Best Laid Plans (A Gentleman of Misfortune, Book 2)

Chapter One

"Come on, old boy! You can do it! Come on!"

My words of encouragement blended with the sound of hooves hitting the ground. Wind whistled past my ears. Phaeton's sides heaved with exertion as he raced along the road. I leaned over his neck, urging him to go faster. To my right, Mr. John Ward was keeping pace beside me on his own mount, Tesoro.

Unless there was a sudden change, it looked as though it was going to be a tie between us. Again.

Since the first time we had attempted a race, Mr. Ward and I had tried three times to prove the superiority of our respective mount. Each time we had been evenly matched and nothing had been settled. In fact, I believed a few of the more intelligent of my family's tenants had earned themselves some coins with a wager that there would be another impasse.

Ahead of us, I could see the crossroad that marked the end of our race. There were fewer observers waiting there than there had been for the previous races. I suppose there was little excitement in observing a race where the two participants had already shown themselves evenly matched.

I brought Phaeton to a walk. Mr. Ward straightened up in his saddle as he did the same. "Well run, Bywood," he said.
  
"Same to you, Ward," I said with a nod. "I hope Geoffrey was watching closely. If I had to guess, it was close once again. Too close, I would wager, for any definite ruling."

He let out a laugh, which took me aback for a moment. There had been very few moments in our acquaintance when he appeared to actually enjoy himself. "If that is the case, I believe we shall simply have to accept the fact that Tesoro and Phaeton are too well matched for either of us to claim one or the other to be superior and cry quits on the matter."

We walked back to where Geoffrey, my family's faithful groom, was waiting. Before we had even reached him, the older man was shaking his head. "I'm sorry Mr. Lucas," he called out. "You both crossed the line at the same moment from my point of view."

Though I had expected as much, I couldn't hold back a sigh. "Well, that's that then,"

"You're not going to try again?" There was a hopeful note in the groom's voice that made me grin.

"Ward and I agree it's probably for the best. We'll just have to find some other boasting gentleman to defeat."
"We're not going to have much success around here," Ward said, waving his hand vaguely at the countryside. "I do believe almost every one of your neighbors has at least heard about our friendly competition. I doubt any of them are willing to challenge either of us."

He was absolutely right, but I wasn't worried about the matter. Most everyone in the neighborhood knew of the Bywood penchant for excellent mounts. Only visitors had ever dared challenge us, and it was rare that any of them found victory.

I glanced around and saw everyone drifting to return to their daily tasks. Geoffrey mounted his own horse and headed back to Bywood Hall.

"What plans have you for the rest of the day, Ward?" I asked, turning my attention to the next possible amusement. "Would you care for a bit of fishing?"

My friend shook his head. "Not today, Bywood. I have business correspondence that requires my attention, at task I have been putting aside for far too long. Perhaps another day."

He didn't wait for me to voice an acknowledgment before he wheeled Tesoro around and set off. Of course he would have business to see to. It seemed everyone had something to see to, and I did not.

The investment of my inheritance was sound and did not require my attention at every change. I did not yet have an estate to oversee, and no wife to attend, so there was little to occupy my time.