“She could not wait,” Penelope gestured over to where she was . She was trying to keep her balance despite waggling unsteadily in her saddle. “The horses seem eager enough as well.”
Alexander arched his brow in amusement, waving over to Odette to join them.
“Odette,” he drawled to his daughter, “You are perched so elegantly on that saddle. It seems that the lessons Penelope has been giving you are working wonderfully.”
“Father,” she answered, rolling her eyes at his sarcasm, “if I ride any worse, I might scare the horses.”
She shifted in the saddle, attempting a more ladylike posture, and raised one slender hand to steady herself. “I am out of form this morning, it seems. Perhaps it because I had to wake up so early.”
“Early morning is the right time to ride,” Alexander said, mounting his own mare. “In the olden days, we used to ride at dawn and return only by the evening. Every time we fell off the horse, we would have to brush off the hurt and get back on there again.”
It was the little things that Alexander said that made Penelope understand why Odette turned out the way she did; and why it was so important for her to have a female presence in her life.
“Alexander,” she nudged him from her own horse gently, “do be gentle with her. It is not the olden times anymore, and nor does Odette need to ride at dawn to become proficient at horse-riding.”
“Would you rather my daughter never learns to ride properly?” Alexander turned slightly in his saddle, his brow shooting up in challenge.
“Of course not,” Penelope retorted. “But there are more gentle ways to convey information. She is hardly a soldier in training that horse-riding would be such an important skill for her to have.”
“Lessons are best learned the hard way,” Alexander let out a dry huff, eyes fixed ahead.
“Not when you’re fourteen,” she said firmly, reining her horse a little closer to his. “At fourteen, one needs encouragement. Not the fear of failure.”
He didn’t reply immediately. But Penelope knew that he would have a reaction to her word. She kept her gaze fixed sharply onto him. And then she caught what he muttered under his breath.
“That wasn’t the case for me.”
Penelope’s spine straightened. Once again, she found herself softening towards him.
“Exactly. That’s why you must change your ways,” she said, “If we do not change ourselves, then we risk transferring the same traumas we endured onto the next generation.”
The conversation had taken an unexpected serious turn. Odette, who was barely keeping up with what was being said, trailed beside them.
“What are the both of you whispering about?” she scrunched her nose in confusion.
“Nothing, dear,” Penelope smiled at her. “Your father was just acknowledging the rather wonderful job you have done with your horse-riding, and how you will be one of the best riders one day.”
Odette looked at Penelope in astonishment, and then at her father.
“Did you really say that?”
Alexander hesitated, then he glanced at Penelope. “Yes, well… I did imply something of the sort.”
Penelope stifled a laugh, biting her lip.
“I knew it,” Odette beamed, clearly thrilled.She sat taller in her saddle. “You see? I told Apollo I was improving.”
“Remind me to commend the dog later for his wisdom.”
Odette fastened her horse until she was a few paces ahead of them, her riding now more confident. Alexander watched her carefully.
“She seems to have improved a great deal only in a few moments,” Alexander said, surprised, and then looked at Penelope for an answer.
“See what a little encouragement can do?” Penelope smiled knowingly. “It is like magic.”
“Is that your secret?” Alexander asked. “A gentle prod of encouragement.”
“You can see for yourself just how well it works,” Penelope shrugged. “Can you blame me?”
