Chapter 34 Hidden Motives

THE FRESH SMELL of hays filtered through Cole's nostrils as they made their rounds that morning. Stopping at various stalls and examining the horseflesh. Half-heartedly he listened to the rambles of his stablemaster while staring at a particularly grey stallion with interest, an unusual gleam in his eyes.

He remembered standing there with his father a few years back and doing the same thing he was doing now.

Running one roughcast hand over his cheeks and chin he moved to the stall that held his interest, his stablemaster Oliver, trailing after him, but not ceasing his endless campaign on the qualities of the previous horse they had just left (a fine black stallion with white markings on the body).

Cole sighed. He was getting tired. He had been here all morning and particularly indecisive about choosing a sire for his new horse. Normally, he went about matters like this more swiftly, but today, he was plagued with unfinished business