“She drives herself?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Is it difficult?”
“Not with Teapot, ma’am.”
“Could I try?”
There were probably a host of duties she should attend to, but being able to drive would offer freedom. Kitty acknowledged that the real reason was that she didn’t want to return to the house until Braydon was back. Cowardly, but there it was.
“I don’t see why not, ma’am,” Baker said. “Unless Mr. Varley has any objection.”
He, Kitty assumed, was the head groom. There was probably an interesting balance of power between Varley and Baker, his lordship’s personal groom, but it seemed Baker could handle it. Kitty suspected all Braydon’s servants were carefully chosen.
Kitty let Sillikin explore on the leash as the gig was brought out and checked, and Teapot was brought in from the paddock, placidly ready to oblige. Kitty was glad she’d never have to harness the animal, for it all seemed verycomplicated, but the two-wheeled vehicle itself was much sturdier than the curricle.
All the same, when it was time to climb into the seat, she had to hide nervousness. Baker was already in position and clearly had the animal under control, but the thought that she might soon be in charge could almost make her back out. She put Sillikin down by her feet and told her to stay still, hoping that made sense.
“Shall we go anywhere in particular, ma’am?” Baker asked.
“No,” Kitty said, but then changed her mind. “Let’s visit the parsonage.”
It would be eccentric to go there the day after her wedding, but Kitty smiled at the thought of driving up to the door and of seeing Ruth.
Baker drove round to the drive and out through the gates, turning onto the road. Then he paused to pass the reins to Kitty. “It’s a simple route from here, ma’am—flat and almost straight, and Teapot is as calm as could be. But you should learn to hold the reins right.”
He showed her how to wind them through the gloved fingers on her left hand so that she could tighten the left or right by turning her hand. Then he put the whip in her right.
“I can’t whip the poor beast.”
“And you’ll not need to, ma’am, but you should start right. The whip’s mainly in case the horse misbehaves. A touch brings it back in line. Now just say, ‘Go on.’”
Kitty did, and Teapot set off at a walk.
“Say, ‘faster.’”
“Faster.” Teapot sped to a trot. “Does it understand?”
“Only the sound, ma’am.”
They were rolling along a little too fast for Kitty’s comfort, and the gig’s springs didn’t provide a smoothride, but she could truly say, “This is splendid! I’ll soon be able to go where I want, when I want.”
“Early days, ma’am,” Baker said, sounding worried.
She flashed him a smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t attempt the curricle.”
He might have blanched. “Nor anywhere alone for a while, ma’am. Think about stray dogs, birds, even cows in the road.”
Kitty remembered when a bird had flown out in front of the curricle. “Teapot might go wild?”
“I doubt that, ma’am, but his lordship’d have my hide if you harmed yourself.”
“Don’t worry. I have no idea how to harness her, and I’m not even sure I’m strong enough. I won’t attempt anything without a suitable companion.”
In reality, Teapot was following the road for herself, giving Kitty nothing to do, but she still enjoyed the sense of control and the confidence that she could soon be able to come and go around the area with ease. The only hazard they encountered was a two-horse cart lumbering along and taking up a good part of the road. Baker took the reins to steer past that.
They approached the parsonage down the lane toward the village, so Kitty didn’t have to deal with the busy green. She managed to turn the vehicle into the space before the door, only ending up at a slightly odd angle.
