Catherine pressed her lips together, knowing quite well that this sounded entirely improbable. “Yes,” she replied, hating that the lies came so easily to her lips but knowing that she had no other choice. “And I could not bear the thought of Beauchamp being so badly injured and, therefore, I scurried into the barn and saddled him so that he might escape.”
The duke eyed her carefully. “You knew then, did you, that Rigby intended to harm Beauchamp?” he asked slowly.
“I did,” Catherine replied, without hesitation. “I saw the knife and surmised that he—”
“What a relief you were so bold,” the duke interrupted, sounding truly grateful. “My goodness, Leighton, if you had not been present and sneaked in when you did, then I fear that Beauchamp might now be…” He trailed off, shaking his head as his expression twisted. “Thank you.”
Catherine managed a small smile, her heart thumping furiously despite the relief that ran through her. “You are most welcome, Your Grace,” she said, still speaking quietly. “I do hope that you will allow me the opportunity to show you that I could be the jockey for Beauchamp.” A faint hope rose within her as she saw the duke frown, wondering if this was going to be her chance to ride in the races. The only chance she might ever have.
The duke let out a long breath and then let his hands fall to his sides. “I do not think that I can refuse you after what you have done this evening, Leighton,” he replied, sending Catherine’s heart soaring to the skies. “You can see that I have decided to remove Rigby as Beauchamp’s jockey and that means, therefore, that there is the opportunity to prove yourself.” He studied her for a long moment before he continued, making Catherine fear that he was either going to refuse her or that there was something about her that betrayed the fact that she was not, in fact, a young man after all.
“Shall we say the day after tomorrow?”
Catherine’s breath flooded out of her, rendering her weak and breathless to the point that she could only nod, hardly able to catch her breath.
“Capital,” the duke replied. “You are welcome to stay here, however, until the time comes. I would not have you go back out to the village or even to London in the interim, not when you have traveled so far already.”
Appreciating his consideration, Catherine let out a long breath and then nodded. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said, forcing her voice to work and hearing it rasping just a little. “You are very kind. The day after tomorrow, I shall be present in the stables and ready to show you that I can be the jockey you require.”
The duke chuckled, reaching forward to shake Catherine’s hand. “I believe you have proved it already, for not everyone would have been able to ride Beauchamp in such a way as you did,” he replied, waiting for her to take his hand. “However, I shall look forward to a proper demonstration in two days’ time.”
Catherine nodded and, realizing what the duke was waiting for, reached out to shake it as firmly as she could, aware of just how small her hand was compared to his. Heat shot up her arm as they shook hands, making her glad for the darkness that hid her colored cheeks from the duke’s eyes. “I thank you, Your Grace,” she replied, keeping her voice as firm as her handshake. “Might I take Beauchamp back to the stables for you?”
“I would be very glad if you would do so,” the duke replied, letting go of her hand. “Although perhaps you might lead him there instead of riding? He will need to cool down after such a gallop!”
“Gladly,” Catherine replied, taking a hold of the reins and beginning to walk away. Beauchamp followed at once, nickering softly and making the duke chuckle again.
“He certainly has taken to you,” the duke murmured, as Catherine led Beauchamp back towards the stables. “You have done a great thing this evening, Leighton. I will ensure that, even if you do not become Beauchamp’s jockey, that you are well recompensed for your actions this night.”
“I need nothing more than the opportunity you have already promised me,” Catherine replied firmly, thinking to herself that she had no doubt in her mind that she would be able to prove herself to the duke given what had just occurred. Beauchamp had responded to her every move without hesitation, evidently feeling the same contentedness as she had. It had been a fulfillment of a dream to have been able to ride him across the gardens and now to have not only the duke’s gratitude but the opportunity to return and do so again brought such a joy to her heart and a determination to her spirit that it was all Catherine could do to contain herself.
She would have to make plans to return here with all swiftness, would have to find more than one set of her brother’s clothes with which she might convince others that she was Christopher Leighton – and all within only two short days. A nudge of doubt filled her stomach, but she turned away from it without giving it any consideration whatsoever. This was to be her one opportunity, and she was not about to turn away from it now.
I shall be here again in two days’ time, she told herself, her heart filling with confidence as she walked a few steps behind the duke. And this time, I have no intention of leaving.
Chapter Five
“Ah, there you are, Leighton.”
Matthew grinned broadly at the sight of the young man, although he did not fail to notice the paleness of the young man’s face. His eyes, a vivid green, held a weariness that could not be missed, making Matthew wonder if the boy was quite all right.
“You appear to be rather tired, Leighton,” Matthew commented, a touch dryly. “I hope you have not been enjoying yourself too much at the local tavern.” He arched a brow, thinking that, most likely, the lad had spent the last two evenings at the tavern in the nearby village and had rather enjoyed himself there, knowing that the promise of work at the duke’s estate was waiting for him. Not that he had intentions of giving Leighton any sort of employment until he was certain that the lad could ride Beauchamp as well as Matthew expected, but given what he had seen previously, Matthew had little doubt that the young man would do well.
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Leighton replied, lowering his eyes to the ground at his feet. “I had need to return to London before I made my way back here again.”
“In two days?” Matthew replied, rather surprised. “That means you returned to London one day and came back here the next!” He saw the boy nod, his eyes still downcast and felt his astonishment grow. “Little wonder that you are so weary then. What was it in London that required your attention?”
“I-I had forgotten some of my things,” Leighton stammered, clearly a little embarrassed. “I had to return to collect them.”
Matthew shook his head, wondering if this meant that Leighton would be too tired to ride well. “And are you quite prepared, then, to do as has been planned?”
“Oh, yes.” The boy’s head shot
up, his eyes now glowing with a determination that made Matthew smile. “I am more than prepared, Your Grace.”
Grinning, Matthew pushed his concern away. “Very good,” he replied with a small chuckle. “Then shall we get to it? Beauchamp will need to be saddled.” He gestured towards the stables, seeing how the boy jumped slightly, evidently surprised that he was required to saddle Beauchamp also. Matthew smiled inwardly, knowing that he needed to be certain that Leighton could not only ride Beauchamp well but that he could also take care of the creature. The boy had managed to saddle Beauchamp in the middle of the night with only dim lantern light to aid him, but Matthew had not been present at the time. He wanted to watch Leighton closely, to make sure that the boy knew what he was doing.
He did not have to worry. The young man set about his task with confidence and consideration for the stallion itself. He greeted Beauchamp carefully, making Matthew’s brow arch in surprise when the horse nickered a welcome. Beauchamp seemed to be glad to see the boy again, which was something that Matthew had never seen the stallion do before. There was a clear connection between horse and rider, and that brought with it a good deal of satisfaction. Watching closely, he saw how Leighton did everything correctly, making sure the straps were tight but not pinching the horse, and how gently the bit was placed. It was clear that Leighton cared for Beauchamp in a way that Rigby had never done, for the lad’s consideration of the creature was more than apparent.