Blackmailing a Marquess

Chapter Two

 

“For the love of god man slow down!” Nicholas heard as he brought his enormous black stallion to a trot when he reached the top of the grassy knoll.  It was a great day to be outside. You could feel the heat of the sun, yet there was a crisp breeze to keep you comfortably cool.

“Well if you didn’t ride like a dandy I wouldn’t have to slow down” he laughed as his closest friend Anthony Sinclair caught up to him.

“Gah!” Anthony snorted at the dandy remark. “One would think you were trying to outrun the royal army with the way you ride that poor horse to death” He cringed as he relaxed the muscles in his thighs from racing so hard to catch up to Nicholas.

“To death? Hardly, Havoc here could with stand any endurance test you put him to. Nicholas beamed proudly as he stroked the mane of his prized thoroughbred.

“Yes well if you would sell me one of the many fine horseflesh you have, then I just may be able to keep up with you.” Anthony pouted.

“Oh get off it man, I tired giving you one when you were nineteen years of age and you could barely control the damn beast”

“THAT was not my fault!  Anthony protested.  “You thought it would be funny to give me the most ornery horse out of the whole bloody lot!”

Nicholas burst into laughter at the memory of the horse he had given his friend, knowing full well the horse’s temperament, rearing and bucking as soon as Anthony settled himself into the saddle.  The man nearly broke his leg when he flew off his mount and landed on his rear in a very large puddle of mud.  He sat there in the puddle dumbstruck with globs of muck dripping off his face onto his once white tunic.  Fortunately the only thing aside from his hip that was bruised was his ego.

Anthony couldn’t help himself.  Nicholas’ laughter was contagious.  For most people it was rare to hear.  Nicholas Ravenhurst was a man that kept to his self.  A solemn look passed over Anthony’s face as he thought about his friend.  There were very few people he let in and even fewer he let into his heart.  Anthony was one of those fewer people.  He had been there when…

“Oomph” “What was that for?!” Anthony grunted in response to his friend hitting him in the ribs.

“You left me for a second there and I didn’t care for the train of thoughts that were crossing your mind.  It was leaving quite an unattractive look on your face.”  Nicholas said in jest.

“The only thing unattractive here is the man sitting next to me atop that unnaturally fast horse beneath him.  Anthony rebutted as a facetious smile crept across his lips.

“Not as repelling as you’re going to be when I get through with you!”  Nicholas said as he flew across his horse knocking Anthony to the ground.

The two men wrestled with each other as if they were boys again.  Rolling over, legs entwined, arms flailing about.  Laughter spilling from their lips, they laid there on the cool ground staring up at the cloudless sky.  It was days like this that Nicholas longed for.  Days when he could be himself, smile freely and laugh till his heart’s content. It wasn’t often that Nicholas could be so care free.  His days were filled with business of one sort or another.  If it wasn’t tending to his own house hold and the Estates he managed, it was hours in his study going over financial papers and ledgers.  Trying to find ways to get out of the debt his parents left behind when they were suddenly taken from his life.