The Vicar's Daughters

Bays and Buyers

The three new brood mares had just been sent over from Darlington—an investment of part of the money Dabney had paid down on his team. Vicar Pearce was busy with the stablehands, and additionally the horse trainer from Ayton had come in with the two horses he'd gentled. Rachel greeted him while her father finished the bill of sale for the mares, and she asked him to lead the team to the far paddock. Once there, the handler unhitched the horses and Rachel held open the gate. They were walked through, relieved of their bridles and tack, and she let them trot away with a pat on the rump.

"Thank'ee, miss," the handler said with a tip of the cap.

"Of course," she said politely. "Please come up to the vicarage and we will settle everything."

"Vicar Pearce will see to it?" he questioned.

Rachel eyed him carefully. Was he insinuating that she would not do it correctly? She could probably cipher and spell better than the man himself. Just because she was not male...

The man squirmed a bit under her gaze. She blew out an exasperated sigh. "Why don't we just see what is taking so long in the stables?" she proposed in a flat tone. The man turned and scooted quickly in that direction, and Rachel followed, after making sure the gate was firmly latched.

The man from Darlington was just disappearing down the gravel drive when Rachel came around the end of the stable. Father turned, greeted the handler, and they talked with animation for a few minutes as they walked together to the house. She veered off and went into the barn to check out the new mares. They were each given a new stall, ones that had been built on where a tack room used to be. Now the tack room was in the old greenhouse. They were getting so many inquiries about teams of horses that they had decided to double their stock by next year. Hopefully the three new mares would foal by May, and the six fillies they had now would be either trained to the harness or kept back for breeding.

Rachel called and clucked to the new horses. One mare pushed ahead of the others, reaching out her muzzle to lip Rachel's outstretched hand. "You're the attention getter, huh?" she said softly, rubbing her velvety nose. The mare next door nickered, reaching over her stall door for her share of attention as well. "I'm getting to you," Rachel said playfully. She went on rubbing noses and letting the mares get used to her scent for a few minutes. She measured each one's strengths as she did so—a fine, narrow head on one, but deep, strong chest and forelegs. Another had an unusual white star on the forehead, but thick cannon bones and incredible strength. The third one was tall and classic Cleveland Bay in coloring—rich brown darkening to black in the mane, tail, and legs. "You're beauties, for sure," she murmured, and giving them a final pat, turned to find her way back to the house.

"Rachel, is that you?" Maman called.

"Yes, Maman," she replied, loosening and pulling off her riding boots and leaving them in the coat room. She slipped on her tapestry house slippers and began unbuttoning her riding habit as she followed the sound to where her Maman must be. She knew Amanda and Marian were in town today with Phoebe, probably giggling over choices of lawn and silk and brocade. Her maman had been making lists of wedding tasks to see to, but she wasn't at her normal writing desk in the morning room. She walked on further.

She stepped into the drawing room with one button left to undo, then froze. Two unexpected gentlemen were sitting on the settee across from her mother. They had their backs to her, but at the sound of the door opening they began to turn. Her mother's eyes widened in disapproval, and Rachel belatedly remembered her half-open coat. Oh well. It wasn't like she was undressed underneath.

The gentlemen stood as she stepped into the room. They nodded politely, although the direction of their glance told her they did notice the undone coat and did not look back for propriety's sake. She smiled becomingly, finished unbuttoning and laid it over a chair, refusing to show any embarrassment. One man looked away, but the other seemed to stifle a laugh, pressing his lips together. This made her smile even more.