Page 26 of The Trouble with Anna

“Either you’ll do or you’ll break your neck. This is a racing stable, my lord. We require more than simply charging around on black stallions, as you noblemen seem to prefer.”

His eyebrows rose higher. “Are you challenging me to a race, Lady Anna?”

“No.” She flashed him a smile. He was in her domain now, the one place she was entirely comfortable. “I’m challenging you to keep up.” She turned to the stablemaster. “Soussi?”

Soussi muttered under his breath, but he shouted the order, “Hannibal for the Earl!”

A few moments later there came a great clattering and a stamping of hooves, and the grooms jumped back and flattened themselves against the stable walls.

“Walk him to the ring!” Anna called and stepped sharply out into the yard.

The horse that appeared was massive and muscled, but he was also young. When he yanked his head up, he nearly dragged the groom off the ground. A stableboy opened the gate to the ring and Hannibal shot inside, hooves flashing out wickedly.

“We start the young ones in the ring and when they’ve settled, we go for gallops,” Anna explained. “Mount up?”

Hannibal chose that moment to try to rear, but the groom held on grimly and the big horse bucked with frustration.

Ramsay let out a low laugh. “There are easier ways to get rid of me.”

Anna reached for his sleeve. “I wouldn’t put you on him if I thought he was too much. I wouldn’t do that, to you or to Hannibal. Would you prefer a different horse?”

He shot her a grin. “Don’t you dare deprive me.”

Ramsay entered the ring, and Anna climbed up on the first rail to watch.

Soussi came to stand beside her, shaking his head. “I don’t like it.”

She kept her eyes on Ramsay. “He’ll manage.”

At least, she hoped he would. Anna had no doubt that Ramsay could ride—she’d seen him herself, and her grandfather had once said in passing, “That Ramsay is no ham-handed cawker!” which was perhaps his highest compliment.

Oh lord. Was that why her grandfather had written his ridiculous will?

She put the appalling thought aside and concentrated on the spectacle in front of her. The groom held Hannibal by the throatlatch and Ramsay took hold of the reins and swung up into the saddle, settling his weight into the stirrups as the young horse skittered beneath him. The groom jumped back and Hannibal reared high on his back legs, snorting his displeasure.

Anna’s hands tightened on the railing.

Be gentle, she begged, but she wasn’t sure if her plea was for the man or for the horse.

Hannibal kicked out and darted for the rail, but Ramsay kept his feet under him. He gathered the horse up and turned him, urging him into a run. They circled the ring twice, at a blistering pace, and then Ramsay shifted his weight to sit heavy in the saddle and Hannibal began to slow. Another lap and they were cantering, in rhythm together.

Soussi grunted. “Soft hands.”

“Soft hands,” Anna agreed, and for some reason her eyes pricked. “I told you he’d do.”

She watched horse and rider go around again, the early morning sun lighting them up so Hannibal’s coat shone and Ramsay seemed to glow. Or maybe that was just his expression, so intent on the horse that everything else fell away.

Oh, damn it. She could so easily fall, too.

Ramsay looked over. “Are we going to ride today or do you plan to stand there and gawk at me?”

Anna stepped down from the rail and swung up onto her own horse. “Let’s ride, my lord.”

“My god, do you run that hard every morning?” Julian jumped down off Hannibal, whose coat was stained russet with sweat.He gave the horse’s shoulder a pat and turned him over to the waiting groom.

“You did well with him. Soussi wasn’t sure you would.”

The wind had teased color into her cheeks and reached its fingers into her tight, joyless bun to tousle her up, leaving her looking alive, electric. They’d run in a pack, the horses leading with their noses, their tails streaming out behind them. And in front of them all rode Anna, like a streak of dark lightning.

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