White Horses

by Joan Wolf

  He took the tie off the bottom and unplaited the braid until her hair was free on her back. Then he ran his fingers through the loose, shining strands. She closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the touch of his hand.

  He slid his hand under her hair until it was cupping the nape of her neck. “Everything about you is so delicate and fragile,” he said. “And yet you ride and control thousand-pound horses.”

  “I would be an even better rider if I were bigger,” she said. “Papa could get leverage just from the length of his torso. I can’t.”

  “I’m glad you’re not bigger,” he murmured. “I like you just the way you are.”

  “I like you the way you are, too.” She turned to face him and he bent his head to hers. They kissed deeply.

  “Let’s go to bed,” he said huskily.

  “Good idea,” she replied.

  They both shed their clothes with swift efficiency and Gabrielle was the first to crawl in under the warmth of the covers.

  He came to his side of the bed and pulled the covers back. “I like to see you,” he said.

  “Too bad,” she replied, snatching the blankets back. “It’s too cold. You’ll just have to maneuver under them.”

  “Oh, all right,” he grumbled as he pulled the covers up around himself.

  She smiled up at him. “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “Mmm,” he said. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  She moved into his arms and he ran his hand down her back and over the curve of her hip. She touched his ear, his cheek, his mouth. “Kiss me,” he said, and they joined together in a long, deeply erotic kiss.

  Finally he lifted his head. “I could eat you up,” he growled.

  During the course of the journey they had learned how to please each other, and now they slowly and tantalizingly built up their passion until it was glowing white-hot and irresistible. When Gabrielle whimpered and lifted her hips toward him, Leo knew the time had come. As he entered her he thought that nothing he had ever done in his life could ever compare with the bliss of being astride Gabrielle Robichon.

  She lifted her legs to encircle his waist and hung on to him with her hands on his shoulders. He drove into her wet, slippery heat and felt her soften around him. He groaned.

  I love you. He wanted to say it, but the words just wouldn’t come out. They were words he had never said to a living creature since the day he had caught his mother with their next-door neighbor.

  “Leo,” she cried. “Oh, Leo.”

  Her fingers were digging into his shoulders and he drove again and again into the heart of her until he felt her spasms again and again in the shuddering ecstasy of orgasm. He increased his own movement until the moment of his own release came, and he cried out loud with the power of the sensation.

  When it was over they stayed joined together for a long time, clasped in each other’s arms. Once again Leo had the urge to tell her he loved her, but once again he bit the words back. After all, she had never said them to him.

  “I feel much warmer now,” Gabrielle murmured.

  He felt a pang of sadness as he withdrew from her and pulled away. “I hate to let you go,” he said.

  She leaned back against her pillows and smiled at him.

  Oh, the glory of Gabrielle’s smile.

  “Will you get me my nightgown?” she asked. “It is in the first drawer in the wardrobe.”

  He got out of bed, went over to the wardrobe and with- drew her nightgown. He brought it back to the bed and handed it to her.

  “Thank you,” she said, and immediately pulled it over her head.

  Leo went to his bag for his own nightshirt. It was a little chilly walking around this room with no clothes on. He put the nightshirt on and returned to his side of the bed, passing Colette who was asleep on her mattress.

  He got in next to Gabrielle and she scooted over to rest against his shoulder. He put his arm around her.

  “I think Mathieu is in love,” she said.

  “Really? With the Laurent girl?”

  “Yes. She was his partner at cards tonight and he never once corrected her or yelled at her. Albert couldn’t believe it.”

  Leo chuckled. “Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. Matthew is nineteen, after all.”

  “She seems like a nice girl,” Gabrielle said. “Henri told me they expect Carlotta’s cousin to join us tomorrow, so the rope-dancing act will be at full strength.”

  “Good,” he said.

  “I will miss having you to talk to at night,” she said sadly.

  He bent his head and pressed his lips to her hair. “Don’t think about that. Let’s just concentrate on the pleasures of the moment.”

  “I think it is easier for a man to do that than a woman,” Gabrielle said soberly.

  He said, “You mean a great deal to me, sweetheart.”

  She sighed. “I am glad to hear that, Leo.” She pulled away from him. “Now I think we should try to sleep.”

  “All right.” He adjusted his pillows the way he liked them, and waited until she was lying on her side, the way she liked to sleep. Then he blew out the lamp.

  Thirty-One

  The first half of the next day’s noon show went very well. The audience was particularly responsive to Gabrielle’s exhibitions with Noble and Sandi, and Leo himself smiling from ear to ear as the tent erupted land applause for the small, erect figure who commanded the attention of horse and audience with such seeming effortlessness.

  She’s amazing, Leo thought as he watched her disappear out of the tent. I could watch her ride all day long, she’s so beautiful.

  The next act was Luc’s and Leo ducked out of the tent to collect Coco from Albert, who was holding him. Pierre exited with Leo, muttering that he had to relieve himself. Leo brought Coco into the tent and started him cantering in a circle around the ring. Coco, who knew his job, did not need Leo to encourage him much with the whip. He cantered like a rocking horse around the ring, his cadence steady and even.

  The three players left in the band struck up the music, and Luc came running lightly into the ring dressed in fights and spangles.

  The act started out well, with Luc vaulting easily on and off the cantering Coco. The accident happened when Luc was standing on Coco’s back and attempting a somersault. The minute his feet left the horse’s back, Coco squealed and reared straight up. Luc had no place to land except the ninety-degree angle of Coco’s back. He slid down the horse’s back and slammed into the ground. Coco squealed again and this time he kicked out, mercifully missing Luc, who was sprawled on the ground. Then Coco began to gallop madly around the ring.

  The crowd was on its feet, those in the back standing on their benches to get a better view of Luc, who was starting to move. Leo decided it was more important to get control of the horse before he did any more damage and started to speak soothingly to the excited Coco. Antonio and Adolphe came running from their positions in the band to bend over Luc, who was still on the ground.

  Emma, whose act was next, came running to Luc as well.

  The noise from the crowd as everyone exclaimed and talked was making it difficult for Leo to get control of Coco, and he turned, faced the benches and called loudly, “Silence, please.”

  Abruptly, silence fell.

  By the time Gabrielle came into the ring, Coco had slowed to a trot. She went straight to Luc, who was sitting up now but had not attempted to rise. He was holding his right shoulder.

  Shit, Leo thought. If Luc is out of commission, Gabrielle will be in trouble.

  Finally Coco slowed to a walk, then to a halt. As Leo came up to him he could see the horse was trembling. “It’s all right,” Leo said soothingly. “It’s all right, big fellow. You’re fine.” He patted the horse’s neck. It was damp with sweat.

  “Here, Leo.” Albert held out a lead rope. Leo got the lead onto Coco’s halter and patted him again.

  “What happened?” Albert asked. He was as white as Sandi.

  “I don�
��t know. All of a sudden Coco squealed and reared up. Luc was in the middle of a somersault and crashing to the ground. It was very strange.”

  “ Mon Dieu.” Albert said. “What will we do if Luc is too badly hurt to perform?”

  “I don’t know,” Leo said grimly.

  They both watched as Luc got to his feet. Seeing him rise.the audience burst into applause. Luc managed to lift his left hand in acknowledgement. Then he walked out of the ring, accompanied by Gabrielle. The two Lau- rents went to rejoin Isabel in the band. Leo noted that Pierre had returned to his band station as well.

  He remembered meeting Pierre going out as he was coming into the ring. Pierre has never had to leave during a performance before, he thought.

  He pictured in his mind the way Coco had squealed, as if something had hurt him. The words It was almost as if he was stung by a bee popped into his head.

  He let this thought percolate in his mind. There were no bees inside the tent; he could pretty much swear to that.

  What could have made Coco, who was as rock solid as they came, behave like something had hurt him?

  Something did hurt him, Leo thought. Something must have hurt him.

  A dart. Someone could have shot a dart at him. Or a BB.

  The crowd was beginning to grow restless and Leo announced, “Mesdames and messieurs, if you will be patient for a little longer, the Martins, our world-famous rope dancers, will perform for you. Thank you for your good nature.”

  He turned to leave the ring, and as he was passing the band he said to Antonio, “Play something!”

  He heard the band start up as he exited into the afternoon sunshine.

  Everyone was clustered around Luc.

  “Henri,” Leo said sharply. “I have just announced that your act will be next. Get moving, will you, please?”

  Henri nodded. “Come along, Gerard,” he said. “You can help me set up the ropes.”

  Leo went over to Luc. “How are you?” he asked.

  Luc looked pale. “I landed on my shoulder. It hurts pretty bad.”

  Gabrielle said, “Paul is going to take Luc into town to see a doctor.”

  Leo nodded, then said, “Gabrielle, can I see you in private for a moment?”

  She gave him a worried look, then nodded. The two of them walked a little distance away from the group and Leo said in a low tone, “I think someone should go over Coco thoroughly. I suspect that he was hit by something—most probably a small dart. It’s the only thing that would account for his squealing and rearing like that.”

  Her big brown eyes widened. “You can’t be serious,” she said in horror.

  “Pierre was not with the band when it happened. I passed him when I was going into the ring. He said he had to relieve himself.”

  Gabrielle’s hands flew to her mouth. “Mon Dieu! You think that Pierre shot a dart at Coco?”

  “I think it is a distinct possibility,” Leo said grimly.

  “This is terrible,” Gabrielle said.

  “It’s not good,” Leo admitted. “Especially since we will have a hard time proving that Pierre did anything.”

  Gabrielle glanced over Leo’s shoulder and saw Sergeant Jordan watching them with interest. She turned her back so he could not see her face and said, “I will go over Coco with a fine-tooth comb once the show is finished. But I need him right now.”

  “Gabrielle, Luc is not going to be able to perform. What do you need Coco for?”

  “Mathieu and Albert will do some more trick riding to fill up Luke’s spot. I need him for that. Then I will do the Courier of St. Petersburg with the Arabians.”

  He stared at her, appalled. “You can’t do that! It’s a totally different kind of riding from what you do.” He had seen Luc perform the trick once before. “You have to straddle galloping horses while other horses pass beneath you! You have to lie down across horses’ backs! That’s not your kind of riding.”

  “When I was a child I used to do trick riding,” she said calmly. “I did it for fun, not for show, but I think I can manage to do most of the act. I’m going to try, at any rate. I don’t want to have to refund all of the money we collected. We advertise the Courier of St. Petersburg, remember?”

  “You can’t do it,” Leo repeated. “I won’t let you.”

  She lifted her eyebrows. “You can’t stop me, Leo. I am my own person. I don’t have to answer to you.”

  He stared at her in angry frustration.

  “Let Mathieu do it,” he argued. “He is accustomed to trick riding.”

  “I am a better rider than Mathieu. I don’t want him getting hurt trying to do too much.”

  “What if you get hurt? You are the main attraction in this circus. We can’t afford to lose you!”

  He never even noticed his use of the word we when he spoke of the circus.

  Gabrielle smiled at him and patted his arm. “I won’t get hurt, Leo.”

  “I don’t like this,” Leo said.

  “I don’t like it, either, but I like even less losing the money we collected today.”

  “You don’t have to refund their money. They have still seen a pretty good show.”

  “I like even less leaving my customers thinking they have been cheated,” Gabrielle retorted. “That is not the way to be successful, Leo. People talk and word gets around.”

  “The people here today will understand that it is not your fault if you have to give an abbreviated performance.”

  She shook her head. “You had better get back into the ring. Announce more trick riding from Mathieu and Albert, then we’ll have the Courier of St Petersburg and we’ll finish off with Emma’s dogs and my pas de deux with Mathieu.”

  He didn’t move and she gave him a little shove. “Go on, Leo! We’ll talk about Coco when the show is finished.”

  Reluctantly he did as she asked and went back into the ring.

  When the show was over, Leo and Gabrielle collected Coco, gave him a pile of hay and proceeded to go over him from head to tail. It was Gabrielle who found the small wound in his right shoulder. Then she found another in his right flank.

  “Look at these,” she said to Leo.

  Leo came around the horse and regarded the small, round perforations in Coco’s skin.

  “Darts,” he said.

  “That’s what it looks like.”

  Gabrielle patted Coco’s neck, which was stretched down toward the hay.

  “It must have been Pierre,” she said.

  “I can’t think of anyone else who would do such a thing.”

  Her delectable mouth set in a grim line. “Neither can I.”

  “You have to dismiss him, Gabrielle. He’s dangerous. Luc could have been killed.”

  “I know,” she said. “I know.”

  Henri came over to stand next to them. “What happened to Coco that made him do such a thing? In all the years I’ve been with this circus, he has never behaved as he did today.”

  Gabrielle said, “Look at this, Henri.” And she showed him Coco’s two wounds.

  “Mon Dieu.” Henri said. “What could have happened?”

  “We think someone shot darts at him,” Gabrielle said.

  There was a moment of silence. Then Henri said, “Where was Pierre when Coco was performing?”

  Gabrielle and Leo looked at each other. Then Gabrielle said, “He had excused himself. He was leaving the ring as Leo was coming in.”

  “Merde.” Henri exclaimed. He thought a moment, then said in dawning fury, “Do you think he is responsible for Franz’s accident as well?”

  When Gabrielle did not reply, Leo said, “Perhaps. I always thought that the rope had frayed too evenly.”

  Henri flushed. “Let me get my hands on the bastard. I’d like to kill him!”

  Leo put a hand on Henri’s arm. “Hold on, Henri. There are other ways of dealing with this.”

  Henri said, looking at Leo, “I hope you are going to dismiss him.”

  Leo said, “That will be up to Gabrielle. It�
��s her circus.”

  Henri switched his burning gaze to Gabrielle. “Don’t be softhearted over this, Gabrielle. He’s dangerous.”

  Gabrielle straightened her spine. Leo saw the movement and his heart went out to her. She shouldn’t have to make these kinds of decisions. It’s too hard on her, he thought.

  Gabrielle said, “I will dismiss him. I don’t see that I have any choice.”

  “You don’t,” Leo said.

  She nodded. “Henri, would you ask Pierre to come and speak to me?”

  “Let me go,” Leo said hastily. He looked at Henri, who was still flushed with anger. “We don’t want Henri knocking him down. We need Pierre in good enough shape to walk away from us.”

  Henri smiled sourly.

  “All right,” Gabrielle said. “Let Leo go, Henri.”

  “I want to be here when you dismiss the bastard,” Henri said.

  “I don’t think we need you,” Gabrielle said.

  Henri folded his arms over his chest. “I’m not moving until I see that bastard dismissed.”

  Gabrielle sighed and looked at Leo. He shrugged.

  “All right,” Gabrielle said. “But behave yourself, Henri.”

  “I will,” Henri said. He looked grim.

  Gabrielle and Leo exchanged another look, then Leo said, “I will go get Pierre and send him to you, Gabrielle. “

  “Thank you,” she said. Then, as an afterthought, “Do you think you could go through his things, Leo? To see if he has a dart blower?”

  “I’ll look,” Leo said.

  He went across the field in the direction of the band’s tent, leaving Gabrielle and Henri to wait in silence.

  Thirty-Two

  Pierre blustered and protested, and Gabrielle had twinges of conscience about perhaps being wrong, but just as she was on the verge of wavering, Leo came up with the dart blower he had found in Pierre’s trunk. That did it. Gabrielle told him to pack up his things and be gone by the next performance.

  “That little bastard slept with my wife!” Pierre snarled when it became apparent that Gabrielle meant what she had said. “It would serve him right if he never rode again.”