Matthews leaned back in his chair. “There’s something you haven’t thought of, Townsend.”
“What?” Wasn’t this enough? How was he going to protect Victoria and get information out of her that would blackball her father from all racing?
“If this comes to light, that horse of theirs won’t be worth breeding.”
And all of Victoria’s work would have been in vain. This would devastate her. She took great pride in her breeding skills with horses.
“You have to talk to Miss Penwith, Townsend. Get her to admit that she knew what was going on.” Connells said.
“And if she does? What happens to her?”
Connells played with his hat. “Given that it appears that her father has taken credit for her work over the years, probably not much will happen.”
“Regardless of her guilt or innocence, she’s in for a bad time of it. She’ll be shunned from the races, Townsend. You know how people are. Even if you marry her, she’ll still be connected to Penwith. There will be doubts in people’s minds. That might reflect on your own stables.”
John wanted to scream. To punch something hard. Beat Penwith within an inch of his life for being so unbelievably stupid. The most frustrating part was there was nothing he could do to keep this quiet. Nothing he could do to protect Victoria from the cut directs she’d receive anywhere they traveled with the horses. And he couldn’t even contemplate what this would do to the work she took so much pride in. “I hate this.”
Connells stood. “I need to take Tim’s statement.”
His mind raced, searching for some way to keep Victoria out of it, but he needed time. Time. Could he buy more time? “Connells, how long can you hold off talking to Penwith about this?”
“I have to report my findings after the race in Kendal. I’m due back in Newcastle with my report the following week.”
“I just need some time.”
“To what purpose?”
To fix this. But how? “I don’t know. Let me figure it out. I need to protect Victoria.”
“You are sure of her innocence?”
Not quite, but Connells didn’t need to know that he had some doubts. John nodded his head.
“I’ll say nothing for now, but if Penwith races in Kendal, I’ll have to stop it.”
“Unless he’s not there to fix the race,” John added.
“He won’t be allowed to race that horse of his.”
“Understood.”
He watched Connells leave then crumbled into the large chair. Propping his elbows on his knees he covered his face with his hands. What a bloody mess? And he had no earthly idea what to do next.
“Do you think Victoria knew?”
He glanced at Tony Matthews through his fingers, sighed heavily and leaned back. “No. Her father and she have a difficult relationship.”
Matthews toyed with a quill on his desk. “I wouldn’t put it past Penwith to keep her there with him given how good she is with horses. He might be fixing races, but that horse is damn fast.”
“That’s the issue with all of this. Why would he feel that he had to do this? The horse would win most races anyway.”
“You’re going to have to talk to Victoria and it’s going to have to be away from Rosethorne. If her father suspects anything, he’ll prevent her from seeing you.”
“I know. I just want to put her in a carriage for Scotland. Once we’re married, he can’t touch her.”
“What if she’s guilty?”
“She’s not.” He was going to trust his gut on this one and his gut told him Victoria wasn’t involved.
“How can you be sure?”
“I can’t. And I can’t explain it, either.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Chapter 9
The sun was sinking lower on the horizon as Victoria made her way to the Fairy Steps. The heat of the day was giving over to the cool of night. The noise of insects and the light breeze filled the wooded areas along the path to the Steps. Nerves warred with her heart at seeing John again today.
The time they’d spent together riding today had made her happier than she’d been in a very long time. Then the note from John had arrived. Its rather terse tone had her worried. She couldn’t imagine what had happened in the few hours they’d been apart.
It had been difficult to get away. Father had arranged for them to dine with the Taylors. Mr. Connells was to be present and Father was determined to go. She, however, was glad for an excuse not to sit and listen to her father pontificate on his membership to the Jockey Club. She rather wished the whole thing was over. If he got his way, and he usually did, then things could go back to normal.
Her father had demanded she attend, but she claimed a headache. He’d not been happy with her decision to stay home. She’d hear about it later in his snide remarks, but it didn’t matter. Tonight, she would see John.
As she approached the area at the top of the Fairy Steps that faced the path, he was waiting there. He stood tall at the end of the rock edge staring out over the trees to the village. He looked rather desolate and lost. A twinge of alarm curled its way into her stomach. This might explain the terseness of his note.
Victoria reined in her horse and dismounted, her skirts falling around her ankles. She’d chosen one of the older horses and an old saddle. She’d saddled the horse herself and snuck away while the groomsmen were having their supper. She didn’t need this getting back to Father.
“John?”
He turned and the pain on his face gave her pause. She rushed to his side. “What’s wrong?”
His fingers touched her face, tracing her jaw, then her mouth. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. His mouth was on hers in an instant.
She sank into the kiss, into the edge of desperation she felt from him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, an offer of comfort in the storm that was his kiss.
He stepped into her and she took a step back. Like the dance he’d taught her, they moved in concert until she felt a tree at her back. He pushed into her until her breasts were crushed against his chest.
Her blood thickened, her heart raced. This was passion. It should have frightened her, but it didn’t. Whatever was driving him, she was willing to go along.
His mouth left hers to trail down her neck to the edge of her gown. “I missed you.”
“It’s only been a few hours.” Her voice was breathless. Her body trembled as his hand molded over her breast. She could feel the heat of his hand through the layers of her clothes. “John, what’s wrong?”
He pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed, breathing labored. He was quiet for so long she was afraid that he wouldn’t answer the question. She waited.
His eyes opened on hers. “You are so lovely, so pure and beautiful.”
She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “Thank you.”
He stepped back from her, his hands trailing down her arms until he grasped her hands. “Sit with me?”
She allowed him to lead her back to the edge of the stones. She sat down and scooted over to make room for him. The sun had dipped below the horizon coloring the world around them in an orange pink glow. Soon it would be dark.
John took her hand again and played with her fingers. She liked that he seemed to need to touch her as she waited for him to speak. Something was definitely bothering him.
“Victoria, I, uh, need to ask you something.”
Her heart jumped in her chest. Was he going to propose? It had only been weeks since they’d met again. Had he talked to her father? What would she say?
She cleared her voice. “Of course, ask me anything.”
“These few weeks have meant the world to me. Would you do the honor of becoming my wife?”
And there it was. Simple and direct. She smiled. “Yes.”
His grin chased away the troubles shadowing his face for a brief instant. He kissed her quickly, deeply, his fingers in her hair. His mouth opened o
n hers and soon they were wrapped in each other’s arms again, drawn together like magnets until they had to separate to breathe.
“Will you call upon Father tomorrow?”
John released her and faced forward staring out across the woods. “We could be in Scotland in a few hours. I could borrow Tony’s carriage.”
“Elope? Why?” She pulled back, confused.
“Why would it matter, if we are together, Victoria. I love you.”
She smiled. “I love you as well, but I don’t understand the urgency.”
“I have to return to Sussex soon. I want you with me.”
“But we can marry here. You don’t even have to have the banns read. We can get a special license.”
John nodded but said nothing for a long time.
“John, what is this really about?”
He pressed his lips together. “I had some news today and I need to get home to take care of it. I want you to go with me.”
“I’m sure Father will agree to let us marry quickly.”
“Victoria, may I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“What happened when you were jilted the last time?”
The change in subject was like cold rain washing over her. It was her turn to sit back, put a bit more distance between them. She clasped her hands together until her fingers left marks on her skin. “They left.”
“Did any of these gentlemen talk to your father?”
“Of course, but it always came out that they were more interested in my skill with horses than in me.”
He nodded then placed his hand over hers and squeezed gently until she looked into his face.
“Know this, Victoria. No matter what, I have only ever wanted you. I don’t care how skilled you are with horses and when we marry, you don’t have to enter the stables again to train horses unless you want to. I’m thankful we have this interest in common, but it has no bearing on how I feel about you.”
She couldn’t keep the relieved smile from her face. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“You need to hear that from me before I speak with your father.”
Something in the back of her mind gave her pause. The note and its stark words to meet him here flashed through her mind. “John what’s going on?”
His laugh was bitter. “Yet another reason why I admire you so much. You are quick.” He pulled in a deep breath as if he were preparing for a battle. “I think your father will object to the match.”
Her first reaction was to reject the notion, but his question about what happened with the other proposals she’d received over the years made her think. “Father would probably not be happy to see me go, given my involvement in the stables, but Mr. Sims does most of the work now.”
“You train the horses. You trained Tychee.”
“Yes.”
John scrubbed his face with his hands.
“You’re starting to scare me. What is this about?”
“I think your father is fixing races.”
The words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush. How could so few words feel like boulders rolling right over her. Yet the news wasn’t surprising, not to her. “What makes you think that?”
“He paid my jockey to throw the race at Milnthorpe. He also did the same at Lancaster. My jockey has admitted to it.”
“To what purpose? Tychee is a winner. There is no logical reason why he would do this?”
“Does he bet on the races?”
“Of course.”
“Does he get in too deep?”
His closeness felt too close. She needed some space. She needed to move. To think. To review. She stood suddenly and stepped back from the stone edge to pace the hard ground. “No deeper than any other gentleman, I would think.”
Victoria paced as her mind filtered through bits of memories looking for answers. Were they in financial trouble? She had no idea. Her father kept those things to himself. He kept a great many things to himself. “This is madness, John. Why would my father do this?”
He stood as well. His eyes followed her as she moved back and forth, her movements as frantic as her thoughts. He said nothing. Nothing. Why wasn’t he talking?
“Answer me!” Her voice echoed in the evening air.
“I don’t know, Victoria. I don’t know why he would do it, especially with a horse like Tychee. I was hoping you could tell me.”
“I don’t know if he did do it.”
“Tim wouldn’t lie.”
“Yet he’d take a bribe. Was it my father who approached him?”
“No.”
“Who was it?”
“Sims.”
Victoria stilled. There was no way Sims would be fixing races for Father. He’d been her mentor. He’d taught her everything she knew about horses and training and breeding. He’d been a kinder father to her than her very own father. “I don’t believe it.”
“Why would I make this up?”
“Is this why you proposed first? Make sure you had my agreement before you ruined my father? Is this some attempt to make sure your horse is the top horse in England? You marry me which will keep me quiet, then ruin my father.”
“You aren’t making sense, Victoria. What logic would there be in proposing first?”
“Logic went out the window when you told me Father was throwing races!”
She covered her face with her hands.
“Victoria, I had to tell you. I couldn’t keep this a secret between us.” His voice was like broken glass.
“I rather wish you had.” Her eyes stung with tears.
John tried to take her hands, but she dodged them, crossing her arms, holding her stomach as if it might hold in all the emotions running through her at this moment. Where was the damn fairy magic when you needed it? She’d give anything to have time go back to where she felt happiness for one second of time. “Is this why you wanted to elope?”
His grimace was the answer she needed.
“Victoria, I love you. I only thought to protect you. I don’t give a damn about your father. I thought only of you when I found out.”
“Who else knows about this?”
“Luke Connells”
The damn Jockey Club attestation. Her father and his pursuit to live above his own station had caused this. He’d do anything to join that damned club. Her mind whirled through the fragments of conversations trying to piece together the puzzle. Yet she couldn’t wrap her head around why Father felt it necessary to hedge his bets by fixing a race. So they would lose a few races. No horse wins every race.
“Connells will have to report this. Your father will be banned from racing for good.”
“He would lose everything,” she whispered. They would lose everything. The scandal would mean being ostracized from the racing world. Even society in Beetham would shun them. Her father would be ruined, financially and emotionally. This would kill him.
It was in that moment that John’s urgent plea to elope made sense. She might question John’s motives. She might question the feelings he professed to her, but she couldn’t question his need to protect her. He’d failed with his sisters. He wouldn’t let history repeat itself.
Were his feelings stemming from a deep need to keep her safe or were they real? She hardly knew.
Darkness was closing in. It was late and she needed to go home. She needed to think through things. She needed to find the truth, but as the news settled on her shoulders like a heavy weight, she knew that John was speaking the truth.
And with that came the knowledge that her life had been lies. Her father, Sims, all of it just one big lie.
“I need to go.”
“Victoria, please. Wait.” John placed his hand on her arm to stop her. “I had to tell you.”
The anguish in his voice was almost her undoing as she realized she wasn’t alone in her pain. This had cost him as well. And if she married him, it would cost him more.
That thought alone hurt worse than a kick from a horse. This wouldn�
��t just ruin her father. John would be guilty by association, if she married him. “I really need to go.”
He clasped her arms in his hands, his touch gentle. “It doesn’t change how I feel. I love you. Nothing will change that.”
“You don’t think I’m a part of this?”
“You are an honest, forthright person. There was never any question in my mind.”
It was a small kind of consolation that he didn’t believe she was involved. His unwavering faith in her had never changed in all of this. “I imagine Mr. Connells views it differently.”
“He does.”
Tonight’s dinner with the Taylors took on a different meaning. “When will he speak with Father?”
“His investigation will be complete by next week. I imagine the news will get out as soon as the report is filed.”
She nodded. She turned to her horse so she could leave.
“I should accompany you home.”
“No. I need to be alone. I need to think this through.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?”
She mounted the horse and settled into the saddle. She shook her head. “What would be the purpose?”
“To speak with your father about our marriage?”
She realized then that she was right in her assessment of John. He may care for her. He might even love her as he stated, but the real reason he proposed was to protect her. He was trying to save her because he hadn’t been able to save his sisters.
“John, there can be no marriage now.” Her voice broke as she choked out the words. “Not ever.”
She turned away from John. Away from the hope of a future. She goaded the horse into a gallop towards home.
As she leaned into the wind, tears flowed down Victoria’s cheeks. Once again, her father had found a way to ruin another happy moment in her life. Typical. She should have seen it coming. She should have known. Instead she’d allowed herself to wallow in the fairy tale of it all. Including that damned fortune from Madame Zeta.
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