was because Felix’s daughter just delivered her first child—a son. Felix stayed to make sure she and the child were well before coming tonight. Rather appropriate for a man in his business, wouldn’t you say?”

Portia could hear the smile in his voice, even without looking at him. Which she seemed incapable of doing.

“Signora Stefani?”

“Yes?” She did not look up.

“Is aught amiss, Signora?”

She swallowed and forced her head up. His face was expressionless but his nostrils were slightly flared, as if he were suppressing something, probably laughter.

“So, what did you think of Geist and Snezana’s first attempt?” Yes, he was most certainly suppressing laughter.