hands.
“You won!”
“We did that. She’s not a big girl but she ran like a champion. I expect to get some grand foals out of her.”
The two ladies added their congratulations. The squire’s wife said, “My husband will be devastated he couldn’t make it. He’s so very grumpy about these poachers.”
“We’ll run her again,” Liam said. “At Ascot, perhaps. He’ll have a chance to watch her then.”
The two women tactfully made their goodbyes to Elise and left Liam alone with his wife. She smiled up at her tall husband and thought how little he had changed since she had fallen in love with him so many years ago. She had loved him almost from the first moment she saw him, and had married him against the wishes of her father, the exiled Comte de Sevigny. She had not ever regretted her choice.
He bent his head and kissed her. “I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too.”
He kissed her again, and she put her arms around his waist and leaned into him. I am a happy woman, she thought. How good God was to me when he sent Liam into my life.
“Where is Claire?” he asked.
“Simon took Tim Tam for a ride and Claire went with him.”
“Good. I think I may have a buyer for the horse, someone I met at Epsom. I’ll have Simon school him over a few fences to make certain he’ll jump.”
“I’m sure he will.”
“I’m starving,” he said.
Their housemaid had come into the room to clear away the tea things and Elise said, “Leave the seed cake, Nancy. And can you bring a fresh pot of tea for Mr. O’Rourke?”
“Of course, Mrs. O’Rourke.” The girl put the seed cake back on the table and picked up the almost empty teapot instead.
Elise said, “Come, sit down and tell me about the race.”
Liam took a seat on the sofa beside his wife and described his week-long stay in Epsom, all the while eating the rest of the seed cake and drinking fresh tea. He had just finished the last drop when the parlor door opened and Simon and Claire came in. Nancy brought in some more teacakes and another pot, and Liam once more recounted the story of his filly’s victory in the Oaks. Then he told Simon about the possible buyer and the two of them discussed how they would try Tim Tam over fences.
While the men were talking, Elise stood and drew her daughter aside. Claire still rode astride when she went out with Simon, and Elise still sewed divided skirts for her. Claire owned a sidesaddle, and she rode in it when she went into the village or to pay calls on friends. She had protested at first, but when she saw how upset Elise would be if she persisted in riding astride outside the estate, she had given in.
Elise looked now at her daughter and repressed a sigh. Occasionally she reminded Liam that Claire was his daughter, not his son, but she felt guilty that she had never given him a son and so usually she let them do as they pleased. She treasured the closeness of her happy family and wanted nothing to disturb it. But Claire was almost seventeen and Elise knew it was her duty as a mother to look toward her daughter’s future.
“Ada Weston was here earlier,” Elise said to Claire. We were talking about the first assembly room ball of the summer. I have agreed to be one of the patronesses this year since you’re old enough to attend.”
“A ball?” Claire said in bewilderment.
“Yes, a ball.” Elise smiled. “You’re almost seventeen, the appropriate age for a girl’s first dance. You and Charlotte can go together. Mrs. Weston saw to it that you both learned to dance, and Geoffrey and his friends will be there to dance with you. You’ll have a wonderful time.”
Claire glanced toward Simon, who was still talking to Liam, then looked back at her mother. “When is this dance?”
“In two weeks.” Elise did not want Simon to attend and tried to think of a way she could prevent Claire from inviting him. “You’re
“You won!”
“We did that. She’s not a big girl but she ran like a champion. I expect to get some grand foals out of her.”
The two ladies added their congratulations. The squire’s wife said, “My husband will be devastated he couldn’t make it. He’s so very grumpy about these poachers.”
“We’ll run her again,” Liam said. “At Ascot, perhaps. He’ll have a chance to watch her then.”
The two women tactfully made their goodbyes to Elise and left Liam alone with his wife. She smiled up at her tall husband and thought how little he had changed since she had fallen in love with him so many years ago. She had loved him almost from the first moment she saw him, and had married him against the wishes of her father, the exiled Comte de Sevigny. She had not ever regretted her choice.
He bent his head and kissed her. “I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too.”
He kissed her again, and she put her arms around his waist and leaned into him. I am a happy woman, she thought. How good God was to me when he sent Liam into my life.
“Where is Claire?” he asked.
“Simon took Tim Tam for a ride and Claire went with him.”
“Good. I think I may have a buyer for the horse, someone I met at Epsom. I’ll have Simon school him over a few fences to make certain he’ll jump.”
“I’m sure he will.”
“I’m starving,” he said.
Their housemaid had come into the room to clear away the tea things and Elise said, “Leave the seed cake, Nancy. And can you bring a fresh pot of tea for Mr. O’Rourke?”
“Of course, Mrs. O’Rourke.” The girl put the seed cake back on the table and picked up the almost empty teapot instead.
Elise said, “Come, sit down and tell me about the race.”
Liam took a seat on the sofa beside his wife and described his week-long stay in Epsom, all the while eating the rest of the seed cake and drinking fresh tea. He had just finished the last drop when the parlor door opened and Simon and Claire came in. Nancy brought in some more teacakes and another pot, and Liam once more recounted the story of his filly’s victory in the Oaks. Then he told Simon about the possible buyer and the two of them discussed how they would try Tim Tam over fences.
While the men were talking, Elise stood and drew her daughter aside. Claire still rode astride when she went out with Simon, and Elise still sewed divided skirts for her. Claire owned a sidesaddle, and she rode in it when she went into the village or to pay calls on friends. She had protested at first, but when she saw how upset Elise would be if she persisted in riding astride outside the estate, she had given in.
Elise looked now at her daughter and repressed a sigh. Occasionally she reminded Liam that Claire was his daughter, not his son, but she felt guilty that she had never given him a son and so usually she let them do as they pleased. She treasured the closeness of her happy family and wanted nothing to disturb it. But Claire was almost seventeen and Elise knew it was her duty as a mother to look toward her daughter’s future.
“Ada Weston was here earlier,” Elise said to Claire. We were talking about the first assembly room ball of the summer. I have agreed to be one of the patronesses this year since you’re old enough to attend.”
“A ball?” Claire said in bewilderment.
“Yes, a ball.” Elise smiled. “You’re almost seventeen, the appropriate age for a girl’s first dance. You and Charlotte can go together. Mrs. Weston saw to it that you both learned to dance, and Geoffrey and his friends will be there to dance with you. You’ll have a wonderful time.”
Claire glanced toward Simon, who was still talking to Liam, then looked back at her mother. “When is this dance?”
“In two weeks.” Elise did not want Simon to attend and tried to think of a way she could prevent Claire from inviting him. “You’re
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