Emily and the Dark Angel Read Online Free PDF Page B

for them in the ordinary market, Father.”
    “I know that,” he snapped. “They need to be out in the field, but who’s going to hunt them now? Not me. Not Marcus.”
    Emily took a deep breath as an idea came to her. “Father, can I use the sale of the horses to finance the purchase of the sheep?”
    He sneered. “There’re three prime five-year-olds out in the stables, but you’ll be lucky to get fifty guineas each.”
    “I’ve heard of hunters going for hundreds.”
    “One of Lonsdale’s sold for a thousand once,” Sir Henry reminisced, a flicker of pleasure lightening his expression. “Ah, that was a night. Drunk as monks, the lot of us ...” He came back to the bitter present. “And that’s the only way to get that kind of price. Ride the hell out of the animal all day, then sell it drunk at the Old Club. Assheton-Smith sold Furze Cropper for four hundred guineas after the Billesdon-Coplow run, and he’d bought him, they say, for forty. But how’re you going to do anything like that, miss?”
    Emily worked at keeping calm. “I don’t need to get a thousand, Father, or even four hundred. Just a hundred or so each. Nelson at least is a top-class hunter. If you’ll let me try, I think I can sell them at a fair price.”
    A spark of interest lit his eyes. “Oh, do you? Make it a wager, then, eh? Since you seem all set on ruling the roost here. You sell those horses to cover the cost of the sheep and I’ll let you carry on running this place as long as you want. Fail, and I’ll turn the whole place over to Felix.”
    Emily caught her breath. It was a silly, dangerous wager, but it sprang out of his frustrated boredom and was not untypical. Had he not, like other men, wagered more than he could afford on such meaningless things as how many piglets a sow would have, or whether a dog would turn left or right at a fork in the road? At least in this case she would be able to work towards making it come out well.
    She wasn’t quite sure yet how she was going to manage it, but she’d just have to make sure she did.
    “Very well, Father,” she said calmly. “A wager it is.” Deliberately, she held out her hand to him.
    After a momentary hesitation he took it and shook on the bet. A glimmer of genuine amusement lit in him, making him look much more like his old self. “You’re becoming a saucy piece,” he grumbled, but his lips twitched. “Damme, but I wish you’d been a boy.”
    Emily dropped another kiss on his cheek and left.
    Once outside the room, she took a moment to compose herself. It really wasn’t surprising that her father was so tetchy, but that didn’t make it any easier to bear, particularly when it led to such ridiculous situations.
    To her dismay, Emily had discovered she wasn’t the stuff of which good sickroom attendants are made. Perhaps it was as well that she would not marry and have children. Instead of womanly skills and a tender heart she appeared to have a gift for administration and a head for business. Which was perhaps as well, for if she were to preserve the estate she had to find a way to get a handsome price for three hunters.
    She had to do it, for she could not bear to see the estate in the clammy, greedy hands of Cousin Felix.
    Under her management, Grantwich Hall was prospering as never before. It was partly the effect of the war, but she knew it was also because she was an efficient administrator. Unlike her father, she kept careful records and accounts. She was happy to listen to the local experts, and they were gratified to advise a poor young lady who was struggling to manage in difficult circumstances.
    She was selling surplus stock and adjusting the animals on the land to make the best use of it. She was also beginning some planned breeding programs to improve the flocks of sheep. She had instituted some economies and used the savings to bring about improvements in the conditions of the tenants.
    She longed for her bath, but it was not ready yet, so she