Secret Hearts Read Online Free PDF Page B

at all to him. Also,
he claimed to know nothing about business or farming or running an estate,
and very humbly begged Mr. Silver’s guidance in those matters.”
           “Truly?
My goodness.”
           Dianthe
rose from her chair and Claire discovered she hadn’t entirely overcome
her deplorable tendency to envy her beautiful friend. Graceful as a
sylph, Dianthe circuited the room, fingering objects delicately, her
lovely face thoughtful.
           “He
even offered Mr. Silver a generous bonus if he’d spend a few weeks
here and teach him ___«everything there is to know about the farm and
grounds. Apparently he has an idea about breeding horses, but doesn’t
want to embark on such an enterprise unless the estate is well able
to support it.” Claire approved such a pragmatic attitude.
           “Horses,”
Dianthe breathed, endowing the word with all the mythic properties of
Pegasus. Claire wished she could make her voice do that.
           “Indeed.
He seems to be interested in a particular breed. I believe it’s called
Ap-Ap-Appaloosas. At least, I think that was the name.”
           Dianthe
stopped wafting. “Appaloosas?” Her flawless forehead wrinkled when
she spoke, as though she did not find the word aesthetically pleasing.
           “Yes.
The breed was evidently developed somewhere in the Northwest. I understand
they’re spotted.”
           “Spotted?”
Dianthe’s brows dipped over her crystal-blue eyes.
           Sensing
her friend’s disapproval, Claire hastened to say, “I asked about
them this morning, Dianthe, and they’re not nearly as awful as they
sound.”
           Still
frowning, Dianthe resumed her chair in front of Claire’s desk. “No?”
           “No,
indeed. Why, in fact, I understand they possess a princely temperament
and their spots are primarily confined to their rear quarters. Although,”
she added conscientiously, “I don’t really know much about them.
I’m hoping Mr. Partington will permit me to learn along with him,
so that I may be of some help to him in his new enterprise.”
           She
tried to keep her galloping heart from giving her words any special
emphasis. She knew her new employer could never find it in himself to
view her as anything other than a employee, but if he would allow it,
perhaps she could make herself useful. Long ago, Claire had given up
hope for anything more out of life.
           “You’re
interested in horses?” Dianthe sounded faintly appalled.
           Quelling
a spurt of indignation, Claire said rather tartly, “Horses are noble
beasts, Dianthe. I’m surprised at your attitude, quite frankly.”
           Waving
a delicate hand in the air, Dianthe said, “Of course, Claire. But
horses with spots?” She shook her head, endowing the gesture with
an elegance it probably did not deserve.
           As
it often did while Claire was writing, inspiration struck her now. She
carefully schooled her expression to betray only indifference. “I
believe the first persons to develop Appaloosas as a separate breed
were Indians, Dianthe.”
           It
did not surprise Claire when Dianthe’s expression of distaste immediately
transformed into one of rapt interest—even awe.
           “ Indians ?”
Again, she made this word sound mysterious, glorious, magical.
           “I
believe so.” Claire smiled, pleased that she’d crossed that hurdle
so easily.
           “Oh,
my.” Dianthe sank back in her chair, adopting a pose Claire had seen
captured on canvas by great artists. Her own little sigh was unintentional.
           She
was surprised into an unladylike start when a brisk rap came at the
door. Dianthe, of course, expressed her alarm in a much more elegant
manner, merely lifting an eyebrow and sitting slightly forward. When
the door opened to reveal Mr. Thomas G. Partington, her