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A Lady's Luck
Ken Casper
Mills & Boon Silhouette
Will the lady bring luck…or misfortune?Widowed racehorse breeder Brent Preston greets every morning with the painful memory of his wife…and the burden of knowing that somehow he's responsible for the encroaching ruin of Quest Stables. But then Brent stumbles across a clue–one that could solve the mystery surrounding his family's Thoroughbred champion once and for all…Brent follows the trail to England, hoping that Lady Devon Hunter can help him infiltrate her brother's secrets. But after one glance at the lovely English schoolteacher, Brent finds himself feeling emotions long since buried. He's torn between pursuing the gracefully elusive Devon and hunting down the person responsible for ruining his family…unaware that both paths will lead him straight into the arms of danger!
Thoroughbred Legacy
The stakes are high.
Scandal has hit the Preston family and their award-winning Quest Stables. Find out what it will take to return this horse-racing dynasty to the winner’s circle!
#5 Millions to Spare by Barbara Dunlop
Identifying with your captor is one thing. Marrying him is quite another! But when reporter Julia Nash is caught snooping, she’s faced with saying goodbye to her freedom…or saying I do to Lord Harrison Rochester!
#6 Courting Disaster by Kathleen O’Reilly
Race-car driver Demetri Lucas lives hard and fast—and he likes his women to match. Until he meets the one woman who can tempt him to slow down and enjoy the ride.
#7 Who’s Cheatin’ Who? by Maggie Price
Champion jockey Melanie Preston has a firm no-men-with-secrets policy. Especially when it comes to her family’s horse trainer, who has more secrets than anyone that sexy should….
#8 A Lady’s Luck by Ken Casper
After one glance, widower Brent Preston finds himself feeling emotions he thought long since buried. But pursuing his gracefully elusive English lady may mean heading straight into the arms of danger!
#9 Darci’s Pride by Jenna Mills
#10 Breaking Free by Loreth Anne White
#11 An Indecent Proposal by Margot Early
#12 The Secret Heiress by Bethany Campbell
Available as e-books at www.eHarlequin.com
#1 Flirting with Trouble by Elizabeth Bevarly
#2 Biding Her Time by Wendy Warren
#3 Picture of Perfection by Kristin Gabriel
#4 Something to Talk About by Joanne Rock
Dear Reader,
I live on a horse farm in West Texas. It’s not as grand or green or plush as Quest Stables in this story, but you can believe me when I say there’s always plenty of work to do. Horse people love every aspect of their four-legged critters. We’re enthralled to see them born, consider ourselves privileged to raise, coddle and ride them, and feel heart-wrenching sadness when we finally have to say goodbye to them. One of our old timers here is a twenty-eight-year-old retired Thoroughbred racehorse, so when I was asked if I would like to contribute to this Thoroughbred horse-racing series, you can be sure my immediate answer was a resounding “Yes!”
I hope you’re enjoying the THOROUGHBRED LEGACY series as much as I am. It seems to me it’s got it all—a close-knit, multigenerational traditional family; lots of beautiful horses; plenty of romance; and a soul-searching intrigue in an international setting. A hard combination to beat, on or off the track.
I always enjoy hearing from readers. You can write to me at P.O. Box 61511, San Angelo, TX 76906. Also, please check out my Web site at www.kencasper.com.
Ken Casper
A Lady’s Luck
Ken Casper
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
KEN CASPER
Also known as K. N. Casper, Ken Casper is an author of more than twenty books for Harlequin. He figures his writing career started back in the sixth grade when a teacher ordered him to write a “theme” explaining his misbehavior over the previous semester. To his teacher’s chagrin, he enjoyed stringing just the right words together to justify his less-than-stellar performance. That’s not to say he’s been telling tall tales to get out of scrapes ever since, but…
Born and raised in New York City, Ken is now a transplanted Texan. He and Mary, his wife of thirty-plus years, own a horse farm in San Angelo. Along with their two dogs, six cats and eight horses—at last count—they also board and breed horses, and Mary teaches English riding. She’s a therapeutic-riding instructor for people with disabilities, as well.
Life is never dull. Their two granddaughters visit several times a year and feel right at home with the Casper menagerie. Grandpa and Mimi do everything they can to make sure their visits will be lifelong fond memories. After all, isn’t that what grandparents are for?
You can keep up with Ken and his books on his Web site at http://www.kencasper.com.
My special thanks to:
Toni Anderson
Beryl Liggett
Garda Parker
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
One
Monday, January 5
“It’s no good,” Brent Preston said sharply at his brother’s entrance. “I’ve hit a wall in this investigation.”
“That bad?” Andrew inquired. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the marble counter in the middle of the family’s country kitchen.
Brent had gone over everything in his mind and on paper a hundred times, and still he came up without answers that made sense.
He swept a hand over his face and turned to his brother. “Dammit, I don’t know what the hell went wrong. That breeding went like scores of others I’ve arranged and supervised.”
Andrew regarded him sympathetically. “No one’s blaming you.”
Like hell they’re not. And even if they aren’t, I am. I was in charge.
Last spring, three-year-old Leopold’s Legacy had become the star racehorse at the family’s Quest Stables, winning the Kentucky Derby, as well as the Preakness. The stallion appeared to be on his way to taking the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown, as well, but even without the Triple Crown, Leopold’s Legacy would garner enormous stud fees. Then a computer glitch at the Jockey Association prompted a call for a certain group of Thoroughbreds to have their DNA resubmitted.
No big deal.
Until the results came back. Then all hell broke loose.
According to the new DNA test, Apollo’s Ice was not the sire of Leopold’s Legacy, as the registration papers stated. Even worse, no one knew who the sire was, since the DNA didn’t match that of any stud in the Thoroughbred file.
The Jockey Association wasn’t interested in how the mix-up had occurred; their sole concern was that the provenance of the horse was not what it was purported to be. Leopold’s Legacy was pulled from the Belmont Stakes and Quest Stables was given three months to solve the discrepancy. When they were unable to do so, all Thoroughbreds majority-owned by Quest were banned by local and regional racing commissions from competing in North America. An international ban soon followed.
Almost overnight, revenue dropped by half as owners pulled their horses from the stables.
Andrew idly stirred his cup. “Listen, Brent, most of our clients will come back.”
“Maybe,” his brother allowed, “if this DNA debacle can be solved soon, and if it’s cleared up without prejudice. But a prolonged investigation or proven fault on the part of Quest, and on me…” He let the words fade as he gazed toward the wall of windows looking out on the winter garden. Its bleakness matched his mood. “If there’s no resolution at all, it’ll be the end of Quest.” He let out a long breath. “When I think about what Granddad has created, all his hard work, his love, his passion—when I think of it being wiped out in his own lifetime because I was too damn blind to know when I was being taken— I’m the head breeder. I witnessed the live cover. What are people supposed to think?”
“Look,” Andrew said. “As manager of this place, I can tell you we’re not going to fold. It’s just a matter of time before we get a break.”
He was being optimistic. Stables had gone out of business for less. He was also being generous in not mentioning how the situation was impacting his personal ambitions. Andrew had been planning to run for president of the International Thoroughbred Racing Federation someday. Brent had hoped when that happened he’d be able to take over as general manager of Quest. None of that would happen now—or maybe ever—with this scandal haunting Quest’s reputation.
“I’ve decided to go to England,” Brent announced tersely.
“England? In January?” His mother, Jenna, walked into the kitchen and hooked her favorite mug, already set out on the counter. “Dress warmly, dear.”
“Why England?” his father, Thomas, asked, trailing closely behind her.
“Nolan Hunter, of course,” Jenna declared, before her son could respond.
Brent almost smiled. Not much got past his mother. He had attended the Gulf Classic in Florida on New Year’s Day and had run into Nolan Hunter, the owner of Apollo’s Ice. Nolan had entered Sterling Pass in one of the races but was beaten in a photo finish by Brent’s sister, Melanie, riding Something to Talk About. Brent had invited the Englishman to spend a few days relaxing with the family at Quest Stables in Kentucky before returning home, hoping he might learn more from him about the debacle that was threatening his family. He had, but not in the expected way.
“I’m having second thoughts about Nolan,” Brent admitted.
“I thought you might be,” his mother said, as she poured coffee for her husband and herself. “The man is charming and sophisticated, but there’s something about him that sets my teeth on edge.”
Brent nodded. “Yesterday, just before he left for the airport, I overheard him talking on his cell phone. I don’t normally listen in on other people’s conversations, but the tone he was using was unlike the polished English gentleman. More like a street thug.”
“What was he discussing?” Andrew asked.
“I didn’t get all of it. He was angry, no question about that, insisted he had things here well in hand, that there was no reason to worry. He kept referring to some third person—he didn’t specify who—and said the guy couldn’t do anything because he had no proof.”
“Any idea who he was talking to?” his father asked.
“Someone named Camberg. The name mean anything to any of you?”
