Odds On the Rake by Sofie Darling

Author:Sofie Darling [Darling, Sofie]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter Fifteen

Through a series of events Gemma hadn’t heeded closely enough, she somehow found herself riding across the Somerton estate alongside Lady Artemis, with Cal trailing at a distance.

She suspected that was how most things went with Lady Artemis. Behind the lady’s good humor and generally sunny disposition hid a will of iron. If she wanted something, she had it.

And for some reason, she wanted to go for a ride with the taciturn stable lad Gem.

Not that Gemma minded. Hannibal was resting in his box after a morning’s hard training, and the warm sun was presently soaking through her clothes and into her skin.

It was a good day to be out.

“We should’ve brought Hannibal and Dido,” said Lady Artemis, face pointed up to the sun, eyes closed, a relaxed smile about her mouth.

“They’ve earned their afternoon rest,” said Gemma, diplomatically. But, really, aristocrats could lack sense of the common variety.

Lady Artemis slitted one eye open and directed it at Gemma. “How did you come to be so wise, Gem? What are you? Fifteen? Sixteen years of age?”

“Erm…” Gemma searched her mind for Gem’s age. “Seventeen?”

“Don’t you know your own age?” asked Lady Artemis.

The full brunt of her gaze was directed at Gemma now, and a twinkle shone in her dark eyes. Though those depths were as dark as her brother’s, they held an easy-to-read openness. If Gemma was reading them correctly now, they were toying with her.

A swift change of subject was in order. “Have you considered giving Dido another year?” asked Gemma in what was likely the clunkiest change of subject since grammar had been invented.

Lady Artemis rolled her eyes skyward. “Not this again.”

Fair enough.

“Dido is a goer. I know it. You know it. Anyone with eyes knows it,” continued the lady, exasperated. “It’s settled.”

“But,” said Gemma, “why does the Two Thousand Guineas have to be her first race?” And it hit her. “You want to best your brother.”

Lady Artemis smiled as if the stable lad Gem was a bit thick. “Of course.”

“But you could best him at the Race of the Century.”

Lady Artemis laughed. “I prefer to put him out of his misery sooner than later.”

The lady’s confidence in Dido was clear, but an uneasy feeling snaked through Gemma’s gut. She couldn’t let up just yet. “Have you considered entering her in a small racing meeting? Maybe take her to a less crowded course to gain some turf experience, then on to Newmarket?”

Lords and ladies didn’t like to be told what to do, so Gemma knew to approach the subject with an abundance of caution.

“No one will know what hit them when Dido takes to the turf,” said Lady Artemis, blithely brushing off Gemma’s suggestion. “You’ve seen her. Her speed sets the track on fire.”

“Aye,” was all Gemma could respond. Making an owner see the truth about a beloved horse could be nigh on impossible. She’d sooner get agreement from a wall.

They topped the rise of a hill, and the valley spread below them, green with summer. A

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