The Trail To love

She listened to the four horses’ hooves slipping and scraping as they pulled the carriage up the steep road, and every now and then Oldroyd shouted at them and clicked his tongue to hurry them along. - it's bloody abusive and inhumane re: treatment of horses.

That was one of the times after a painting had been sold, when there was a bit more prosperity in the Valentine household. There was money to pay for logs and coal and to buy a joint of meat for dinner on Sundays. - glad "meat" is no longer an ill-advised requirement for good health and welfare!

Elissa’s mother was very beautiful with thick dark hair and lovely brown eyes that glowed like dark sherry - unusual in that the beauty has brown eyes instead of typical blue...

“Yes!” he shouted, as the champagne flowed from the bottle. “A toast to Black Prince – the most calamitous beast that ever stepped onto a Racecourse. Fell at the first fence, broke its neck and darned near broke the bank as well!” - NOT an "it". Horses are sentient, animals are sentient, like children.

He picked up Elissa’s gloves and held them to his cheek, saying, “Come, let me escort you to your room.” - this guy is a lunatic...

"Waitin’ for ’is Lordship. He often likes to take a drive down to the East End late at night and make a wager on a cock-fight – or a rat-baitin’.” - despicable animal abuse.