The Beast of Stornoway

Chapter 22: Amani

Amani hummed to herself as she looked over the invoices and logged them into the manor's checkbook. Rory and Arthur were chatting about their training plans for the new horses and Lord Blarcum was glued to his phone. He hadn't spoken much since they'd left the auction. He'd only spoken to the auctioneers to tell them where to load the horses.

She picked up another invoice and a bright smile spread across her face. Maximilian, the lonely painted horse. The one with the broken spirit. She couldn't believe she reacted like that. She loved animals, but she'd never felt so sad for one before. She wanted to run out to that racetrack and give it a damn hug.

She sat the paper down and penciled the information into the checkbook. She was so thankful Lord Blarcum bought him. Poor Maximilian deserved a good home. She stopped writing and her heart clenched. Why did he say Maximilian was hers to train? Why would he do that? She looked back at the invoice and her eyes grew wide.

Five thousand pounds?!

She snatched the paper up and thoroughly investigated the invoice again. Five thousand pounds was half the equestrian budget. The starting bid for Maximilian was five hundred and he was the only bidder.

What the hell was he thinking? She looked at him. His eyes were still glued to his phone while he mindlessly swiped his thumb over the screen. She whipped out her phone and began tapping furiously.

Amani >>Maximilian was only £500. You spent the remaining equestrian budget on one horse! I'm cancelling your RSVP to the next two auctions until there's enough money in the budget again.<<

She hit send and immediately opened their shared calendar to cancel the auction appointments.

He is out of his mind, spending that kind of money. 

She knew Maximilian needed a good home, but if he wanted to be generous, he could have doubled his bid. Instead, that idiot paid ten times the amount!

Lord Blarcum >>You will do no such thing. I have plenty of money and I paid what I thought Maximilian was worth.<<

Her jaw clenched as she angrily typed her reply.

Amani >>I understand your generosity, Your Highness, but that's not how auctions work! And my job is to keep your spending under control. I've cancelled the next auctions.<<

She saw his face turn into a scowl. He sat up in his seat and swiped his thumbs across his phone. She grinned looking at the appointment request in his calendar and she gleefully tapped reject.

Amani >>Changes to your calendar go through me and I will reject anything that has to do with an auction. So don't even try.<<

Lord Blarcum >>I'm going to fire you.<<

A small laugh escaped her lips at his response.

Amani >>Mm...no you won't. I haven't done anything wrong. Plus, who's going to train Maximilian? You said he's mine.<<

She looked up at him and watched his jaw tick and his lip curl upward, betraying his frown.

Lord Blarcum >>Don't call me 'Your Highness'.<<

Amani >>As you wish, m'Lord.<<

She punctuated the response with a GIF of a cat bowing and bit her cheeks to stop from laughing.

Lord Blarcum >>Don't. Bow. Not even in GIF form.<<

She couldn't stop the laugh that burst from her lips and filled the car when she'd read his response.