I left the quad through the gate and began walking to the stables. The Berkshire countryside certainly smelled cleaner than London's grime-filled streets. Here was the fragrance of new grass, wet earth, and the faint musty odor that came from the quiet canal that flowed past the school.

Rutledge at least did not mind me taking a horse every morning and riding about the green swards or along the towpath beside the canal. Rutledge was mad for sport and approved of men who liked to ride. I was still a cavalryman at heart and was glad to have the opportunity to ride regularly again.

I reflected as I walked that I had come to Berkshire to find peace, and so far, it had eluded me. But perhaps peace was not in a place but within one's self. In that case, I might never find it. There was little at peace inside Gabriel Lacey.

In the stable yard, I met Sebastian, a young Romany who had been taken on by the head groom to assist him. He was cleaning tack and not looking happy about it. Sebastian was excellent with horses, and he and I had become friends of a sort. I had been surprised at first to discover that Rutledge allowed a Romany to work in his stables, but Sebastian told me Rutledge had not known about it until after the fact. Sebastian had proved handy enough-and came cheap-and Rutledge had decided to look the other way.

"Good afternoon," I said genially to Sebastian.

He gave me a nod. The other stable hands ignored me. Two leaned on rakes and chatted, one sat on a crate smoking a pipe while he mended a bridle.

Sebastian was usually effusive, but today, he frowned at the saddle he polished. "Did you want a horse, Captain?" he asked in his melodious voice.