He studied her expression.
“They will not harm you if approached properly.”
Margaret rested her hand lightly along the wooden rail of the stall, still leaving several feet between herself and the animal.
“You trust them more than I do.”
“I suppose that is because I understand them. I must say that it is strange that you are cautious around creatures you consider temperamental.”
“Why?”
“Because you are not cautious around me.”
Margaret looked at him then, surprise flickering briefly across her face.
“That is a curious comparison.”
“Is it?”
She considered the horse again before answering.
“Horses kick.”
Nathaniel almost smiled.
“I am capable of unpleasant behavior as well.”
“Of course. You are a man.”
“And yet you speak to me without hesitation.”
Margaret’s gaze returned to his.
“You have never struck me as unpredictable. In fact, that is the very last word that I would describe you with.”
Nathaniel leaned slightly against the stall gate.
“And you are not afraid of me.”
“No.”
The answer came easily.bNathaniel regarded her carefully.
“Why not?”
Margaret tilted her head slightly, considering the question with more seriousness than he expected.
“Horses cannot explain themselves,” she said at last. “You can.”
Nathaniel did not answer her immediately. The stable had grown quieter. Somewhere outside, a night bird called acrossthe fields, and the horses shifted softly in their stalls, the muted sounds of hooves against straw echoing through the long wooden aisle. Margaret remained where she was, one hand resting on the rail, watching him with the calm patience he had begun to recognize in her.
Nathaniel turned his attention back to the horse, letting his hand move slowly along the animal’s neck while his thoughts shifted inward. It struck him, with uncomfortable clarity, that Margaret had just offered him something he had not expected from anyone in a very long time.
Trust.
Not the polite trust society extended to his title, and not the careful deference servants gave a master of the house. She believed he would tell the truth if it mattered.
For most of his life, explanations had been a luxury he did not allow himself. Decisions were made quickly, burdens carried alone, and silence had often been the best shield.
