Wedding Wagers(47)

"You shouldn't be here, Miss Montgomery." Carefully he moved nearer the laboring horse.

"Please," her voice wavered. "I can see she's in terrible pain. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"She'll be all right," Eli said, as much to comfort the horse as to  reassure its owner. "Run along to bed, and you can come see the new foal  in the morning."

"You speak to me as if I'm a child." Miss Montgomery's voice rose slightly, and the mare nickered her complaint.

"Sorry," she whispered, sounding contrite. "Please, let me stay."

Eli shook his head. "It's not proper. You're not even dressed, and what  if you faint? I'd not be able to care for both you and your horse.  Birthing is a bloody mess." He was in position now, awaiting Fortune's  next contraction.

"You've no need to worry over me," Miss Montgomery said. "I've a strong  constitution. No one need find out I've been here, and no matter if they  did. You are leaving by the week's end, your new position already  secured. And just today the earl offered for me. We are each secure in  our futures, regardless of anything that might happen tonight."

Anything that might happen. Eli did not like the sound of that or what  it so readily conjured in his mind. Nor did he miss the tone of Miss  Montgomery's voice. She did not sound like a woman who had just been  proposed to ought-happy and giddy, or at least pleased.

But he had no more thought for Miss Montgomery, or what was proper, as  Fortune's body convulsed with another pain. With tender care, Eli pushed  his hand inside the birth canal, reaching for her foal. He found one  leg easily. It was right there, ready to make its escape from the womb.  But the other he could not locate and spent several frantic seconds  searching for it, while his other hand held Fortune's bound and  twitching tail out of the way.

Where are you? Come on! Fortune's contraction ended, and Eli still hadn't located the foal's other foreleg.

He withdrew his hand and used his other to swipe at the sweat dripping into his eyes.

"Try again. You can do this." Miss Montgomery had entered the stall and  stood beside him. She took Fortune's tail and moved it out of his way,  standing on tip toe to keep it from his face.

"Thank you." Eli worked his hand inside once more, as gently as  possible, and began his search again, higher this time. He felt the  foal's nose, then an ear and then-hoof! He grabbed it and pulled,  lowering the limb over the foal's face, then forward until it was  parallel with the other. He hooked his hand over both and tugged, just a  little, then withdrew and stepped back quickly as Fortune and nature  took care of the rest.

"Oh!" Emily exclaimed softly as she watched the foal appear between them.

Eli knelt to catch it, helping it safely to the waiting bed of straw.

"Let go of her tail now," Eli instructed, and Emily, as if just  realizing her hand was still aloft, released Fortune's tail and moved  back into the far corner of the stall.

The mare turned, so her head was nearer her baby, then lay down beside  the awkward bundle struggling to free itself entirely from the sac.         

     



 

"Good girl," Eli whispered affectionately as he rose and backed into the corner opposite Miss Montgomery.

"Are you talking to me or Fortune?"

"Both." Eli grinned, feeling extraordinarily happy, overcome once more  with the miracle of life. He glanced over at Miss Montgomery, realizing  she was on the wrong side of the mare-effectively trapped until Fortune  either decided to get up or change positions again.

"Are you all right?" he asked with concern, guessing that most well-bred  young ladies would never experience something so raw as a horse  birthing.

"I am wonderful." She returned his smile, and their eyes met over mother  and baby, hers moist and shining. "That was-astounding. Beautiful."

You are beautiful. "It is the same every time. I am glad you were able to experience it."

"As am I. Thank you, Mr. Linfield."

"Eli," he corrected, meeting her gaze once more. He'd be gone in a few  days. There seemed no harm in being more personable until then, or  tonight at least, when they'd just been bystanders, if not complete  participants, in one of the most intimate acts of life.

"Thank you, Eli," she said, smiling warmly.

"You're most welcome-Emily."

She might have blushed at his forwardness, but he couldn't be certain,  as her face was partly in shadow. In either case, he looked away,  somewhat abashed at his own behavior. He'd taken Sherborne to task for  speaking of her casually. Yet here I am, calling her by name as we're  alone, in the dead of night, and her not even dressed properly. Eli  realized it was a very good thing he was leaving soon. He wasn't quite  sure he'd ever be the same after tonight.

Forcing his attention back to Fortune and her new colt, he began  carefully pulling the dirty straw back and replacing it with clean.  After several minutes, Fortune, who appeared to have been taking a  well-deserved nap, stood, severing the umbilical cord at the same time  the afterbirth was delivered.

As she began cleaning her colt, Eli maneuvered around her to gather the  rest of the mess. He made his way to the side, glanced at Emily once  more, and noted all signs of her blushing had gone. Her face had turned a  ghostly white, and she held one hand to her stomach.

"Miss Montgomery, are you we-"

She went down, falling almost gracefully into the straw. Eli jumped over  the back of the colt, muttering an apology as Fortune nipped at him.

"Miss Montgomery." He lifted her head, checking for injury, finding  none, and thanking the heavens he'd spread the straw extra deep.

Not so immune after all. He might tease her about this later-or he would  have if he was going to be around longer than the end of the week.

Emily's breathing was even, so he laid her out comfortably, there not  being much else he could do. Smelling salts weren't to be found in the  stable, and he didn't think she would want him to alert someone at the  house.

He knelt beside her, waiting for her to come to. Speaking each other's  names had seemed intimate, but this seemed even more so. He'd never been  this close to her before and took the opportunity to touch her cheek  once again.

Her skin was as soft as he'd imagined, as was her hair. He touched that  next, with the excuse to himself that he ought to lay it over her  shoulder to keep the straw from it as much as possible. Emily's lashes  were long and still, dark in contrast to her pale skin. Yet she didn't  appear fragile, but simply serene. She might have fainted at the last,  but she'd witnessed the birth and found wonder in it instead of being  repulsed.

The stable door squeaked for the second time that night. Instead of  jumping to his feet, Eli froze, tension flooding his body at the sound  of voices. The higher, female one he recognized at once.

Lady Grayson. She'd been in here a time or two before with various  companions. Once, Eli had avoided being seen. The second time he had  discreetly looked away and said not a word about it. She was a young  widow. He would not fault her. No doubt loneliness and missing her  husband had driven her to such behavior. Regardless, it was not his to  judge. With any luck, she and her companion would not be here long, and  no one would be any the wiser of his-or Emily's-presence.

"The stable? Really, Lady Grayson, you surprise me. I would think a tussle in the hay far below your standards."

Sherborne! Eli's fists clenched.

Sherborne's words were slightly slurred, as if he was foxed.

"Oh, don't be such a bore," Lady Grayson said. "I'm only speaking of a  midnight ride to the pond. It's so refreshing to swim after a hot day  like today."         

     



 

"As refreshing as it sounds, I have just this day offered for your sister. I do not think-"

"Precisely," Lady Grayson said. "Don't think. Just feel. Soon enough  you'll be a tenant for life, and I promise Emily will never be one for  doing anything adventurous at midnight."

How little you know. Eli glanced at Emily, her dressing gown spread out  around her, except for the one slightly bunched corner revealing an  ankle. He quickly pulled it down.

"I do feel-you are a tempting armful." Sloppy kissing sounds followed Sherborne's equally sloppy sentence.

How dare he. If not for Emily's presence, Eli would have put an immediate end to all Sherborne was feeling.

"Lady Grayson-perhaps-we ought not-there is your father to consider," Sherborne managed.

Her father? What about Emily? Foxed or not, Sherborne had no excuse for such deplorable behavior.

Emily's head moved slightly. She was still unaware of the drama around her, but probably not for much longer.

Eli gathered handfuls of the straw and tossed it over Emily, covering  all but her nose and mouth. Then, grabbing the pitchfork, he stood and  cleared his throat loudly, unwilling and unable to let Sherborne dally  with his future wife's sister.