Page 30 of Love and Other Disasters

Sophie glanced up at him a little shyly from under her lashes. “Just remember to come back for the child.”

He’d be back for them both.

He waved and went on his way, down to the butler first to deliver Sophie’s request.

“I will send someone along to the nursery at the appointed hour,” Seymour promised, but he didn’t look happy about involving Sophie in the coming evening. Certainly not pretending to be a madam, either. “Mr. Threadwell was looking for you earlier, my lord. Knowing where you might be, I suggested you were out in the stables instead.”

“Good. Sophie has taken the child off my hands for the day, so I’m free to resume my responsibilities as host. I’ll better go see what he wants first,” Jasper decided and headed out of doors.

The gardens were deserted, but the stable yard was busy with grooms exercising the animals.

“Good morning, Threadwell,” he called as he joined his friend as he admired the duke’s horseflesh.

“Sweet,” Gulliver Threadwell replied, eyes trained on the livestock in their stalls. “This is a fine-looking gelding you’ve got here. One of your father’s best.”

“My brother’s now,” Jasper corrected.

“Yes, of course. You know, I lost quite a few pounds betting against this beast last spring.”

“You should have known better,” Jasper chided, giving the horse a passing glance. He wasn’t as interested in racing or horseflesh as his friend. Threadwell was obsessed.

Threadwell smiled. “I didn’t want your father and cousin George proved right about his chances of winning at the time. Your father was always an insufferable prig when his horse won.”

Jasper leaned against the railings. “That he was.”

“It must be nice,” Threadwell mused.

“Nice?”

“Being here without him. Neither one of us had an easy time with our family.” Threadwell turned around, studying the palace through narrowed eyes. “If I had inherited all this, I’d have burned the palace to the ground. Wiped my awful father’s crowning glory from the Earth and started over anew.”

Jasper looked at his friend, startled. “Luckily for everyone concerned, neither you nor I will ever inherit our families’ estates.”

“Yes, it’s a great pity,” Threadwell agreed, turning back to study the racehorse again and then thumped his fist on the rail. “I want this horse.”

“I beg your pardon,” Jasper said,

“The horse. I want to race it, and I hear your brother has no plans for the track.”

That wasn’t common knowledge. Only family members should have known about that so far. “Where did you hear that?”

“Your cousin George, of course.” Threadwell complained. “He was befouling my family estate the last time I was home. Without his wife. You do know she left him?”

Jasper shrugged. “I had heard something to that effect, but not where he’d slunk off to.”

Threadwell pursed his lips. “Put a good word in with Ravenswood for me. I’m not my brother. Tell him I’ll pay double for the beast,” he murmured. “I want to see the looks on my brother’s and George’s faces when they learn the animal is mine.”

“Why would your brother care about you owning the duke’s horse?”

“My brother had been using George to whisper in the duke’s ear for years,” Threadwell warned. “And George is not above spreading ill news about your brother back to him to cause trouble. Keep him at arm’s length.”

“We always do.” Jasper pulled a face. “I’d gladly convey your interest to my brother if you were ever known to be here. My party would not please him.”

“Tell him I stopped for an hour, on my way back from where my mistress was spending her confinement.” Threadwell grinned. “She’s delivered me a son, by the way.”

Jasper drew in a breath. “I wasn’t aware she was with child.”

“Our third. But you know it is the damnedest thing. After a few days with this new one, I swear I can still hear him crying at all hours, even from this distance.”