Page 35 of Good Duke Gone Rogue

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IT WAS ABYSMAL HOW dejected Reggie felt as he watched the two leave the room. He felt as though he should be going with them, which was patently ridiculous since his family was sitting right in front of him.

“It is so good to see you, brother.” Kat swatted his arm. “At first, I’ll be honest with you, I was infuriated that you had sent Quinn, of all people, to chase after me.”

“Of all people, really?” Quinn teased.

“Yes, ofallpeople.” She turned to Reggie, “But if you hadn’t sent him after me, who knows where we would be.”

“Certainly not here,” Quinn added.

“It’s unfortunate we all thought you were acting like a reprobate at the time, but at least we know the truth now. Father needed you. Sometimes a person can only see how events influence their own life.” She gave Quinn a knowing look, admitting her own proclivities. “But hopefully we can all learn to see beyond ourselves.”

“I can see that my sister is a new woman,” Reggie said equally to Quinn and Kat. “I don’t know how it happened, but…” He shook his head. “You’re a good man, Quinn.”

Quinn merely dipped his head in acknowledgement while Kat patted her brother's forearm. “And you’re a very good brother, Reggie.”

It was a profound compliment from Kat, and that, combined with the long journey brought on a sudden fatigue.

“Well, I must bid you both good night. Thank you for your hospitality, especially with how late it is.”

Quinn stood with Reggie. “Not a concern at all. We’re happy to have you here. We can discuss business tomorrow. I have invited a veterinarian and the stable master to meet with us, so Bernadette can ask any questions she has. This is still so new to me, so they’ll have all the answers she could possibly need.”

Reggie expressed thanks with a nod of his head and followed a footman out of the room to his guest chambers.

This was all so new to Quinn. The thought sunk in. Perhaps he should discuss his news with Quinn as he might have some sage advice, having just gone through a similar event. That was for later. For now what he needed was sleep so that his thoughts could stop spinning and his body could rest. Tomorrow was going to be a full day. If only he knew how full it was to be, he would have aimed for a few extra hours of sleep.

Chapter 17

IT WAS A RESTLESS sleep. Little did Reggie know that his restless sleep would reflect the rest of his day. Or least a few perplexing hours. Breakfast had been hearty. He had discussed the dukedom with Quinn and asked a few probing questions. Firsthand, he could see how happy Quinn and Kat were together. But that was where the smooth sailing ended and rough waters emerged.

It all started with the stable master, John.

John had been at Lanston manor nearly half a century. His father had been the stable master before him. So when Quinn recently came on the scene, he deferred (mostly) to John’s way of doing things. There was no point in picking a fight with a wiser, more experienced mind. Especially when Quinn knew next to nothing about racehorses.

And then there was Prince.

Theracehorse. The racehorse to beat all others. One of many reasons Lanston Manor had never seen a dip in its coffers.

Prince was a deep chestnut brown. Emitting warmth and strength. He was healthy and active. So it should have been an easy visit. Check the note with Quinn and his man of business. Check the horse. Check into holding an auction. Check. Check. Check.

Only, not all the checks were coming in easily. Quinn had verified the note earlier. When Reggie had sent the missive a couple of days ago, Quinn had had his man of business look into the accounts to see if any notes had been made regarding the bet Bernadette’s former husband had won. Since the former duke was not much of a betting man, it was a simple process to validate.

But as easy as the first check was, the second one was challenging, for Bernadette wanted to ride Prince.

Prima facie, a very simple request. All John had to do was say yes. Or even, no. But he did neither.

“Prince has never been ridden by a woman.” That was the answer that came from the wiser, more experienced mind. Needless to say, John was a bachelor.

“All the same, I’d like to take him for a short ride,” Bernadette returned.

“You’ll not be taking him for a ride, short or otherwise.” John’s hands were on his hips.

Reggie’s stomach was in his throat. Goading was never a good sign. Quinn stood to the side, observing. When he raised his eyebrows at Reggie, he wasn’t sure if it was a prompt for Reggie to take action, or a gesture of camaraderie; as in, we’re standing here awkwardly together. You’re not alone. But then why wasn’t the duke stepping in to say something? He was new to Lanston Manor, but he was a confident man. He was a dukeafter all. Then again, apparently so was Reggie. Neither made the decision to step in before Bernadette spoke.

“I’d like to ride the horse. As you know—”

“The onlyknowingthat matters here,” John gestured to Prince, “is that this horse is a prize racehorse. Not just anyone can get on him and ride away into the sunset.” His mocking tone grated on everyone’s nerves.

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