Gracefulwas the last word that came to mind.
At last, she was atop Blossom. Rupert fed her walking shoe into the hard leather slipper-stirrup.
“All well?” he asked.
She nodded jerkily.
“Let’s catch up to the others.”
Mounting his horse, Rupert led the way. Outside the stable, he turned.
No, Lady Delia.
Smiling to the others, he called out, “Lady Delia.”
When there was no answer, he shrugged. Lady Lillian wore an impatient expression.
“A minute,” he said, swinging his horse around and re-entering the stable.
Lady Delia was precisely where he’d left her, except ... upon closer inspection, her eyes were glistening with tears.
His heart clenched to see her misery.
Chapter Nine
“Are you well?” Rupert asked.
“No, my lord,” she whispered. “I am terrified. And I have not a clue how to make this beast move. Nor do I want to.”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
“It is I who does not understand. Why did I lie to get myself into this predicament? I cannot ride aside.”
“Then you have been raisedonlyto ride astride, like a man?”
After a pause, she said, “I know it is a grievous flaw not to be able to ride elegantly about the countryside.”
“Would you like to try?”
“I should very much not wish to die,” she said.
Rupert stifled a smile. “No, of course not. With my help, you shall not come close to death.”
“You there,” he addressed a stableboy seated on a bench, cleaning tack. “Get a lead for this lady’s bridle.”
“Yes, my lord.”
In less than a minute, a lead rope was threaded under Blossom’s bridle and Rupert held it in his gloved hand.
“In answer to your conundrum, you would tap your horse with your crop and lightly dig your left heel to get her moving, similarly to how you would were you riding astride, except with only one heel.”
She nodded, still pale, and not looking the least bit happy.
“However, I shall guide you to start and see how you fare.”
Urging the well-mannered Star Gazer forward, Rupert headed out of the stable a second time, with Lady Delia and Blossom following at his horse’s left.
“Now what?” Lady Lillian asked.
