“Hello, friend,” he said, petting the horse's black nose.
“Here you go, sweeting,” Daisy added, holding up a wizened apple.
The horse eyed the wrinkled fare warily but eventually gobbled it up.
“Good boy,” she praised him.
“Daisy, this is a stud stallion,” Colin pointed out. “Don't turn him into a pet. He needs a bit of aggression or no one will want him to breed their racing mares. He's already too friendly.”
Daisy giggled. “No promises, my lord. He's a lovely horse.” She patted his nose. The attention-greedy animal accepted her caresses eagerly.
“I thought you wanted to meet Bullock and his family,” Colin said sourly.
“Don't be gloomy, love,” she urged.
Colin wanted to snarl. Her casual endearment hit him in all his weak places. He clamped his lips together and escorted his wife
