Page 66 of A Gathering Storm

Nick sighed. “These aren’t for dogs, you know,” he said. But he still tore a piece off and let Snow have it, rubbing the dog’s silky ears as they ate.

“Come on,” he said at last, patting his thigh. He might have just handed in his notice, but he was still steward here for a little longer and now needed to see Godolphin about an extra field Godfrey had agreed to let to Jessop. There were papers to be drawn up—Godfrey always wanted everything tied up right and tight. “Let’s go to the stables, Snow. You can wait with Gid while I ride over to the village.”

It was late afternoon now and the stables were quiet with most of the heavy tasks already done for the day. The stable lads sat on the grass on the sunny side of the courtyard, polishing tack, while Gid and John the groom played fivestones.

“You wantin’ an ’oss?” Gid called as Nick approached.

“Ayes.”

“Is Val all right for you? ’E’s needin’ some exercise.”

Nick nodded. “He’ll do fine.”

“Jem!” Gid yelled. The boy looked up from across the courtyard and started to rise, but Nick waved him back down.

“I’ll get him,” he said.

Gid shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

He wasn’t sure why he’d taken the notion to do Jem’s job for him, but he quite enjoyed the old familiar rhythms of saddling up a horse. As he did so, he found himself thinking again, as he had in the kitchens, of how long he’d been coming to Roscarrock House, and of the years—six of them—he’d spent working in these stables, summer and winter.

God, those winters. Mucking out stables and carrying heavy buckets of ice-cold water and getting chilblains. Those had been some hard days for a young lad. And lessons after besides.

“Oh good, I caught you before you left!”

Nick looked over his shoulder.

Isabella.

“Well now, Miss Bella,” he said. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Don’t give me that,” she said crossly. “You’ve got Grandy in a terrible tizz. What’s this nonsense about you leaving?”

Nick turned back to his work, tightening the straps on Valentine’s tack. “Oh, he’ll be fine. He just needs to get used to the idea. You know how he is.”

Isabella sighed. “Sometimes you’re wilfully obtuse. He’s upset. Don’t you care about that at all?”

“Not much,” Nick replied.

“Well, you should.”

“Why?”

“You know why!” Isabella snapped. “You and I are the only people Grandy cares for even a little.”

Frowning, Nick stepped out of Val’s stall and faced her. “He might care about you, but make no mistake, I’m just a servant in this house.”

Isabella scoffed, “You don’t really think that.”

Anger surged at that. “I don’t just think it,” he snapped. “Iknowit.”

Isabella actually flinched at his tone, her expression so surprised it was almost funny.

“Nick, you can’t think that! You’re the only person he ever listens to for one thing!”

Nick gave a bark of laughter at her rose-coloured view of the world. “I’ve worked for the old man a long time,” he said. “And I’ve learned how to get his ear. That’s just what weservantsdo.”

She eyed him unhappily. “Can you at least tell mewhyyou’re going?”