Page 51 of Lady of Fortune

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“That cannot be. I have ridden the horse for over a year now, and never was his identity called into any question before. When I first started riding him, he needed work. He wasn’t the seasoned horse you claim he was previously.”

“That was because he was nervous,” Young continued determinately. “He had been hidden for a time, some of his spots had been blackened so the identity switch wasn’t quite so noticeable. He hadn’t been with a groom or trainer in months, and it was his first time back after his injury healed. You were also calling him by a different name. He wasn’t ready for the track then, but seems to have reverted to his original self over the time you have been riding him.”

“I still don’t believe it,” Eddie said, rubbing his temple. “What has led you to determine such a thing?”

“I’m afraid it’s true, son,” came a deeper voice from down the hall, followed by the slow footsteps of a man soon to be revealed as Lord St. Albans. He wore a look of regret, sympathy, and, Eddie wondered, was that some distrust in his eyes as he regarded Eddie? “It’s been proven that Valiant is, in fact, Midnight Express. The true Valiant has been located, and he is far from the racehorse that Midnight is.”

Eddie could only stare at him in shock for a moment.

“Where is he? The real Valiant?”

“Torrington’s estate — far from here and thus the delay in the investigation,” the Earl said, tilting his head as he regarded Eddie, likely to determine whether or not he was surprised by the information.

“My God,” Eddie said, leaning back against the wall behind him. “I had no idea.”

Julia’s father paused for a moment. “Torrington has been rather silent on the issue, but there is another that says you did.”

“What?” Eddie looked up in shock. “Who? Never in my life would I allow such a thing to occur without informing anyone, nor would I ever ride a horse that was determined to be a fraud. I wouldn’t risk my career — nor my honor.”

“I’d like to believe that, son, truly I would,” St. Albans said, and Eddie could feel his hands clenching into balled fists at his side. “I know you well, and you were raised by a man who would never teach his son to do such a thing.”

“But?” Clearly there was more. The Earl suddenly looked even more uncomfortable, and Elias Young stepped in hesitatingly.

“Someone — a member of the Jockey Club actually — has come forward with information about your past.”

“Oh?” Eddie looked at him coldly, despite the sweat that was beginning to form on his brow.

“He says you readily agreed to help Torrington — in order to take revenge on your father. Your true father.”

“My true father is Adam Francis,” Eddie said tightly, and Young shifted from one foot to the next.

“The claim is that your father, in actuality, is the Viscount Dorchester, himself an owner of many great racehorses.”

“And who would suggest such a thing?” Eddie demanded.

“I suppose it is only fair to tell you the name of your accuser,” said Young, though St. Albans looked even more uncomfortable. “Lord Dorchester is a close acquaintance of Lord Totnes. Dorchester mentioned it in passing at one point in time, and Totnes brought the information forward.”

“Damn his eyes,” Eddie hissed, regarding both his own father and Totnes. Why would the Viscount Dorchester ever confess to such a thing? Unless… unless this was all part of a larger plan to remove Valiant from the race and to bring disrepute upon Torrington’s head.

Eddie recalled Julia telling him that Torrington and Totnes had a falling out some time ago. Perhaps Totnes was wanting to teach Torrington a lesson. It seemed the man deserved it, but not in this manner. Banning the noble from racing forever, however, was perhaps going a bit too far, so instead Totnes had ensured that he could bestow the final blame on another man — a jockey, whose life meant far less than that of an earl.

If this was true, it was as Eddie thought — he was a pawn in a rich man’s game, a game that he was soundly losing.

“Why are you here?” he finally asked St. Albans, and the man shrugged ever so slightly.

“When I heard within the Jockey Club what was to occur, I asked if I could be the one to speak with you, given our history with one another.”

Their history. But never their future. Not that St. Albans had any idea that there possiblycouldhave been a future in which the two of them would become more than former employer and employee but actually family. Clearly, that dream was never occurring now. A celebrated jockey marrying into nobility was one thing, but a disgraced jockey….

“Thank you,” he muttered, knowing that none of this was St. Albans’ fault. Although he did wonder what St. Albans thought of it all.

“I had nothing to do with his,” Eddie said now, staring up at the man and holding his gaze. “Do you believe me?”

“I do,” Julia’s father finally said with a firm nod. “Were you aware of the truth then — of your father?” He asked, his face now serious.

“I was, as of a few years ago,” Eddie said with a sigh. “I chose to ignore it, for the most part. The man coerced my mother and then left her alone with a child. I know he is your friend, my lord, but I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to forgive him.”

The Earl was silent for a moment.