“Oh, yes!” Eleanor returned to snatch up her broach and her greeting cards. The saddle was on the chair.
Glancing at it uncertainly, not wanting to delay reading her book, she asked, “Shall I take it to the stables?”
“No,” John said. “It’s nearly dark. We’ll take care of it in the morning and go for another ride.”
“Are you really going off to bed to read this early?” Maggie asked.
“If you don’t mind,’” Eleanor entreated, holding the book out in explanation.
“It’s your birthday,” Maggie said. “You may spend it how you like.”
*
Half an hourlater, Eleanor knew exactly how she would like to spend the remainder of her birthday. She also knew her sister and John would not like it one bit. It was only eight o’clock, though, early by any civilized notion. Why, she could still consider it practically daytime, late afternoon even.
A perfect time for a ride.
Wearing her dark green habit and creeping down the stairs, she was thrilled to see the drawing room empty. Snatching up her new saddle, she slipped out the front door, knowing she was less likely to encounter a nosey servant, or even John and Maggie, who often sat out on the back terrace.
Keeping to the shadows as best she could, she made her way to the stables, knowing exactly which stall held the gentle mount Grayson normally gave her to ride.
“Bess,” Eleanor whispered to the horse, not wanting to startle her. She was dozing at this hour. Opening the stall gate, as she entered, the mare whinnied softly.
“Shall we have a little adventure, my girl?”
First placing a blanket over the horse’s back, she then hoisted the saddle over, before cinching and buckling it. She’d been tacking up horses since she was old enough to ride, though she used to stand on a step to do so. Grabbing a harness from a peg, she slipped the bit into Bess’s willing mouth and then fastened it over the horse’s head and behind her ears.
“Good girl.” As she began leading the horse out of the stables, she heard the scuffle of footsteps.
“What are you doing?” The voice behind her making her jump could only belong to the stable boy, the lowest one in the pecking order, who slept in the straw most nights.
Having prepared herself for possibly being intercepted, Eleanor had managed not to shriek as if guilty.
“Good day. You are Jaime, aren’t you?”
“Yes, miss.” In the waning light, she could see his eyes darting around, and she feared he would run off to get someone in authority before she could convince him to let her go.
“How are you this fine…late afternoon?”
“Well, miss. Where are you taking Bess?”
“Why, for a ride of course. Beautiful evening, don’t you think? Sun is still…on the horizon. I’d better hurry before I lose the light completely.”
“No one said anyone would be taking a horse out tonight,” he protested.
“You know me. I love to ride. It’s my birthday today.”
“Happy birthday, miss.”
“Thank you. I was given a new saddle, and I simply intend to ride around the estate once or twice to try it out.”
“Does his lordship know, miss?”
“He was the one who gave me the saddle, Jaime.”
The lad hesitated, and Eleanor was extremely relieved at not lying about the earl having given her permission, though if Jaime took it that way, she would be very pleased.
“Very well, miss,” he said at last. “I’ll be here to help you when you get back. Soon,” he added, hopefully.
