Page 41 of A Single Obsession

“Even if he prefers you to the other women of his acquaintance, that does not mean he loves you, Eliza. Be careful. I want you to be as happy as I am with Cas. If Beau doesn’t love you…”

Eliza ripped her hands away from her sister’s hold. “You don’t know that.”

“Does Beau even know what love is?”

“Well, if he doesn’t, we know who is to blame. But I love him. I’ll show him what love looks like.”

“I’m afraid you’ll marry him, and he’ll break your heart. He might not be faithful…”

It hurt that her sister had so little confidence in Beau. She wished she could make her understand.

“Don’t despair, Georgie. He is as different from Castleford as cheese is from cake, but they are both good to eat. Just because he doesn’t look like the solid Christian man your husband is, that does not mean he’s not. If you’d observed the way he cares for his horses, you would not doubt he would be kind to his wife. I do not believe he would make me unhappy. And even if he does not love me now, that doesn’t mean he never will. Our story is still being written.”

Eliza prayed her words were prophetic, and not just wishful thinking.

Chapter 18

After securing Eliza’s consent to his mother’s invitation, Beau made a hasty escape from town. He was blowed if he was going to miss the first spring meeting at Newmarket. If Eliza refused to marry him and his mother carried out her threat, it could be his last dash to the races for years.

Once on the racecourse, he put all thought of the house party behind him and concentrated on the subject at hand. Horses.

He laid his bets on the races over the next few days in his usual conservative style. Funny to think how reckless he was in other matters, but so cautious with money. It probably came from having been kept on a tight leash all his life.

It was the one thing he could thank his mother for. He could make his allowance go a long way, and by careful betting on horses with short odds, he had built up his capital. That was how he’d been able to start breeding horses, and that was how he would continue.

“If I’m as successful as usual, I should be able to afford a horse or two from the Duke of Grafton’s stud when it goes under the hammer.”

“I sincerely hope your tips are up to standard,” Anthony said, “otherwise I’ll be obliged to call on my brother to bail me out.”

“If you moderated your stakes, you wouldn’t have to worry.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Beau huffed at Ant in despair.

He just laughed and turned away. “Oh no. Here comes trouble.”

Beau swivelled around to see what had prompted his friend’s words and an unwelcome sight met his eyes. Mr Cunningham was swaggering toward them. The wealthy stud owner had a habit of addressing him in a patronising fashion, and Beau’s stomach clenched in anticipation.

“Playing it safe again, Lord Beaumont?”

Beau sucked in his cheeks in irritation. The fellow delighted in taunting him, flaunting that he had money to burn at every opportunity. Cunningham could afford to lose. He could not.

“Of course. It’s always safe to follow my instincts.”

The other man sniggered unpleasantly. “Ah yes, your famous instincts. Yet you refuse to put your faith in them by betting more than paltry amounts.”

“Moderate sums on reliable bets. That’s my approach. I won’t stake over ten pounds on a long shot, no matter how tempting.”

Cunningham flicked an imaginary speck from the front of his coat. “You’ll never get rich that way.”

“You’re mistaken,” Beau said, struggling to hide his growing annoyance. “I come away from the races richer every time. Are you able to say the same?”

The older man acknowledged the hit with a slight tilt of his head, but the superior smirk did not leave his lips. “No—but I can afford not to.”

He breathed out a deep, satisfied sigh, as if dwelling on the delights of his own fortune. When he spoke again, there was a note of pity in his voice that made Beau grind his teeth together. “If you’re looking for safe bets, you must back Majesty.”

“I already have. I don’t doubt he’ll win, barring an act of God.”