with her right knee. She still found the entire exercise unsettling and once she endured a few rounds, Mr. Darcy stopped the lesson to change saddles.
"Will you ride Zanzibar?"
Darcy laughed. "Heavens no, I'm too tall for him. Tell me, how did you like riding?"
Elizabeth wrinkled up her nose, an expression she knew her husband found enduring. "Unpleasant I'm afraid. Papa tried to teach me, but I never took well to the lessons."
"I was hoping you would say that," he whispered into her ear as he bent down for a quick kiss on her cheek. Her husband removed the sidesaddle and accepted a smaller, astride saddle from the groom before he disappeared back into the stable. Again, Elizabeth was instructed on how to buckle the saddle and about placement.
"I must say, you never explained why I must know how to saddle the horse on my own. I confess I am curious."
Darcy sighed, surprised Elizabeth could not guess. "To ride a horse is freedom. It is a necessity, a luxury, and at times, the only means of escape. I will not have any women of my protection unable to harness and ride all means of transportation available to them."
"Does this mean you will teach me to drive the curricle?" Elizabeth brightened at such a possibility as she dearly hoped to one day drive a gig of her own.
"Learn to ride a horse first, dear."
Astride Zanzibar, Elizabeth Darcy sat like a queen. She moved easily in tune with Zanzibar, and before too long, her husband had even given her the reins to walk and trot around the paddock a few times on her own.
By the end of the lesson, her hindquarters were most sore, but she had great pride in conquering her fear of horses. More important to her was the way her husband gazed at her, a mixture of pride and lust that she found intoxicating. If riding a horse could inspire such feelings in him, she would gladly endure a sore posterior every day of the week.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Gingerly, Edward Gardiner inhaled deeply and released the edge of the credenza he was holding in the hall. He legs wobbled, but he remained upright. His wife and a few longtime servants of the family began to clap and cheer.
"That's it, darling, you're doing wonderfully!"
He grimaced a smile to his adoring wife, and took a step, pausing to breathe shallowly for a moment. His ribs still ached some and his leg atrophied from his accident four months ago.
"Mr. Gardiner, you've won the day, sir. Only a few more!" The butler Kline encouraged his employer, standing behind him in case the man should fall.
With great concentration, and keeping any cries of pain buried deep in his gut, Mr. Gardiner took the five more steps he needed to reach his wife. As she grasped his arms in her own and leaned forward to kiss his cheek, she related to him how proud she was of his recovery.
"I told you I would walk again before the babe was born. I meant it." Tears glistened in his own eyes, both from the exertion and this milestone of him leaving his sick room. He could not return to work quite yet, but spending part of the day in the parlor was on the schedule for him to keep the doctor at bay.
Madeline Gardiner patted her rounded belly, feeling the babe move under her hand. "Mmmm, I do believe this one might not be too far longer . . ."
As the Gardiners settled in the parlor, the arrival of Miss Mary Bennet was announced, and Madeline held her husband's arm to keep him from trying to rise. "You've done enough, dear. Do not overtax yourself."
"That is what I frequently say to you!" He playfully swatted at the back of his wife's dress as his niece entered the room with the jubilant couple.
"Edward!" Madeline turned around, pretending to be shocked.
"Good morning, Aunt, Uncle. I am so happy to see you up and about!" Mary beamed at the sight of her uncle on the sofa as she took a seat in the arm chair. Greetings exchanged, Mary removed her gloves as a servant brought a tray of refreshments. The young woman was excited to see her uncle's progress, but
"Will you ride Zanzibar?"
Darcy laughed. "Heavens no, I'm too tall for him. Tell me, how did you like riding?"
Elizabeth wrinkled up her nose, an expression she knew her husband found enduring. "Unpleasant I'm afraid. Papa tried to teach me, but I never took well to the lessons."
"I was hoping you would say that," he whispered into her ear as he bent down for a quick kiss on her cheek. Her husband removed the sidesaddle and accepted a smaller, astride saddle from the groom before he disappeared back into the stable. Again, Elizabeth was instructed on how to buckle the saddle and about placement.
"I must say, you never explained why I must know how to saddle the horse on my own. I confess I am curious."
Darcy sighed, surprised Elizabeth could not guess. "To ride a horse is freedom. It is a necessity, a luxury, and at times, the only means of escape. I will not have any women of my protection unable to harness and ride all means of transportation available to them."
"Does this mean you will teach me to drive the curricle?" Elizabeth brightened at such a possibility as she dearly hoped to one day drive a gig of her own.
"Learn to ride a horse first, dear."
Astride Zanzibar, Elizabeth Darcy sat like a queen. She moved easily in tune with Zanzibar, and before too long, her husband had even given her the reins to walk and trot around the paddock a few times on her own.
By the end of the lesson, her hindquarters were most sore, but she had great pride in conquering her fear of horses. More important to her was the way her husband gazed at her, a mixture of pride and lust that she found intoxicating. If riding a horse could inspire such feelings in him, she would gladly endure a sore posterior every day of the week.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Gingerly, Edward Gardiner inhaled deeply and released the edge of the credenza he was holding in the hall. He legs wobbled, but he remained upright. His wife and a few longtime servants of the family began to clap and cheer.
"That's it, darling, you're doing wonderfully!"
He grimaced a smile to his adoring wife, and took a step, pausing to breathe shallowly for a moment. His ribs still ached some and his leg atrophied from his accident four months ago.
"Mr. Gardiner, you've won the day, sir. Only a few more!" The butler Kline encouraged his employer, standing behind him in case the man should fall.
With great concentration, and keeping any cries of pain buried deep in his gut, Mr. Gardiner took the five more steps he needed to reach his wife. As she grasped his arms in her own and leaned forward to kiss his cheek, she related to him how proud she was of his recovery.
"I told you I would walk again before the babe was born. I meant it." Tears glistened in his own eyes, both from the exertion and this milestone of him leaving his sick room. He could not return to work quite yet, but spending part of the day in the parlor was on the schedule for him to keep the doctor at bay.
Madeline Gardiner patted her rounded belly, feeling the babe move under her hand. "Mmmm, I do believe this one might not be too far longer . . ."
As the Gardiners settled in the parlor, the arrival of Miss Mary Bennet was announced, and Madeline held her husband's arm to keep him from trying to rise. "You've done enough, dear. Do not overtax yourself."
"That is what I frequently say to you!" He playfully swatted at the back of his wife's dress as his niece entered the room with the jubilant couple.
"Edward!" Madeline turned around, pretending to be shocked.
"Good morning, Aunt, Uncle. I am so happy to see you up and about!" Mary beamed at the sight of her uncle on the sofa as she took a seat in the arm chair. Greetings exchanged, Mary removed her gloves as a servant brought a tray of refreshments. The young woman was excited to see her uncle's progress, but
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