The Earl of Arms and Ammo #4
“Possibly. But you realise that many performance-enhancing substances can no longer be traced once enough time has passed.”
“Aye, I know, but I still need you to check. Also for other indicators: little scars that could indicate abuse, that sort of thing. I didnae see anything at first glance, but that doesnae mean there’s nothing to find.
You get a lot closer to the animals when you check them than I do.
” Rupert sighed, and Kendrick started to suspect that the old horse-whisperer wasn’t keen on this job at all.
“Why did you agree to take them in in the first place?” he asked flat out. “You’re always so picky about who you work with.”
“Because of Hailey,” Rupert replied curtly.
“You’ll have to explain that one to me.”
“Sooner or later, Hailey will take over here. She’s very good, even better than me in some areas.
For example, she’s a much better rider and can really handle any animal.
Tha’s her great strength. But with other things she’s still struggling.
She is easily impressed by big names. So when the enquiry came in, I discussed with her if we should accept the job or no’.
As expected, she was all for it. Well, now we have to face the music. ” Rupert gave him a resigned smile.
“Fair enough. But there’s something I don’t understand. The earl rented two cottages from Alex weeks ago, Jon told me yesterday, and for two months. That doesn’t sound like sudden issues with these horses. When did they contact you?”
Taken aback, Rupert rubbed his unruly red-grey beard.
“Just a fortnight ago. That does indeed make the hotel reservations suspicious. I hadnae even thought of that. They must have made the booking back in spring, or even earlier, because Alex is always booked out during peak season. Quite the detective you are! Very good. I trust you’ll find out if there’s any other funny business at play. ”
They couldn’t explore the thought further, however, as the stable door opened and three handsome men came in, led by Hailey and trailed by Kristy and Shona.
Kendrick frowned. It made perfect sense that Hailey was with them, especially given what Rupert had just told him.
But what was Kristy doing here, and Shona of all people?
And why were all three women dressed up to the nines in their smartest riding gear, boots polished to perfection?
They looked straight from a fashion spread in an equestrian magazine, instead of real-life riders in a real-life stable with real-life horses.
Kristy seemed decidedly uncomfortable, but Hailey was in her element and Shona had a happy smile on her face.
She looked stunning in her grey breeches, crisp white blouse and shiny black boots, he had to admit, but his irritation got the better of him.
What did this all mean? Surely, she wouldn’t be riding any of these anxious thoroughbreds?
Was she just another aristo-groupie? The three men, all of whom Kendrick estimated to be in their early to mid-thirties, would probably be considered very attractive.
But they made him feel uneasy, a sensation that only grew when he saw one of the men slide his hand around Shona’s shapely hips.
That was going too far! He struggled to suppress an angry growl and forced himself to relax his hands, which had clenched into fists.
“Good to see you again, Lord Jonah,” Rupert said politely and gave the two other men a brief nod. If he was surprised at the appearance of his daughters and niece, he didn’t let on. Instead, he continued all businesslike: “May I introduce you to Dr Kendrick McIntosh, my trusted vet?”
The earl gave Kendrick a quick glance, but didn’t bother with a greeting. Instead, one of the other men held out his hand – the hand which had just been resting on Shona’s bottom. “Dr Philip Hillington,” he introduced himself.
Did Shona have a thing for vets? Kendrick pushed the irritating thought aside and scrutinised his counterpart. “Pleased to meet you. Shall we have a look at the horses then, or how would you like to proceed?”
“No rush to examine them,” the earl intervened. “Tests are unnecessary, anyway, because their health is well documented. I want to see something happening.”
Kendrick glanced at Rupert to gauge his reaction, but the older man showed a masterful poker face that did not give away any resentment he may feel.
“We’re going to work with Faruk and Nihal this afternoon,” he said in a calm voice, then turned to Kendrick to explain: “Those are the two who winnae go into the starting stall or let any rider mount. With Azzedine, I want to rule out any physical problems before I let him run.” Kendrick was impressed by the steely authority in Rupert’s voice.
Not even the earl dared to object but nodded in agreement.
“And who will ride them?” he wanted to know.
“Me,” Hailey replied with a beaming smile that didn’t falter even when Jonah’s face bluntly displayed his disapproval.
Kendrick could guess what he was thinking: Hailey was delightfully curvy; certainly heavier than the jockeys who usually rode the valuable racehorses.
“You must be kidding,” the earl snapped incredulously and started laughing. His two companions joined right in.
“You winnae find a better rider for your horses,” Rupert cut in.
“But that’s ridiculous!” the Earl of Penningcard objected, and Kendrick found that his finely chiselled face no longer looked attractive at all, but mean and repulsive.
“If tha’s how you feel, I’m sorry. Naturally, you are free to take your horses elsewhere. But as long as they’re here, I decide how this goes. You signed my contract. My vet will examine your horses, and I will decide who rides them. And in this case, it’s my daughter.”
“The other one is your daughter too,” the assistant intervened, pointing at slender Kristy, who now looked downright panic-stricken.
“Hailey will ride them, or no one here will.”
Shona shot Kristy a sympathetic look. She felt just as uncomfortable as her cousin but hoped she was less obvious about it.
She had come to support Hailey, who felt under pressure to prove to her da that she could cope with these difficult clients.
Shona was glad she had not followed in her own father’s footsteps, or she would probably find herself in a similar situation.
The current relationship between Rupert and Hailey was bloody exhausting, as far as she could tell.
Hailey had admitted that her da hadn’t been keen to take on the earl and his horses and had only done so because of her insistence.
She saw the glamour, the potential to raise their prestige – and for once, she wanted to have her way against her rather overbearing father.
Shona could think of a lot of things to say about her uncle Rupert, but overbearing did not make the list. Though dynamics could be strange between fathers and their children, as she knew only too well from her own side of the family.
This was why she had agreed last night to join Hailey and Kristy for dinner with the earl and his two employees at Isla’s restaurant.
Her sister had given her a meaningful look when they showed up but had kept her opinion to herself.
If only for the duration of the evening.
This morning, Isla had given her a ring and a piece of her mind.
The dinner had been nice enough, as all three men were charming and had given Shona and her cousins the most flattering compliments.
She and Hailey had been fine with it all, but it had been abundantly clear that Kristy was well beyond her comfort zone.
After having spent the entire day painting, Shona would have preferred a quiet evening, but she appreciated the fantastic meal that made up for the change of plans.
No frozen pizza could compete with her sister’s cuisine!
She would have liked to close the chapter with the aristo-snob at that, but only a few hours later Hailey had again requested her moral support, this time for the afternoon appointment at the stables.
Although by now she had realised that the men were interested in somewhat different services altogether.
If that sleazy vet put his paw on her behind one more time, he would find himself in need of a plastic surgeon!
She had seen the loathing on Kendrick’s face, and she knew exactly what he thought of her: that she was just some hussy who would get involved with anyone.
That realisation hurt like hell. As awkward as things between them were, especially after their eventful evening in Inverness, she didn’t want him to think badly of her. For whatever reason!
Apparently, the current situation made him uncomfortable as well, and the look he gave his colleague was hardly friendlier than the stare-down she had received.
She really, really wanted Hailey to succeed and find a productive way to work with her da.
But she had come to realise it had to be a way that did not involve her, and preferably no Arabian racehorses either.
Now that Rupert had put his foot down, the two horses were saddled and bridled, and the whole group went outside to a more secluded riding arena reserved for guest horses to which the curious local riders had no access.
Rupert’s estate also had a short racecourse that surrounded the two training arenas, as his clients frequently included horses that were frightened of starting gates or had other racetrack-related problems. His setup was well-known for being able to simulate almost any situation that could arise in professional equestrian sport.