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“I hate this just as much as you do, trust me,” Anthony grunted at Nectar, as he paced back and forth.
“It is all your fault. If you had not lost that damn race, you would not have been readied for the knacker’s yard. I would never have felt the need to ‘save’ you,” he stood face to face with the horse, trying to challenge him to speak back.
Nectar looked bored, but Anthony swore he saw him rolling his eyes.
“Now, I know we have not always got on, but promise me you will behave today?” Anthony made uncomfortable eye contact with Nectar, before the horse turned his head and huffed.
Anthony huffed back, “Why is it that you dislike me so? Have I done something to you, apart from save your life?” the horse definitely rolled his eyes that time, “Twice, if you count me not bringing you to the knacker’s yard myself when you made for a terribly embarrassing gift.”
“Brother, why are you arguing with a horse?”
Anthony spun around, “Hyacinth! I did not hear you enter the stable,” he glanced from side to side to make sure no one else had overheard him, “why are you here?”
“I have come to find something for Newton. We are trying to teach him a new trick… wait, why are you here already? Kate is still in the drawing room perusing some fruit,” she eyed him, “strange for you not to be by her side.”
“Kate says I need to make friends with the ex-racehorse,” Nectar threw darts at Anthony as the last words were uttered.
“Why? He really does not care for you,” Hyacinth muttered as she searched a shelf.
“I know. But my wife has grown… fond of him and wants to ride him more often on our trots and races around the countryside,” he exhaled, “But whenever she rides him, he will not let her be within 20 feet of me,” he frowned deeply and made a childish face at the horse.
Hyacinth shook her head, trying to think of a remedy, “You know, Newton was not your biggest fan for a while when he first met you. Then again, neither was Kate,” she laughed, “you seem to have the same effect on animals that you do on people, brother.”
Anthony let out a frustrated sigh, “Well, what do you recommend?” he rest his hands on his hips and continued to distastefully regard Nectar, “I think I have tried just about everything.”
“Well, maybe instead of bringing up how he has disappointed you in the past, and making him feel bad for things he could not change, you should just be honest with him and yourself?”
Anthony looked in disbelief that his youngest sister, “And where have you been getting all this wisdom from?”
“Daphne talked a lot under her breath last season when she did not think I was in ear shot,” Hyacinth shrugged casually. Anthony fumbled, hands still on hips, “Right, of course she did,” he laughed, “of course she did,” he shook his head and then suddenly stopped when he remembered all the sound advice from Daphne he had ignored around that time.
“Hyacinth! Make haste, he is doing it!” Gregory’s urgent voice travelled to them in a high pitch. And before Anthony could ask her for anymore guidance, she was a blur running out of the stable doors.
Anthony glanced at Nectar out of the corner of his eye. Nectar made a disgruntled neighing sound and tilted his chin upward. He approached the horse slowly and sat down on a stool next to him, “Okay, I guess it is worth a shot.”
He took a forced breath and started, “Nectar, I did not really mean those things I said. It is just… when I look at you it brings me right back to those horrifying blunders I made last year,” the horse turned his head and looked away unamused.
“How I tried to gift you, to the sister of the lady, who was the one who would have truly appreciated you. That was my mistake,” he exhaled sharply and continued in earnest, “I am… sorry, for the whole ordeal. I am sure you were quite embarrassed to be trotted around for everyone to see with the huge red bow around your neck, and those tight braids,” Anthony laughed remembering the ridiculousness of it all.
Nectar neighed softly and wondered closer to him. Anthony stood up, tentatively reaching out his hand, “Ah, we can both laugh now. See? I promise never to dress you up like that ever again, you have my word,” the horse seemed to look at him dead in the eyes as he made that promise and blinked slowly, “As an ex… I mean, veteran racehorse, you deserve to keep your dignity intact,” Nectar looked like understood everything Anthony was saying, and Anthony swore he even saw him nod. Then he leaned into Anthony hand as he accepted gentle strokes along his mane.
“There we are, who knew it would be this simple to win your favour, eh?”
“Anthony, why are you talking to a horse?”
Anthony jolted, “Oh, Kate! There you are,” he smiled enthusiastically at her, “I seem to have finally got Nectar’s affection,” he looked very pleased with himself, “Mhm, it was only a matter of time,” he confidently asserted.
Kate actually looked proud, though she tried to hold in a smile; thinking about how Anthony had previously tried and failed repeatedly to get the horse on his side, “Well done. I, of course never had to try that hard to gain his friendship. But I can only assume you put in the work?”
“Uh, it was actually something Hyacinth said,” his eyes darted downwards, his hand still calmly stroking Nectar.
“Oh?”
His face flushed, “She said to be honest with him.”
“The girl is wise beyond her age,” Kate remarked, she cocked an eyebrow and sauntered towards him.
“Indeed. All my sisters are wise these days it seems,” he sighed in relief, and visually took her form in as she moved closer to him, “So, you may take Nectar today, as I know you so wish,” he beamed at her before leaning in to place a tender kiss on her forehead, “I do not think he will be avoiding me anymore.”
“Ahhh. Is he so easily won, by one quick heart to heart?” Kate looked at Anthony the way she always did whenever she felt he was getting a bit too cocky.
Anthony looked back and admired Kate’s beautifully braided hair, he enveloped her in his arms and pressed his nose against her ear; his eyes still fixed on the braid over her shoulder. Anthony would make sure to be there when she undid it later, “As long as we promise to never have his hair braided again. Unlike you, he does not suit it,” he reluctantly pulled away and started to walk towards his steed, “and no more bows.”
Kate nodded in agreement at Anthony as he made a final adjustment to the saddle for his own horse, “It is funny that he did not require any promises from you,” Anthony grunted as he mounted, “Nectar seemed to like you straight away.”
Kate smiled to herself, “Yes. He did, did he not?” she watched Anthony brace himself as he started to trot outside the stable. She loved him like this; excited, childlike, and earnest.
When Kate thought Anthony was not looking, she reached into a discreet pocket of her riding cloak and brought out a shiny red apple, “For my favourite horse,” she whispered, winking at Nectar as she fed it to him.
In that moment Anthony trotted back to the entrance of the stable, “Kate, dear?” his mouth dropped, “I knew it!”
“Oh!” she jumped up, trying to stand in front of Nectar’s head to block Anthony from seeing her bribe. Anthony just tutted and shook his head.
“Umm, I was just giving him a treat for being so nice to you,” her smile was unconvincing.
“Yeah, yeah… and that is why you already had it when you came in? Before you even knew we had made up?” he continued to shake his head, but his lips formed a smile, “You do know the stable hands make sure they are well fed every morning, so you do not have to…” he scoffed mid-sentence knowing Kate already had all of the staff’s movements memorised, “I suppose we know why he is so nice to you then!”
“Well, he is quite friendly with the particular stable boy who always feeds him first, I thought you might have figured that trick out for yourself already,” she mumbled the last part so he couldn’t quite hear.
“What was that?” he smiled in the way he always did when he thought he was catching her out at something.
“Hmm, nothing,” she smirked deceivingly. But she could not help at least trying to be honest when he looked at her like that, “I concede. The extra treats may have helped us break the ice, yes.”
“Or helped you to win all of our races with him involved, you mean?”
“Sure, Anthony. If that makes you feel any better.”
“Well, we shall see how he behaves today. Now that I have secured his approval, without any manipulative schemes,” he boasted, “perhaps next time I will ride him, and we can test it.”
Kate snorted a laugh as she and Nectar rode past Anthony, “That is if he even lets you.”
Anthony grinned as he attempted to catch up with Kate. He would never admit it to her; as much as he protested always being behind, he much preferred the view from his losing position.