the young man on the back and returned to Izzy.
Only then did he see that he had left her with his stallion, a horse that accepted no other rider and few to care for him. Julian watched in near awe as Izzy stood between the two horses, midnight stallion and moonlight mare, and alternately cooed at and petted them.
Tristan was acting like a puppy before a steak. All eagerness and huffing impatience, he waited obediently while Izzy gave the mare her portion of the attention.
"He really is a greedy boy, isn't he?" Izzy smiled. "I imagine he is the pet of the stable."
"More like the terror of it. Well, Timothy will have two stalls refurbished by tomorrow, and the grain delivery should arrive then, as well."
"Julian, I adore her, and I am very touched by your thoughtfulness, but I cannot keep her. Hildegard will never agree to the expense, and I do not know if I can care for her on top of my other duties. I wish I could."
She stroked the mare wistfully.
He grinned. "You won't have to. Not only am I giving you the mare, I'm giving you Timothy to care for her and to ride with you when I cannot." He decided not to mention the many pounds it would take to repair the stable and stock it for the next four months.
"Hildegard will be put to no expense. Timothy's pay comes from me." Taking Tristan's reins, he tucked Izzy's hand into his elbow and began walking to the stable. "As do instructions to concern himself with the horses and only the horses. And you, of course. But he knows not to allow Hildegard to put him to work washing the pots, or some such. He's a good man, and if you need help with the heavy work in the garden, you're to ask him."
Izzy was looking at him as if she had never seen him before.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her. Her expression was so strange, he was not sure he wanted to know. But of course, Izzy told him.
"I am wondering if you are real," she said absently. Then she flushed. "Oh my, that did sound odd. I mean that I wonder why I find you so easy to be with. You
are
rather above me, you know."
"Well, my dear, it's not my fault you stopped growing," he teased. He did not want her to think about the difference in their stations. It wouldn't matter soon, but he could not tell her that.
"No," she said softly. "It doesn't signify, I suppose. We are who we are, and we are friends."
She gave him a smile of such aching sweetness that he was taken aback. For a moment she had been almost… pretty.
She lay her hand on his arm and gazed earnestly up at him.
"I am glad we are friends, Julian. Truly glad. You make me happier than I have been in years."
He was stunned, and a little alarmed. He had expected gratitude, even effusive thanks for his gift. Pretty words or, from any other woman, perhaps even a kiss. But not this candid avowal.
In his world, one simply did not express one's inner feelings the way Izzy did. It made him feel a bit overwhelmed and, dammit, responsible. He had no illusions about his own soul. He was a selfish bastard, a self-serving black-hearted devil, not the shining knight he saw reflected in her eyes.
He didn't want the burden of her expectations. He didn't want to be responsible for anyone's happiness but his own.
"Well, of course we are friends, Miss Temple." He disengaged her clasp on his arm and gave her hand an avuncular pat before releasing it and stepping back. Her eyes became uncertain but he ignored it, rushing on.
"But one shouldn't make too much of a few visits and a gift. Simply a gesture of appreciation, after all. You've done me a good turn. And as I was there anyway—" He stopped himself. He was blathering, he knew. And somehow in that nonsense, he had hurt her. He felt it as if it were himself injured. No, this depth of communication was more than he was prepared for.
Izzy pulled away with a jerk. Then she smiled a stiff little smile. "But of course."
With relief, Julian recognized that the moment had passed. Still, as she took a step away from him, he felt
Only then did he see that he had left her with his stallion, a horse that accepted no other rider and few to care for him. Julian watched in near awe as Izzy stood between the two horses, midnight stallion and moonlight mare, and alternately cooed at and petted them.
Tristan was acting like a puppy before a steak. All eagerness and huffing impatience, he waited obediently while Izzy gave the mare her portion of the attention.
"He really is a greedy boy, isn't he?" Izzy smiled. "I imagine he is the pet of the stable."
"More like the terror of it. Well, Timothy will have two stalls refurbished by tomorrow, and the grain delivery should arrive then, as well."
"Julian, I adore her, and I am very touched by your thoughtfulness, but I cannot keep her. Hildegard will never agree to the expense, and I do not know if I can care for her on top of my other duties. I wish I could."
She stroked the mare wistfully.
He grinned. "You won't have to. Not only am I giving you the mare, I'm giving you Timothy to care for her and to ride with you when I cannot." He decided not to mention the many pounds it would take to repair the stable and stock it for the next four months.
"Hildegard will be put to no expense. Timothy's pay comes from me." Taking Tristan's reins, he tucked Izzy's hand into his elbow and began walking to the stable. "As do instructions to concern himself with the horses and only the horses. And you, of course. But he knows not to allow Hildegard to put him to work washing the pots, or some such. He's a good man, and if you need help with the heavy work in the garden, you're to ask him."
Izzy was looking at him as if she had never seen him before.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her. Her expression was so strange, he was not sure he wanted to know. But of course, Izzy told him.
"I am wondering if you are real," she said absently. Then she flushed. "Oh my, that did sound odd. I mean that I wonder why I find you so easy to be with. You
are
rather above me, you know."
"Well, my dear, it's not my fault you stopped growing," he teased. He did not want her to think about the difference in their stations. It wouldn't matter soon, but he could not tell her that.
"No," she said softly. "It doesn't signify, I suppose. We are who we are, and we are friends."
She gave him a smile of such aching sweetness that he was taken aback. For a moment she had been almost… pretty.
She lay her hand on his arm and gazed earnestly up at him.
"I am glad we are friends, Julian. Truly glad. You make me happier than I have been in years."
He was stunned, and a little alarmed. He had expected gratitude, even effusive thanks for his gift. Pretty words or, from any other woman, perhaps even a kiss. But not this candid avowal.
In his world, one simply did not express one's inner feelings the way Izzy did. It made him feel a bit overwhelmed and, dammit, responsible. He had no illusions about his own soul. He was a selfish bastard, a self-serving black-hearted devil, not the shining knight he saw reflected in her eyes.
He didn't want the burden of her expectations. He didn't want to be responsible for anyone's happiness but his own.
"Well, of course we are friends, Miss Temple." He disengaged her clasp on his arm and gave her hand an avuncular pat before releasing it and stepping back. Her eyes became uncertain but he ignored it, rushing on.
"But one shouldn't make too much of a few visits and a gift. Simply a gesture of appreciation, after all. You've done me a good turn. And as I was there anyway—" He stopped himself. He was blathering, he knew. And somehow in that nonsense, he had hurt her. He felt it as if it were himself injured. No, this depth of communication was more than he was prepared for.
Izzy pulled away with a jerk. Then she smiled a stiff little smile. "But of course."
With relief, Julian recognized that the moment had passed. Still, as she took a step away from him, he felt
Similar Books
