foot in a rabbit hole,' Lord Fordington said curtly, and William nodded, looking to where the horse, having regained his feet, was standing uneasily on three of them and cautiously testing the fourth.
Ninian dismounted and flung his reins to Lydia, going to feel the horse's legs.
'A strained fetlock,' he confirmed. 'Sorry, I should not have raced over this ground.'
'We've galloped here often enough,' Georgiana said quickly. 'It was unfortunate but not your fault. Is Prince badly hurt?'
'Nothing permanent, I think, but you cannot ride him home.'
'You ought not to ride after such a fall,' Lord Fordington said solicitously and, when Georgiana protested she was used to such tumbles, helped her to her feet.
'I'll lead the poor beast back to Woodings,' Ninian offered. 'William, could Georgiana ride pillion behind you?'
'I'll take her,' Lord Fordington said firmly, and swung Georgiana up on to Midnight before William could answer. They all made their way home, leaving Lydia and Diana at the Rectory which was on their way. Then, with Isabella riding beside Lord Fordington and Georgiana, the two young men and the lame horse bringing up the rear, they went on to Woodings.
'I feel so foolish,' Georgiana said as they drew near. 'I do hope Prince will not be lame for too long.'
'Ninian says it is not serious and he knows what he is talking about,' Lord Fordington reassured her. 'I hope that you have no injury. We will call and see how you do tomorrow.'
* * * *
Pleading he had to return to Priory Dene for a dinner party, Lord Fordington remained long enough to explain the accident to Lady Sharman, and then he and Ninian departed. They were at Woodings early the following morning, however, to find Georgiana not a whit the worse for her tumble sitting in the drawing room with Isabella and Lady Sharman. To Lady Sharman's gratification Ninian's mother had accompanied her son.
Lady Fordington was in her early forties, a still pretty woman when she exerted herself to please, but with a petulant droop to her lips when her face was in repose.
When Lord Fordington, having enquired solicitously about Georgiana's health, had departed with Sir Roderick to view the farms he contemplated buying, Lady Fordington permitted herself a delicate shudder.
'I am so thankful Priory Dene is not Ninian's house. I have a dread of the place, it is so old and gloomy.'
'It looks romantic,' Georgiana said. 'I have never seen it closer than from the slopes of the downs, but it fascinates me. Is the stone part of it the old Priory?'
'It is reputed to be the church, then it was used as the main hall, but it was much altered when the west wing was built, about two hundred and fifty years ago I believe. Justin has all the records. The rest of the old buildings were left to rot. They are some distance away, amongst trees. I would like Justin to have them cleared away altogether but he always refuses.' She sighed. 'I am afraid he takes little heed of what my wishes are.'
'But to have genuine ruins near to one's house is what many people long for,' Lady Sharman said. 'Why, it was even the fashion to build false ones!'
'False ones have the merit of not being haunted!' Lady Fordington replied swiftly, and then laughed self-consciously. 'Oh, you must think me foolish, but I have a most weird feeling whenever I go near the ruins of some alien presence. Ninian says it is my imagination, but I have always been very sensitive and I know there is something there!'
'More likely to be smugglers than ghosts,' Ninian said, laughing. 'Really, Mother, no one else has ever felt anything strange there.'
'The villagers will not go near it after dark,' Lady Fordington protested.
Georgiana was round-eyed with excitement.
'Could smugglers use it?' she asked breathlessly. 'Oh, I think that would be even more exciting than ghosts!'
'And more dangerous,' Isabella pointed out caustically. 'I thought that there was far less smuggling now the wars had ended,' she said to
Ninian dismounted and flung his reins to Lydia, going to feel the horse's legs.
'A strained fetlock,' he confirmed. 'Sorry, I should not have raced over this ground.'
'We've galloped here often enough,' Georgiana said quickly. 'It was unfortunate but not your fault. Is Prince badly hurt?'
'Nothing permanent, I think, but you cannot ride him home.'
'You ought not to ride after such a fall,' Lord Fordington said solicitously and, when Georgiana protested she was used to such tumbles, helped her to her feet.
'I'll lead the poor beast back to Woodings,' Ninian offered. 'William, could Georgiana ride pillion behind you?'
'I'll take her,' Lord Fordington said firmly, and swung Georgiana up on to Midnight before William could answer. They all made their way home, leaving Lydia and Diana at the Rectory which was on their way. Then, with Isabella riding beside Lord Fordington and Georgiana, the two young men and the lame horse bringing up the rear, they went on to Woodings.
'I feel so foolish,' Georgiana said as they drew near. 'I do hope Prince will not be lame for too long.'
'Ninian says it is not serious and he knows what he is talking about,' Lord Fordington reassured her. 'I hope that you have no injury. We will call and see how you do tomorrow.'
* * * *
Pleading he had to return to Priory Dene for a dinner party, Lord Fordington remained long enough to explain the accident to Lady Sharman, and then he and Ninian departed. They were at Woodings early the following morning, however, to find Georgiana not a whit the worse for her tumble sitting in the drawing room with Isabella and Lady Sharman. To Lady Sharman's gratification Ninian's mother had accompanied her son.
Lady Fordington was in her early forties, a still pretty woman when she exerted herself to please, but with a petulant droop to her lips when her face was in repose.
When Lord Fordington, having enquired solicitously about Georgiana's health, had departed with Sir Roderick to view the farms he contemplated buying, Lady Fordington permitted herself a delicate shudder.
'I am so thankful Priory Dene is not Ninian's house. I have a dread of the place, it is so old and gloomy.'
'It looks romantic,' Georgiana said. 'I have never seen it closer than from the slopes of the downs, but it fascinates me. Is the stone part of it the old Priory?'
'It is reputed to be the church, then it was used as the main hall, but it was much altered when the west wing was built, about two hundred and fifty years ago I believe. Justin has all the records. The rest of the old buildings were left to rot. They are some distance away, amongst trees. I would like Justin to have them cleared away altogether but he always refuses.' She sighed. 'I am afraid he takes little heed of what my wishes are.'
'But to have genuine ruins near to one's house is what many people long for,' Lady Sharman said. 'Why, it was even the fashion to build false ones!'
'False ones have the merit of not being haunted!' Lady Fordington replied swiftly, and then laughed self-consciously. 'Oh, you must think me foolish, but I have a most weird feeling whenever I go near the ruins of some alien presence. Ninian says it is my imagination, but I have always been very sensitive and I know there is something there!'
'More likely to be smugglers than ghosts,' Ninian said, laughing. 'Really, Mother, no one else has ever felt anything strange there.'
'The villagers will not go near it after dark,' Lady Fordington protested.
Georgiana was round-eyed with excitement.
'Could smugglers use it?' she asked breathlessly. 'Oh, I think that would be even more exciting than ghosts!'
'And more dangerous,' Isabella pointed out caustically. 'I thought that there was far less smuggling now the wars had ended,' she said to
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